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.

Shine was one of David Foster’s best productions of that era with its killer mix of funk, soul and pop sounds like an irresistible cross between Earth, Wind & Fire’s I Am and The Doobie Brothers’ Minute By Minute. This new release by Demon Records included all but two tracks from Shine plus four tracks from the band’s Volume 8. A couple of fantastic tunes, “Miss Sun” and “Wasn’t I Your Friend,” were recorded during those same sessions. They only recently saw the light of day on various compilations and re-releases. Most of the gems from Shine were already reviewed on this website and can be rediscovered in the archives.

This week the focus is on Alan Gorrie’s original, “Love Gives, Love Takes Away,” one of the first songs recorded during the Shine sessions. “Love Gives, Love Takes Away” is the Song of the Week. 

“Love Gives, Love Takes Away” was a beautiful, mid-tempo ballad that featured the classic vocal interplay by Gorrie and Hamish Stuart. “Love Gives, Love Takes Away” included an irresistible arrangement with impeccable instrumental performances by Foster and the band. Molly Duncan’s warm saxophone was in the spotlight while the strings, crafted by Foster and Roger Ball, were to die for. As a result, “Love Gives, Love Takes Away” was pure ear-candy; one of those productions that was a perfect example of Foster’s quality pop sound of those years. Both fans of Average White Band and Foster should get On The Strip – The Sunset Sessions to rehear a great batch of songs that are all aging like fine wine. Absolutely recommended!

Listen

• Lead & Backing Vocals: Alan Gorrie & Hamish Stuart
• Keyboards: David Foster & Roger Ball
• Bass: Alan Gorrie
• Drums: Steve Ferrone
• Guitars: Hamish Stuart & Onnie McIntyre
• Saxophone: Molly Duncan

• Strings Arranged by Roger Ball & David Foster
• Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

No Lyrics

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.

“A Love Of Your Own” was eventually covered by a plethora of famous singers including Howard Hewett, Millie Jackson, Melissa Manchester and Chikuzen Sato. Co-writer Doheny recorded the song himself on his 1976 Hard Candy album with Stuart on backing vocals and a young David Foster on keyboards. A past review of that beautiful rendition can be read in the archives.

A few years later, Stuart and Doheny co-wrote another gem titled “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me.” It’s an enthralling, mid-tempo number that Average White Band recorded with Foster in the producer’s chair for their 1980 release Shine. “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” sports a fantastic melody and refined arrangement with a smooth as silk backing track and rich strings and horns that support Stuart’s trademark falsetto and the group’s lush vocal harmonies. Foster’s production was pristine and the whole recording was pure ear-candy bliss. Strangely enough, “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” wasn’t released as a single although it became a favorite among Average White Band’s fans. R&b diva Chaka Khan covered the song in 1981 with great success and made it the title-track of her new album. Recently, Stuart said that Ms. Khan attended the session ofShine and actually sang “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” for AWB so Stuart and his bandmate, Alan Gorrie, could concentrate on the guitar and bass parts. Eventually, Ms. Khan decided to cut the song with the late Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 to June 25, 2006). In the spring of 1981, her cover of “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” spent two weeks at #1 on the R&B charts.

Let’s close this review with the great news that Ned Doheny and Hamish Stuart will be together on stage in the UK this coming August for special dates in London and Manchester . What a real treat and rare chance to listen to masterpieces like “A Love Of Your Own” and “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” performed by the two gentlemen who co-wrote them.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Average-White-Band-Whatcha-Gonna-Do-For-Me-1980.mp3|titles=Whatcha Gonna Do For Me|artists=Hamish Stuart]

Lead Vocals & Guitar: Hamish Stuart
Bass & Vocals: Alan Gorrie
Drums: Steve Ferrone
Guitar: Onnie McIntyre
Alto Sax & Keyboards: Roger Ball
Keyboards: David Foster
Tenor Saxophone: Molly Duncan
Percussion: Paulinho DaCosta & Lennie Castro
Saxophones: Kim Hutchcroft, Ernie Watts & Larry Williams
Trumpet & Flugelhorn: Jerry Hey, Gary Grant & Larry Hall
Trombone: Bill Reichenbach & Lew McCrary

Strings & Horns Arranged by David Foster, Jerry Hey & Roger Ball
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

All night and all day, just chippin’ away
It’s all in a day’s work;
Tryin’ hard to defend
The time that I spend alone
The ground that you lose exploiting
The blues
Won’t get the job done;
Still, as deep as it bites,
I’m keepin’ my sights on you

Whatcha gonna for me
What are you gonna do for me
Whatcha gonna do for me, when
The chips are down

In the cool of the night, when
Nothing seems right
The feeling can take you;
Strange as it seems,
You make your own dreams
Come true
If you try to conceal the way
That you feel
You’re askin’ for trouble;
Just as sure as you’ll cry,
I’m keepin’ my eye on you

You don’t have to tell me I’m
To blame for this
The thing you hold against me,
Is the thing that I miss

Whatcha gonna for me
What are you gonna do for me
Whatcha gonna do for me, when
The chips are down

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.

Foster offered a number of great tunes that contained echoes of the previous decade and showcased his platinum-plus work with acts including Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Kenny Loggins and The Tubes. River Of Love sports absolute gems like “This Must Be Love,” a soulful ballad that could have belonged on any EWF album, the title track which was a catchy rocker that would have been perfect for a singer like John Parr or a power ballad like “All I Ever Needed,” not too far from Loggins’ pop/aor territory. Among the long list of guests on the album were stars Bryan Adams, Mike Reno, Bruce Hornsby, Natalie Cole and Hamish Stuart. The Canadian super-producer also involved session aces Nathan East, Nigel Olsson, Mike Landau, Greg Phillinganes, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Robinson and Dean Parks. River Of Love became a showcase for an outstanding session singer Jeff Pescetto and the late, talented Warren Wiebe who can be heard on some of the album’s pivotal tracks. The result was top-notch and sonically impeccable with engineer supreme and Foster’s long-time collaborator Humberto Gatica taking the productive reins of the project.

The closing track of River Of Love was “Inside You,” a high-tech pop gem with rock overtones. “Inside You” was co-written by Foster with frequent partner in crime Tom Keane and renowned lyricist Will Jennings. The song was an elegant composition with a suggestive atmosphere enhanced by Hamish Stuart’s amazing vocal performance. The Average White Band’s former member takes no prisoners as his trademark tenor infuses feeling and soulfulness all over this tune. Keane and Foster crafted a sophisticated instrumental backup that relied on their keyboards and synthesizers with James Harrah adding some effective guitar licks throughout. “Inside You” had a catchy vibe that was little-known in those days, yet it stands clear as a bright jewel of Foster’s sumptuous songbook. Together with the whole River Of Love cd, Foster makes a pure statement of the best retro pop music.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inside_you.mp3|titles=Inside You|artists=Hamish Stuart]

Lead vocal : Hamish Stuart
Keyboards & Bass : Tom Keane & David Foster
Guitars : James Harrah
Synth Programming : Tom Keane
Percussion : Rafael Padilla
Drums Overdubs : David Palmer
Background Vocals: Hamish Stuart & Warren Wiebe
Arranged by Tom Keane & David Foster

Produced by Humberto Gatica

Lyrics

What’s goin’ on there inside you?
How can you do this magic you do?
Show me the world there inside you
Open your eyes, let me come on through

Once I’m walking inside your dreams
I know I’ll see your mystery
Deep in your heart
I’ll find the place I wanna be
Everything I need is

Inside you
Nothing can hide you
When I’m inside you
Take me inside you

Girl, can’t you feel us moving as one?
(Oh baby)
In the hours so sweet, oh, how they run
Give us just a little time to
Let it go where it has to go
Wrapped in your soul
I’ll know the secrets that you know
Can’t you feel us flowing

Inside you
Nothing can hide you
When I’m inside you
Take me inside you

Oh, is it real, as it seems
Don’t wake up
Look for me there in your dreams tonight

Inside you
Nothing can hide you
When I’m inside you
Take me inside you

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.”

This new compilation includes the group’s big hits including “Pick Up The Pieces,” “Cut The Cake,” “Queen Of My Soul,” “Let’s Go Round Again,” “Cloudy” and “A Love Of Your Own.” Going through this lavish nineteen cd collection, we stumbled upon an incredible number of fantastic lesser-known album tracks, high-quality b-sides and rare songs. One of these shining gems is “Love Won’t Get In The Way.”

Co-written by Gorrie and Stuart with R&B singer/songwriter Gavin Christopher, “Love Won’t Get In The Way” is a spectacular mid-tempo funk tune that sports an irresistible beat, enticing breaks and tantalizing changes. AWB’s trademark vocal blend is in the spotlight with in-your-face horns to put more pepper on this elegant funky jam. David Foster produced “Love Won’t Get In The Way” with his usual, rich approach that results in amazing ear-candy. The song was originally included on the 1980 “Volume VIII” album released by Atlantic Records that included four songs produced by Foster. You will find “Love Won’t Get In The Way” and many other Foster-related goodies on the aforementioned box-set. It offers music lovers a welcome opportunity to rediscover the greatness of AWB’s history. The group is still active today with concerts and recordings as is their former bandmate Hamish Stuart with his own band. Check out Average White Band to appreciate their timeless talents and legacy of great music.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/love_won_t_get_in_the_way.mp3|titles=Love Won’t Get In The Way|artists=Alan Gorrie & Hamish Stuart]

Lead & Backing Vocals: Alan Gorrie & Hamish Stuart
Bass: Alan Gorrie
Guitars: Hamish Stuart & Onnie McIntyre
Saxes: Roger Ball & Molly Duncan
Drums: Steve Ferrone
Keyboards: David Foster & Roger Ball
Horns: Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, Ernie Watts & Bill Reichenbach
Horn Arrangement by Jerry Hey
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

No Lyrics

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.

We must be deaf cause  we’ve been listening to “Shine” since its release, thirty-two years ago, and we still think it’s one of Foster’s best productions ever.The songwriting is solid with pieces like the dancefloor classic, “Let’s Go ‘Round Again” that’s become one of AWB’s most loved hits and “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me,” a tune that Chaka Khan made a classic just a few years later. There’s a bit for everyone on “Shine,” funky numbers with just a light disco approach, gorgeous ballads and breezy mid-tempos. The arrangements are catchy and elegant with an overall, irresistible jazzy mood. Foster co-wrote two songs on “Shine.” The first is a funky/disco jam entitled “Catch Me (Before I Have To Testify)” while the other is a fantastic mid-tempo entitled “Help Is On The Way.” This track is absolutely delicious with Foster’s thumbprint all over. Hamish Stuart’s golden voice and AWB’s tight musicianship are on the spotlight with Foster’s guest keyboards and terrific strings and horns to add a lush feel. “Help Is On The Way” was the b-side to another masterpice of the album, the pop/soul ballad “For You, For Love.” One thing is for sure, “Shine” has aged wonderfully and its pop/soul appeal is intact or even enchanced today, especially compared to what’s on radio nowadays. This is music that was made by real, immensely talented musicians and we’ll never get tired to listen to it.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/help_is_on_the_way.mp3|titles=Help Is On The Way|artists=Hamish Stuart]

Lead & Backing Vocals: Hamish Stuart
Bass & Backing Vocals: Alan Gorbie
Guitars: Onnie McIntyre & Hamish Stuart
Drums: Steve Ferrone
Keyboards: David Foster & Roger Ball
Percussions: Lenny Castro & Paulinho Da Costa
Saxes: Molly Duncan & Roger Ball
Trumpets & Flugelhorns: Jerry Hey, Gary Grant & Larry Hall
Trombones: Lew McCreary & Bill Reichenbach
Saxes & Woodwinds: Ernie Watts, Kim Hutchcroft & Larry Williams

Strings & Horns Arranged by Roger Ball, Jerry Hey & David Foster
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

Seems to me that you’ve been stranded
far too long
watchin’ the sands of time
trickle away,
Won’t you talk to me,
Tell me what’s eatin’ at ‘cha
Even if you don’t know what to say
You know that the time is right
To turn this thing around –
it’s getting closer to you
Don’t give up because pain is all
you’ve found

Lighten up ‘cos help is on the way
Have a little faith in someone new
This is not a line I’m throwin’ –
Lighten up ‘cos help is on the way

You and me, walking down easy
streets together
Is a dream I cannot see slippin’ away
Why don’t you get to me
Over this distance you’ve created
And I’ll put you in – set you free
You know the time is right
To turn this thing around –
you’re getting closer to me
Don’t give up because pain is all
you’ve found