Denny Laine, who passed away at the age of 79 due to lung disease, was most recognized for his lengthy tenure as a member of Paul McCartney’s band Wings from 1971 to 1981.
He provided singing, guitar playing, percussion, and keyboard playing on every one of their seven recorded albums, starting with Wild Life in 1971 and ending with Back to the Egg in 1979. This includes their most successful album, Band on the Run (1973), which topped charts in both the United States and Europe and produced popular singles like “Jet” and the title track. Many consider this to be Wings’ best work.
Before teaming up with McCartney, Laine had already gained a diverse range of musical experiences. In 1964, he became a member of the Moody Blues with Mike Pinder and Ray Thomas. The band initially covered blues songs but later shifted to a more pop-focused sound. They quickly achieved success, with their cover of “Go Now” (originally by American singer Bessie Banks) reaching the top spot on the UK chart in 1964 and also making it into the US Top 10.
Laine left the band in 1965 following the debut album The Magnificent Moodies, due to a financial disagreement with their record label. He stated, “Like many other bands, we were taken advantage of. We had the fame, but not the fortune.” The Moody Blues then brought on Justin Hayward and John Lodge, leading to great global achievement.
Later on, Laine conducted a series of psychedelic trials with his band, Denny Laine & the Electric String Band. Their incorporation of an amplified cello and quartet of violins foreshadowed the similar style later employed by fellow musician Roy Wood and his band Electric Light Orchestra. Unfortunately, despite receiving positive reviews, the group was not successful in terms of commercial success. Laine then took a break to travel to Spain and learn classical guitar on his own. In 1969, he joined the band Balls, alongside Trevor Burton who was formerly a guitarist for The Move.
Although Tony Secunda, a creative entrepreneur, was in charge, Balls struggled due to frequent changes in staff. However, Laine was brought on board as the lead guitarist and singer for Ginger Baker’s Air Force, a jazz-rock group formed by the well-known Cream and Blind Faith drummer.
The initial group consisted of notable members such as Steve Winwood and Graham Bond, however, after generating significant buzz in the music industry, Air Force fell apart following a disastrous tour in America. His subsequent venture was with Wings.
Laine, originally named Brian Hines, was born in the Channel Islands to 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 and was heavily influenced by jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Laine’s musical career began at the young age of 12 when he performed solo for the first time. He later joined forces with drummer Bev Bevan to form his first band, Denny Laine and the Diplomats. Bevan would go on to become a member of Electric Light Orchestra.
In 1971, Laine finally joined forces with McCartney. The two had been acquainted since their days touring with the Beatles and Laine’s opening performance for Jimi Hendrix at the Saville theatre in London. Laine recalls, “McCartney was impressed by my unique stage presence and we had become friends. This inspired him to reach out to me and collaborate on something new and innovative.”
Soon after, he joined Paul and Linda McCartney and drummer Denny Seiwell in Scotland to collaborate on songs for Wings’ first album. The public was still getting used to a McCartney without the Beatles, and the album received mixed reviews. However, it did reach No. 11 on the UK charts and No. 10 in the US.
Red Rose Speedway (1973) proved to be a major success, reaching the top spot on the US albums chart and landing at No 5 in the UK. The band’s third album, Band on the Run, was even more successful, claiming the No 1 spot in both countries. Despite facing challenges such as recording in basic facilities in Lagos, Nigeria and losing band members Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCulloch before recording started, the album was able to come together amidst a chaotic creative process.
Laine remembered that it was primarily himself and Paul who worked on the backing tracks. The process of creating the album was more laid-back compared to working with a full band and having multiple parts to consider. This approach was taken as a backup plan when two of the band members were unable to join them in Lagos.
Altogether, four albums by Wings reached the top of the charts in the US and two did the same in the UK. The band also had 24 hit singles in 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 (1977), where Laine was credited as a co-writer, one of many during his time with Wings.
Unfortunately, this caused disagreement as he was only compensated with a fixed amount for his role and did not receive any portion of the profits from the record’s sales, despite it selling over 2 million copies in Britain and remaining the top-selling non-charity single in the UK.
Laine became unhappy when McCartney was arrested for having marijuana in Japan in 1980. This led to the cancellation of Wings’ tour in Japan and a planned trip to the US, resulting in significant financial losses.
In December of 1980, Laine put out his third individual album, Japanese Tears. However, he remained with McCartney during the recording of McCartney’s solo album, Tug of War (1981), before eventually giving his resignation. In total, Laine produced nine additional solo albums, with The Blue Musician (2008) being his final one.
Between 1997 and 2002, he traveled on tour with World Classic Rockers, which consisted of established rock musicians led by Nick St Nicholas of Steppenwolf. He also went on tour with his personal bands, performing songs by Wings and the Moody Blues, and held a series of concerts where he played Band on the Run in its entirety. In 2018, he was honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues.
His second wife, Elizabeth Mele, who he wed during the summer, is left behind after his passing. He had two children, Laine and Heidi Jo (Hines), from a previous marriage to American singer Jo Jo Laine (nee Joanne LaPatrie) in the late 1970s, which ended in divorce.
Source: theguardian.com
