Bread (band)

This article needs additional citations for

verification. Learn more

Bread was an American soft rock band

from Los Angeles, California. They placed
13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
between 1970 and 1977.
 Bread

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

Jimmy Griffin, Mike Botts)

Background information

Origin Los Angeles, California,

United States

Genres Soft rock[1]

Years active 1968–1973 •

1976–1978 •
1996–1997

Labels Elektra

Associated acts The Remingtons •

 the Pleasure Fair •
Toast/Radio Dixie

Past members David Gates

Jimmy Griffin
Robb Royer
Mike Botts
Larry Knechtel

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
musicians Ron Edgar played drums and
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.

Beginnings and fame

The band in 1970.

David Gates was from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He released a song in the late 1950s
entitled "Living Doll" on Atlantic Records.
Gates knew Leon Russell and both played
in 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,
who recorded one album for the UNI
Records label with Gates producing and
arranging. Royer then introduced Gates to
his songwriting partner, Griffin, and the trio
joined together in 1968 and signed with
Elektra Records in January 1969, after
choosing the name "Bread" in late 1968,
when Griffin and Royer pulled up behind a
Barbara Ann Bread truck at a stoplight
(see the 2001 The Best Of Bread version).
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. Session
musicians Jim Gordon, and Ron Edgar,
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. When Gordon's schedule
conflicted and he proved unavailable for
future outings, they 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, Bread 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 Griffin-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. He 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 on Billboard'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 having all
their equipment and instruments stolen
prior to a scheduled concert at the Salt
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 the Billboard 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 substance abuse
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 Fame in 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 the Virgin
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
appeared during 2017. 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–'97)
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)

Timeline

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

The Elektra Years: The Complete Warner Music Group UK &

2017 n/a unk
Album Collection Rhino Records

Notes

Gold and Platinum certifications from

Recording Industry Association of
America

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

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

A Griffin/Royer composition; only Bread A-

October
"Could I" - - - - side not written by David Gates. Did not
1969
chart.

June 13, "Make It 1 5

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

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

January 2, "Let Your 28

[8]
- 34
1971 Love Go"

Hit No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening

March 27, 4
"If" [8]
- 41 6 chart in its original form and in the UK in
1971
1975 when covered 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

[8] [10]
8 5
23, 1971 Want You" chart. It was also Certified Gold.

No. 1 in the UK when recorded by Ken

January "Everything 5 32 Boothe in 1974, #93 when recorded by
[8] [11]
12 5
29, 1972 I Own" Crystal Gayle in 1983, and No. 1 when
recorded by Boy George.

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

July 29, "The Guitar 11 16 Hit No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening
[8] [12]
22 6
1972 Man" chart in its 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
November "Lost 9 27 19 8
27, 1976 Without [8] [13]

Your Love"

April 16, "Hooked 60 Spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Canadian

[8]
- - 48
1977 on You" Adult Contemporary chart[14]

Notes

Date indicates the week the song

debuted on the Billboard Hot 100.
All songs above reached their peak
position on the Billboard 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 . Omnibus Press. p. 48.
ISBN 978-0-85712-117-2.
2. "Bread – A Sweet Surrender" . Helter
Skelter. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
3. "Manna from heaven: the musical rise
& fall of bread" . 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" . Billboard.
Retrieved 2014-04-25.
9. "1970-09-12 Top 40 Official UK Singles
Archive" . Official Charts. 1970-09-12.
Retrieved 2012-05-04.
10. "1972-02-05 Top 40 Official UK Singles
Archive" . Official Charts. 1972-02-05.
Retrieved 2012-05-04.
11. "1972-05-20 Top 40 Official UK Singles
Archive" . Official Charts. 1972-05-20.
Retrieved 2012-05-04.
12. "1972-10-28 Top 40 Official UK Singles
Archive" . Official Charts. 1972-10-28.
Retrieved 2012-05-04.
13. "1977-01-29 Top 40 Official UK Singles
Archive" . Official Charts. 1977-01-29.
Retrieved 2012-05-04.
14. "Item Display - RPM - Library and
Archives Canada" .
Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1977-05-28.
Retrieved 2019-06-12.

External links

Book: Bread (band)

Bread in the Yahoo! Directory

allmusic (Bread Overview)
The Official Site
Unofficial Bread Facebook Page
Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Bread_(band)&oldid=901456872"

Last edited 28 days ago by JGabbard

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

otherwise noted.