Average White Band (also
AWB) are a Scottish
funk and
R&B band that had a series of soul and
disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They are best known for their million-selling instrumental track "
Pick Up the Pieces", and their albums
AWB and
Cut the Cake. The band name was initially proposed by
Bonnie Bramlett. They have influenced others such as the
Brand New Heavies, and been
sampled by various musicians including the
Beastie Boys,
TLC,
The Beatnuts,
Too Short,
Ice Cube,
Eric B. & Rakim,
Nas, and
A Tribe Called Quest, as well as
Arrested Development – making them the fifteenth most sampled act in history. As of 2012, forty years after their formation, they continue to perform.