Editing Bread (band) (section)

===Beginnings and fame===
[[File:Bread-band-oct1970.jpg|thumb|The band in 1970.]]
David Gates is from [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]].<ref name=AllMusic>{{cite web |last1=Summers |first1=Kim |title=David Gates - Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/david-gates-mn0000179126/biography |website=AllMusic |publisher=AllMusic/Netaktion, LLC |access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref> He released a song in the late 1950s entitled "Jo-Baby"/"Lovin' at Night".{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} 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 in 1968 and signed with [[Elektra Records]] in January 1969. Gates later explained the genesis of the band's name:<ref name="Metzer2015">{{cite book|author=Greg Metzer|title=Rock Band Name Origins: The Stories of 240 Groups and Performers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R857BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA43|date=March 20, 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-5531-7|pages=43–}}</ref>
<blockquote>A bread truck came along right at the time we were trying to think of a name. We had been saying, "How about bush, telephone pole? Ah, bread truck, bread." It began with a B, like [[the Beatles]] and the [[Bee Gees]]. Bread also had a kind of universal appeal. It could be taken a number of ways. Of course, for the entire first year people called us the Breads.</blockquote>

The group's first single, "Dismal Day", was released in June 1969 but did not chart. Their debut album, ''[[Bread (album)|Bread]]'', was released in September 1969 and peaked at No.&nbsp;127 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. The songwriting on the album was split evenly between Gates and the team of Griffin-Royer. Session musicians [[Jim Gordon (musician)|Jim Gordon]] and Ron Edgar accompanied the band on drums for the album.

On July 25, 1969, Bread appeared in concert for the first time, with Gordon on drums, at the [[Earl Carroll Theatre (Los Angeles)|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.&nbsp;12 on the Billboard 200). This time their efforts quickly established Bread as a major act with the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] No.&nbsp;1 hit "[[Make It with You]]" in 1970. "Make It with You" would be Bread's only No.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;10. Bread began touring and recording their third album, titled ''[[Manna (album)|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 (Bread song)|If]]". As with the first album, songwriting credits were split evenly between Gates and Griffin-Royer.

Royer, after conflicts with other members of the band, 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 and harpsichord on [[The Beach Boys]] ''[[Pet Sounds]]'' album and on [[Simon & Garfunkel]]'s "[[Bridge over Troubled Water (song)|Bridge Over Troubled Water]]" single in 1970.<ref name=latimes/>

In January 1972 Bread released ''[[Baby I'm-a Want You]]'', their most successful album, peaking at No.&nbsp;3 on the Billboard 200. The [[Baby I'm-a Want You (song)|title song]] was established as a hit in late 1971 before the album was released, also hitting No.&nbsp;3. Follow-up singles "[[Everything I Own]]" and "[[Diary (Bread song)|Diary]]" also went [[Top 40|Top 20]].

The next album, ''[[Guitar Man (Bread album)|Guitar Man]]'', was released ten months later and went to No.&nbsp;18. The album produced three Top 20 singles, "[[The Guitar Man]]" (#11), "[[Sweet Surrender (David Gates song)|Sweet Surrender]]" (#15), and "[[Aubrey (song)|Aubrey]]" (#15), with the first two going to No.&nbsp;1 on ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'''s [[Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks|adult contemporary chart]].