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Average White Band

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Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

The Average White Band (also known as AWB) was a Scottish funk and R&B band that had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They were best known for their million-selling instrumental track "Pick Up the Pieces", and their albums AWB and Cut the Cake. The band name was initially proposed by Bonnie Bramlett. They have influenced others, such as the Brand New Heavies, and been sampled by various musicians, including the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, TLC, the Beatnuts, Too Short, Ice Cube, Eric B. & Rakim, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, Christina Milian, and Arrested Development,<ref name="Rockopedia"/> making them the 15th most sampled act in history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

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Formation

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AWB was formed in late 1971<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">Template:Cite book</ref> in London by Alan Gorrie,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Malcolm "Molly" Duncan, with Owen "Onnie" McIntyre,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Rosen (trumpet), Roger Ball, and Robbie McIntosh<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> joining them in the original line-up. Hamish Stuart<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> quickly replaced Rosen. Duncan and Ball, affectionately known as the Dundee Horns, studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art (now part of the University of Dundee, but which at the time was part of the Dundee Institute of Art and Technology, now known as Abertay University), and were previously members of Mogul Thrash. Gorrie and McIntyre had been members of Forever More. McIntyre and McIntosh were used as session musicians on Chuck Berry's recording of "My Ding-a-Ling".<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>

According to Duncan, members of the band had played together before in Scotland, but had moved to London separately and met up by chance at a Traffic concert. They decided to jam together; a friend heard them and remarked: "This is too much for the average white man," which became adapted as the name of the band.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Breakthrough

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The band's breakthrough was a support slot at Eric Clapton's comeback concert in 1973. MCA Records released their debut album, Show Your Hand (1973), which sold poorly.<ref name="AMG">Template:Cite web</ref> Bruce McCaskill, who was Clapton's tour manager, liked the band's music and agreed to manage them. He borrowed money to take them to the US and to promote them. McCaskill had many contacts from his days with Clapton and managed to get Atlantic Records to sign them. The band relocated to Los Angeles and released the follow-up, AWB, better known as The White Album. It reached No. 1 and was the first of many with producer Arif Mardin.<ref name="AMG"/>

McIntosh died of a heroin overdose at a Los Angeles party on 23 September 1974.<ref name="Rockopedia">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="AMG"/> Gorrie also overdosed, but Cher kept him conscious until medical help arrived.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The NME reported in January 1975 that AWB played a benefit show for McIntosh's widow at the Marquee Club in London.<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years">Template:Cite book</ref> McIntosh was replaced by Steve Ferrone, previously of Bloodstone, who had replaced McIntosh before in Brian Auger's Oblivion Express.<ref name="Rockopedia"/>

In 1975, the single "Pick Up the Pieces", taken from the No. 1 AWB album, reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song knocked Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good" out of No. 1 and sold over one million copies. It was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in March 1975.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">Template:Cite book</ref> It also prompted The J.B.'s, James Brown's backup band, to record and release a song in reply, "Pick Up the Pieces, One by One", under the name AABB (Above Average Black Band). It was both a tribute to AWB's knowledge of funk and a tongue-in-cheek play on the Scottish band's name.

AWB followed up with the LPs Cut the Cake (1975) and Soul Searching (1976), both big sellers and yielding further Top 40 singles. Cut the Cake was dedicated by the surviving band members to McIntosh's memory. A double live album Person To Person was issued in late 1976. Their next LP, Benny & Us, was a collaboration with Ben E. King.<ref name="AMG"/>

Later career

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After several more albums, "Warmer Communications" (1978), "Feel No Fret" (1979) and after a switch to the U.S. Arista label, "Shine" (1980) and "Cupid's In Fashion" (1982), AWB's audience and sales dwindled. The group initially disbanded by 1983. Their 1980 disco hit "Let's Go Round Again" (UK No. 12),<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref> was covered in the late 1990s by Louise.

Ferrone went on to work with Duran Duran and later with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers from 1994 until Petty's death in 2017. Hamish Stuart joined Paul McCartney's touring group.<ref name="AMG"/> In 1985 Gorrie released a solo album, Sleepless Nights.

The classic lineup of Gorrie, McIntyre, Ball, Stuart, Duncan and Ferrone reunited for one last time at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary in 1988. Gorrie, McIntyre, and Ball then continued in 1989 to record Aftershock.<ref name="LarkinSM">Template:Cite book</ref> Alex Ligertwood (ex-Santana, Jeff Beck Group and another veteran of Brian Auger's Oblivion Express) also appeared on this album, replacing lead singer Hamish Stuart, along with Eliot Lewis who co-wrote with Gorrie and joined the band. Ligertwood left after the album's recording and drummer Tiger McNeil joined for the reunited band's live shows. McNeil was with the group until 1994. He was then succeeded by Peter Abbott (ex-Blood, Sweat & Tears), who in turn was replaced by Fred "Catfish" Alias in September 1998. Drummer Adam Deitch did a two-year stint with AWB from 1999 to 2001.

Average White Band has continued recording (1997's Soul Tattoo, 1999's Face to Face) and touring since. Ball worked on Soul Tattoo with the group but was replaced by Fred Vigdor (aka Freddy V.) in 1996.

Brian Dunne took over the drum chair in 2001 and when Eliot Lewis left the band in September 2002 to pursue other musical opportunities (including a stint with Hall and Oates), he was replaced by Klyde Jones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Their line-up as of 2002 became Alan Gorrie (bass guitar, guitar, lead and backing vocals), Klyde Jones (keyboards, bass guitar, guitar, lead and backing vocals), Onnie McIntyre (guitar, vocals), Freddy V (sax, keyboards, vocals), and Brian Dunne (drums).

Dunne was replaced by Rocky Bryant as drummer as of the 2006 tour. After Jones left in 2011 to join Hall and Oates, Monte Croft (keyboards, bass, guitar) and former Earth, Wind & Fire member Morris Pleasure (keyboards, bass, guitar) came in to do brief stints before Rob Aries arrived in 2013.

Brent Carter (ex-Tower of Power) has been singing with AWB since 2011.

In July 2015, Malcolm 'Molly' Duncan, Steve Ferrone and Hamish Stuart reunited to form The 360 Band. This is in essence one half of the classic AWB. They released an album titled Three Sixty in 2017 and performed live together along with supporting musicians. As of 2019, Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre are the only two original members left in the Average White Band.

Original tenor sax player Molly Duncan died on 8 October 2019, shortly after it had been announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In June 2023, AWB announced their final tour, Let's Go Round Again One Last Time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "That it's finally coming to an end is going to mean a highly emotional tour next year, but one which will mean we bow out at the top level," Gorrie said. "Please join us in a final celebration of that journey, and to a last hurrah of epic proportions with your presence and your aye-ready appreciation!"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The final concert will be made into a concert film titled "Final Note," which will be released in 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Members

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Final members
Former members

Template:Colbegin

Template:Colend


Timeline

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 bar:Robbie  text:Robbie McIntosh
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at:01/01/2018

</timeline>

Discography

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Studio albums

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Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
<ref name="UK"/> 		AUS
<ref name=aus>Template:Cite book</ref> 		US
<ref name="Awards"/> 		US R&B
<ref name="Awards"/> 		CAN
1973 Show Your Hand — — 39Template:Efn-ua 39Template:Efn 69Template:Efn
1974 AWB 6 22 1 1 2
1975 Cut the Cake 28 71 4 1 11
  • RIAA: Gold<ref name=RIAA />
1976 Soul Searching 60 81 9 2 20
  • RIAA: Platinum<ref name=RIAA />
1977 Benny & Us
(with Ben E. King) 		— — 33 14 —
1978 Warmer Communications — 85 28 12 31
  • RIAA: Gold<ref name=RIAA />
1979 Feel No Fret 15 99 32 30 86
1980 Shine 14 — 116 38 —
1982 Cupid's in Fashion — — — 49 —
1989 Aftershock — — — 69 —
1997 Soul Tattoo — — — — —
2003 Living in Colour — — — — —
2018 Inside Out — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Live albums

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Year Title Peak chart positions
US
<ref name="Awards"/> 		US R&B
<ref name="Awards"/>
1976 Person to Person (double album) 28 9
1999 Face to Face — —
2006 Soul & the City — —
2011 Live at Montreux 1977
(recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, 10 July 1977) 		— —
2013 Times Squared
(recorded at B. B. King's, New York, NY, 18 March 2009) 		— —
2015 Access All Areas
(recorded at Nottingham's Theatre Royal, summer 1980) 		— —
2016 AWB R&B — —
2024 Live At The Rainbow Theatre 1974 — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

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Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
<ref name="UK">Template:Cite web</ref> 		US
<ref name="Awards"/>
1980 Volume VIII (contains 5 hits and 4 unreleased songs) — 182
1992 Pickin' Up The Pieces: The Best of Average White Band — —
1994 The Best Of The Average White Band - Let's Go Round Again 38 —
1997 Pick Up The Pieces and Other Hits — —
2005 Greatest & Latest — —
2006 The Very Best Of — —
2009 Pick Up The Pieces (The Very Best Of) — —
2014 All The Pieces - The Complete Studio Recordings 1971–2003 — —
2019 Gold 99 —
2020 Anthology — —
2024 '50’ – A 50th Anniversary Celebration — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Singles

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Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
<ref name="UK"/> 		US
<ref name="whitburnpop">Template:Cite book</ref> 		US R&B
<ref name="Awards">Template:Cite web</ref> 		US Dance
<ref name="Awards"/> 		AUS
<ref name=aus/> 		CAN
1973 "Put It Where You Want It" — — — — — — Show Your Hand
"Show Your Hand" — — — — — —
"This World Has Music" — — — — — —
1974 "The Jugglers" — — — — — —
"How Can You Go Home" — — — — — — Put It Where You Want ItTemplate:Efn-ua
"You Got It" — — — — — — AWB
"Nothing You Can Do" — — — — — —
"Pick Up the Pieces" 6 1 5 11 38 4
1975 "Cut the Cake" 31 10 7 13 — 16 Cut the Cake
"If I Ever Lose This Heaven" — 39 25 — — —
"School Boy Crush" — 33 22 — — 41
<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1976 "Cloudy" — — 55 — — —
"Everybody's Darling" — — — — — — Soul Searching
"I'm the One" — — — — — —
"Queen of My Soul" 23 40 21 — — 83
<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
"A Love of Your Own" — — 35 — — —
1977 "Goin' Home" — — — — — —
"Get It Up" (with Ben E. King) — — 21 — — — Benny and Us (with Ben E. King)
"A Star in the Ghetto" (with Ben E. King) — — 25 — — —
"Fool for You Anyway" (with Ben E. King) — — — — — —
"Imagine" (with Ben E. King) — — — — — —
"Get It Up for Love" (with Ben E. King) — — — — — —
1978 "One Look Over My Shoulder (Is This Really Goodbye?)" — — — — — — Warmer Communications
"Your Love Is a Miracle" — — 33 — — —
"Big City Lights" — — — — — —
"Same Feeling, Different Song" — — — — — —
"She's a Dream" — — — — — —
1979 "Walk on By" 46 92 32 — — — Feel No Fret
"When Will You Be Mine" 49 — — — — —
"Atlantic Avenue" — — — — — —
"Feel No Fret" — — — — — —
1980 "Let's Go Round Again" 12 53 40 24 — — Shine
"For You, for Love" 46 — 60 — — —
"Into the Night" — — — — — —
1982 "Easier Said Than Done" — — — — — — Cupid's in Fashion
"Cupid's in Fashion" — — — — — —
"You're My Number One" — — — — — —
"I Believe" — — — — — —
1986 "Cut the Cake" (re-issue) — — — — 66 — Template:N/A
1988 "The Spirit of Love" (featuring Chaka Khan and Ronnie Laws) — — 47 — — — Aftershock
1989 "Sticky Situation" — — — — — —
1994 "Let's Go Round Again" (re-issue/remix) 56 — — — — — Template:N/A
1996 "Every Beat of My Heart" — — — — — — Soul Tattoo
1997 "Back to Basics" — — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Other contributions

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Notes

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Template:Notelist-ua

References

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Template:Reflist

Bibliography

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  • The New Musical Express Book of Rock, 1975, Star Books, Template:ISBN
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Template:Commons category

Template:Average White BandTemplate:Authority control

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