Bread (band)

Bread was an American soft rock band from Los Angeles, California. They
Bread
placed 13 songs on theBillboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977.

The band consisted of David Gates (vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards,
violin, viola, percussion), Jimmy Griffin (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion)
and Robb Royer (bass guitar, guitar, flute, keyboards, percussion, recorder,
backing vocals). On their first album session musician Jim Gordon played
drums, percussion, and piano. Mike Botts became their permanent drummer
when he joined in the summer of 1969, and Larry Knechtel replaced Royer in
1971, playing keyboards, bass guitar, guitar, and harmonica.

Bread in 1971 (L-R: David Gates, Robb

Royer, Jimmy Griffin, Mike Botts)

Contents Background information

Origin Los Angeles,
1 Beginnings and fame
California, United
2 Split and reunion
States
3 Following the break-up
Genres Soft rock[1]
4 Final reunion
Years active 19681973 1976
5 Life after Bread
1978 19961997
6 Members
Labels Elektra
7 Discography
7.1 Studio albums Associated acts The Remingtons The
7.2 Compilation albums Pleasure Fair
7.2.1 Notes Toast/Radio Dixie
7.3 Singles
7.3.1 Notes Past members David Gates
8 References
Jimmy Griffin
Robb Royer
9 External links
Mike Botts
Larry Knechtel

Beginnings and fame

David Gates was from Tulsa, OK. He had a 45 in the late 1950s entitled "Living
Doll" on Atlantic. (It did not make the Billboard Hot 100, however.) Gates knew
Leon Russell and both played in some bar bands around the Tulsa area. Both Gates
and Russell headed for California to check out the music scene there.

Before forming Bread, Gates had worked with Royer's previous band, The Pleasure
Fair. The Pleasure Fair wrote and recorded the song to the 1970 Academy Award
winning movie Lovers and Other Strangers, "For All We Know." It was not a hit for
the group, but was a hit later on for The Carpenters. Gates produced and arranged
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 The band in 1970.
Elektra Records in January 1969, after choosing the name "Bread" in late 1968,
supposedly after getting stuck in traffic behind a Wonder Bread truck.The group'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 No. 127 on the Billboard 200. Songwriting on the album was split evenly between Gates and the team of Griffin-
Royer. Jim Gordon, a session musician, accompanied the band on drums for the album.

On July 25, 1969 Bread appeared in concert for the very first time, with Gordon on drums, at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood,
opening for the Flying Burrito Brothers. But when Gordon's schedule conflicted and he proved unavailable for future outings, they
quickly brought in Mike Botts as their permanent drummer. Botts, whom Gates had previously worked with in Botts's group The
Travelers 3 as a producer, appeared on their second album, On the Waters (released in July 1970 and peaking at No. 12 on the
Billboard 200). This time their efforts quickly established Bread as a major act with the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit "Make It with
You" in 1970. "Make It with You" would be Bread's only No. 1 on the Hot 100.

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 No. 10. Bread began touring and recording their third album, titled Manna (March 1971), which peaked at
#21 and included "Let Your Love Go" (which preceded the album's release and made No. 28) and the Top 5 hit single, "If". As with
the first album, songwriting credits were split evenly between Gates and Grif
fin-Royer.

Royer, after conflicts with Gates, left the group in the summer of 1971 after three albums, although he would continue to write with
Griffin, and was replaced by Larry Knechtel, a leading Los Angeles session musician who had played piano on Simon & Garfunkel's
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" single in 1970.

In January 1972 Bread released Baby I'm-a Want You, their most successful album, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The title
song was established as a hit in late 1971 before the album was released, also hitting No. 3. 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 No. 18. The album produced three Top 20 singles, "The
Guitar Man" (#11), "Sweet Surrender" (#15), and "Aubrey" (#15), with the first two going to No. 1 onBillboard's adult contemporary
chart.

Split and reunion

By 1973, fatigue from constant recording and touring had set in despite the band's success, and personal relationships began to show
strain, especially between Gates and Griffin. All eleven of Bread's charting singles between 1970 and 1973 had been written and sung
by Gates. Elektra Records had invariably selected Gates' songs for the A-sides of the singles, while Griffin felt that the singles should
have been split between the two of them. There was also some dissatisfaction with the songs planned for a sixth album and as a
result, Bread decided to disband after a final concert at theSalt Palace in Salt Lake City in May 1973.

Gates and Griffin returned to their solo careers with mixed results. The Best of Bread compilation album from March 1973 was a
huge success, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and staying on the chart for over two years. The follow-up, The Best of Bread,
Volume 2, was released in May 1974 and went to No. 32.

The reunion of the group in 1976 came about after Elektra Records expressed interest in another Bread album. Gates, Griffin, Botts
and Knechtel returned to the studio that year and recorded the album 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, peaking at No. 9 on the singles chart. This comeback record
reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and was Bread's seventh consecutive album (including the two best ofs) to be RIAA-certified
gold. In March 1977, Elektra released a second single, "Hooked On You". It was less successful on the pop chart (peaking at No. 60)
but it reached No. 2 on theBillboard Adult Contemporary chart.

The four members of Bread (along with session guitarist Dean Parks) toured throughout the spring of 1977 to support their comeback
album. After a short break, they commenced the tour's third leg that summer without Griffin, whom Gates failed to invite after further
rising tensions and Griffin's worsening substanceabuse troubles. They ended the year with no further plans to record as a group.

Following the break-up

In 1978 Gates enjoyed success as a solo artist with the hit singles "Goodbye Girl" (#15; from the movie The Goodbye Girl) and
"Took the Last Train" (#30). He then continued to tour with Botts and Knechtel as "David Gates & Bread" and make TV
appearances, including a guest shot on The Hardy Boys Mysteries which aired in November 1978. The group's 1978 touring line-up
once again included Dean Parks for their June tour of the UK and Europe. But for their fall dates back in the US, Parks had left but
the stage lineup had expanded to include Warren Ham (ex-Bloodrock; woodwinds, keyboards, backing vocals), Bill Ham (guitars)
and David Miner (bass). This led to a legal dispute with Griffin over use of the band's name, of which Griffin was co-owner. In the
dispute, Griffin again complained that Gates' songs were given preference as singles over his. The resulting litigation, which resulted
in the Bread name being retired altogether by late 1978, was not settled until 1984.

After leaving Bread in 1971, Royer stuck mostly to songwriting (still teaming up with Griffin on occasion). As with Griffin, he
eventually kicked his drug problems and his success was mostly in writing for artists in the country music field in the 1980s and
1990s. In 1994 Royer, Griffin and Knechtel re-united under the name "Toast". Knechtel had continued to be an in-demand session
player, backing up such artists as Elvis Costello. In September 1994, after being out of the spotlight for thirteen years, Gates released
a new solo album, Love is Always Seventeen.

Final reunion
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. This time out, the group was accompanied by Randy Flowers (guitars), Scott
Chambers (bass) and a string section to help them capture the sound of the records. This tour was extended into 1997, which would
be the last year the members of Bread would ever perform together. Gates and the others then resumed their individual careers. Bread
was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Famein 2006.

Life after Bread

In 2005, both Griffin and Botts died from cancer at the age of 61. In August 2009, Knechtel died of a heart attack at the age of 69,
leaving Gates and Royer as the only surviving members of Bread. Royer continues to be involved in music, initially working out of
his Nashfilms studio in Tennessee before relocating to theVirgin Islands during 2013, while Gates contents himself with retirement at
his home in Washington with his wife Jo Rita. In 2010 Royer released a Jimmy Griffin tribute album consisting of songs written by
both himself and Griffin.

During March 2014, Helter Skelter Publishing (UK) issued the first biography of the band, a limited edition hardback titled Bread: A
Sweet Surrender (originally called Manna from Heaven: The Musical Rise & Fall of Bread).[2][3] It was written with the assistance of
many surviving family members and musical colleagues of the band, along with exclusive interviews with founding member Robb
Royer. A paperback/soft-cover edition is scheduled to appear at a later date. The following year saw Royer publish his own memoirs,
"The View From Contessa", featuring tales from his own varied career, available as an eBook via Amazon.

Members
David Gates vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, violin, viola, percussion (1968'73, '76'78, '96'9
7)
Jimmy Griffin vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion (1968'73, '76'77, '96'97; died 2005)
Robb Royer bass guitar, guitar, flute, keyboards, percussion, recorder, backing vocals (1968'71)
Mike Botts drums, percussion (1969'73, '76'78, '96'97; died 2005)
Larry Knechtel keyboards, bass guitar, guitar, harmonica (1971'73, '76'78, '96'97; died 2009)

Discography

Studio albums
 AUS
RIAA sales Billboard 200
Year Title Label peak
certification peak [4]

1969 Bread n/a 127 unk

1970 On the Waters Gold 12 35
1971 Manna Gold 21 35
Elektra
Baby I'm-a Want You Gold 3 23
1972
Guitar Man Gold 18 22
1977 Lost Without Your Love Gold 26 22

Compilation albums

AUS
RIAA sales
Year Title Label peak
certification [5]

1973 The Best of Bread 5 Platinum 26

1974 The Best of Bread, Volume 2 Gold 73
Elektra
1977 The Sound of Bread n/a 28
1985 Anthology of Bread Platinum -
1989 The Very Best of Bread Pickwick n/a -
David Gates & Bread Essentials n/a unk
1996 Elektra
Retrospective n/a unk
2002 Make It with You and Other Hits Flashback n/a unk
2006 The Definitive Collection Elektra/Rhino n/a unk
2007 The Works Warner Music Group UK n/a unk

Notes

Gold and Platinum certifications fromRecording Industry Association of America

Singles
 Date Title US UK[6] AUS[5] CAN[7] Miscellaneous

July, 1969 Dismal Day - - - - Debut single. Did not chart.

October, A Griffin/Royer composition; only Bread A-side not
Could I - - - -
1969 written by David Gates. Did not chart.

June 13, "Make It 1 5

[8] [9] 7 2 Certified Gold
1970 with You"

"It Don't 10
September
Matter to [8] - 29 6 New 1970 version, different from 1969 albumcut.
26, 1970
Me"

January 2, "Let Your 28

[8] - 34
1971 Love Go"

4 Hit No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart in its

March 27,
"If" [8] - 41 6 original form and in the UK in 1975 when covered
1971
by Telly Savalas.

July 17, "Mother 37

[8] - -
1971 Freedom"

October "Baby I'm-a 3 14 Hit No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. It
[8] [10] 8 5
23, 1971 Want You" was also Certified Gold.

5 32 #1 in the UK when recorded byKen Boothe in

January "Everything
[8] [11] 12 5 1974, #93 when recorded byCrystal Gayle in 1983,
29, 1972 I Own"
and No. 1 when recorded byBoy George.

April 22, 15
"Diary" [8] - 26 12
1972

July 29, "The Guitar 11 16 Hit No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart in its
[8] [12] 22 6
1972 Man" original form

November "Sweet 15 Hit No. 1 in the Easy Listening (Adult

[8] - 67 4
11, 1972 Surrender" Contemporary) chart of January 6, 1973.

February 15
"Aubrey" [8] - - 41
3, 1973

"Lost 9 27
November
Without [8] [13] 19 8
27, 1976
Your Love"

April 16, "Hooked 60

[8] - -
1977 On You"

Notes

Date indicates the week the song debuted on theBillboard Hot 100
All songs above reached their peak position on theBillboard Hot 100 the same year they entered the chart except for
"Lost Without Your Love" which peaked at No. 9 in 1977.

References
1. Nick Talevski (7 April 2010). Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door(https://books.google.com/books?id=Dyk
ffzkFALoC). Omnibus Press. p. 48.ISBN 978-0-85712-117-2.
2. "Bread A Sweet Surrender" (http://www.helterskelterpublishing.com/item.asp?id=3617). Helter Skelter. Retrieved
2013-09-07.
3. "Manna from heaven: the musical rise & fall of bread"(http://www.worldcat.org/title/manna-from-heaven-the-musical-
rise-fall-of-bread/oclc/808499271). WorldCat. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1976.
 5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992.
6. Roberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 77.
ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
7. RPM
8. "Bread - Chart history" (http://www.billboard.com/artist/297092/bread/chart). Billboard. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
9. "1970-09-12 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive"(http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/1970-09-12/)
.
Official Charts. 1970-09-12. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
10. "1972-02-05 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive"(http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/1972-02-05/)
.
Official Charts. 1972-02-05. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
11. "1972-05-20 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive"(http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/1972-05-20/)
.
Official Charts. 1972-05-20. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
12. "1972-10-28 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive"(http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/1972-10-28/)
.
Official Charts. 1972-10-28. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
13. "1977-01-29 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive"(http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/1977-01-29/)
.
Official Charts. 1977-01-29. Retrieved 2012-05-04.

External links
Bread in the Yahoo! Directory
allmusic (Bread Overview)
The Official Site
Unofficial Bread Website

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