ARTICLE | Game-Changing 2023 Remix Of Ten Years After: ‘A Space In Time’

“Alvin gave me free rein to experiment with sound. This was great fun but also a huge challenge to recreate now… Everything was recorded well, but it was the bigger picture afterwards that was exciting,”

Over the past few days, thousands of Ten Years After fans across the globe have already taken delivery of the eagerly anticipated 50th anniversary edition mix of A Space In Time by renowned UK producer Chris Kimsey who was also the original recording engineer in 1971. The album was the band’s most successful, reaching number 17 in Billboard 200, and has been given a brand new stereo mix using transfers from the original two-inch multi-track tapes together with modern day plug-ins.

Chris sets the scene: “Finding the masters was quite a journey because, following Woodstock, Ten Years After had signed up to Columbia in America (Chrysalis Records in Europe) and I had flown to the States with multi-track safety copies as the label wanted a quadrophonic mix of the album. These copies had been stored in their New York archives and given the absence of the originals this turned out to be a stroke of luck. My drive in mixing the album was that I wanted to respect it and how we created it, not making it sound vastly different. What came out was more clarity and definition in the sound. Some of the vocal levels on the original were pushed up as I always felt that they were a bit low.”

 “This is typical Chris Kimsey modesty; the man is a genius who has transformed what was already acclaimed as a great album into a timeless, multi-dimensional soundscape of epic proportions. This project is not just about Kimsey’s technical wizardry but also more importantly his empathy and musicianship. What the listener hears in this outstanding remix are the real sounds, shades, subtleties and special effects, many of which had been diminished due to the technological limitations of half a century ago.

Each musician’s unique contribution is illuminated under individual spotlights, probably for the first time. There was never any doubt about Alvin Lee’s world-class credentials as a guitarist, but he regarded his singing as a necessity rather than a preference. It was a masterstroke by Chris to give enhanced prominence to Alvin’s vocals, as the new mix proves they deserve far more credit than the ‘average’ and ‘adequate’ assessments so often given in the past by music critics.

Lee’s vocal range and expressive intonation on this album communicate more effectively than ever before the insights and deeper meanings of his lyrics. Similarly, when each instrument is suddenly crystal clear the listeners’ perceptions are heightened and every detail noticed. Alvin’s tasteful and sensitive guitar riffs and solos on the album counterbalance his moniker, ‘Captain Speedfingers,’ a pre-1970 legacy.

Leo Lyons demonstrates, too, his phenomenal talent across a range of genres, and he is clearly the only bassist in the world who could complement and duel with a lead guitarist of such velocity and versatility. Also, while Chic Churchill’s keyboard skills and Ric Lee’s dynamic drumming could be seen and appreciated by audiences at live gigs, they didn’t always feature as prominently in the studio. Chic proves here that he is as fluent and nimble a piano player as any of his contemporaries and Ric provides metronomic timing and precision on percussion.

 “This is typical Chris Kimsey modesty; the man is a genius who has transformed what was already acclaimed as a great album into a timeless, multi-dimensional soundscape of epic proportions. This project is not just about Kimsey’s technical wizardry but also more importantly his empathy and musicianship. What the listener hears in this outstanding remix are the real sounds, shades, subtleties and special effects, many of which had been diminished due to the technological limitations of half a century ago.

Each musician’s unique contribution is illuminated under individual spotlights, probably for the first time. There was never any doubt about Alvin Lee’s world-class credentials as a guitarist, but he regarded his singing as a necessity rather than a preference. It was a masterstroke by Chris to give enhanced prominence to Alvin’s vocals, as the new mix proves they deserve far more credit than the ‘average’ and ‘adequate’ assessments so often given in the past by music critics.

Lee’s vocal range and expressive intonation on this album communicate more effectively than ever before the insights and deeper meanings of his lyrics. Similarly, when each instrument is suddenly crystal clear the listeners’ perceptions are heightened and every detail noticed. Alvin’s tasteful and sensitive guitar riffs and solos on the album counterbalance his moniker, ‘Captain Speedfingers,’ a pre-1970 legacy.

Leo Lyons demonstrates, too, his phenomenal talent across a range of genres, and he is clearly the only bassist in the world who could complement and duel with a lead guitarist of such velocity and versatility. Also, while Chic Churchill’s keyboard skills and Ric Lee’s dynamic drumming could be seen and appreciated by audiences at live gigs, they didn’t always feature as prominently in the studio. Chic proves here that he is as fluent and nimble a piano player as any of his contemporaries and Ric provides metronomic timing and precision on percussion.

“Here They Come” is characterized by Alvin’s haunting, soaring and impressive vocal range, the delicate finale ending with a sudden flourish.

The official lead lyric video single, “I’d Love To Change The World,” is described by Leo as one of the best songs Alvin wrote, Ric Lee calling it a cracking song with lyrics that still make sense today. It became a Top 20 hit in America and was also big in Europe.

Kimsey says, “I’m really grateful that I’d originally recorded the vocal effect on the Leslie. If that hadn’t been on tape then it wouldn’t be the same on everything else. I also loved the ‘before and after’ of every take of the song with Alvin larking about and telling jokes.”

“Over The Hill” was the first time the band had used strings, which was Alvin’s idea. The late UK producer and conductor Del Newman who had worked with Cat Stevens was the arranger. “Baby Won’t You Let Me Rock ‘N’ Roll You” goes right back to the band’s roots with…<read more>

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