School of Rock
Random article All articles A–Z
2 languages

Denny Laine

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Denny Laine, born Brian Frederick Hines, was an English musician who co-founded two major rock groups: The Moody Blues and Paul McCartney and Wings. He was born in Birmingham in 1944 and picked up the guitar as a boy, inspired by the jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. In 1964 he joined Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder, who were forming a new band that soon came to be called The Moody Blues. He sang lead on their first big hit, a version of Go Now by Bessie Banks.

Music and breakthrough

In December 1966 he left the group and formed the Electric String Band, with electrically amplified strings. After that he played in the band Balls and in Ginger Baker's Air Force, among others, and recorded two singles solo for the label Deram. In 1971 he became a member of Wings, Paul McCartney's band, of which he was the only constant besides McCartney until 1981. He played guitar, bass and keyboards there and sang backing vocals and sometimes lead. Together with McCartney he wrote the song Mull of Kintyre from 1977. Later he recorded Ahh... Laine! in 1974 and Holly Days in 1977, among others.

Influence

Laine shows how one musician formed a bridge between the British beat bands of the early 1960s and the pop music of the 1970s.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Go Now by The Moody Blues. Notice Laine's singing, the lead vocal on this first big hit by the group.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists