BREAD & Guests (1977) - The Midnight Special 

Best era of music in my 61 years of life on this earth.

One of the greats of the 70s. I sure wish they were all still living and making music together.

David Gates has a voice like silk. He was one of my favorites growing up.Still is.

I still play Bread in 2023. Forever living in the 70's in my mind. LOL!

I am almost 62 years old. This music takes me back to when I was a teenager. Beautiful and mellow. ❤

63 years old and i still love this music from Bread! I had the honour of seeing Wolfman Jack in Saigon years ago and every night I would listen to his show on the radio that would come on for the GIs.

I miss the days when music had melody, intelligible and clean lyrics, a variable beat and gifted musicians.

For those who were in high school in the 70’s, Midnight Special was “obligatory” viewing when you got home from a Friday night date. And, in an era of music/variety shows where “performers” commonly lip-synced and mimed playing to a pre-recorded backing track, Midnight Special was a breath of fresh air, as it featured artists/bands who actually performed/sang their songs live. Before it, The Ed Sullivan show did have some musical guests who played live (The Beatles, The Stones, The Doors, etc.) but Sullivan also had its fair share of performers who faked singing and playing to a backing track, particularly later on in the show’s run in the late 60’s -early 70’s. But, Midnight Special was always the real deal, (or at least it was for every episode I ever watched). Great show, with great music, and a great variety. 😊

The 70’s music was some of the best in Rock & Pop. 1971 started it out with giant albums like Led Zeppelin IV, Carol King Tapestry ….. Bread wrote the book on soft rock love songs.

David Gates has such a pure voice. Studio or live…

The Bread.. I just can't get enough of their music. All talented musicians bundled up in one group. So sorry that James Griffin and Larry Knetchel are gone.

I was obsessed with Bread and England Dan and John Ford Coley (still am at 64). I wore their albums out. My all-time favorite song is If by Bread.

Cried hearing "making it with you baby". So many wonderful songs and feelings . We do cherishthis songs and singers and musicians. Thank you for all the memories and joy you all gave us. ❤❤❤❤

10:46.... Waddy Watchel, one of the greatest studio/back up musicians on the planet. Talk about an unsung great...

James Griffin, the heart and soul of Bread IMO.

RIP Larry Knechtel. Music genius and member of the Wrecking Crew!

Holy cow! England Dan & John Ford Coley great band.

Great Episode. Unfortunately a lot of the performers are no longer with us. R.I.P. to all. You left a Legacy with your music.

When performers were real musicians. 🎵🎶🎶🎵

Old school music rules man. It was a great time to be alive. I enjoyed every moment. This brings back so memories of all the women I dated during this time. I’ll never forget any of them.

Thanks for sharing. My favourite band of the 70’s. Great memories , the best years of my life.

Bread simply beautiful

I was lucky to see both Bread and England Dan & John Ford Coley in concert in the ‘70s. Great memories.

Andrew Gold playing Lonely Boy was awesome..

This was the best era for Pop music! I miss The Midnight Special.

Oh jeez my teenage years…. Take me back to the beautiful days of my youth, ☮️ ✌🏼 peace and love 💗 to the 70s!

Hola desde México 🇲🇽 un grupo que me marcó, en mí vida, con esos temas tan profundos Saludos 👋👍🇲🇽😊✅🐕😜💯🐶😎😃

No better music or fun times than the 70s.

Dan and John .. what a wonderful blend First of all with Its Sad to Belong ... but I am in awe of the highlight Soldier in the Rain (26:06). Quite simply as good as it gets in soft rock.

Wow. MS, Rock Concert, King Biscuit, Old Grey Whistle Test. Great stuff back then .

I miss this show! And the 70’s.

Love the band. Like Air Supply, their hits were always soft stuff, which would be bland in live performances, but they also had the heavier stuff to keep things upbeat and varied. It's no wonder the other guys got jealous of David Gates but surely they knew they completed their well rounded band. I enjoyed their albums because of the good mix of songs.

Oh man..we spent Friday nights watching this and Sat Night Live next night .. can we go back please? the years when we were trying to find a better way to get along!

I had to sit and listen to a one-note melody in some modern trash band's song during my LYFT ride home from work yesterday. THIS return to the GLORIOUS 1970's maketh all that sh*t go away. Thank you, talent!

David Gates graduated from Rogers High School, the same one that Leon Russell went to. We grow some phenomenal talent in Tulsa, OK, somethings in the water. Grew up with their music my favorite song of theirs is the ‘71 harder rocker “Let Your Love Go”.

David Gates, a former music arranger at RCA Records, strikes it big with his group Bread. We like it

The world could use more 70s music.

The Chosen One is by far the best cut on LWYL!

Bread was the soundtrack to my first year in high school, primarily because they were so successful and received more air play. And surprising to me,I’ve never seen this episode, but had attended one of the concerts David Gates mentioned. Bread may have found success as a “soft rock” group, but the band consisted of great session players and could play anything. In concert, they displayed their talents.

I remember back as a kid waiting for midnight on Saturday night... Then the famous WLS out of Chicago......

God I love them. Just a great little (underrated) band….great talent

OIGO, MIRO, Y LLORO... 😪😪😪 LO QUE ERA ESA EPOCA GLORIOSA, LLENA DE TALENTOS ENORMES, MUSICOS Y CANTANTES DE VERDAD, VERDAD HASTA ALLI, LLEGO PARA MI, EN MI PARECER, LA, MÚSICA BELLA, INSPIRADA TOTAL. HOY...... MEJOR NO COMENTO MAS. TODO SE HA, HECHO NADA.....

Saw them in '77 in Norman, Oklahoma! Great show!

I see Mike Botts playing with both Bread and Andrew Gold in here since Mike was a session ace! Thanks you for uploading such excellent music.damn I miss the 70s and 80s!

Got to see them live in Edinburgh and Glasgow where I met David Gates who was one of my favourite song writers.

Amazing the talent on one show.

I’m a big, strong 63 year old and this song still makes me mist up…..I grew up in real time with the best music ever was or will be

Grew up in the fabulous 1970s loved Bread

This is absolutely treasure!!!!

David Gates had a hit the following year for the movie Goodbye Girl,and Bread was history.

England Dan had two careers England Dan and Dan Seals had a lot of country hits

This is something of a history lesson in the evolution of mainstream music, in the 🇺🇸.

...ERA EL TIEMPO EN QUE EN EL ESCENARIO HABÍA GUITARRA, BAJO, BATERÍA, VOZ Y MUCHO SENTIMIENTO.....DIOS BENDIGA A LA MÚSICA QUE NOS TOCÓ VIBRAR......ABRAZO PARA TODOS....

Thank you very, very much for sharing this amazing find... I will say that all of these artists moved me and very much still do today. And there are so many times that I wish I could go back to then (well actually 1981 because before that I was hating high school)... And lastly when David sings "Make it with you" I start heave crying... I'm the cuddle bucket who saw him live in 1996 and sat bawling all the way through the concert because he sounded exactly the same as the record - that many years later. 🙏🙏🙏

But y'know what? Jimmy has my heart -- always.

For those of you who aren't aware, Bob Lefsetz has a great podcast and a few weeks ago he interviewed Burt Sugarman.

A moçada da década de curtia muito essa banda, já tive vários Lps, se eu ver alguma coletânea compro👏👏👏👏👏👏

What a band! I only wish that jimmy Griffin could have received more recognition for his contributions to the group...

Ahhh the classics. So happy I was 16 then instead of 16 now.

Back when musicians actually played instruments and had talent. Unlike todays loops, boobs, bling, theatrics, voice correcting software, and drum machines. Real actual music.

Bread was the first album I ever bought as a teen..for the incredible " BABY Im'a want you'. Memories

I definitely never saw this episode on TV. Great to see Bread. Really have to dig into their catalog into the deeper cuts to really see how good they really were. There's more to Bread 🍞 than just the hits!! Also David Gates first solo album First is excellent!! Saw England Dan & JFC in concert in 1978. They were great. Dan Seals put out quite a bit of great music in the 1980's including Bop. In the 90's his album In A Quiet Room is a favorite of mine and In A Quiet Room II. Eddie Rabbit has quite a few great songs too which hit on both the AT 40 and country charts. Too bad we can't see the Johnny Rivers segments. I remember he had several hits in the 70's. I remember buying his cover of Help Me Rhonda. 🎸🎸🎸

10:43 Waddy Wachtel with the killer solo on Lonely Boy playing his 1960 Burst

I remember having “best of bread” 8 track tape and playing it in my 69 mustang fastback and having to wedge a matchbook between the tape and player to play it at the right speed.

Pure magic! Saw them in 78. What memories. Thank you!

The seventies were my very best years: I found the lady whom I just adored (1975), we had a baby (1978), I graduated from high school (1972), I quit smoking (1975) and started my six year journey through college (1979). And, somewhere in there, I dropped acid. To top it all off, all that and rock, too. Happy, happy! Joy, joy!

great to see these great artists,thanks for posting👌👍

Brilliant thanks

I'm a 00s and I really enjoyed watching this episode. I came here for the performance of England and John but ended up watching the whole show. I can't wait for this episode to be officially posted on The Midnight Special RU-vid channel.

Hmmm, I even like Gates OK in this recording. Nothing is ever as good as live performance! And for even the best-sounding recording of a live performance , I'd have to say it still cannot compare to having been there and heard it with your own two ears.

Valentine ! Frank STallone! Classic

Omg what will we do if something happened to this recording…love England Dan and John Ford Coley. It’s a bonus. I’m 55 it is December 18, 2022

Possibly the song Johnny Rivers sang would have been "Slow Dancin' (Swayin' to the Music)" his current hit at the time.

Bread wasn't Bread without Jimmy Griffin. He had a much better voice then Gates had (in my opinion)

Cruise till 1130 home at 12 watching midnight special. Life was actually way better back then

They don't write'em like that anymore! The music back then was about conveying life's emotions, not like today's lowest common denominator sampled crap. RIP Andrew Gold. Many years ago, when I was on AOL, I emailed him asking if he would ever love to work with Paul McCartney and he replied to it, saying he would love to but had never been asked.

Real voices, real instruments, real songs, real music. Music today has a lot of help . Not real

Johnny Rivers performance was already removed but you can find it on the midnight special channel. He sings slow dancing.

What a great band. I loved “ Make it With You “as a kid. Great musicians. The bass line is so solid.

I was in Goodhue, MN working on alternative energy. Never watched TV then. Happy to discover this now.

"The Only One" -- what a song!

The great Johny Gimble fiddling with Eddie Rabbit. He started with Bob Wills, played later with Merle Haggard and Willy Nelson. One of the best Texas fiddlers ever.

Very Good Master I really Loved

❤❤❤77 and 75 are my favourite years for music!!what talent!Such great unique individual original sounds and voices

Eddie Rabbitt left us way to soon. I had a 8 track tape of Bread I played when I would go out with a lady. They all seemed to like it.

Bread was a band with guifted musicians and songwriters, that sadly broker up too early

Back then, before this show, it was pretty much just the radio. Yes, there were shows with some bands, but before Midnight Special, you didn’t really know what these actually looked like. It was so awesome to finally see your favorite band live on TV. Such great talent! Real, live performances. These were the days

I love bread. I've been playing their songs nonstop on replay since February . I love James voice.

FUE LA ERA DE ORO DEL SOFT ROCK...CON MUSICOS EXCEPCIONALES CANCIONES INOLVIDABLES Y VIGENTES,THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL FUE UN GRAN SHOW POR EL CUAL DESFILARON TERRIBLES "MONSTRUOS" DE LA MUSICA..HEMOSA EPOCA EN LA CUAL VIVI MI ADOLESCENCIA..GRACIAS POR POSTEAR ESTA MARAVILLA.SALUDOS DESDE ARGENTINA !!!

Now I know why I stayed up late ! Great Lineup

ABC demonstrated to all the networks that rock pays by putting Alice Cooper on "In Concert", a live broadcast of concerts beginning with Alice Cooper. Everybody over 30 freaked. LOLOL

The Chosen One by Bread was awesome. Don't remember Valentine, but damn, play that funky music white boys!

Modern bands need to listen to the fact how individual, original and honest to themselves they sound... not trying to put anything over people by presenting a falsehood like today.

I hadn't heard Andrew Gold singing "Lonely Boy" in years. What a fantastic song with great lyrics... It looked like Woody Watchell on the left playing guitar, who went on to play with Stevie Nicks on most all of her solo recordings, and her backup band. Anyone know?

Hell yes, Eddie Rabbit

Had a cool teacher the seventh grade. Had a study hall session one afternoon and to everyone's surprise, he said he wanted to record a copy of an album for his girlfriend and that we could all listen to it if we behaved ourselves. He pulled out The Best of Bread and we all listened to it with pleasure. One of my best memories from school.

really great sound on headphones.

Unfortunately, Jimmy Griffin was overshadowed by David Gates and the rock side of Bread got minimized.

Midnight special,Don Kirschner (sp?)and King biscuit flower hour…

Wonder if 50 years from now kids will be saying -- yeah the 2020s -- that was the best music of my life -- real musicians..."" think so.? Will de-evolution get that far??