Average White Band - Put It Where You Want It/First - (1974)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

AWB were a scottish band that understood the developemnt of soul in the early 70's.  People threw their hands up in horror to think that a white/scottish band would dare make this type of music.  But then they did it really well.  Orginally signed to MCA who seemed confused as to how to market them - they looked like a rock band but played like a real soul combo.  This is actually a repackaged version of the original album "Show Your Hand" which had been issued the year before but here minus the track "The Jugglers".  This was produced by Stewart Levine. AWB would soon move to Atlantic Records under the production wing of the late great Arif Mardin and produce the classic "White Album" and a career's worth of superb soul albums.  I remember hearing "You Got It" for the first time in a Ravel's in Oxford Street and thinking Sam and Dave were recording together again.  Most of this is available on CD on various compilations from Rhino and Atlantic but they haven't been put out in either of it's original (two) forms - you will find them listed under "the Clover sessions".  I saw Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre who keep the name alive with some great side members at the Jazz Cafe last year.  Worth it.  But seeing them in '75 on stage with Kokomo for an encore after a great set - now that was something.

MCA - MCF 2705