Longtime Ten Years After bassist reflects on “Ssssh” album re-release, bass tone, and band longevity
Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
November 24, 2025
Leo Lyons is an acclaimed English bassist, songwriter, record producer, and founding member of the band Ten Years After. After gaining success across Europe throughout the 1960s, Leo and Ten Years After became one of the first rock groups invited to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1969, followed later that year by their iconic appearance at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. In the decades since, he has enjoyed global success both onstage and behind the scenes, producing records for artists including UFO, Magnum, Waysted, Frankie Miller, Motörhead, Richard and Linda Thompson, and Chevy. In addition to work on stage musicals, cartoon soundtracks, and film and music videos, Leo formed a new band in 2010 called Hundred Seventy Split, and he has also released multiple albums with another band, Kick. With the newly announced deluxe 2025 edition of Ten Years After’s landmark album Ssssh — featuring a new stereo mix, a 1969 Helsinki live recording, and previously unseen material — there’s renewed attention on his influential body of work. After spending 16 years in Nashville working as a staff songwriter and producer, Leo returned to England where he continues to write, record, and perform.
Watch our interview with Leo!
Cool interview with an iconic musician! One thing that always struck me about Leo is something that often gets overlooked. Ten Years After’s second album (UNDEAD) was a live recording where they’re playing straight ahead jazz. Well, it’s really 12 bar blues. Straight 1 IV V . All the licks were blues scale. One might say it was a bit “clunky” — rock guys trying to play jazz. BUT, THEY WERE SWINGING THEIR ASSES OFF! Leo handled the fast tempos with ease and his solos were phenomenal. That album was a great groundwork for a lot of bass players to learn walking bass that was simple yet not simplistic. A masterclass in function. The lines were stylish in the way they stood out while supporting the rest of the music. The band continued to add a swing track on the following albums — “Me and My Baby” being one of them. Super cool bass. Thank you Leo! And thanks to Jon for the great interview.
All great points. Thanks, Nelson!