What more can a rock nerd hope for than to be set on a quest for a new holy grail? A few new quests are beginning to line up for me, including one that’s been right under my nose since childhood!
In a recent Saturday Night Shut-In I played a Moody Blues track from the band’s first, Denny Laine-led album (the one with the also Laine-sung hit “Go Now”). It was pretty cool, and you can find it at about the 31:15 mark here, if you don’t believe me. Laine was also featured in a recent Who Is It? thread. I believe it took longer for anyone to guess who the modern-day Laine was than any of the other matured rockers. Poor Denny Laine, unfairly ranked #3 in the command chain of Wings because he wasn’t sleeping with the boss, coulda been a contender, or at least a second-level British Invasion force in his own right.
What happened to Laine between his leaving The Moody Blues and landing with Paul McCartney & Wings? Did he ever release a proper solo album, as this promo clip for a solo single might lead me to believe? Can anyone save me the effort of looking up all this stuff and just tell me what the deal was/in with that guy? I need the real deal, not a bunch of Wikipedia links. I’m sure at least one of you can fill me in on some cool Denny Laine arcana. Thanks!
By the way, did Laine get the Wings gig for combining Paul’s Sgt. Pepper’s ‘stache with John’s specs?
And check this out: The Zombies’ Colin Blunstone had a 1972 hit with his version of this song.
As I pack for my latest quest, any information on roads to take, sights to see en route to Denny Laine will be appreciated.
Yeah, Denny was in the Electric String Band between the Moodies and Wings. According to him, though, touring was next to impossible as the members of that band were Britain’s cream of the crop musical scholarly types and so getting them in one place for an extended time was difficult. Laine loved to play live, so when Macca disbanded Wings after his drug bust in Japan in the late ’70s, Denny was pissed.
After the String Band, Denny was also in a band called Balls and also dabbled in Ginger Baker’s Air Force.
Denny had known Paul prior to Wings, and when Paul was looking for people to work with, he gave Laine a call and asked him if he’d like to join. Laine was instrumental in getting Henry McCullough to join by the time of Red Rose Speedway as well.
My fave song of Denny’s during his Wings tenure is “Again and Again and Again” from the great Back to the Egg LP.
Here’s an Everly Brothers-style song credited to Laine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LpPZ2o7i9M
Just found this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q0Voo2Uny8
Japanese customs officers will never be accused of having short memories.
I love that Blunstone track – and that album. The arrangements are over the top. You have to accept the cornball nature of it. “Misty Roses” is far out.
And I didn’t know Denny Laine wrote this. Cool.
Ugh, I hate that I can’t edit my posts!
“You have to accept the cornball nature of it.”
But I can – and did.
Muuuchas grasisas..
Agreed — I love Back to the Egg — and that is a fantastic song. Paul was better with Denny.