One of my favorite songs by *BREAD* is " *Everything I Own* " I really loved it when it first came out in 1971. I was in High School. Since then the song has taken on a different meaning since I lost my _Mom, Dad and Kid Brother_ ... The song is felt deeply in my Heart!🤎 David Gates is one great singer/ songwriter. Just listen to " *IF* "...wow...
A friend and I went to my first concert in Seattle in 1978 at the age of 16 and watched Bread perform. It was great. They did a slide show and Gates told the back story on the songs. I think Bread's contributions deserve much more appreciation.
A few comments. In 2016, I had the great pleasure of sitting down and chatting with David Gates about his music and career. He said that Royer was actually let go from Bread, because Royer wasn't that strong of a musician, kept making too many mistakes in concert, and because wasn't comfortable on stage. Knectel, who was a multi-instrumentalist on keyboards, bass and guitar was quickly recruited. James Griffin, sadly developed a serious problem with alcohol and drugs, particularly heroin. Many nights he was in no shape to be performing onstage. Guitarist Dean Parks was brought in for some live shows towards the end of Bread, essentially replacing Griffin on guitar and adding banjo. Videos exist of Bread performing with no Griffin onstage. Although Griffin was a talented vocalist and songwriter, neither his material nor his voice that the same magic that David Gates' voice and songs did. Every hit single of the band had been written by Gates, and Griffin was jealous and angry that his songs weren't selected by Elektra Records for singles. (Griffin's songs, however, did appear on the b-sides of most of the 45s, as well as filling roughly half of Bread's albums.) In 1973, the band broke up, due to Griffin (and co-writer Royer's) declining quality of their songs (according to Gates), Griffin's heroin problem and bickering between Griffin and Gates. Since both Gates and Griffin co-owned the name "Bread", Gates threw in the towel and terminated both his involvement with Griffin and with Bread. Two reunions of Bread were moderately successful, but didn't come close to the level of success they'd had in the early '70s. One last thing: Gates and his wife settled in Washington STATE, not Washington D.C. Both are in their early '80s now, and Gates does not sing or write songs anymore. Gates is somewhat of a recluse now, and he just wants to live out his final years in peace, and away from the attention and turmoil of the music business.
Yes. That's pretty much all correct. You must have been at the hotel get-together. ?? I've been a fan since they started, and was in music when younger. Thanks for correcting the errors of the otherwise decent video summary... so I didn't have to! I've lived in Memphis and Tulsa, but currently reside just up the road from David and Jo Rita, and helped contribute to getting that biography of Bread published. Their daughter lives in WA and is an attorney. The Gates sold their cattle ranch in northern CA some years ago, as well as a home near San Diego, and now own the whole top of a mountain with a lake. It's not too far away from where Knechtel first settled down - and hand-built his own log cabin - when Bread made it big. That's how Gates got introduced to the area. They shouldn't have any trouble with being too bothered now... although like most everywhere else out west, the crime in the town near where they live has picked up significantly since they purchased their property. Although I've always been a big David Gates fan first and foremost, I think Griffin's voice, guitar playing and some of his songs had a real magic of their own [underrated] that almost no one else could match. Unfortunately, Jimmy's personality type got the best of him when he was younger. What an amazing group and sound they had together.
I got a chance to play impromptu with David Gates in Barstow,California at his home. Since I lived right up the street,we'd play a little,smoke a little,and have some fun. He had an older Harley Shovelhead and I had a Triumph 750. We never got a chance to ride together, but I remember playing with David Gates back in the early 80s. I'm still not much good at playing rhythm, but I earned a lot from him playing at his house back then. Thanks for reading,peace.
@@John-ls2gp,probably not now,as you said. Nothing but bars and railroad tracks there even when I was there. The last time I rolled thru,dogs had almost taken over the downtown area! But yes,we met there and had some fun times!!!
Ahhhh, youth. I was 13 in '70 and Bread was big on AM radio. Seemed like every time we went for a drive we'd hear one of their songs. I never bought anything from them but never changed the station either. It was good music. Nice work here.
People who call Bread a corny love song pop band don’t know what the hell they are talking about. They had a signature sound which no one else came to emulating. The wrote absolutely beautiful songs and David Gates was pure gold as a pop singer. Maybe the most underrated groups of the 70’s.
Their music have huge impact in philippines. We grew up adoring their songs. At 19 years old in 1979, i made it here in the USA and has been wondering ever since what has happened to Bread and all it's members...until now! Thanks to RU-vid and to you Sir. Keep up the good work!
Damn! I never knew James Griffin, Mike Botts & Larry Knechtel have all passed away. God bless their souls for being part of the greatest ballad group of all time. QUESTION: Why isn't Bread in the RRHOF yet? They deserve it. Anyway, thanks for this heads-up. Keep it up OK? 👍🏽
Bread is really from before my time, I was only a kid in the 70's, but their music has a timeless quality. Guitar Man is a background music classic, its played in the quieter hotel bars and pubs, even today together with the Eagles, Little River Band et al.
Carpenters "Close to You" was the #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 for 4 weeks in late July and first half of August 1970. The single that replaced it as #1? - - Bread's "Make It With You" for 1 week (week of August 22).
the wrecking crew documentary is a must see for music fans!! Drummer Hal Blaine played on an amazing number of #1 singles.. larry knechtel was amazing!. lead guitar on the guitar man.. piano on bridge over troubled water, hes also the signature bass sound on the Byrds mr tambourine man. also contributed keyboards on good vibrations.. He did 100's of sessions as part of the wrecking crew.. I also think David Gates did some session work with them.. Listen for Larry on the intro to mr tambourine man :)
I listened to Bread during my teenage years. Thanks for digging deep with the information. Didn't know that two members had passed from cancer at 61 years old. Bands seemed to have internal struggles that made it hard to stay together sometimes.
They read the Bible and realized that people can't live on Bread alone, so they gave up and decided that the Word of God was more important than their music.
@@kimkochel6754 My Mom and Dad were from Winnipeg. A lot of my relatives live in Kelowna.. You have a lot of great ones from Canada. Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, Anne Murray, Ian Tyson. Where are you in Canada? If things get any crazier here, I’m coming up to stay with you!
Thanks for this video. Along with Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, America and James Taylor, Bread was the best that the 70s had for that real balladeer singer/songwriter movement that touched so many hearts and wallets. "And Arbury was her name."
Dan Peet from America was especially talented and left this world too soon. America was never the same after he left. His early 1980's solo single, "All Things Are Possible" is still one of my favorites.
Correction: David Gates does not live in Wash, DC. He currently lives in Washington state. I grew up in Los Angeles County and attended the same public schools (Elementary to High School) with two of his youngest children. A very nice family. At some point in the 80's or 90's, David Gates moved to a working cattle ranch he purchased in Northern California. Then at some point he and his wife (Jo Rita) migrated further north to Washington state. I remember being in their LA area home around age 14 and they had a built-in recording studio. A nice large house but not ostentatious or showy at all. Looked like it would fit right in on a ranch.
Although they were way before my time, their music was so nostalgic to me.I had older siblings who had an album with all of their hits,,I love the music they provided for us ,they have a special place in my heart becaue they remind me of certain pats o my childhood.So Bread will forever be one of my favorite soft rock groups for me.
Thx. Nice effort; nice production. "Bread" was my first "rock" concert, 1971, w/ my mom, when I was 11 y.o. I remember the show fondly, and have loved them ever since. Also, I remember smelling pot for the first time. Oh, the memories :)
The 13 years that Gates was in hiatus, he owned a ranch in the Fall River Valley in N. Cal, where my brother in law was his ranch foreman. He did build a recording studio on that ranch
@@jimphillips1387 Check with his former ranch manager and he did not own any land in Cassel Bing Crosby and Clint Eastwood both had own the Rising River Ranch which is on the back road from Cassel and Hat Creek. He did own property in Willow Valley, which is in between Day and Big Valley, no fishing there
Thanks for the report…. Bread is absolutely irreplaceable…. I’m so glad to Play their songs on my guitar …. It’s so refreshing and revitalizing… never aging those songs
Thank you for this historical info I am a African American woman who love all of B music I knew nothing about the music history until now. I have all B cds and constantly listen to the beautiful voice and stories of this magnificent group I was sad to learn about the deaths of the B members. I wish everyone could discover this group from the past it would make them appreciate life and slow down to visualize beauty again. I live in the city but when I listen to B sometimes with tear because of memories of life I truly believe that if music like B can change this society we're in for the better. May God grant paradise to the deceased and blessings to the living members of B 1954 baby boomer.
I am in the UK and a white guy and I love Bread too . They definitely have two distinctive types of song . The softer , more romantic stuff generally sung by David Gates such as Everything I Own , I want to Make it with You , Aubrey , Diary and If and the more rock music stuff like Truckin and Let Your Love Go which I think is sung by Jimmy Griffin . The Gates songs are generally the better known ones.
@@scooby1992 Peace & Blessings too you and UK so beautiful to know that you love B music as well. I love every song that this group sang many years ago so thank you my brother for taking a moment to share your love for this amazing group Bread. Please enjoy all music that is healing to the mind & heart stay well.
Well done, thanks. I didn't know they toured that much, partly because I have not been able to find any videos of them playing live. I'd love to see a What Happened to 20/20.
Totally agree. Going back to figure out some of the songs on guitar. And amazed by how many amazing songs he wrote. The progressions and uniqueness of Aubrey alone blows me away! The guy was prolific!
: well bread owned the 70s along with people like Dan Fogelberg, Paul Simon, Jeff Lynne, and Electric Light Orchestra Jim Croce all these people……incredible! And I can’t leave out Don McLean of course every windows American pie, but really…..” Vincent”…. One of the most beautiful ballads ever written, and performed In my never to be so humble opinion anyway
Knectel was insanely talented - - enough for three or four superior artists combined. As part of the informal group of Los Angeles session players that later became known as The Wrecking Crew, his sound is all over hundreds of Top 100 pop songs. This includes some of the most iconic songs of the 60s as he was the session bass player for both Light My Fire by the Doors and mr. Tambourine Man by The Byrds. his piano work for Bridge Over Troubled Waters was almost the downfall for him as producers began expecting a similar sound and similar success for their projects from him. That's one of the reasons why he left much of the session work behind and was willing to become a band member for Bread.
It's funny but when the video mentioned Bridge Over Troubled Water, I realized the piano was the outstanding instrument of that song... A very talented player!
I could be wrong but I think Carol Kaye played bass on Mr. Tambourine Man. I remember a video of her showing how to play it. But you're right, Larry Knechtel was an amazing musician.
"Guitar man" was the reason I picked up a dictionary as a young girl in Germany in the seventies because I wanted to "get the meaning out of each and every song". Which of course didn't work but I wanted to know what my favorite singer and songwriter all were singing about.❤
On the Waters was one of the first 8 tracks I bought. It was also the only one that played in my car where I didn't have to use a matchbook to keep it from "double-tracking" lol Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
They're not remotely Rock N Roll though. Might have to wait until they open up the 'Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary Hall of Fame and Museum' in Indiana or Kansas or Idaho.
I worked with Jimmy for 20 plus years actually going in and reciting 15 of thier greatest hits with Jimmy doing lead. Also having Jommy singing lead on a song that I and fellow artists and writers of "The Remingtons" with Rick Yancey and Richard Minagra with Jimmy . Also Jimmy would come in on other songs we would write. I MISS him and Rick Yancey who we recently passed in Augest.but can find our working relationship in the book Mana from Heaven the book on Bread
Egos and drugs kept them from staying together, but I can't imagin them doing much more than they did. Bread was a shooting star that burned brightly for a time and then flamed out. None of them had any great successes after the late 70's. Their music takes me back to a time that I greatly loved, but sadly will never know again. I think they call that nastalgia. Thanks guys.
OK - Now I have to hear all the greats from Bread again. Unfortunately, I never purchased one of their albums at the time. However, I will be looking in bins or new sale of Bread Albums. Wonderful biography! Thank you!
...one of the guys in my three man barracks room in Germany - a cook - would spend hours sitting on his bunk (almost 50 years ago 1973), listening to Bread LPs trying to pick out chords....I've often wondered what happened to him...ad David Gates
Small correction on what’s otherwise a good compilation of existing internet sources. “On U.N.I. record label” that’s Uni as in Universal, an MCA label.
Been a big fan since the early 70’s, and was lucky enough to have seen them in concert on the farewell tour in like 1997, one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to
I guess it was the huge number of great songs and amazing singers around at the time that kept Bread from really getting the success they deserved. So many memories...
One correction: David Gates lives in the City of Mount Vernon, Washington, not Washington D.C. I have family in Mount Vernon and when I'm up to visit them I'll carve out some time to visit Lost in the Groove (record store in downtown Mt. Vernon, definitely worth checking out if in the area). A couple of years ago I was in the store and they were playing Best of Bread. I asked the owner if Gates visits the store, owner said he's been in several times.
@@philschroeder Knechtel moved from near Maple Falls, WA, I think (where he’d built his own log cabin), to Yakima in his final years. He ended up with respiratory issues and needed the drier climate. It was Larry, not David, who lived in Yakima.
I think he’s one of the best- to be sure- but there are others too. When it comes to singing AND writing most of their songs- 3 names come to mind,- him, Lionel Ritchie and John Denver etc. They were on another level!!!😅
Great musical craftsmanship. I listening to them from 1976 until college when I made a cassette for my friend Trevor who thought that they were "girly and uncool".
I used to practice playing guitar in high school - and "If" always looks so cool to play on it. "If", " Everything I own" & "Make It With You" ... And ... "Aubrey" ! ❤🌟
Good job getting this all told in under 10 minutes. I like that. One correction: Knechtel was not an original member, as he replaced Robb Royer, who is still alive along with Gates.
It’s a shame that Jimmy Griffin of Bread and Alan Clarke of the Hollies weren’t as recognised as their band mates David Gates and Graham Nash. Both from all accounts were humble men without big egos from what I’ve read and seen.
She,s a butterfly is a line from the song" she,s the only one" (album lost without your love) . Too long on the road would be "Been to long on the road" (album on the waters) .
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG FAN OF BREAD FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS, it’s sad they don’t make music like this anymore. NOTHING TO SURPASE BREAD. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I'm glad I got to see the Gates, Griffin, Botts and Knectel line up in 1977. I thought Griffin was awesome on stage, his voice was amazing and he jammed on his guitar. Botts sang "Long Tall Sally" while playing drums. It was a great show, I remember it like yesterday. The only sour point was when someone threw a frisbee at Gates while he was playing, he wasn't happy.
I grew up in Tulsa & my aunt went to school with David Gates…and today Mr. Gates lives up the road from ME in Mount Vernon Wa.! Loved “Bread” from the git go..talented men all !❤❤❤❤❤😊
My Top 7 Favorite Songs of BREAD are 1.) IF... 2.) AUBREY... 3.) DIARY... 4). EVERYTHING I OWN... 5.) GUITAR MAN... 6.) MAKE IT WITH YOU... 7.) LOST WITHOUT YOUR LOVE, and plus 1 Solo (David Gates) Song... 8.) GOODBYE GIRL... I loved their Songs, and I never get tired of listening to them over and over since the '70s till now... the LYRICS were welded with TRUTHFULNESS from the HEART... as if their SONGS never get OLD... TIMELESS Songs...
