Widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands, the now legendary Average White Band tore up the rule b ook and conquered the US, UK & International charts with a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980.

AWB’s repertoire has been a source of inspiration and influence for many R&B acts and they are one of the most sampled bands in history, remaining relevant today, continuing to reach new generations of younger audiences.

Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross, will.i.am and Mark Ronson amongst countless others, have all b orr owed sections of their grooves.

After the success of 1979’s ‘Feel No the band went into the studio record their next album and in 1980, ‘ was released with the worldwide Chart and Club hit ‘Let’s Go ‘Round Again ’, reaching #14 in the UK Albums Chart. However, there was a back story behind the album’s release, which Alan Gorrie and Hamish Stuart have annotated in the LP notes.

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of ‘ AWB (past and present) have reconfigured the album as they had originally intended, bringing in the four tracks that they had to ‘leave’ behind when they changed record labels. In addition, due to separate beh ind the scenes situations, two further tracks were unable to be included on the album and remained unreleased until this century.

‘On The Strip The Sunset Sessions’ is what ‘Shine’ could have been; a slightly longer 2LP set, heralding in the new decade.

The album includes the singles Let’s Go ‘Round Again’ and ‘For You, For Love’, as well as ‘ Whatcha’ Gonna Do For Me’, w hich later become synonymous with Chaka Khan, who recorded it the following year, having sung on an early take for AWB, when they were recording the album. Miss Sun’ makes it long awaited inclusion on the album for which it had been recorded until fate dealt another hand, with permission being withheld then appearing as the lead track on Boz Scaggs ’ Hits’ LP; reaching #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

40 years on, Average White Band still ‘shine’ brightly and remain highly influential for today’s groove merchants and EDM DJs.