Common White Band (additionally AWB) are a Scottish funk and R&B band that had a sequence of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They’re greatest recognized for his or her million-selling instrumental monitor “Choose Up the Items”, and their albums AWB and Lower the Cake. The band title was initially proposed by Bonnie Bramlett. They’ve influenced others such because the Model New Heavies, and been sampled by varied musicians together with the Beastie Boys, TLC, The Beatnuts, Too Brief, Ice Dice, Eric B. & Rakim, Nas, and A Tribe Referred to as Quest, in addition to Arrested Improvement – making them the fifteenth most sampled act in historical past. As of 2012, forty years after their formation, they proceed to carry out.
AWB was shaped in early 1972 by Alan Gorrie, and Malcolm “Molly” Duncan, with Onnie McIntyre, Michael Rosen (trumpet), Roger Ball, and Robbie McIntosh becoming a member of them within the unique line-up. Hamish Stuart shortly changed Rosen. Duncan and Ball, affectionately often called the Dundee Horns, studied at Duncan of Jordanstone School of Artwork (now a part of the College of Dundee, however which on the time was a part of the Dundee Institute of Artwork & Know-how, now often called Abertay College), and have been beforehand members of Mogul Thrash. Gorrie and McIntyre had been members of Without end Extra. McIntyre and McIntosh have been used as session musicians on Chuck Berry’s recording of “My Ding-a-Ling”.
The band’s breakthrough was a assist slot at Eric Clapton’s comeback live performance in 1973. MCA Information launched their debut album, Present Your Hand (1973), which offered poorly. Bruce McCaskill, who was Clapton’s tour supervisor, favored the band’s music and agreed to handle them. He borrowed cash to take them to the US and to advertise them. McCaskill had many contacts from his days with Clapton and managed to get Atlantic Information to signal them. The band relocated to Los Angeles and launched the follow-up, AWB, higher often called The White Album. It reached #1 and was the primary of many with famend producer Arif Mardin.
McIntosh died of a heroin overdose at a Los Angeles get together on 23 September 1974. Gorrie additionally overdosed, however Cher saved him acutely aware till medical assist arrived. The NME reported in January 1975 that AWB performed a profit present for McIntosh’s widow on the Marquee Membership in London.[10] McIntosh was changed by Steve Ferrone (beforehand of Bloodstone), and, like McIntosh, beforehand with Brian Auger’s Oblivion Specific.
In 1975, the only “Choose Up the Items” – taken from the No. 1 AWB album – reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Scorching 100 chart. The tune knocked Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good” out of No. 1 and offered over a million copies. It was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in March 1975. It additionally prompted The J.B.’s, the backup band of the “Godfather of Soul”, James Brown, to report and launch a tune in reply, “Choose Up the Items, One by One”, underneath the title AABB (Above Common Black Band). It was each a tribute to AWB’s information of funk and a tongue-in-cheek play on the Scottish band’s title.
AWB adopted up with the LPs Lower the Cake (1975) and Soul Looking out (1976), each large sellers and yielding additional Prime 40 singles. Lower the Cake was devoted by the surviving band members to McIntosh’s reminiscence. Their subsequent LP, Benny & Us, was a collaboration with Ben E. King.
After a number of extra albums, AWB’s viewers and gross sales dwindled. Their 1980 disco hit “Let’s Go Spherical Once more” (UK #12), was coated within the late Nineties by Louise. The group initially disbanded by 1983.
Ferrone went on to work with Duran Duran while Hamish Stuart joined Paul McCartney’s touring group. In 1985 Gorrie launched a solo album, Sleepless Nights.
Gorrie, McIntyre, and Ball reunited in 1989 to report Aftershock. Alex Ligertwood (ex-Santana and Jeff Beck Group) additionally appeared on this album changing lead singer Hamish Stuart, together with Eliot Lewis who co-wrote with Gorrie and joined the band as properly. Ligertwood left after the album’s recording and drummer Tiger McNeil joined for the reunited band’s reside reveals. McNeil was with the group till 1994. He was then succeeded by Peter Abbott (ex-Blood Sweat and Tears), who in flip was changed by Fred “Catfish” Alias in September 1998. Drummer Adam Deitch did a two-year stint with AWB from 1999 to 2001. Pb