Bread

In the early 1970s Bread stood out as one of pop music’s most successful acts, propelled by a steady run of polished, melody-driven soft-rock singles composed solely by keyboardist and vocalist David Gates. Already established as a session player and producer, Gates crossed paths in 1968 with guitarist and vocalist James Griffin, who had previously issued the solo LP Summer Holiday. Griffin brought Gates aboard to helm a fresh project, and the two quickly formed a band, recruiting guitarist and vocalist Robb Royer from Pleasure Fair, an outfit Gates had worked with earlier. The trio inked a deal with Elektra Records, becoming one of the imprint’s initial forays into pop. Calling themselves Bread, they issued their self-titled debut album in late 1968; although its accessible, tuneful soft-rock tone would define the group’s signature style, the record yielded no charting singles.

Bread’s sophomore effort, On the Waters, cemented their commercial standing. Its opening single, “Make It with You,” climbed to number one, prompting the earlier track “It Don’t Matter to Me” from the debut album to reach the Top Ten. Certified gold, On the Waters sent the band on the road, where they enlisted full-time drummer Mike Botts. Issued in spring 1971, Manna proved less dominant than its predecessor yet still produced the Top Ten hit “If.” After Royer departed, Los Angeles session veteran Larry Knechtel—known for contributions to the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and the Monkees—stepped in. The revised lineup’s first release, “Mother Freedom,” appeared in mid-1971 and peaked at number 37. By year’s end, however, “Baby I’m-a Want You” soared to number three. When “Everything I Own” hit number five in January 1972, the album Baby I’m-a Want You followed, climbing to number three and becoming Bread’s biggest seller. Their fifth studio set, Guitar Man, arrived in October 1972.

Early the next year Bread dissolved amid a rift between Gates and Griffin. Griffin maintained that the pair had agreed to split singles equally when the band formed, yet Gates had authored the majority of the hits and wished to retain that role. The musicians went their separate ways, each launching a solo career. They reconvened in 1976 and released Lost Without Your Love in early 1977; the title track rose to number nine, marking their final Top Ten entry. Lingering friction between Gates and Griffin again fractured the reunion, prompting Griffin’s exit. Gates then assembled a fresh configuration and toured under the Bread name. Griffin filed suit over the shared trademark. A court injunction barred the group from performing, recording, or receiving royalties until the matter was settled in 1984. In the interim both men continued solo work; Gates scored a number 15 hit in 1978 with the theme from The Goodbye Girl, though his profile waned during the 1980s and he eventually operated a California ranch. Griffin settled in Nashville and, in the early 1990s, formed Dreamer alongside Randy Meisner.