Denny Laine enjoyed a decade-long run as Paul McCartney’s sidekick in Wings before the band fell apart on the eve of its 1980 world tour. That’s when Macca was busted for ganja. Apparently, he was holding a half-pound of “good stuff.”
But Laine’s rock roots run deep. During the first wave of the British Invasion, he emerged as the singer for the Moody Blues and their hit single “Go Now.” He left the band shortly after and started the psych-tinged Electric String Band, but it failed to achieve the kind of success that Electric Light Orchestra would with a similar format several years later. Laine also played with Ginger Baker (Cream, Blind Faith).
Since the breakup of Wings, Laine has released several solo albums, though he’s probably best known for helping write the Scottish-tinged “Mull of Kintyre” — a massive hit for Wings in 1977. For his recent gigs, Laine shares a wealth of rock and roll anecdotes and personal history. Possessing a lilting, reedy voice, he’s always been a skilled multi-instrumentalist; after all, Wings was essentially just McCartney and him. He’s backed by the Cryers, a quartet from New Jersey who also open the show.
This article appears in Sep 12-18, 2007.