Denny Laine, who passed away at the age of 79 due to lung disease, was most recognized for his role as a member of Paul McCartney’s band Wings from 1971 to 1981.
He provided vocals, played guitars, percussion, and keyboards on every one of their seven studio albums, starting with their first album Wild Life (1971) and ending with Back to the Egg (1979). This includes their most successful album Band on the Run (1973), which reached number one on charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom and featured popular singles such as “Jet” and the title track. Many consider this to be Wings’ greatest achievement.
Prior to teaming up with McCartney, Laine had already gained a diverse range of musical opportunities. In 1964, he joined forces with Mike Pinder and Ray Thomas to create the Moody Blues. The band initially covered blues songs before transitioning to a more mainstream pop sound. They quickly achieved success, with their rendition of “Go Now” (originally recorded by Bessie Banks and featuring Laine on lead vocals and guitar) reaching number one on the UK charts and breaking into the top 10 in the US.
Laine left the band in 1965 following the release of their first album, The Magnificent Moodies, due to a disagreement over finances with their record label. He stated, “Just like any other band, we were taken advantage of. We gained fame, but not money.” The Moody Blues brought in Justin Hayward and John Lodge and achieved great success on a global scale.
Later on, Laine conducted a series of mind-altering experiments with his band Denny Laine & the Electric String Band. Their incorporation of an amplified cello and quartet of violins foreshadowed the style that was later adopted by fellow Birmingham musician Roy Wood and his band Electric Light Orchestra. Despite receiving positive reviews, the group did not achieve commercial success. Laine then took a break to travel to Spain and learn classical guitar. In 1969, he joined the band Balls, alongside former guitarist of The Move, Trevor Burton.
Tony Secunda, a creative entrepreneur, was in charge of managing Balls, but the band struggled due to a lot of changes in personnel. However, Laine joined as the lead guitarist and singer for Ginger Baker’s Air Force, a jazz-rock group formed by the famous drummer from Cream and Blind Faith.
Initially, the band consisted of notable members like Steve Winwood and Graham Bond. However, despite generating considerable buzz in the music industry, Air Force fell apart due to a disastrous tour in the United States. McCartney’s subsequent project was Wings.
Laine, originally named Brian Hines, was born on the Channel Islands to parents Herbert Hines and Eva (nee Bassett). He spent his childhood in Tyseley, Birmingham and attended Yardley grammar school. It was during this time that he first picked up the guitar, citing jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt as one of his biggest influences. Laine’s first public performance was at the age of 12 and he went on to form his first band, Denny Laine and the Diplomats, with drummer Bev Bevan, who would later join Electric Light Orchestra.
In 1971, Laine finally joined McCartney in a stable partnership. They had been acquainted since the early days of the Moody Blues touring with the Beatles, and McCartney had even watched Laine perform as an opening act for Jimi Hendrix at the Saville theatre in London. According to Laine, McCartney was impressed by his unique stage presence with his Electric String Band and their friendship led to McCartney reaching out to collaborate on something innovative and fresh.
Soon after, he joined Paul and Linda McCartney in Scotland where they worked on songs for Wings’ first album with drummer Denny Seiwell. The public was still adjusting to a world without The Beatles and the album received mixed reviews, but managed to reach No. 11 on the UK chart and No. 10 in the US.
Red Rose Speedway (1973) brought even greater success, reaching the top spot on the US albums chart and No 5 in the UK. The third album, Band on the Run, was a huge hit, reaching No 1 in both countries. Despite facing challenges such as recording in basic conditions in Lagos, Nigeria and losing band members Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCulloch before recording began, the album was still able to come together amidst creative turmoil.
Laine remembered that it was mostly just him and Paul working on the backing tracks. It was a more laid-back approach to making an album compared to going in with a full band and having multiple parts to consider. They were forced into this situation as a last option because two of the members did not join them in Lagos.
In total, four albums by Wings reached the top of the charts in the United States and two achieved the same feat in the United Kingdom. The band also had 24 singles that made it into the Top 40 in the US and 20 in Britain, with six of them reaching No. 1 in the US. Their only single to top the charts in the UK was “Mull of Kintyre” in 1977, for which Laine was credited as a co-writer, one of many during his time with Wings.
Unfortunately, this became a source of disagreement as he was only given a fixed payment for his contribution and did not receive any royalties from the record’s sales. Despite selling over 2 million copies in Britain and remaining the top-selling non-charity single in the UK, he did not benefit financially from its success.
Laine was displeased with McCartney’s arrest for having marijuana in Japan in 1980. This led to the cancellation of Wings’ tour in Japan and a subsequent visit to the US, resulting in significant financial setbacks.
In December of 1980, Laine put out his third solo album, Japanese Tears. While McCartney worked on his own solo project, Tug of War (1981), Laine remained by his side before ultimately deciding to leave. In total, Laine released nine more solo albums, with his final one being The Blue Musician in 2008.
Between 1997 and 2002, he went on tour with World Classic Rockers, a band led by Nick St Nicholas from Steppenwolf, along with his own bands where they performed songs by Wings and the Moody Blues. He also held concerts where he played the entire Band on the Run album. In 2018, he was honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues.
He is survived by his second wife, Elizabeth Mele, whom he married in the summer. He had a son and daughter, Laine and Heidi Jo (Hines), from a marriage in the late 1970s to the American singer Jo Jo Laine (nee Joanne LaPatrie), which ended in divorce.
Source: theguardian.com
