Average+white+band

Average White Band are widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands. Although probably best known for their global hit, the US #1 single ‘Pick Up The Pieces’, this extensive anthology delves back into their musical history, from the early sessions in 1971, right up to the most recent studio album released this millennium. ‘All The Pieces…’ features the band’s entire catalogue of recorded material on a 19CD box set, which includes all of the original studio albums (and ‘spoilers’ ‘Put It Where You Want It’ and ‘Volume VIII’) in mini-vinyl replica wallets, alternate versions and selected mixes, in this 172-track collection…

With a unique sound drawing from early funk and Motown sounds, Average White Band might be one of the most inaccurately named bands in history (especially considering both their percussionists are black). Hailing from Scotland, Average White Band's fast songs sound like the Funky Meters and their slow songs sound like old Motown. While they wear their inspirations on their sleeves, they still managed to develope a very unique sound, laying down some really great funk grooves. This performance at the Montreux Jazz festival in 1977 comes shortly after their best known albums, and contains quite a few of their biggest hits. Admittedly, Average White Band isn't the most poetic of songwriting teams, even in the soul and funk genres.

Show Your Hand was where it all began for the Average White Band, which turned out to be one of the hottest funk/soul outfits of the mid- to late '70s. But when MCA released this debut LP in 1973, the band's commercial success was still a year away - it wasn't until they joined the Atlantic roster in 1974 that they exploded commercially. Show Your Hand, in fact, was among 1973's neglected R&B releases. In retrospect, it's easy to point the finger at MCA and say, "You dropped the ball; this album should have done better." Atlantic successfully broke AWB in 1974, so why weren't MCA's promotions and marketing people able to accomplish that the previous year? But in all fairness to MCA, breaking AWB was a challenge - imagine trying to convince '70s soul stations that a white band from Scotland played first-class funk and soul…

Cover To Cover/Soul To Soul is a collection showcasing their take on classic recordings, both Soul and otherwise and demonstrates why Average White Band were totally embraced as an authentic R&B band in the USA.

After debuting with 1973's excellent but neglected Show Your Hand (later reissued as Put It Where You Want It), the Average White Band switched from MCA to Atlantic and hit big with this self-titled gem. Upon first hearing gutsy, Tower of Power-influenced funk like "Person to Person" and the instrumental "Pick Up the Pieces" (a number one R&B hit), many soul fans were shocked to learn that not only were the bandmembers white - they were whites from Scotland. Like Teena Marie five years later, AWB embraced soul and funk with so much conviction that it was clear this was anything but an "average" white band. This album is full of treasures that weren't big hits but should have been - including the addictive "You Got It," the ominous "There's Always Someone Waiting," and a gutsy remake of the Isley Brothers' "Work to Do."

Benny and Us resulted from a chance meeting in Miami between Ben E. King and the Average White Band, who were vacationing there just when King was starting work on a new album. The finished LP yielded two hit singles and became King's best-selling LP, rising to number 33. The sound is soulful and funky, very bright and passionate - the upbeat, relentlessly catchy "Get It Up for Love" and the soaring, horn and string driven "A Star in the Ghetto" made respectable showings on the R&B charts, and a good portion of the rest ("The Message," "What Is Soul") is pretty powerful stuff as well. "Imagine" is so busy and so self-consciously earnest that it's difficult to enjoy, but King is so good in the moments when he is on target, that it's hard to skip this track, even if it is the weakest number here…

'Anthology' Is prefaced with an historical introspection by Alan gorrie and Hamish Stuart. The legendary average White band tore-up the rule book and conquered the US, UK & international charts with a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. However, awb's rich and deep catalogue has also been a source of inspiration and influence for many R&B acts and they are one of the most sampled bands in history, remaining relevant today, continuing to reach new generations of younger audiences. Snoop Dogg, fatboy Slim, ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross and will.I.Am amongst countless others, have all borrowed sections of their grooves.