I had the privilege of seeing Average White Band in Houston when I was 19 yrs old. They were the bomb!!!! Who would think Scotland produced such a classic funk sound!!! They had the crowd rocking so much they performed Pick Up the Pieces twice!!! They got a well deserved standing ovation!!!! An experience of a lifetime I will never forget!!!!
Know what's REALLY impressive, they went live!. The majority of acts on Soul Train lip-synched, AWB wasn't having it. They ripped the stage up, well done.
How many all White Bands can go on Soul Train and Jam with an all Black Audience? This Group broke all kinds of Barriers. I'm Black and I love em. Thank you for your wonderful Music thru the Years. Your not "Average " just "Great"!! Note: Drummer Steve Ferrone a Brotha was with the Band in the 1970's and left the Band afterwards.
Funny that often you saw Alan Gorrie (lead and guitar here) on bass and Hamish Stuart on guitar. They traded depending on the song (and possibly who was singing lead).
@@SkammLykelee Hamish makes this for me, I can't stop chuckling, respectfully, at his Soul dancing & Chicken-Neck moves. 😂 - He's definitely having plenty of fun *_!_*
And then, who cares about pompous ceremonials, when you can still listen to their absolute funky gems in this year 2019, and then again, and again as you please! ;D
My parents, RIP, were jazz musos. My stepfather taught me everything I know about bass and electric guitar. They adored the Average White Band!!!! Cut the Cake for me is both seminal and pure funk!
One of the things that make this band/performance so good is how in the pocket they are and how relaxed they are playing that they give this groove an almost lazy feel, when you can play like that you are made!
Do you think they look at this and wonder why a million and a half people have listened to their song but cant be bothered to take a nanosecond to click thumbs up?? Maybe all those peoples parents did not teach them to say thanksalot. Saw the band at Fillmore West in 1969 while going to Cal Berkeley...........GREAT times back then
As a rock-n-roller, I loved watching Soul Train in the 1970s when I was playing electric bass full time in my 20s. Learned how to play funk, soul and slap bass from bands like Mother's FInest, EWF, Parliament/Funkadelics, Tower of Power, and Sly and the Family Stone(d)... :-)
Amen! I grew up in the 70's and this song captures the essence of the era. Cut the Cake is a classic; it makes you want to get up and dance. The rhythm, chords, and melody are what make this song what it is- funky, lively, and timeless.
He is a monster. And if you listen to the combination of the lead signer's clean guitar parts and the bass, it's just so tight and so syncopated. They are almost a single instrument. Then the rhythm player is filling all the cracks perfectly. Throw in a really tight drummer and it's just ridiculous how tight and funky it is.
Indeed, Indeed, but that's not all there is to say about Hamish Stuart. He sings extremely well while playing bass, which is arguably the most difficult instrument to sing along with while playing. AND his body grooves beautifully doing all that. It's a pity that he envisioned a greater carrier for himself around the end of the 70s and went on to be Macca bass player, because he and Alan Gorrie had a winning duo of composers-lyricists-instrumentists, and they could readily exchange bass and guitar from one tune to another. Plus, as you underlined, Dean, Steve Ferrone on drums is impeccable in this group, he's tight Indeed but not just that, he's cool and easy, there's "elasticity" in his drumming: he bounces and makes us wanna bounce too, while being very precise on the beat. A joy to listen to to this day. And Alan Gorrie has carried on the group into the 2000s, managing to remain fresh in the great funk still produced. :))
Glad you said it that way. Most artists absolutely hated to lip-synch, and they were awful at it too. A lot of people today don't realize that it was the TV producers who made that choice, not the artist or band.
I love it when a band like AWB attracts a diverse audience of fans. When I look to see who is playing my music on RadioAirplay (people in countries like Iran and Russia), I realize that music has the capability to unite the world in peace. It is a shame we can't use it to do just that.
Yes, great live performance. Not saying you don't know this, but many people think the lip-synching common in the 60's and 70's was because the bands wanted to do it. It was usually the producers of the TV shows who made that choice. it was cheaper and easier and some felt that people preferred to hear the record. Most artists HATED to lip-synch.
There’s nothing ‘average’ about the lads from Scotland; nor anything particularly ‘white’ about their music. Yet, they’re hit makers, multi-million dollar sellers, and one of the most sampled bands in the industry; because of #1 hits like this.
Ive been a fan since 77 and watching them perform on these videos are still mind blowing, who knew some farmer john looking white guys could be an get down so funky! I love em!!
When they first arrive in America, folks were confused, from the sound of their record they never thought it was a white scottish band doing funk, soul and r&b. LOL
Eisen Yeo We had KC and the Sunshine Band and Wild Cherry already. With a name like Average White Band, we didn't have to guess their color. Funk wasn't a black only genre any way.
Get these guys in the R&R Hall of Fame...they deserve it!!!Funk is funk....color, class, gender.....play that guitar!! Back in the day,,I heard them on the radio, I could have sworn they were Brothers....goes to show....Music is music,!!!! Cut the cake..indeed!!!
Cole Holland yeah haha i also love how is afro stays in the shot long after his face. An the girl to the left is lookin at him like "chill the fuck out man"
Huh, really, all of there baselines are from James brown. How can you be the best band when all of your samples are from the godfather. They are good, buy I can put many other bands before them
Great live performance by AWB. A lot of people have the wrong idea about the lip-synching on Soul Train, American Bandstand and other shows of that time. It wasn't the artists who chose to do that, it was the producers of the shows. It was less expensive and they felt audiences wanted to hear the sound quality of the recorded versions. Remember music videos didn't exist back then. Most acts hated to lip-synch and most were terrible at it.
Ultimate funk no one can touch this level of excellence and precise focus yall in 1970s were a force not to play with lol 😂 alliance Ohio loves you awb
Saw AWB in Columbus, Ohio at the Agora, in the early 1970’s and what brought me there was Alan Gories previous band Forever More. Man, wish I could find a copy of that album!
Top 40 radio of the 70s was incredible (pre disco). One one station you would hear Billy Preston, Elton John, the Carpenters, Jim Stafford, Jerry Reed, AWB, Paul McCartney all within 15 minutes.
Great band...Tasty song...In 75 this was just one of the THOUSANDS of great songs in the FM Radio mixes..Glad I got the chance to experience it all...James Brown would have been perfect for this song...:)
