Denny Laine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Denny Laine | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Brian Hines | |
| Born | 29 October 1944 | |
| Origin | Birmingham, West Midlands, England | |
| Genre(s) | Rock and Roll, Blues Rock, R&B, Jazz Fusion | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician | |
| Instrument(s) | Guitars, Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Flute, vocals | |
| Years active | 1965-present | |
| Associated acts |
Paul McCartney, Wings, The Moody Blues, Ginger Baker's Air Force, Colin Blunstone, World Classic Rockers | |
| Website | Official website | |
Denny Laine (born Brian Hines, on 29 October 1944, in Birmingham) is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his roles as former guitarist and lead singer of The Moody Blues and, later, co-founder (along with Paul McCartney) of Wings.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Laine, born Brian Frederick Arthur Hines, 29 October 1944, in Tyseley, Birmingham, England is of Romani descent and was educated at Yardley Grammar School, in Birmingham. His first solo performance was at the age of twelve. Having taken up the guitar as a boy, under the influence of jazz legend Django Reinhardt, Laine began his career as a professional musician fronting Denny And The Diplomats, the members of which included future The Move and Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan.
In 1964, Laine abandoned Denny And The Diplomats to join The Moody Blues, singing their first big hit, "Go Now." His tenure with the band was short-lived, however, and after a number of comparative failures, Laine quit.
After leaving The Moody Blues, he formed Denny Laine's Electric String Band, which featured Denny (guitar, vocals), Trevor Burton (guitar, another former member of The Move) and Viv Prince (drums), also featuring electrified strings in a format not dissimilar to what Electric Light Orchestra would later attempt. They made two singles, "Say You Don't Mind / Ask The People" (Apr 1967, Deram) and "Too Much In Love / Catherine's Wheel" (Jan 1968, Deram); and, in June 1967, they shared a bill with The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Procol Harum at the Saville Theatre in London. However, national attention was not to be, and the pioneering Electric String Band broke up.
With Wings, Laine enjoyed his greatest success (even beating The Moody Blues' release of "Go Now"), helping McCartney write such big hits as "Mull of Kintyre". Along with McCartney's late wife, Linda, Laine helped form the nucleus of the band, providing lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards, bass guitar, as well as backing vocals and sometimes lead vocals.
Laine's 1967 song "Say You Don't Mind" was a hit when recorded in 1972 by ex-Zombie Colin Blunstone.
In January of 1980, Wings planned a tour of Japan. However, upon arrival at the airport, McCartney was arrested for marijuana possession. The tour was cancelled, and Laine's relationship with McCartney has never recovered. In 1982, he released the song "Japanese Tears," a visible attack on McCartney, much like John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" in 1971. Laine then slipped off the radar. He filed for bankruptcy in the mid-Eighties (he had sold his lucrative co-publishing rights to "Mull of Kintyre" to co-author McCartney). However, he continued to record music and has appeared at Beatles conventions and on tributes to both The Beatles and Wings. He is currently working on an autobiography.
He was briefly married to Jo Jo Laine (b. 13 July 1953 d. 29 October 2006), with whom he had a son Laine, and a daughter, Heidi.[1] Currently he is married to Heather Laine, with whom he has a daughter, Jesus.
[edit] Album Discography
[edit] The Moody Blues
[edit] Ginger Baker's Air Force
[edit] Wings
- Wild Life (1971)
- Red Rose Speedway (1973)
- Band On The Run (1973)
- Venus and Mars (1975)
- Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976)
- Wings over America (1976)
- London Town (album) (1978)
- Wings Greatest (1978)
- Back to the Egg (1979)
- Concerts for the People of Kampuchea (1981)
- Wingspan: Hits and History Compilation (2001)
[edit] Solo Albums
- Ahh...Laine (1973)
- Holly Days (1977)
- Japanese Tears (1980)
- Anyone Can Fly (1982)
- Hometown Girls (1985)
- Wings On My Feet (1986)
- Lonely Road (1988)
- Master Suite (1988)
- All I Want Is Freedom (1990)
- Reborn (1996)
- Wings At The Sound Of Denny Laine (1996)
- Arctic Song (1998)
[edit] Compilation Albums
- In Flight (1984)
- Blue Nights (1994)
- Rock Survivor (1995)
- Danger Zone (1995)
- Go Now (1995)
- The Masters (1998)
- Reborn Again (2001)
- Spreading My Wings: The Ultimate Denny Laine Collection (2002)
- The Collection (Blue Nights/The Masters/Reborn) (2003)
- Send Me The Heart (2004)
[edit] Guest Appearances
- McGear (1974)
- Wind In The Willows (1985)
[edit] Bootlegs
- Birmingham Boy (1982)
- Rock & Roll Jam Sessions (with Paul McCartney) (1994)
- 2 Buddies on Holly Days (with Paul McCartney; excerpts from Holly Days and a live perfomance on the Buddy Holly Week) (1990)
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Johnson, Angella, "'Mum was beautiful, wild... she was the ultimate rock groupie'", Mail on Sunday, 4 November 2006
[edit] External links
- Denny Laine's official website
- Denny and the Diplomats a pre-Moody Blues band formed by Denny Laine.
- The original Moody Blues line up with Denny Laine on guitar and vocals
- VH1.com's Biography of Denny Laine
- Denny Laine at the Notable Names Database
| The Moody Blues |
|---|
| Justin Hayward | John Lodge | Graeme Edge Former members: Ray Thomas | Mike Pinder | Patrick Moraz | Denny Laine | Clint Warwick |
| Discography |
| Studio Albums: The Magnificent Moodies | Days of Future Passed | In Search of the Lost Chord | On the Threshold of a Dream | To Our Children's Children's Children | A Question of Balance | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour | Seventh Sojourn | Octave | Long Distance Voyager | The Present | The Other Side of Life | Sur La Mer | Keys of the Kingdom | Strange Times | December |
| Live: Caught Live + 5 | A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra | Hall Of Fame: Live at the Royal Albert Hall | Lovely To See You |
| Compilations: This is The Moody Blues | Greatest Hits | Prelude | Time Traveller (Box Set) | An Introduction to The Moody Blues |
