The Music of BREAD

Bread was a 1970s rock and roll band from

Los Angeles, California. They were one of the most popular pop groups of the early 1970s, a primary example of what later was labeled "soft-rock", earning a string of well-crafted, melodic soft rock singles.

The band consisted of David Gates (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, violin, viola, percussion), Jimmy Griffin(vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion), Robb Royer(bass, guitar, flute, keyboards, percussion, recorder, backing vocals), Mike Botts(drums; joined in 1970), and Larry Knechtel (bass, guitar, keyboards, harmonica; replaced Royer in 1971).

Biography

Gates, Griffin, and Royer formed the group in 1968 and signed with Elektra Records. Gates and Griffin had both worked with Royer's previous band, The Pleasure Fair. Bread's first single, "Dismal Day", was released in June 1969 but did not chart. Their debut album Bread was released in September 1969 and peaked at #127 on the Billboard 200. Songwriting on the album was split evenly between Gates and the team of Griffin-Royer. Jim Gordon, a top session player, accompanied the band on drums for the album.

Bread became a quartet with their second album, On The Waters (peaking at #12 on the Billboard 200), bringing in Botts as drummer. This time their efforts quickly established Bread as a major act, hitting the mainstream with the #1 hit "Make it with you" in 1970. In 1990 the song was recorded by Teddy Pendergrass for the Elektra compilation Rubáiyát.

The four members of Bread toured throughout 1977 to support their comeback album, ending the year with no further plans to record as a group. In 1978 Gates also enjoyed success as a solo artist with the hit singles "Goodbye Girl" and "Took The Last Train". He then toured with Botts and Knechtel as "David Gates & Bread." This led to a legal dispute with Griffin over use of the band's name, of which Griffin was co-owner. The resulting litigation was not settled until 1984.

In 1996, having settled their differences, Gates, Griffin, Botts and Knechtel reunited Bread for a successful "25th Anniversary" tour of the United States, South Africa, Europe and Asia.

In 2005, Griffin and Botts both died from cancer at age 61.



Listen to their songs.





Lost without your love


Baby I'm A Want You (1972)


Guitar Man (1972)


Goodbye girl