Post by classic rock revival on Apr 28, 2011 14:59:07 GMT -6
This is an interview I did with Leo Lyons in 2004.
Jim: The lineup in TYA has changed. It's mostly the original band with Chick Churchill, Ric Lee, and yourself, along with newcomer, Joe Gooch on guitar & vocals. Can you tell us about Joe and how he to join the band?
Leo: It's the original line-up of TYA with Joe Gooch replacing Alvin Lee. We had tried several guitar players before Joe but no-one fitted the bill. It was my son Tom who suggested we try Joe. The two had been friends since play school. I knew Joe played the guitar but I'd not heard him since he was around 14 years old and I was not sure it would work out. I felt we needed someone with experience. Tom asked me how people could get experience if nobody gave them a chance and of course he was right. I asked Joe to send a tape to Ric.I felt too close to things. Ric was impressed with what he heard and travelled to Wales to see Joe play.
After that we arranged for Joe to audition with the band when I got back to the UK-I live in Nashville. It was clear that he'd done his homework. He knew the TYA songs better that we did and played brilliantly adding his own unique style of guitar work to the TYA sound. He got the job and three days later played his first gig with us in Germany. We were very lucky to find him and it's strange to think that I've known him since he was a kid.
Jim: How are the fans responding to TYA without Alvin Lee?
Leo: Positively. We've completed a long European tour and apart from a couple of gigs we've sold out all the shows. We've met and talked to fans who have supported us since the sixties and met many more who had never seen or heard of TYA until recently. We're getting a fantastic response to the new line-up. Those who at first thought they'd miss Alvin have been impressed by Joe's talent and are genuinely thrilled to see TYA back together again.
I know that some Alvin fans are not happy about us playing without him but those people are in a minority and most likely have never seen the band play in the new line-up or the old one for that matter. Remember that TYA first disbanded in 1975 and except a few short lived reunions has remained inactive until NOW.
It's taken us two years of hard work to prove ourselves to promoters and audiences. Nothing was handed to us on a plate. We'll continue to build on our new fan base with our gigs and recordings.
Jim: I must admit, I had reservations about TYA without Alvin until I heard the new CD "Now". It's a very good CD. How did "Now" come about and how is it doing sales wise?
Leo: Many people, even some of our fans, had reservations. The press promotion of TYA was of a superstar front man guitarist with his band Ten Years After. Without knowing all the facts it's a fair question to ask what we could possibly do without Alvin? I hope that the new CD and our live performances show that TYA is, and always was, more than a one man band. Fortunately many fans already knew that, and we thank them for their support and encouragement.
As for the NOW CD. We wanted to produced something that whilst retaining the blues roots of TYA moved us forward in time to 2004. We wanted to capture the energy and enthusiasm we all have for music. It was the best record we could do at the time but now I'm looking towards our next studio record.
We own the recording rights for Europe ourselves and sell finished product to distributors who stock the stores. We also sell directly on the web and at gigs. The records had some great reviews in Europe and that's helping generate steady sales and reorders. In April 2005 NOW is released in the States on a US Label.
Jim: "When It All Falls Down", and "A Hundred Miles High", are my two favorite songs on "Now". What new songs are you performing in your shows?
Leo: We've played all new songs live except for "Changes". We try to mix up TYA's old favourites with our new material. Our set changes and gets longer as we try to fit in more material.
Jim: You've been doing a lot of gigs in Europe since last year. Any plans to tour the U.S. anytime soon?
Leo: Yes,. Late spring and summer of 2005 to support our record release. We've already played festivals in Canada this year and should have played the States too but it was not possible to process work permits in time.
Jim: Tell us about TYA's legendary performance at Woodstock. Did you guys have a hard time getting to the concert site as a lot of other acts did? At the time did you think this was the greatest gig you ever played, or was it just another gig?
Leo: We flew into New York from St Louis the day of our performance and drove from La Guardia to the Holiday INN Bethel. From there we took a helicopter to the site.
Going in was not too bad but leaving was a nightmare. There were Long traffic jams heading back to NYC and no room in hotels locally. By the time we got back to Manhattan the hotel had given my room to someone else and I slept on a table in someone's office.
Retrospectively the gig itself was fantastic but it's hard to separate reality from the movie. On the negative side I remember the mud, no food, no sleep and sheltering in a truck during the storm. Most of all though I remember the great audience. We'd played many good festivals even on that tour, The Texas Pop Festival, Newport 1969, etc. I viewed Woodstock as one of those great gigs. When the film was released it became "The most important festival" The whole era was a great time for music and musicians and 'Woodstock The Movie' captured the feeling of it all.
Woodstock I think was the most important gig in our long career.
Jim: What 3 TYA songs from the past do you really enjoy performing and what songs (if any) have you performed that you really didn't care for?
Leo: Favourite three live songs from the past would be 'Going Home' Crying' Schoolgirl' Love Like A Man'
I don't recall playing songs I really didn't like.
Jim: "Love Like A Man", and "Circles", from the "Cricklewood Green", album are two of my all time favorite TYA songs. Are you currently performing either one of these songs in your show?
Leo: We play "Love Like A Man".
Jim: "Love Like A Man", was TYA's first single release. Was getting a hit single as important to the band as it was your record label?
Leo: We had other singles released before then in various parts of the world. 'Love Like A Man' was our first UK hit and yes it was more important to our label than it was to us. We probably saw ourselves as musicians not pop stars which I now think was an arrogant way to view things. Commercial success does not always interfere with the Hippy philosophy.
Jim: I've always thought that "I'd Love To Change The World", was the band's signiture song. I've heard other fans say " Goin' Home", is the quintessential TYA song. What do you think?
Leo: Many people in the States remember 'I'd Love To Change The World", our only US hit single; We didn't release many singles. " Going Home' established TYA world-wide and in history as 'the band that played Woodstock' I'm happy and pleased to be associated with either song.
Other album track hits in different parts of the world would be-Good Morning Little Schoolgirl', Love Like A Man' Help Me Baby' Hear Me Calling', I Woke Up This Morning' I Can,t Keep From Crying Sometimes. All are requested songs on live gigs.
Jim: "About Time", released in 1989 was a great comeback album by the original band., but there was no follow up. What happened to the band after that album?
Leo: Alvin was not really into TYA. It was a short term measure for him to make some money. The record label released this quite early on and cut the promotion budget. Alvin left the band shortly afterwards to pursue yet another solo project.
Jim: Your now living in Nashville and your a staff writer for Hayes Street Music Publishers. How did this come about?
Leo: Correction. I was a staff writer for Street Music but since the reformation of TYA I've been unable to work full time as a songwriter. Nine or ten years ago I commuted to Nashville to write songs. I eventually got a publishing deal and have lived there for six years.
Jim: What's the Nashville music scene like today? Is it still very country oriented or do you see it expanding into rock, blues, and other styles of music?
Leo: Nashville is the business centre for Country Music Records and publishing. The music business there is like no other in the world. It's an intense town full of talented writers and artistes all trying to break into the business. It's like LA is to the film industry. The man that works in the supermarket is probably a struggling songwriter. The business side will always stay in Country Music but many country writers are already enjoying Rock and Pop success. There are many great players in town of all genres.I think true country music is White Mans Blues.
Jim: Last question. If you were a Concert Promoter putting a festival show together with Ten Years After headlining, what other 3 acts would you include on the bill?
Leo: This is the hardest one to answer because TYA is difficult to place in a bag. We're not totally blues, and not really rock. Lots of people suggest we do a retro package which is understandable but I'd prefer to be in the mainstream of music wherever possible. I'd have to leave it to the promoter to decide the line-up. One thing I can say is that we've played many festivals these past two years with many bands I'd happily tour with.
© classic rock revival. all rights reserved.
Jim: The lineup in TYA has changed. It's mostly the original band with Chick Churchill, Ric Lee, and yourself, along with newcomer, Joe Gooch on guitar & vocals. Can you tell us about Joe and how he to join the band?
Leo: It's the original line-up of TYA with Joe Gooch replacing Alvin Lee. We had tried several guitar players before Joe but no-one fitted the bill. It was my son Tom who suggested we try Joe. The two had been friends since play school. I knew Joe played the guitar but I'd not heard him since he was around 14 years old and I was not sure it would work out. I felt we needed someone with experience. Tom asked me how people could get experience if nobody gave them a chance and of course he was right. I asked Joe to send a tape to Ric.I felt too close to things. Ric was impressed with what he heard and travelled to Wales to see Joe play.
After that we arranged for Joe to audition with the band when I got back to the UK-I live in Nashville. It was clear that he'd done his homework. He knew the TYA songs better that we did and played brilliantly adding his own unique style of guitar work to the TYA sound. He got the job and three days later played his first gig with us in Germany. We were very lucky to find him and it's strange to think that I've known him since he was a kid.
Jim: How are the fans responding to TYA without Alvin Lee?
Leo: Positively. We've completed a long European tour and apart from a couple of gigs we've sold out all the shows. We've met and talked to fans who have supported us since the sixties and met many more who had never seen or heard of TYA until recently. We're getting a fantastic response to the new line-up. Those who at first thought they'd miss Alvin have been impressed by Joe's talent and are genuinely thrilled to see TYA back together again.
I know that some Alvin fans are not happy about us playing without him but those people are in a minority and most likely have never seen the band play in the new line-up or the old one for that matter. Remember that TYA first disbanded in 1975 and except a few short lived reunions has remained inactive until NOW.
It's taken us two years of hard work to prove ourselves to promoters and audiences. Nothing was handed to us on a plate. We'll continue to build on our new fan base with our gigs and recordings.
Jim: I must admit, I had reservations about TYA without Alvin until I heard the new CD "Now". It's a very good CD. How did "Now" come about and how is it doing sales wise?
Leo: Many people, even some of our fans, had reservations. The press promotion of TYA was of a superstar front man guitarist with his band Ten Years After. Without knowing all the facts it's a fair question to ask what we could possibly do without Alvin? I hope that the new CD and our live performances show that TYA is, and always was, more than a one man band. Fortunately many fans already knew that, and we thank them for their support and encouragement.
As for the NOW CD. We wanted to produced something that whilst retaining the blues roots of TYA moved us forward in time to 2004. We wanted to capture the energy and enthusiasm we all have for music. It was the best record we could do at the time but now I'm looking towards our next studio record.
We own the recording rights for Europe ourselves and sell finished product to distributors who stock the stores. We also sell directly on the web and at gigs. The records had some great reviews in Europe and that's helping generate steady sales and reorders. In April 2005 NOW is released in the States on a US Label.
Jim: "When It All Falls Down", and "A Hundred Miles High", are my two favorite songs on "Now". What new songs are you performing in your shows?
Leo: We've played all new songs live except for "Changes". We try to mix up TYA's old favourites with our new material. Our set changes and gets longer as we try to fit in more material.
Jim: You've been doing a lot of gigs in Europe since last year. Any plans to tour the U.S. anytime soon?
Leo: Yes,. Late spring and summer of 2005 to support our record release. We've already played festivals in Canada this year and should have played the States too but it was not possible to process work permits in time.
Jim: Tell us about TYA's legendary performance at Woodstock. Did you guys have a hard time getting to the concert site as a lot of other acts did? At the time did you think this was the greatest gig you ever played, or was it just another gig?
Leo: We flew into New York from St Louis the day of our performance and drove from La Guardia to the Holiday INN Bethel. From there we took a helicopter to the site.
Going in was not too bad but leaving was a nightmare. There were Long traffic jams heading back to NYC and no room in hotels locally. By the time we got back to Manhattan the hotel had given my room to someone else and I slept on a table in someone's office.
Retrospectively the gig itself was fantastic but it's hard to separate reality from the movie. On the negative side I remember the mud, no food, no sleep and sheltering in a truck during the storm. Most of all though I remember the great audience. We'd played many good festivals even on that tour, The Texas Pop Festival, Newport 1969, etc. I viewed Woodstock as one of those great gigs. When the film was released it became "The most important festival" The whole era was a great time for music and musicians and 'Woodstock The Movie' captured the feeling of it all.
Woodstock I think was the most important gig in our long career.
Jim: What 3 TYA songs from the past do you really enjoy performing and what songs (if any) have you performed that you really didn't care for?
Leo: Favourite three live songs from the past would be 'Going Home' Crying' Schoolgirl' Love Like A Man'
I don't recall playing songs I really didn't like.
Jim: "Love Like A Man", and "Circles", from the "Cricklewood Green", album are two of my all time favorite TYA songs. Are you currently performing either one of these songs in your show?
Leo: We play "Love Like A Man".
Jim: "Love Like A Man", was TYA's first single release. Was getting a hit single as important to the band as it was your record label?
Leo: We had other singles released before then in various parts of the world. 'Love Like A Man' was our first UK hit and yes it was more important to our label than it was to us. We probably saw ourselves as musicians not pop stars which I now think was an arrogant way to view things. Commercial success does not always interfere with the Hippy philosophy.
Jim: I've always thought that "I'd Love To Change The World", was the band's signiture song. I've heard other fans say " Goin' Home", is the quintessential TYA song. What do you think?
Leo: Many people in the States remember 'I'd Love To Change The World", our only US hit single; We didn't release many singles. " Going Home' established TYA world-wide and in history as 'the band that played Woodstock' I'm happy and pleased to be associated with either song.
Other album track hits in different parts of the world would be-Good Morning Little Schoolgirl', Love Like A Man' Help Me Baby' Hear Me Calling', I Woke Up This Morning' I Can,t Keep From Crying Sometimes. All are requested songs on live gigs.
Jim: "About Time", released in 1989 was a great comeback album by the original band., but there was no follow up. What happened to the band after that album?
Leo: Alvin was not really into TYA. It was a short term measure for him to make some money. The record label released this quite early on and cut the promotion budget. Alvin left the band shortly afterwards to pursue yet another solo project.
Jim: Your now living in Nashville and your a staff writer for Hayes Street Music Publishers. How did this come about?
Leo: Correction. I was a staff writer for Street Music but since the reformation of TYA I've been unable to work full time as a songwriter. Nine or ten years ago I commuted to Nashville to write songs. I eventually got a publishing deal and have lived there for six years.
Jim: What's the Nashville music scene like today? Is it still very country oriented or do you see it expanding into rock, blues, and other styles of music?
Leo: Nashville is the business centre for Country Music Records and publishing. The music business there is like no other in the world. It's an intense town full of talented writers and artistes all trying to break into the business. It's like LA is to the film industry. The man that works in the supermarket is probably a struggling songwriter. The business side will always stay in Country Music but many country writers are already enjoying Rock and Pop success. There are many great players in town of all genres.I think true country music is White Mans Blues.
Jim: Last question. If you were a Concert Promoter putting a festival show together with Ten Years After headlining, what other 3 acts would you include on the bill?
Leo: This is the hardest one to answer because TYA is difficult to place in a bag. We're not totally blues, and not really rock. Lots of people suggest we do a retro package which is understandable but I'd prefer to be in the mainstream of music wherever possible. I'd have to leave it to the promoter to decide the line-up. One thing I can say is that we've played many festivals these past two years with many bands I'd happily tour with.
© classic rock revival. all rights reserved.