On “Make It with You,” it’s pretty clear what Bread has on the mind. The 1970s soft-rock classic rounded the edges of innuendo. The recording is yachty and smooth, and sonically foreshadowed Carole King’s 1971 masterpiece, Tapestry.
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Bread singer David Gates was busy writing hits for other artists before he started a band with Jimmy Griffin and Robb Royer. Session drummer Jim Gordon was brought in on drums and later replaced by Mike Botts.
Throughout the early ’60s, Gates released singles as a solo artist. He also worked under the pseudonym Del Ashley. Still, his songs reached a wider audience when recorded by someone else. Gates wrote the hit “Popsicles and Icicles” for The Murmaids in 1963. He also wrote the heavy guitar song “Saturday’s Child,” recorded by The Monkees and oft-covered live by indie legends Guided by Voices.
An in demand songwriter, producer, and arranger, Gates worked with Elvis Presley, Brian Wilson, Bobby Darin, and Merle Haggard. Showing his range, Gates produced avant-garde singer Captain Beefheart’s “Moonchild,” as well, and in 1967 scored the film Journey to Shiloh.
Gates came out of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s music scene with Leon Russell. They moved to California where Gates eventually worked with Robb Royer’s band, the Pleasure Fair. He produced their debut album in 1967. Royer introduced Gates to Jimmy Griffin, and the trio, now called Bread, signed to Elektra Records in 1969.
With Bread, Gates said he wanted a simple band name. And Bread began with the same letter as The Beatles and Bee Gees, guaranteeing it would sit close by on record shelves. Their self-titled debut album, however, was not a success, so Bread needed a hit with their second album, On the Waters, released in 1970. Thanks to “Make It with You,” On the Waters reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200.
What Did He Mean by “Make It?“
“Make It with You” was written and produced by Gates. He’s clear what he’s after, but the soft-rock vibes make the proposition sound a little less aggressive. And after Gates opens philosophically, he gets straight to the point.
Hey, have you ever tried
Really reaching out for the other side?
I may be climbing on rainbows
But baby, here goes
Dreams, they’re for those who sleep
Life is for us to keep
And if you’re wondering what this song is leading to
I want to make it with you
I really think that we could make it, girl
To be fair, “make it” could also mean the relationship, generally. 1970s FM radio didn’t end up keeping the song from the playlists—Gates was ambiguous enough to allude the censors.
Life can be short or long
Love can be right or wrong
And if I chose the one I’d like to help me through
I’d like to make it with you
I really think that we could make it, girl
Gates and drummer Mike Botts are the only band members on the track. Gates sings and plays all instruments apart from drums.
[RELATED: Top 10 Soft-Rock Gems From Bread Worth Revisiting]
How Was It Received?
“Make It with You” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Bread’s first Top 10 hit and their only song to reach the top spot. Billboard ranked “Make It with You” at No. 13 on its Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970.
Aretha Franklin covered the song on her 1971 live album, Aretha Live at Fillmore West. Franklin and her band turn Bread’s soft-rock hit into a ’70s soul classic. And once Franklin has covered a song, it’s hard to hear it any other way.
Bread’s success continued with Manna (1971), Baby I’m-a Want You (1972) and Guitar Man (1972). “Everything I Own” from Baby I’m-a Want You reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gates was continuing his run as a prolific songwriter and producer; he seemed to be in command of the soft-rock zeitgeist.
Bread officially split up in 1973, although Royer had already left two years earlier. He’d been replaced by Larry Knechtel, who was a top session musician and had played harpsichord and piano on The Beach Boys’ epic Pet Sounds. Knechtel also played piano on Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Legacy
Bread was an essential part of Southern California’s soft-rock scene. Along with the likes of Carole King, James Taylor, the Carpenters, and the Eagles, Gates & Co. ruled the airwaves of ’70s FM radio.
That said, On the Waters isn’t Tapestry. But it’s prominent for how it paved the way for Carole King’s important and timeless album. The burgeoning songwriting scene in Los Angeles produced an entirely new genre, the prototype having been set by 1960s folk music. The lush strings and simple songwriting on “Make It with You” are great examples of hallmarks of 1970s soft rock.
Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
