 |
Ric Lee | |
|---|---|
 Ric Lee in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Richard Lee |
| Born | 20 October 1945 Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England |
| Genres | Blues rock, blues, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer, music publisher |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, percussion |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Labels | Decca, Deram, Columbia, Chrysalis, Capitol, PolyGram |
Richard "Ric" Lee (born 20 October 1945) [1] is an English drummer of the blues rock band Ten Years After.
He was a founding member of his first band, The Falcons, [1] and was also a drummer for Ricky Storm and The Mansfields, which he was persuaded to leave in August 1965. Soon he took over drumming duties for The Jaybirds, with guitarist Alvin Lee, and bassist Leo Lyons. [2]
In 1966 they arrived in London, where a keyboardist, Chick Churchill also joined the band. In 1968, Churchill got the band an audition at the Marquee Club in London under the name The Blues Yard, but quickly became the successful outfit, Ten Years After. With this group, Lee played at rock festivals including Woodstock in 1969 (where they performed the songs "Spoonful", "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", "Hobbit", "I Can't Keep from Crying Sometimes", "Help Me", and "I'm Going Home"), [3] and the Isle of Wight Festival on 29 August 1970 [4] as well as appearances at The Newport Jazz Festival, The Miami, Atlanta and Texas Pop Festivals.
Ten Years After continued touring after Alvin Lee's death (on 6 March 2013). Lee has been in Ten Years After since the group was formed in 1966. He has played on all their records, including their best known tracks "Love Like a Man" (1970) and "I'd Love to Change the World" (1971), and still tours with them as of 2023 with original keyboardist Chick Churchill, and two new members: guitarist/vocalist Marcus Bonfanti (British Blues Awards winner) and bassist Colin Hodgkinson. This incarnation released its first studio album, A Sting in the Tale, in 2017. [5]
When Ten Years After disbanded in 1976, Lee formed March Music/Fast Western Productions undertaking music publishing, management and record production [1] and signed acts such as the Incredible Kidda Band. He was rumored to be potential replacement in 1980 for deceased John Bonham in Led Zeppelin, but the band decided to disband in honor of their band-mate. However, in 1980, Lee instead became the drummer for Chicken Shack. He left the following year.
In 1994, Lee formed The Breakers with an old friend, Ian Ellis (ex-Clouds) and together they wrote and produced their first studio album "MILAN", which was released in July 1995. Along with tours of the UK and Europe, The Breakers were guests with Bryan Adams and Bonnie Raitt, on NBC Super Channel's "Talking Blues" programme that aired in Europe in March 1996.
In 2000, Ric Lee joined Kim Simmonds and Nathaniel Perterson in Savoy Brown for a European tour.
In 2011, Lee formed the 'Ric Lee Blues Project' which was later renamed 'Ric Lee's Natural Born Swingers' for their 2012 album release Put a Record On. The band featured Bob Hall of Savoy Brown, Danny Handley from The Animals and British session bassist Scott Whitley who has worked with many major acts from around the world. The album received substantial airplay on European and internet radio. Handley and Whitely have left the band. John Idan, known for his work with the reformed Yardbirds, joined the band on guitar and vocals.
Lee's autobiography From Headstocks To Woodstock was published by Grafika in May 2019. [6]
Lee was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. It was through his eldest brother Peter that Lee first got interested in music. [2]
His jazz influences included Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, whereas in the burgeoning pop scene of the 1960s, they had included Ringo Starr and Bobby Elliott. [2]
He has two children and lives in the Derbyshire Dales. [1]
Cozy Powell was an English drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Graham Bonnet, Brian May, Whitesnake, Emerson, Lake & Powell, and Black Sabbath.
Ten Years After are a British blues rock group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, the band had eight consecutive Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart. In addition, they had twelve albums enter the US Billboard 200. They are best known for tracks such as "I'm Going Home", "Hear Me Calling", "I'd Love to Change the World" and "Love Like a Man".
Alvin Lee was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter, who was best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the blues rock band Ten Years After.
Leo David William Lyons is an English musician, who was most notably the bassist of the blues rock band Ten Years After.
Michael George "Chick" Churchill is an English keyboard player of the blues rock band Ten Years After.
Gary Husband is an English jazz and rock drummer, pianist, keyboard player and bandleader. He is also a composer, arranger and producer.
Undead is a live album by Ten Years After, recorded at the small jazz club Klooks Kleek in London on 14 May 1968, and released in July of that year. The show combined blues, boogie and jazz playing that merged more traditional rock and roll with 1950s-style jump blues. The album "amply illustrates" Alvin Lee's "eclectic" use of the pentatonic scale mixed with other modalities.
Recorded Live is the second live album by British blues rock musicians Ten Years After, which was released as a double LP in 1973.
Live at the Fillmore East 1970, is the fourth live album by Ten Years After recorded in February 1970. This double-disc album features many rock and blues covers, such as Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen", and "Roll Over Beethoven" and also Willie Dixon's "Spoonful", which was also covered by Cream on their albums Fresh Cream and Wheels of Fire. Unlike Ten Years After studio album A Space In Time - which was released next year, in 1971 - Live at the Fillmore East does not have as much of a pop sound, but more of a 1950s blues sound.
Cricklewood Green is the fourth studio album by blues rock band Ten Years After, released in 1970.
Ssssh is the third studio album by blues rock band Ten Years After, released in 1969. The album charted #20 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the UK charts.
Stonedhenge is the second studio album, and third album overall, by English blues rock band Ten Years After, released in February 1969 by Deram Records. It was recorded with producer Mike Vernon at London's Decca Studios in September 1968.
Ten Years After is the debut album by English blues rock band Ten Years After. Recorded at Decca Studios in London in September 1967, and released on 27 October 1967, it was one of the first blues rock albums by British musicians.
Watt is the fifth studio album by the English blues rock band Ten Years After, released in 1970. It was recorded in September 1970 except for the last track, a cover of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen", which is a recording from the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.
Rock & Roll Music to the World is the seventh studio album by the English blues rock band Ten Years After, released in 1972. It includes several Ten Years After standards, including "Standing at the Station", "Choo Choo Mama", and the title track.
Andy Pyle is a British bassist who is best known for playing with The Kinks from 1976 to 1978. Prior to that, he was in Blodwyn Pig (1968–1972) and Savoy Brown (1972–1974). Later, he played with Wishbone Ash.
Positive Vibrations is the eighth studio album by the English blues rock band, Ten Years After, which was released in 1974. Shortly after the release of this album, the band broke up. The album peaked at #81 in the US Billboard 200 chart.
About Time is an album by the blues rock band Ten Years After, released in 1989. It was the final studio album featuring Alvin Lee, their singer and most prominent songwriter since the band's formation. It was their first studio release in fifteen years.
Now is the tenth studio album by blues rock band Ten Years After, released in 2004.
Danny Handley is a British musician. He is best known for his roles as a guitarist and vocalist in the bands Animals & Friends.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ric-lee-from-woodstock-to-sonning/id1508942333?i=1000620449520
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
