They have influenced others, such as the Brand New Heavies, and been sampled by various musicians, including the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, TLC, The Beatnuts, Too Short, Ice Cube, Eric B.

& Rakim, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, Christina Milian, and Arrested Development,[2] making them the 15th most sampled act in history.

[3] AWB was formed in early 1972[4] in London by Alan Gorrie,[5] and Malcolm "Molly" Duncan, with Owen "Onnie" McIntyre,[6] Michael Rosen (trumpet), Roger Ball, and Robbie McIntosh[7] joining them in the original line-up.

[4] According to Duncan, members of the band had played together before in Scotland, but had moved to London separately and met up by chance at a Traffic concert.

[10] The NME reported in January 1975 that AWB played a benefit show for McIntosh's widow at the Marquee Club in London.

AWB followed up with the LPs Cut the Cake (1975) and Soul Searching (1976), both big sellers and yielding further Top 40 singles.

[1] After several more albums, "Warmer Communications" (1978), "Feel No Fret" (1979) and after a switch to the U.S. Arista label, "Shine" (1980) and "Cupid's In Fashion" (1982), AWB's audience and sales dwindled.

The classic lineup of Gorrie, McIntyre, Ball, Stuart, Duncan and Ferrone reunited for one last time at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary in 1988.

[14] Alex Ligertwood (ex-Santana, Jeff Beck Group and another veteran of Brian Auger's Oblivion Express) also appeared on this album, replacing lead singer Hamish Stuart, along with Eliot Lewis who co-wrote with Gorrie and joined the band.

Ligertwood left after the album's recording and drummer Tiger McNeil joined for the reunited band's live shows.

He was then succeeded by Peter Abbott (ex-Blood, Sweat & Tears), who in turn was replaced by Fred "Catfish" Alias in September 1998.

Brian Dunne took over the drum chair in 2001 and when Eliot Lewis left the band in September 2002 to pursue other musical opportunities (including a stint with Hall and Oates), he was replaced by Klyde Jones.

Original tenor sax player Molly Duncan died on 8 October 2019, shortly after it had been announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.