Cut The Cake – AWB | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#10) & R&B (#7); 1975
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
AWB – for Average White Band – was hardly “average.” And, despite the spot-on American-soul sound its members hailed not from Memphis or Detroit, but from Scotland.
They were, however, very Caucasian. Catching their big break as an opening act for Eric Clapton’s London comeback concert in 1973, the lads were ironically dubbed the “average white band” by Bonnie Bramlett who was also on the bill.
The newly-named AWB hawked a self-produced album to MCA that stiffed; leaving the band label less. Fortunately, Atlantic Records picked ’em up and sent them into the studio with master producer Arif Mardin.
The result was a R&B/pop crossover smash called Pick Up The Pieces. However, AWB’s triumph was tempered by tragedy: drummer Robbie McIntosh had died just two days after the album debuted on the US chart; four months before Pieces reached #1.
Taking their cue from their hit, AWB set about recording Cut The Cake and were rewarded with a the #10 Cut The Cake, dedicated to Robbie, who received co-writing credit on it.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Arif Mardin
Lyrics Written by:
- Average White Band
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).