ROBBIE McINTOSH ON DRUMS - 1950-1974



 

It could be said Robbie McIntosh was born with a touch of star quality, because in his case, he was the son of an American movie actor called Bonar Colleano. The film star was on location along at Barry Buddon, had a wee fling with one of the local lassie's, and 9 months later - Robbie!

He was brought up in Broughty Ferry as a youngster, then moved to Kincardine Street up the Hawkhill in his mid teens.

He took up drumming while at school (Harris) and found himself gigging locally while still aged 15. He was in The Sapphires and The Syndicate, but it wasn't long before he was attracting the attention of the big boys, which lead to the next step up, a residency across at The Auld Hoose in Tayport. He was also with local acts the East Coast Jazzmen and The Poor Souls, for a short time.

Robbie's first major move was when he joined Scotland's top soul band, The Senate, in 1967, an outfit that were in demand across UK and abroad.

He then followed that with a short stint in The Primitives, and then afterwards was drumming for a French group called The Piranhas. It was when he was with them, he was spotted by ace r&b organist, Brian Auger, who promptly got Robbie to join his band, Oblivion Express, a period of time which included plenty live gigs, recording sessions and TV appearances. Robbie then left the band around 1971, and after doing some session work with the likes of Steve Marriot of the Small Faces, he teamed up the the guys who would become the Average White Band in 72. Robbie is mostly remembered for his time in AWB, a time which was still relatively short, because as a consequence of downing a spiked drink at a party in L.A., he died, on this very day in 1974.

AWB's story is already well documented on the net, so no need for me to go any further.

Robbie's gravestone (above) is in Barnhill Cemetery.

The top photos are of Robbie in full flow with Brian Auger's Oblivion Express taken at the Roundhouse in London.

I have a couple of AWB tracks running elsewhere on Retro, so thought I'd delve back to the 60's when he was in The Senate. As well as going down a storm as a band in their own right, they were often called upon to back visiting r&b singers on tour from the States. One such singer was Garnet Mimms, who ended up recording a live album with the band, from which this single, below, was released in 1967, when Robbie was only 17.

It's called "As Long As I Have You", a record which has gone on to be a bit of a collectors item with the Northern Soul fraternity!

Big thanks to Mac and JG

GOLLY GOSH...IT'S AWB IN 1973!

This is the cover of Average White Band's debut album "Show Your Hand", released in 1973.

The witty graphic on it features a familiar image of a golliwog...but with a rather obvious twist! Although the humour may be a wee bit cheeky, it's easy to get the joke.

Dundee drummer, Robbie McIntosh, used to have a slightly different version of the peely-wally golly on his drum kit - one that resembled the Robertson's jam logo.

The cover artwork was designed by John Pasche, the chap who a couple of years earlier, created the iconic Rolling Stones lips & tongue logo.

AWB ARE SUPERSTARS - OFFICIAL!

March 1975 was the month Average White Band became superstars!

The front page of the Melody Maker documented the moment with their WHITE HEAT headline, along with a picture of Dundee Horns - Molly Duncan & Roger Ball.

The story that declared AWB such hot property was the fact that they had just reached No1 in both the singles & albums charts, in the same week, over in the USA.

As a consequence, however, because of this surge of popularity in the States, the band decided to leave UK to set up a home base in America.

LONDON GIG FOR DUNDEE DUO - 1980

This ad appeared in Sounds music paper in August 1980.
2 Dundee bands in action on the same night at the Lyceum in London - AWB & Mafia.

AWB ON TOTP - 1975

This is the moment the Average White Band first appeared on Top Of The Pops.
The date of the show was 20th March 1975, and the lads had reached their peak position at #6 in the charts with "Pick Up The Pieces".
The above image is the one used on the TOTP chart rundown at the start of the show, and the clip below is of Tony Blackburn introducing film footage of AWB from America, where the band were based. They did of course reach #1 in the States with the same single.
The film of the band live on stage is the original line-up, ie Robbie McIntosh on drums, so would have been shot sometime in 1974.

AVERAGE WHITE BAND IN 1979

Exactly 30 years ago, I, along with a big squad fae Dundee, hired a bus to go through to Glasgow to see Average White Band do their thing live on stage at the Apollo.
And a funky night had by all, with a full house dancing the night away in the theatre!
Dundonians like to claim AWB as their own of course, but the fact is they are from all over Scotland, with only 2 of the original members hailing from Dundee when they formed in 1972. Robbie MacIntosh, the Dundee drummer, died in 1974 so that just left Roger Ball, from Broughty Ferry, as Dundee's representative, birth-wise. Molly Duncan and Alan Gorrie went to Dundee Art College with Roger, but Molly was born in Montrose and Alan, Perth, the others, Hamish & Onnie are from the Glasgow area.
Dundee trivia-wise - AWB once played at The Ambassador in Clepington Road.!!
Their mate, Dougie Martin, whose band Mafia, were playing there that night, and needless to say, by the end of the evening both acts ended up jamming together on stage.
This Ambassador event was also captured on film by a BBC tv crew who were doing a documentary on AWB at the time, following the band around, showing how the group spent their time when back home, away from life in USA.
The programme (see above) was broadcast on 31 March 1979.
The footage below is not from the documentary but is from the 1979 tour, although not the Glasgow gig.
The track is "I'm The One", a song of theirs that, along with a bucket load of other AWB tunes, has since gone on to be sampled by dozens of hip hop acts!