Average White Band

How a group of lads from working class Scotland became one of the most admired soul and funk bands in the history of music

Director: Anthony Baxter  

Producer: Richard Phinney 

Production Companies: Sky, Montrose Pictures, Vertigo Films, Kartemquin Films   

Screen Scotland support: The film accessed £145,000 through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund 


Synopsis

How a group of lads from working class Scotland became one of the most admired soul and funk bands in the history of music, winning over the likes of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, James Brown and a future US President – “Those boys could jam,” recalls Barack Obama. And as one of the most sampled bands in hip hop, Average White Band’s music continues to be hugely influential today. 


More information

Premiere: Average White Band is screening as part of the Docs-in-Progress Scotland Showcase at Cannes Film Festival 2025 on 17 May 2025 

Image credits: Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp., by arrangement with Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company