Denny Laine
| Denny Laine | |
|---|---|
Denny Laine on stage with Wings in 1976
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Brian Frederick Hines |
| Also known as | Denny Laine |
| Born | 29 October 1944 |
| Origin | Birmingham, West Midlands, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1957–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | www.dennylaine.com |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Gibson EDS-1275 Gibson Les Paul Ovation Guitars Fender Telecaster Bass |
|
Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Hines, 29 October 1944) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was an original member of the Moody Blues, singing the band's first hit "Go Now" in 1964, and was a member of Wings with Paul McCartney from 1971 to 1981.
Laine was born in Birmingham, where he attended Yardley Grammar School, and took up the guitar as a boy under the influence of gypsy jazz (jazz manouche) legend Django Reinhardt; he gave his first solo performance as a musician at the age of 12 and began his career as a professional musician fronting Denny Laine & the Diplomats, which also included future Move and Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan.
In 1964, Laine left the Diplomats to join Mike Pinder in the Moody Blues and sang the group's first big hit, "Go Now"; other early highlights included I Don't Want To Go on Without You, another UK hit, plus two minor UK chart hits "From The Bottom of My Heart ( I Love You)", Everyday (both written by Laine and Pinder), "Can't Nobody Love You" and the harmonica-ripping "Bye Bye Bird" (a big hit in France). A self-titled EP and 'The Magnificent Moodies' LP on Decca followed. Laine and Pinder wrote most of The Moody Blues 'B' sides during the 1965-66 period, such as You Don't (All the Time), And My Baby's Gone and This Is My House. However, Laine's tenure with the MB's was relatively short-lived and, after a number of comparative chart failures, Laine quit the band in October 1966. The last record issued by the Moody Blues that featured Laine was "Life's Not Life"/"He Can Win" in January 1967, just after Justin Hayward had replaced him in the band.
After leaving the Moody Blues, he formed the Electric String Band in December 1966, which featured himself on guitar and vocals, Trevor Burton (of the Move) on guitar, Viv Prince (ex-Pretty Things) on drums and electrified strings in a format not dissimilar to what Electric Light Orchestra would later attempt. Laine made two singles, "Say You Don't Mind"/"Ask The People" (April 1967, Deram) and "Too Much in Love"/"Catherine's Wheel" (January 1968, Deram); and, in June 1967, the band shared a bill with the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Procol Harum at the Saville Theatre in London. However, it did not achieve national attention, and the pioneering Electric String Band broke up. (There was apparently a third single recorded called "Why Did You Come?". Why it was never released is unknown, but there have been rumors that the finished track - and probably the B side as well - was mailed to Decca and was lost.) Laine and Burton then went on to the band Balls from February 1969 until the band's breakup in 1971, with both also taking time to play in Ginger Baker's Air Force in 1970.
...
Wikipedia