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Ben E. King/Average White Band: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Cliff White, New Musical Express, 30 July 1977

THIS ISN'T an original thought but it bears repeating: Ben E. King is an excellent singer, and highly individual with it – unmistakeable in a blindfold test – who's just that bit short of greatness that he needs expert guidance and accompaniment to bring out his best; AWB is a talented sextet who are just that bit lacking in originality, versatility, personality and – most important – vocal agility, and they really need help from outside writers and a charismatic frontman if they're going to stamp their name in the ledgers of music history.

Total word count of piece: 753

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