Shine

Released in May 1980, Shine marks a pivotal transition for Average White Band. Produced by David Foster, the album moved the band away from their gritty, self-produced roots toward a more commercial, 'slick' sound that defined the early 1980s R&B landscape. This shift is most evident on the hit 'Let's Go Round Again,' which became a massive international success and remains a staple of disco and boogie DJ sets. The album also features 'Whatcha Gonna Do for Me?', a track later famously covered by Chaka Khan. Sonically, the record is characterized by the band's signature tight horn arrangements and syncopated 'pocket' drumming, now layered with Foster's trademark synthesizers and high-fidelity vocal stacks. While some purists at the time noted the departure from their raw funk origins, the album is now celebrated as a masterpiece of the 'sophisti-funk' era, showcasing a band at the height of their technical powers adapting to a changing musical climate.