 David Gates of Tulsa, Oklahoma
and James Griffin of Memphis, Tennessee, were struck
simultaneously by a bolt of ambition, and in 1962 found
their separate paths to Los Angeles, California, where
music seemed to be flourishing with great potential for
talented people to express themselves creatively. Both
David Gates and James were constantly honing their
skills as writers, instrumentalists, and arrangers in
many musical circles around L.A., plugging their songs
and penning tunes for a litany of contemporaneous
recording artists. 1970 saw the addition of drummer Mike
Botts, a Los Angeles based, successful studio drummer.
He became a permanent addition to the nucleus of
writers, David Gates, Griffin, and Royer. Also, the
second album, On the Waters , is released, followed up
by Manna in 1971. Yet another smash, the classic If
spirals Bread into even greater success. Yet another
turning point in the band's line up then takes place in
1972 as Rob Royer leaves the group to pursue other
avenues in the music business. At this crossroads, Larry
Knechtel, a literally famous Los Angeles session
keyboardist becomes the permanent replacement for Royer.
Baby I'm a Want You , released in 1972, becomes an
enormous successful album, and the definitive Bread
album for some. Bread releases Guitar Man and the smash
title track.
Upon approaching the sixth album in
1973, the group decides to call it quits. There was no
point in tainting the great body of work up to that
point with an obviously strained effort that would
possibly result in mediocrity. In 1978, David Gates pens
the title song from the, The Goodbye Girl, yet another
unforgettable melody with successful chart results. More
recently, David recorded an album for Discovery, Love is
Always Seventeen, 1994.
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