TGIF Rock-n-Roll Oldies: Bread - 1972

Reaganite Republican ^ | January 7, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

Bread was a rock band formed in Los Angeles, CA. They enjoyed 13 hit songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977, in the process pioneering a new genre later to become known as 'soft rock'. Bread consisted of David Gates , Jimmy Griffin, Robb Royer, Mike Botts, then Larry Knechtel (replacing Royer in 1971).

Before forming Bread, Gates had worked with Royer's previous band, The Pleasure Fair, producing and arranging the band's 1967 album, The Pleasure Fair. Royer then introduced Gates to his songwriting partner, Griffin, and the trio joined together in 1968 and signed with Elektra Records, choosing the name Bread in 1969. 

Bread's first single, "Dismal Day" in the Summer of 1969 flopped, but the second album On the Waters established them as a major act in 1970 with the #1 hit "Make It With You". 

For their next single, they released a re-recorded version of "It Don't Matter To Me", a Gates song from their first album. This single was a hit as well, reaching #10. 

The band began touring and recording the 1971 album titled Manna (#21), which included the Top 5 hit single, "If". In January 1972 Bread released Baby I'm-a Want You, their most successful album, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200. The title song was established as a hit in late 1971 before the album was even released. Follow-up singles "Everything I Own" and "Diary" also went Top 20. 

The next album, Guitar Man, was released ten months later and went to #18. The album produced three Top 20 singles, "The Guitar Man" (#11), "Sweet Surrender" (#15), and "Aubrey" (#15), with the first two going to #1 on Billboard's adult contemporary chart.

Despite the band's success, tensions existed between Gates and Griffin. By 1973, fatigue from constant recording and touring had set in and personal relationships began to show strain. There was also some dissatisfaction with the songs planned for a sixth album. Bread decided to go their own ways with solo projects, but to limited success.

The Best of Bread compilation album from 1973 became a standard in everybody's collection, a huge commercial success that peaked at #2 and remained on the chart for over two years. A follow-up, The Best Of Bread, Volume Two, was released in 1974 and went to #32. 

The reunion of the group in 1976 came in the form of the LP Lost Without Your Love, released in January 1977. The title track, again written and sung by Gates, was the band's last Top 10 hit...

Bread: Guitar Man (1972- Live):

[YouTube]

Video/more at Reaganite Republican
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Wikipedia

Previous Rock n Roll Oldies features -here-

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

Baby, I’m a warm shoe
Baby, I’m a neat shoe....

[Hatteras]

In high school, every guy had their Rock tapes in the cassette storage box on the floor of the passenger seat ready to go for party nights with the boys...

...and the Bread cassette in the glove box for date night. ;-)

[Mase]

Always liked David Gates. His solo album First is still one of my favorites. Feeling old now....

[dfwgator]

Growing up, my sister loved them, she played their records practically non-stop.

[albie]

They had one good rocker...”Mother Freedom”.

[dfwgator]

I think Gates is the last surviving member.

[cicero2k]

Bread has been on my iPod frequent play list since the beginning. “Guitar Man” and “If”.

[Outlaw Woman]

Man I loved that band.

[coder2]

Oh how I loved their music (showing my age now).

[Renegade]

I think one of Kevin Arnold’s favorite albums in the Wonder Years was “ The Best of Bread “

[Tea Party Reveler]

Gates is originally from Oklahoma. Guitar Man is not hard to play on guitar and it’s chords sound ethereal and wonderful.

[Tea Party Reveler]

Gates is originally from Oklahoma. Guitar Man is not hard to play on guitar and it’s chords sound ethereal and wonderful.

[Chuzzlewit]

fantastic songs... great singing, simple elegant arrangements. this band was under-rated, due to the hip FM stations of the time. they were considered pop...

their songs will continue to earn money over the years..

[Reaganite Republican]

And how they can play this song live... just like the record but a bit better

Huge talent

[Hotlanta Mike]

Bread-Let your love go (Album version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckmkfYdvev4

[chopperman]

They had one good rocker...”Mother Freedom”.

Thanks, I forgot about that one. I have it no more.

[chopperman]

Correction:

I have need it no more.

[laker_dad]

After their popularity started to fade, they were toast...

[newfreep]

Bread was one of the early groups formed by Hollywood studio musicians.

A bit of trivia - David Gates wrote the early 60’s hit song “Popsicles and Icicles” for a girl group - the Mermaids IIRC.

btw, their “Hits” album is superbly engineered/mastered with very good sound quality.