First time I came across this English multi-instrumental musician/ singer-songwriter, is when I came across his solo debut album Ahh...Laine (1973) around the end of the '70s (well...it might also have been the early '80s!).
Little did I know back then, that the dude had been the third “wing” in the band Wings, alongside Paul and Linda McCartney. He'd actually been with that band since its conception in 1971, until it was disbanded in 1981. Prior to his Wings tenure, which was actually his commercially most successful era, Laine (actual name being Brian Frederik Arthur Hines) had already tried to get several bands going, and he did his first solo performance at age 12. he started his career as a professional musician with the band Denny Laine And The Diplomats (which also included drummer Bev Bevan, later known from Move and Electric Light Orchestra). In 1964, Laine left The Diplomats, and joined Mike Pinder in The Moody Blues, where he would stay until August 1966, having contributed to most of the band's early singles (compiled on the band's 1965 album The Magnificent Moodies) both as co-writer, musician, and vocalist. In Dec. 1966 Laine then formed Electric String Band, which featured himself on vocals and guitar, Trevor Burton (also a former member of The Move) on guitar, Viv Prince on the drums, and electrified violins in a style not too dissimilar to what Electric Light Orchestra would later perform. Two singles were released (a third never issued), but commercial success not being reached, the band broke up. Balls was formed in February 1969 (still including Burton in the line-up) and broke up in 1971, releasing just the one single. Both Laine and Burton also played in Ginger Baker's Air Force during 1970 (and played on both of the band's 1070 albums, the eponymous debut, and the sophomore 2).
In the band Wings, Laine not only contributed as writer & co-writer of some the songs, but also played rhythm and lead guitars, lead and backing vocals, keyboards, bass guitar, and woodwinds. Among the band's biggest hits, “Mull Of Kintyre” and “Band On The Run”, both songs co-written by Laine. The latter song also serves as a dividing line on this here album, on which Laine commemorates several of Wings' songs. You see, the first six songs on the album (namely “Blackbird”, “Again And Again And Again”, “The Note You Never Wrote”, “Can't Nobody Love You”, “Picasso's Last Words”, and “Children, Children”) all come in stripped-down acoustic versions (just the man's voice and his guitar). After that, you get the aforementioned “Band On The Run” (featuring the most electrified guitar on the album overall – the other songs featuring guitar that's barely electrified), plus versions of Wings' “Deliver Your Children”, “Mull Of Kintyre”, “Listen To What The Man Said”, “Silly Love Songs”, and “Time To Hide”. Laine using so little electrified guitar, combined with him missing that typical McCartney vocal flamboyancy (in spite of a certain resemblance), make the songs come out a little lame to my personal taste. To conclude the album, lain also brings new versions of the songs “Go Now” and “Say You Don't Mind” which he respectively wrote for The Moody Blues and Electric String Band in 1965 (MB's first big hit, which he already sang back then) and 1967. In spite of being made just now, they're actually typical for the period, and as I'd never heard the songs before (ahh...one cannot have heard àll, you know, and I'm the first to admit there's still gaps in my personal musical education!) I'll have no negative comments on 'em!
I'm not sure full-length versions of the songs on this album are available on the Internet, and I therefore think you'll either have to make due with whatever 30-second samples your trusted online sales websites might provide, or get out of the comfort of your homely chair and home to go to your local record store to demand a listening session. Normally, I would not rate such a blatant attempt at trying to make money out of past glory (in other words, normally compilation albums – that including live albums too – are not rated), but it seems the new system with which we put info online will not allow us to nót rate an album, so here goes...