Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band (1974)

"Pick Up The Pieces" was a 1974 song by the Average White Band from their second album, "AWB". The principal composer of the track was founding member and saxophonist Roger Ball. It was the group's most successful song, and features one of the most recognizable grooves in funk music. It is essentially an instrumental, apart from the song's title being shouted at several points in the song. "Pick Up The Pieces" was first released in the United Kingdom in July 1974 but failed to make an impression on the charts. When the entire album was released in the United States in October 1974, radio stations started to pick up on the song, and on 22 February 1975, it went to the top of the U.S. singles chart and peaked at number five on the soul charts. After its U.S. success, the song charted in the U.K. and climbed to number six. "Pick Up The Pieces" also made it to number eleven on the U.S. disco chart. Average White Band (also known as AWB) is a Scottish funk and R&B band, who had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. AWB was formed in early 1972 by Alan Gorrie (born 19 July 1946, Perth, Scotland) and Malcolm 'Molly' Duncan (born 24 August 1945, Montrose, Scotland), with Owen 'Onnie' McIntyre (born 25 September 1945, Lennoxtown, Scotland), Hamish Stuart (born 8 October 1949, Glasgow, Scotland), Roger Ball (born 4 June 1944, Broughty Ferry, Scotland) and Robbie McIntosh (born 6 May 1950, Dundee, Scotland — died 23 September 1974) joining them in the original line-up. The band's breakthrough was a support slot at Eric Clapton's comeback concert in 1973. MCA Records released their debut album, "Show Your Hand", which sold poorly. Bruce McCaskill, who was Clapton's tour manager, liked the band's music and agreed to manage them. He borrowed money to take them to the U.S. and to promote them. McCaskill had many contacts from his days with Clapton and managed to get Atlantic Records to sign them. The band relocated to New York, signed to Atlantic and released their follow-up, "AWB", better known as "The White Album". This album was the first of many with renowned producer Arif Mardin, and reached #1 in the U.S. Hot 100 chart. In early 1975, the single "Pick Up The Pieces" reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song knocked Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good" out of #1 and sold over one million copies. It was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in March 1975. McIntosh died of an accidental heroin overdose at a Los Angeles party on 23 September 1974. McIntosh was replaced by Steve Ferrone (born 25 April 1950, Brighton, England), previously of Bloodstone. As of 2010, and almost forty years after their formation, the group continues to perform. This channel is dedicated to all the great 'old school' R&B music I grew up with, the stuff that originally made me tap my feet and want to be a DJ. Funk, soul, disco, R&B, dance, hip-hop, pop . . . 60s, 70s, 80s . . . whatever you call it, it's all 'Old School' and it's all here!

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Copyright 1974 Atlantic Records
All Rights Reserved

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Pick
• Up
• The
• Pieces
• Average
• White
• Band
• 1974
• AWB
• Scotland
• R&B
• funk
• groove
• soul
• pop
• disco
• dance
• Atlantic
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[Barbi7042]

This was back when color and music was blind. The best jams of my time.

[happyziggy]

have mercy

[galacticswan]

Hello, I'm searching for the video of the 1974 version of PUTP, from the album AWB. To me from the best PUTP version, with one minute of magic between 2:20 and 3:20. Someone knows if it exists on youtube or somewhere else ?

[bearsjam]

this is old school at its best i love it i want the cd

[EXxWarlordxX3]

I played this for my Higher. What a class song !!

[boypula]

THUMBS UP IF YOU HAVE HEARD THIS AT IRON MAN 2!

[wtchtower]

gottcha! finally found you. Thanks for posting



[beardedCY]

The absolute Funk! Unbeatable.... Even after 38 years......

[MrNiceJoeB]

@MudFlapper359 Can't beat Fred Meyer either

[MISisback]

@spooky29

Bummer you can't stay young forever, Dorian Gray.

[spooky29]

@MISisback Shut up with the almost 40! My mum played this song to me in utero!