Denny Laine Dies

Denny Laine was born Brian Frederick Arthur Hines on October 29, 1944  in the Channel Islands, England, to parents Herbert Edward Arthur Hines and Eva Lillian Hines (née Bassett). He grew up in Tyseley, Birmingham, England, where he attended Yardley Grammar School. He took up the guitar as a boy, inspired by gypsy jazz musician Django Reinhardt. 

He started performing at age 12 and fronted Denny Laine and the Diplomats, including Bev Bevan, a future drummer with the Move and Electric Light Orchestra. He came up with his new name by taking the surname of his sister’s idol, the singer Frankie Laine, and said that Denny came from the fact that at the time

In the Moody Blues, Laine sang lead vocal on the group’s first big hit, “Go Now!”; other early highlights included another UK hit, “I Don’t Want To Go on Without You”, and the two minor UK chart hits “From the Bottom of My Heart (I Love You)” and “Everyday”, both written by Laine and Pinder.

Laine also sang on “Can’t Nobody Love You” and “Bye Bye Bird”, the latter of which was a hit in France. Laine and Pinder wrote most of the band’s B-sides during the period 1965–66, such as “You Don’t (All the Time)”, “And My Baby’s Gone” and “This Is My House”. After Laine left in 1966 he was replaced by Justin Hayward.

Post The Moody Blues, Laine formed the Electric String Band in December of 1966, showcasing his exploration of diverse musical styles. The band consisted of Denny Laine (lead guitar, vocals), Binky McKenzie (bass), Wilhelm Martin (violin)
John Stein (violin), Clive Gillinson (cello), Chris Van Campen (cello). and
Viv Prince (drums – formerly of Pretty Things).

At the same time, Laine recorded two singles as a solo artist, both released on the Deram label: “Say You Don’t Mind” b/w “Ask the People” (April 1967) and “Too Much in Love” b/w “Catherine’s Wheel” (January 1968). Both failed to chart, although “Say You Don’t Mind” became a Top 20 hit in 1972,

when recorded by former Zombies front-man Colin Blunstone. In June 1967 the Electric String Band shared a bill with the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Procol Harum at the Saville Theatre in London. However, they did not achieve national attention, and soon broke up.

Next Laine joined the Birmingham supergroup Balls in 1969, put together by Trevor Burton (The Move) from February 1969 until their break-up in 1971. Only one single was issued by Balls, on UK Wizard Records: “Fight for My Country” b/w “Janie, Slow Down”. Twelve tracks were recorded for a Balls album, but it has never been released.

Laine also took some time to play in Ginger Baker’s Air Force in 1970. In 1971, Laine joined forces with Paul McCartney and wife Linda to form Wings, and he remained with the group for 10 years until they disbanded in 1981. provided lead and rhythm guitars, lead and backing vocals, keyboards, bass guitar and woodwind, in addition to writing or co-writing some of the group’s material.

Laine and the McCartneys were the nucleus of the band and were reduced to a trio twice. The albums Band on the Run, and the majority of material released upon London Town, were written and recorded by Wings as a trio. He wrote and sang several songs himself (“Time to Hide”, “Again and Again and Again”)

and sang lead vocals on McCartney’s songs in full (“The Note You Never Wrote”) or in part (“I Lie Around”, “Picasso’s Last Words”, “Spirits of Ancient Egypt”). With Wings, Laine enjoyed the biggest commercial and critical successes of his career. The non-album single “Mull of Kintyre” co-written with McCartney, became a hit,