Following up on their chart topping sophomore album, "AWG", the Average White Band released "Cut the Cake" today in 1975. Featuring the eponymous title track as well as the insanely influential "School Boy Crush", this record reached #3 on the album chart and #1 on the R&B chart, and continued a great run for a great funk band.

Not much about the band makes sense. Despite their name, the band was not entirely white. They're from Scotland and they are among the finest funk bands ever. They caught their big break by opening for Eric Clapton, who is known for many things other than being a funkateer. At a party after a show at the Troubador in Los Angeles, Cher saved one of the band members from a heroin overdose. 

These cats were so funky that James Brown's backing band The J.B.s wrote a tribute song to them. Throughout their career, the Average White Band racked up eight top 40 albums, including one #1 and three top 10. For many 11Wers of a certain age, you will recognize this jam from Eric B. and Rakim and Too $hort: