Most people don’t associate Scotland with funk rhythms and
disco beats, but in the mid-70s, the Average White Band became one of the most popular blue eyed soul combos from Dundee. Their
funk and
soul was so convincing that their second album, titled "AWB". Became a number-one-hit. Their success was overshadowed by a heroin overdose that saxophone player Robbie McIntosh and frontman Alan Gorrie took together at a party in Los Angeles. While Gorrie was being kept alive by singer
Cher until a doctor arrived, help arrived too late for McIntosh. The band continued their career nevertheless, releasing their most famous single, "Pick Up The Pieces", shortly after.
James Brown's backing band,
The J.B.'s, were so inspired by the song that they released a piece called "Pick Up The Pieces One By One" as a homage to the Scottish band under the alias AABB (Above Average Black Band). During the 1990s, the Average White Band went through a renaissance when countless musicians sampled their sounds, for example the
Beastie Boys,
TLC,
Ice Cube, and the
Brand New Heavies.
