Some serious funk for you today from deepest darkest Dundee courtesy of The Average White Band.
Looking at the picture above you would have them down as a heavy metal combo as opposed to the most successful British soul act of all time
Two members were employed as session musicians on Chuck Berry's My Ding-a- Ling so arguably the only way was up.
After supporting Eric Clapton in 1973 they were signed by Atlantic records for goodness sake and enjoyed a Billboard number 1 in 1975 with Pick Up The Pieces leading to James Brown's backing band the JB's recording Pick Up The Pieces, One by One as AABB - Above Average Black Band
I don't own any AWB records. These two tracks are from Volumes 1 and 3 of The Greatest Scottish Album Ever which came free with the Daily Record. Surely somewhat of a misnomer given that Darius and Jim Diamond feature on Volume 3
More Soul of sorts next Sunday
The Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces
The Average White Band - Let's Go Round Again
Well blow me down - I had no idea AWB were Scottish. The things you learn here....
ReplyDeleteEvery day's a school day Robster
DeleteYou call yourself a sould fan and you have no AWB albums. What sort of sick puppy are you?!?!??! As for your chum who didn't know AWB were a Scottish band, it makes me fear for the future. I blame the parents.
ReplyDeleteMy parent weren't soul fans, and with some notable exceptions, neither am I. I shall endeavour to make my teenage daughters aware of the clearly obvious necessity to know that AWB hail from north of the border, but I strongly suspect neither will give a you-know-what.
DeleteOne of them was from Perth, one from the home of OVD, one was a Weegie(like yourself) and one from Broughty Ferry. I too have none of their albums but I do have single, on clear vinyl.
ReplyDelete........one of the originals is buried in the cemetery in Broughty Ferry
ReplyDeleteI call myself a soul fan but I don't own any AWB however I did know they were Scottish. The tunes are not bad btw
ReplyDeleteNor I am a owner of an AWB record but their music was popular in Germnany long long time ago. And you can't hear that they are Scottish.
ReplyDeleteIs this where I can boast that I bought 'Pick Up The Pieces' as an 11 year old?
ReplyDeleteAt the time, it was all chart pop hits - Bay City Rollers/Gary Glitter/David Essex (c'mon I was 11 years old) but there was just something so wonderfully catchy about the single that I had to have it. I remember my dad saying it was the first 'grown up' record I'd come home from the shops with which struck me as strange at the time, but a few years later I knew what he meant by the comment.
It became the answer I could give to 'First Record You Ever Bought?' while retaining a degree of street cred...
I like to say that my first single was 'Rebel Rebel' by Bowie, but that was my second. First was 'Jealous Mind' by Alvin Stardust (Oh dear). Best thing he ever did was the Green X Code TV ad. "Are you out of your cottonpicking minds?" That's right Alvin, we all said "cottonpicking" in the 70s....
Delete'Pick Up The Pieces'is a seriously funky tune. I was aware that they were Scottish: what do I win?
ReplyDeleteMy undying respect Luca!
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