Denny Laine's Electric String Band

I don't remember where I first read about Denny Laine's Electric String Band. It could have been in Rave. The concept was unique at the time. Former Moody Blues singer fronts a group with an amplified string section. Viv Prince was in the band for the first few months. Trevor Burton is often listed as a member, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. You can imagine I was excited to find a Top Gear Session on a friend's tape trade list. The aircheck Roy had is missing Say You Don’t Mind the most famous of the four single tracks. Say You Don’t Mind was featured on Colin Blunstone’s debut, Year One. I’d seen Blunstone on his US tour promoting that album. We were treated to a lovely version of Say You Don’t Mind in that short set.

In 1975 I returned to London, staying in Putney with my tape trading friend, Roy Wilbraham. He was a great host, and guide. I also met up with Andrew Lauder from UA records. Between the two, I was taken around to some of the best record sellers in London. I don't remember if I scored the two Denny Laine singles on this trip or one of the subsequent record buying excursions. It looks like I paid £3 for the 1969 reissue of the 1967 debut release Say You Don’t Mind/Ask The People ( Deram DM 227). I picked up a promo copy of Too Much In Love/Catherine Wheel (Deram DM 171) from the same dealer for another £3.

The penultimate Moody Blues single featuring Denny Laine, Boulavard de la Madelaine/This Is My House hinted at what his solo career might offer. Not surprising Denny Cordell is the producer for both of these projects. Denny’s own version of Say You Don’t Mind is a jaunty affair. The string arrangement is tasteful and sympathetic to the song. A great vocal from Denny, hitting the high notes and his acoustic guitar is right up front. It might seem a little raucous to those familiar with the Colin Blunstone version.

The flip side, Ask The People is just as good. This one wouldn’t have been out of place on the first Move album, another Cordell production.

The second single was released in January 1968. Too Much In Love reminds me of Donovan’s psychedelic sounds. It’s the B-side that really stands out and maybe suggests what the Electric String Band might have sounded like live. Catherine’s Wheel is a powerful rocker with the strings a muscular compliment. One would think Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne were well aware of Denny and his new band, being another Brummie. Apparently the failure of this single was one of the reasons for the band splitting before an album could be attempted.

It seems that they were regulars on the touring circuit. The question is, what happened? Why no album? There was clearly plenty of material. Besides the two singles the band performed six other numbers on their two Peel sessions: Why Did You Come, Guilty Mind, Machine Song, Masks, the folk standard Sally Free And Easy and the Tim Hardin classic Reason To Believe.

A version of Why Did You Come was recorded for release, but it never appeared. One story suggests the tape was lost in the mail. The likely story is that Denny Cordell wasn’t happy with the results. This John Peel session features the lineup which included Andy Leigh on bass and Peter Trout on drums. In the end, the band only lasted for just a little more than a year. The few recordings that exist show a man with a very good idea, and some great songs to back it up.

Denny Laine And The Electric String Band "Why Did You Come"