Image: Wikipedia
Denny Laine, co-founder of The Moody Blues and best known for his time with Wings has passed away at the age of 79.
One of the classic intros to a 60s song was Laine’s haunting “We’ve already said goodbye…’ from The Moody Blues’ first hit ‘Go now’. 1964 if memory serves me correctly. (If it hasn’t already been done, that track deserves to be remastered.)
About a decade later Laine co-wrote ‘Mull of Kintyre’ with Paul McCartney, one of the biggest selling songs of the 70s.
To read more about Denny Laine from The Guardian click HERE.
It’s enough to make an old bloke nostalgic!
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Wonderful musician and great to share this memory. Thanks
Sad news.
A wonderful collaborator with McCartney, particularly on the Band on The Run album.
Denny does an excellent version of ‘Go Now’ on the ‘Wings Over America’ album (circa 1976?)
Blimey! I had thought he died years ago.
A sad loss indeed, as of course they always are.
Denny’s “Go Now” was referred to by one reviewer today thus: “…powered by one of the most distinctive, melancholic openings to a pop song ever – a downbeat Laine soulfully sings “we’ve already said goodbye” to a newly ex-lover – and a stunningly harmonised chorus, Laine’s hurt jazz delivery of the song’s top line helped make it a huge success.” It became number one in UK and top ten is USA.
Justin Hayward and John Lodge subsequently reconfigured the energy of the band. My broader thesis on all this is appears in FA***14/11/2021*** but it was Denny Laine who produced the chocolates with the Moody Blues’ first number one hit. RIP.
You’ll get all this you old Moodies’ nut Ian Hauser.
RDL
Yes, RDL, I confess, ’twas I who posted this. Memories indeed!
Nostalgia was prominent for me today as it was also the day of the funeral of a remarkable 92-year-old lady who was not only the epitome of the word ‘unique’ but also a guiding and instructive light for me and many of my then student colleagues at Lutheran Teachers College in the early 1970s. RIP Margaret Mayer, our ‘outrageous blessing’.