Everyday Creation
Everyday Creation is about living our purpose, lifting our vibes, and expressing our creativity for the highest good. The show's title refers to three types of creation: The ways we express ourselves (for example, with art, music and so many other pursuits fueled by purpose and passion); the parts of life that fill us with awe — birth, death, love, the big picture; and our innate personal power to create our best possible lives while also making the world a better place. You’ll hear conversations with terrific guests on matters we care about, as well as spiritual perspectives, personal essays on being our best selves, and episodes simply for information and fun. I'm your host Kate Jones, welcoming you to Everyday Creation.
Everyday Creation
Tribute to Denny Laine, featuring Sheldon Zoldan
Denny Laine helped form the Moody Blues and was the lead singer on their first hit, "Go Now," in 1964. Then, in 1971, he helped put together Wings, Paul McCartney’s first band after the Beatles broke up, and was with the group until it disbanded 10 years later.
This tribute to Laine is one of 44 short biographies of significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.
Laine co-wrote “Mull of Kintyre” with McCartney in the early 1970s, but they didn’t record it until 1977. The single became Wings’ biggest hit in England. It sold more than 2 million copies and is the fourth best-selling single of all time in Great Britain.
You can watch Laine and McCartney singing the song with Linda McCartney in this video. Enjoy the beautiful scenery, the marching bagpipers, and the townspeople joining in on the fun.
The song was released around Christmas and remains a popular song to play around the holidays. Laine talks about it in this video.
And in this video, he sings "Go Now."
In this episode's chapters, you'll see an image of the cover of the Audible Audiobook "In Conversation with Denny Laine" by Geoffrey Giuliano. He and Laine wrote a book together on Paul McCartney in the 1990s.
Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.
Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and editor, wrote and recorded this tribute and the others in the series. Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible.
Kate:
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Hello, and welcome to Everyday Creation. This is
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your host, Kate Jones, with one of 44
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tributes
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to significant figures in the music industry
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who passed away in 2023.
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My guest Sheldon Zoldan,
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a longtime writer and newspaper editor,
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wrote these short biographies
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and recorded them.
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Each one is an intriguing
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glimpse into the life and impact of someone
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who contributed
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to the soundtracks of our lives. Here's what
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Sheldon has to say in this tribute.
Sheldon:
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Denny Laine co-founded the Moody Blues but
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left before it became one of the most
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successful bands of the early rock era.
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He didn't make the same mistake twice.
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He helped put together Wings,
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Paul McCartney's first band after the Beatles broke
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up, in 1971.
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He never left until the group disbanded 10
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years later.
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He was Watson to McCartney's
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Sherlock Holmes.
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Laine died December 5th in Naples, Florida, from
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interstitial
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lung disease.
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He was 79.
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He changed his name from Brian Frederick Hines
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to Denny Laine because it sounded more like
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a rock musician.
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Laine came from his sister's favorite singer, Frankie
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Laine.
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He helped form the Moody Blues when he
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was 20.
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Laine was the lead singer of their first
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hit, "Go Now,"
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in 1964.
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He left in 1966
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after the band moved in a different direction.
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He bounced around as a solo artist and
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in a few forgettable bands before joining Wings.
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Laine did a little bit of everything with
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the band. Sometimes,
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Wings became a trio. Only Paul, Linda and
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Laine recorded
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the "Band on the Run" album in Lagos,
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Nigeria,
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as musicians
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came and went.
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He quit in 1981
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after McCartney stopped
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touring. Laine co-wrote "Mull of Kintyre"
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with McCartney in the early 1970s,
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but they didn't record
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it until 1977.
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The song is about the area of Scotland
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where McCartney had a farm.
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The single became Wings'
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biggest hit in England. It sold more than
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2 million copies
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and is the fourth best-selling single of
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all time in Great Britain.
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The song was released around Christmas and remains
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a popular song to play around the holidays.
Kate:
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This is Kate again. Please go to the
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description for more information and to hear the
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song that Sheldon referenced.
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If you enjoyed this tribute, please check out
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the rest of them. Although some of the
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names are not as familiar as others,
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the biographies
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are equally intriguing.
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Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation.
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Please share this episode with anyone who might
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enjoy it.