For more information, email
can be sent to Fran
Hart at: bpd@tiac.netThe following is a review of the Atlantic City kick-off show written by Tom Travers:
Those of us who grew up in the seventies listening to AM Pop Radio, or toward the mid-seventies listening to FM Pop Radio, or have ever parked along a dark Valley Road with your best girl or guy, probably raised your eyes to the heavens when a Bread song came on the radio. They were by no mistake the best make-out songs ever recorded, and usually did the intended job. Now, after nineteen years of not playing together, David Gates and Bread are reunited for a two year World Tour, which began in nearby Atlantic City.
This band of stellar musicians and classic singer/songwriters have put aside their differences to get it together for this massive undertaking. David Gates, James Griffin, Larry Knechtel, and Mike Botts played for the first time in nineteen years at Atlantic City's Tropicana Showroom on August 30, 31, and September 1 (three sold-out shows).
After seeing and hearing this wonderful show, it was clear to me why they sold so many millions of records and that they may be back just in time to save us from so much of the terrible lackluster new music of the eighties and nineties. These Bread songs have stood the test of time and still evoke the love, gentleness, and beauty of a well-written song.
After Bread first broke-up in 1973, David Gates recorded his first solo album called, "First", which yielded his first solo single, "Clouds". It is a great album, now only available in the Orient. James Griffin proceeded to record his first post Bread album called, "James Griffin and Co." Mike Botts continued to do session work with the likes of Linda Rondstadt, among others, and Larry Knechtel also continued his session work.
After a brief reunion in 1977, yielding the "Lost Without Your Love" album, the fellows again went their separate ways. David continued to write hit songs like "Goodbye Girl", "Took The Last Train", and "Never Let Her Go", and recently released as a brand new solo CD in 1994, "Love Is Always Seventeen", a fantastic album of typical David Gates songs. After so many years, he hasn't lost his voice or his writing abilities.
James Griffin also pursued his solo career by recording another solo album with Ex-Hollies guitarist and singer, Terry Sylvester. Then in 1991, he joined up with Ex-Eagle Randy Meisner, Billy Swan ("I Can Help") and formed Black Tie in which their first single, Buddy Holly's "Learning the Game" did quite well on the Country Charts. He then joined the Remingtons in 1992 and had four top ten country singles.
Larry Knechtel, "The Living Legend" as the band calls him, has played piano, bass, and guitar on over 200 top ten singles. One of my favorites is the 1972 Johnny Rivers "Rockin' Pneumonia and The Boogie Woogie Flu" which he told me was cut in one take. He also played bass on "Mr. Tambourine Man", and The Beach Boys "Pet Sound Sessions", and the great guitar solo on Bread's "Guitar Man". His most notable award in music is the Grammy he received for his piano playing on Simon and Garfunkel's, "Bridge Over Troubled Water". He recently left the Elvis Costello Band to reunite with his band members in Bread.
Drummer, Mike Botts, replaced great session drummer Jim Gordon, who played on the first Bread album in 1970, and he has been with the band ever since. He co-wrote Fancy Dancer with James, and in the time Bread was apart, he played with Dan Fogelberg, Olivia Newton-John, Tina Turner, Eddie Money, Warren Zevon, and J. D. Souther, to name a few.
All of this culminated from a phone call from Manager, Selwyn Miller, and the band realized it was time to do it again. The show I saw was proof that David and James belonged together as singers and that the band has reemerged, and the best is yet to come.
The Bread show in Atlantic City was the highlight of a couple of years of frustration in concert going. For myself, most bands who reunite don't have all the original members, and I have a hard time paying good money for a show where the only original member of the band was the drummer's first cousin, just like the "Guess Who" who had only one original member in it. That is a rip-off. Bread has all of its original members and has added a bass player, Scott Chambers and Randy Flowers on lead guitar and a ten piece string section that made it feel like you were listening to the record, and gave it a lush full sound.
The show was a tour de force of top ten hits, opening up with the 1970 hit, "Make It With You", "Baby I'm A Want You", "Sweet Surrender", "Mother Freedom" and "Everything I Own." David and the band traveled through their platinum trail of hits, stopping only to showcase individual members of Bread and to tease us with brand new David Gates and James Griffin songs. David's, "Mirror, Mirror" was just unbelievable and James', "Just Say When" are earmarked for a new Bread album, which by the way they haven't promised, but here's to hoping.
One of the show's highlights was the medley of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in which Larry played that haunting piano that gave you chills, while James sang the lyrics. The other part of the melody was James' Oscar winning song, "For All We Know" which went to Number 2 by The Carpenters in 1970 and won James an Academy Award for best song in the 1970 Motion Picture, "Lovers and Other Strangers".
David played some of his solo hits.."Goodbye Girl" and "Love is Always Seventeen" and a song that he co-wrote with country singer, Billy Dean. I forgot what a great piano player David was until he played "Lost Without Your Love", and "Goodbye Girl". The band can rock when it wants to also. Mike Botts' "The Wait" was a rousing rocker and showed the band's rockability.
As the band sang the hits, everyone in the crowd was singing the words to each song. The lighting effects during songs like "Aubrey" and "Diary" were very dramatic, and the onstage banter was real and heartfelt, especially when David was speaking of the other band members. Even after not playing together for 25 years, the musicianship, the vocals of David and James, and the music has become even better. The band encored with the classic David Gates, "IF" and made the hour and 35 minute show a wonderful evening, and wanting more!
If you remember, Bread played at the University of Delaware Field House back in November, 1972 and I remember every ticket sold. It was great then, and it has now come full circle.
They leave for South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and Europe in the next year, although no plans for a U.S. tour have been announced. I can't see there not being a summer tour next year. David Gates and Bread was the best show I have seen in years, and these three shows were the only U.S. dates for now!
Author: Tom Travers, Home Grown Media, Wilmington, DE
Telephone: (302) 368-7310
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Most recent update: 03/09/99
For more information, email can be sent to Fran
Hart at: bpd@tiac.net