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Alan Gorrie,bassist for AWB...
- Thread starter SX lover
- Start date
- Mar 24, 2005
- 1,625
- 44
- 81
- Disclosures
- Seymour Duncan/Basslines SMB-5A Endorsing Artist
I love Alan. One of my biggest influences. I love his playing and Jamerson-esque style. I've learned about 4 albums worth of AWB material just to try and cop his style.
One of my favorites for sure. Hamish is good too, but Alan does 90% of the bass stuff. Hamish did less and less as time went on.
One of my favorites for sure. Hamish is good too, but Alan does 90% of the bass stuff. Hamish did less and less as time went on.
This is an excerpt from a BP Magazine article about Gorrie's bassline for Picking up the pieces:
Gorrie, who co-founded the group and shared lead vocals with Stuart (with whom he sometimes swapped instruments), started on bass at age 15 in a neighborhood band. Inspired by his piano-playing dad and the forward-thinking lines of Paul McCartney and John Entwistle, Alan also dug the sounds of what was then Scotland's latest dance craze:Tamla/Motown. "James Jamerson blew my mind with his sound, feel, and non-root bass lines. From then on, R&B was permanently in my blood because it was bass-dominated music." The added influences of Booker T. & the MG's and James Brown led to the formation of AWB in London in 1971. Signed by MCA in 1973, the Average White Band released Show Your Hand before switching to Atlantic for a solid nine album run that ended with their breakup in the early'80s. "Pick Up the Pieces" exploded from their second record, AWB, a classic referred to by fans and band alike as "The White Album." Gorrie, who notes that AWB always included instrumentals in their sets, recounts the song's writing and recording process. "It was started one morning while writing the white album, in the house where we were living in L.A. Robbie got up and began playing a groove on the kit; Hamish woke up second and started playing his rhythm guitar line. I heard this and jumped out of bed to join in on bass. The next morning Roger brought in a written melody for himself and Molly and asked us to play the same grooveãand the song just came together. It was sort of our tribute to James Brown, with interlocking parts that never step on each other. In fact, I got the idea for the spoken-rhythm title over the V chord - 'pick up the pieces' - from James Brown's 'pass the peas."'
Gorrie, who co-founded the group and shared lead vocals with Stuart (with whom he sometimes swapped instruments), started on bass at age 15 in a neighborhood band. Inspired by his piano-playing dad and the forward-thinking lines of Paul McCartney and John Entwistle, Alan also dug the sounds of what was then Scotland's latest dance craze:Tamla/Motown. "James Jamerson blew my mind with his sound, feel, and non-root bass lines. From then on, R&B was permanently in my blood because it was bass-dominated music." The added influences of Booker T. & the MG's and James Brown led to the formation of AWB in London in 1971. Signed by MCA in 1973, the Average White Band released Show Your Hand before switching to Atlantic for a solid nine album run that ended with their breakup in the early'80s. "Pick Up the Pieces" exploded from their second record, AWB, a classic referred to by fans and band alike as "The White Album." Gorrie, who notes that AWB always included instrumentals in their sets, recounts the song's writing and recording process. "It was started one morning while writing the white album, in the house where we were living in L.A. Robbie got up and began playing a groove on the kit; Hamish woke up second and started playing his rhythm guitar line. I heard this and jumped out of bed to join in on bass. The next morning Roger brought in a written melody for himself and Molly and asked us to play the same grooveãand the song just came together. It was sort of our tribute to James Brown, with interlocking parts that never step on each other. In fact, I got the idea for the spoken-rhythm title over the V chord - 'pick up the pieces' - from James Brown's 'pass the peas."'
Alan Gorrie and Hamish Stuart never made me think of Jamerson. I always thought James Brown's basists when I heard them. AWB always seemed like pure funk compared to Motown, IMO.
BTW, I love Gorrie and Stuart's playing on bass and rythmn guitar. Songs like "Person to Person" and "Schoolboy Crush," are absolutely perfect grooves to my ears.
BTW, I love Gorrie and Stuart's playing on bass and rythmn guitar. Songs like "Person to Person" and "Schoolboy Crush," are absolutely perfect grooves to my ears.
For sure! Check out Pick Up The pieces and listen to how far ahead of the beat he is occaionally. The big hold on the C before going back to the main riff for instance is something like a 5 & 3/4 count! It's all about the feel guys
I really cut my R&B teeth on those early AWB albums...that said, IMO, Gorrie is closer to a Jamerson-vibe than Stuart. Stuart tended to stick to quasi-Funk figures (e.g. "Cut The Cake", "I'm The One", etc). This is the James Brown influence. Compare "Cut The Cake" to "Hot Pants Road".
Gorrie played more "lines" (more Jamerson-like)..."If I Ever Lose This Heaven", "Why", "Got The Love", "Everybody's Darling", etc).
AWB's debut (Show Your Hand) & the oft-overlooked Benny & Us have more Motown-ish stuff. "A Star In The Ghetto" from the latter is worth the price of an iTunes download.
Early on, much of Stuart's bassin' was played with a pick on a Fender Mustang. I recall Gorrie mostly being a fingers player on a P-bass.
Back around '75, Downbeat had a cover story on AWB...they were really being beat up because many critics & contemporary bands (IIRC, The Brothers Johnson & Ohio Players) didn't think AWB should be called "Funk".
In that interview, I recall AWB saying they were not a "Funk" band...IMO, they can be "funky"; in my cd collection, they're in with the rest of my Soul/R&B stuff.
BTW, I love Gorrie and Stuart's playing on bass and rythmn guitar. Songs like "Person to Person" and "Schoolboy Crush," are absolutely perfect grooves to my ears.
BTW, I'm with you 100% on this.
It's "linear" playing...basically, the bass plays a note & the guitar is at rest & then the guitar plays & the bass rests, etc.
"Hollywood Swinging" (Kool & The Gang) is another prime example.
All of the original AWB albums have just been reissued over here.
I've been gradually snapping them up - what a band!
I'm a big soul fan, so love the way their style incorporates soul, funk, and more beyond....the grooves on the records are simply delicious!
Great musicians, great songs.
I checked out their myspace page recently, and they are still touring very heavily, with Gorrie and Onnie Macintyre still there. Their schedule really impressed me, they must have retained a strong following - especially in the US. You guys are lucky!
I've been gradually snapping them up - what a band!
I'm a big soul fan, so love the way their style incorporates soul, funk, and more beyond....the grooves on the records are simply delicious!
Great musicians, great songs.
I checked out their myspace page recently, and they are still touring very heavily, with Gorrie and Onnie Macintyre still there. Their schedule really impressed me, they must have retained a strong following - especially in the US. You guys are lucky!
The new AWB is OK...they don't compare to the '70s band, IMO.
There's some nice youtube clips of the '70s band in action (& some in lip-synch mode...like vids from Soul Train & The Old Grey Whistle Test).
A decent DVD is AWB Live at Montreux.
Beware the AWB DVD from around 2000 or so.
There's some nice youtube clips of the '70s band in action (& some in lip-synch mode...like vids from Soul Train & The Old Grey Whistle Test).
A decent DVD is AWB Live at Montreux.
Beware the AWB DVD from around 2000 or so.
...and more props for Arif Mardin's AWB production vs. the later David Foster era of AWB.
Not sure if "Grooving The Night Away" is a hidden AWB gem...check it out, it's from Cut The Cake. Nice little jam during the sax solo.
Cool, too, that the Brecker Brothers were frequent sidemen on those early albums.
Not sure if "Grooving The Night Away" is a hidden AWB gem...check it out, it's from Cut The Cake. Nice little jam during the sax solo.
Cool, too, that the Brecker Brothers were frequent sidemen on those early albums.
Go find the Live at Montreux version of Pick up the Pieces- it's from the Atlantic Family Live at Montreux LP. Wait for that horn soli Arif wrote- now that's IT. The whole album is killer- AWB backing some stellar jazz players.
Also, check out their version of "Work to Do', and "Got the Love".
BTW their replacement drummer, (Robbie McIntosh, the original, died of a drug OD at Cher's), Steve Ferroni plays his ass off.
And there is a great pic of Alan with a little bronco P bass somewhere.
PS- I got to see them on New Orleans way back when. They sang so soulfully, and Hamish sounded like Marvin Gaye. Until they had to talk. Then there was no question where they were from.
Also, check out their version of "Work to Do', and "Got the Love".
BTW their replacement drummer, (Robbie McIntosh, the original, died of a drug OD at Cher's), Steve Ferroni plays his ass off.
And there is a great pic of Alan with a little bronco P bass somewhere.
PS- I got to see them on New Orleans way back when. They sang so soulfully, and Hamish sounded like Marvin Gaye. Until they had to talk. Then there was no question where they were from.
That's sort of how it feels, but it's straight 4/4. Count it out next time you hear it. You can count straight 4 through the whole song.For sure! Check out Pick Up The pieces and listen to how far ahead of the beat he is occaionally. The big hold on the C before going back to the main riff for instance is something like a 5 & 3/4 count! It's all about the feel guys
Exactly. In my HS garage daze (before I learned [or was forced to learn] how to count), that "big hold on "C" was hit or miss for me.
The big hold on "C"...the last beat is on Beat 4...which is then tied as a whole note for the next bar (a 4-count). Maybe that's where Ezbass is thinking "5"?
The big hold on "C"...the last beat is on Beat 4...which is then tied as a whole note for the next bar (a 4-count). Maybe that's where Ezbass is thinking "5"?
That version can be had on the Warmer Communications...And More cd.
This 2-fer is a good buy (as are the rest of AWB's original catalog)-
http://www.amazon.com/Person-Warmer...1363863771&sr=1-9&keywords=average+white+band
$7.37 from ImportCds.
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And there is a great pic of Alan with a little bronco P bass somewhere.
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I recall seeing Hamish holding a Mustang Bass in the Soul Searching liners/album sleeve. In fact, there is youtube-ish where he is playing this on Soul Train ("Cut The Cake" & "School Boy Crush").
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Oh that's outstanding - thanks. Just saw him (AWB) Saturday night at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA.
