Bread - The Very Best Of Bread (1988)

Rare enough edition of the best hits of Bread from Pickwick International. Bread were the melodic soft-rock band, best known for the hits "If" and "Make it with You". The band were formed by singer/keyboard player/producer David Gates and singer guitarist James Griffin in 1968, originally the idea had been to continue Griffin's, already established, solo career, by having producer-Gates work on Griffin's next album. However, when another guitarist Robb Royer was brought onboard, Bread were formed. They released their self-titled debut album in 1968, which showcased the soft rock sound that the band became famous for, however sales were slow and they would have to wait for the follow-up for success. The next album On the Waters included "Make it with You" which topped the US charts, the band added a drummer, Mike Botts, to the line-up and took to the road. The album became the bands' first gold-seller.

Despite the success of the lead single "If" from Manna, sales didn't match its predecessor and it was back to the studio for the band, this time minus Royer, who had left the band, replaced by Larry Knetchtel. The new line-up came back with "Baby I'm- a Want You" and "Everything I Own", both hit the top five and the band were back on a roll, when Baby I'm- a Want You achieved their highest chart placing of No.3. The critically acclaimed Guitar Man was without a top ten hit and sales of the album were disappointing, which lead to tensions between Gates and Griffin; an argument over song credits put the band on hold for four years.

In 1977 Bread hit the singles charts for the last time with "Lost Without your Love", from the album of the same name, released the previous year. When tensions between Gates and Griffin re-emerged, Griffin left, while Gates carried on touring with the name Bread. Inevitably a legal wrangle over the ownership of the name etc. ensued, and all things Bread-related were off the menu until the resolution of the argument in 1984. Meantime both Gates and Griffin pursued solo careers. They got back together in 1996 for the 25th Anniversary Tour, but any further releases by Bread were compilations of previous hits.