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Tag: Hamish Stuart

LOVE GIVES, LOVE TAKES AWAY

from ON THE STRIP – THE SUNSET SESSIONS
Written by Alan Gorrie

The UK label, Demon Records, has recently released On The Strip – The Sunset Sessions, a 2LP vinyl set that’s a special reconfiguration of Average White Band’s classic 1980 Shine album. To celebrate Shine’s 40th anniversary release with Demon Records and with the support of current and past members of the legendary Scottish group, On The Strip – The Sunset Sessions has been rebuilt to include tracks that were recorded on the Shine sessions, but didn’t make the final cut or were eventually released on a later compilation.

WHATCHA GONNA DO FOR ME

from SHINE

written by Hamish Stuart & Ned Doheny

Hamish Stuart, the former member of the Average White Band, and famed singer/songwriter Ned Doheny co-wrote a couple of songs together for the Scottish funksters that went on to become soul/r&b classics. Their first hit collaboration was “A Love Of Your Own,” a charming soul ballad included on Average White Band’s 1976 seminal Soul Searching album that reached #35 on the R&B Singles chart in 1977.

INSIDE YOU

From RIVER OF LOVE
Written by David Foster, Tom Keane & Will Jennings

December 1990 saw the release of River Of Love, David Foster’s fourth solo album. After delivering three beautiful, mostly instrumental solo records, the multi-Grammy winning music-maker formulated a Quincy Jones kind of project. Foster recorded a collection of original songs crafted in his catchy pop/rock style supported by an impressive cast of guest singers and players. Listening to River Of Love today, it feels like Foster wanted to give his devoted fans a compendium of the first successful phase of his career.

LOVE WON’T GET IN THE WAY

 from ALL THE PIECES

written by Alan Gorrie, Hamish Stuart & Gavin Christopher

Today, let’s go back to the late ’70s and the fantastic funk/soul sounds of the Average White Band. In our opinion, there are three main reasons to again showcase the magic of these legendary Scottish funksters. First and foremost, AWB had strong songwriting skills and tight musicianship to support the stellar voices of Alan Gorrie and Hamish Stuart. They, along with their gifted bandmates, made Average White Band one of the top R&B weapons of the era. Secondly, the most important parts of the AWB catalogue were handled by iconic producers like the late Arif Mardin and the young and ridiculously talented David Foster. And third, the recent release of a spectacular box-set entitled “All The Pieces: The Complete Studio Recordings 1971-2003.”

HELP IS ON THE WAY

from FOR YOU, FOR LOVE/HELP IS ON THE WAY (single)

written by David Foster, Alan Gorrie & Hamish Stuart

David Foster often mentioned that he wasn’t satisfied by the Average White Band’s album “Shine” that he produced in 1980. In his recent memoir, “Hitman: Forty Years Making Music, Topping Charts & Winning Grammys” the music-maker even recollected a meeting he had with Quincy Jones when they were listening to the album while Foster was making up excuses to justify what he felt were some faults of the recording.