Of Romani descent, Laine and was educated at Yardley Grammar School in Birmingham. His first solo performance was at the age of twelve. Having taken up the guitar as a boy, under the influence of jazz legend Django Reinhardt, Laine began his career as a professional musician fronting Denny And The Diplomats, the members of which included future The Move and Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan.
In 1964, Laine abandoned Denny And The Diplomats to join The Moody Blues, singing their first big hit, "Go Now. His tenure with the band was short-lived, however, and after a number of comparative failures, Laine quit the band in late 1966. (The last record issued by The Moody Blues that featured Laine was Life's Not Life / He Can Win in 1967).
After leaving The Moody Blues, he formed Denny Laine's Electric String Band, which featured Denny (guitar, vocals), Trevor Burton (guitar, another former member of The Move) and Viv Prince (drums), also featuring electrified strings in a format not dissimilar to what Electric Light Orchestra would later attempt. They made two singles, Say You Don't Mind / Ask The People (Apr 1967, Deram) and "Too Much In Love / Catherine's Wheel (Jan 1968, Deram); and, in June 1967, they shared a bill with The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Procol Harum at the Saville Theatre in London. However, national attention was not to be, and the pioneering Electric String Band broke up. Laine and Burton then went on to the band Balls from 1969 until the band's breakup in 1971, with both also taking time to play in Ginger Baker's Air Force in 1970.
With Wings, which Laine was a member of from its original inception in 1971, Laine enjoyed his greatest success (even beating The Moody Blues' release of "Go Now"), helping McCartney write such big hits as Mull of Kintyre. Along with Paul's late wife, Linda McCartney, Laine helped form the nucleus of the band, providing lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards, bass guitar, as well as backing vocals and sometimes lead vocals.
In 1972 Colin Blunstone of The Zombies did have some success as a solo artist with one of Danny's song Say You Don't Mind.
In January 1980, Wings planned a tour of Japan. However, upon arrival at the airport, McCartney was arrested for marijuana possession. The tour was cancelled, and Laine's relationship with McCartney has never recovered. In 1980, he released the song Japanese Tears, a visible attack on McCartney, much like John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" in 1971.
After leaving Wings, Laine signed with Scratch Records and released a new album, Anyone Can Fly in 1982. He also worked on McCartney's albums Tug of War and Pipes of Peace and he co-wrote one more song with McCartney, "Rainclouds" (issued as the B-side of the No. 1 single "Ebony and Ivory").
Laine continued to release solo albums through the 1980s, such as Hometown Girls, Wings on My Feet, Lonely Road and Master Suite. In 1996, he released two albums, Reborn; and an album of reworkings of Wings songs, entitled Wings at the Sound of Denny Laine.
From 1997 to 2002, he toured with the rock supergroup World Classic Rockers. He then toured with the Denny Laine Band, and teamed up with other bands on occasion.
Laine's final solo release was the 2008 album The Blue Musician. He also wrote a musical, Arctic Song.
In 2018 he performed with the 9-piece band Turkuaz doing the music of Wings.
Moondreams
Denny Laine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
as the lonely and loveless hours go by
your face takes its place in every moonbeam
moondreams bring thoughts gentle as a sigh
Moondreams can be a sensation
moondreams may be fascination
love can be our destination
Wishing for you in my moondreams
as the lonely and loveless hours go by
will do until you can share all my dreams
moondreams - moondreams
moondreams brought by moonbeams in the sky
The song Moondreams by Denny Laine speaks of the magical quality that the moon and dreams hold together. The lyrics depict the singer feeling lonely and loveless while the hours pass by, but when he looks up at the moon, he starts to feel a glimmer of hope as he sees a vision of his beloved in every moonbeam. The chorus speaks of the power of the dreamy moonstruck state, where one can experience different sensations and fascinations beyond the physical plane. The singer suggests that he and his loved one can share this dreamy state together and make it their destination.
The song touches upon a feeling of longing and desire that is hard to put into words. The music draws us into a dreamy realm, where the rhythms and the melody mimic the ebb and flow of the moon's spiritual pull. The lyrics come together to provide a perfect picture of a person's state of mind when they are lost in thought and feelings, with the moon being the one constant in the sky, bringing the same comfort every time one gazes up to it.
Line by Line Meaning
Strange things take place in my moondreams
Unusual things happen in my dreams that only occur at night in the moonlight
as the lonely and loveless hours go by
As I go through my days without love and company,
your face takes its place in every moonbeam
I see your face in every beam of moonlight that shines down on me
moondreams bring thoughts gentle as a sigh
My dreams bring me beautiful and peaceful thoughts that leave me content
Moondreams can be a sensation
Dreams can evoke emotions and sensations within us
moondreams may be fascination
Dreams can be captivating and intriguing
love can be our destination
Love could be the end goal for us
you and I can share this dream
We can both strive to achieve this dream together
Wishing for you in my moondreams
I yearn for you in my nighttime dreams
will do until you can share all my dreams
Until we can share all our dreams together, this will have to suffice
moondreams - moondreams
All the beautiful dreams that come at nightfall
moondreams brought by moonbeams in the sky
The pleasant and romantic dreams brought to me by the moonlight
Contributed by Tristan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Thomas Cleveland
Thank you.