James Griffin & Co (James Griffin ) Bread/David Gates Related

James Griffin & Co (James Griffin ) - Breakin' Up Is Easy - 1974 - Polydor

The late ex-Bread guitarist and songwriter James Griffin was a wonderfully talented guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He contributed half of Bread's material, but, as everybody knows, Bread's greatest songs were written by the legendary songwriting genius, David Gates ("Baby I'm-a Want You", "The Guitar Man", "If", "Make It with You", etc, etc.). James is well known for sharing an Oscar for co-writing For All We Know, from the movie Lovers and Other Strangers, a No.3 hit for The Carpenters. The Griffin/Royer tune “She Knows,” was taken from an unreleased Bread session and featured the late Larry Knechtel on electric piano and David Gates on bass. The song was later covered by Ray Charles and The Band. James Griffin had a harder edge to his playing, and songwriting than David Gates. His musical style encompassed hard rock, folk, tender ballads, and a uniquely varied orchestral sound all his own. "Breakin' Up Is Easy" is a great album, and demonstrates all these musical qualities. All the songs on this album were written by James Griffin, and/or Bread's bassist, guitarist and keyboardist, Rob Royer. Some of the contributing musicians on the album include the great guitarist, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, and saxophonist, Jim Horn, (both played with Steely Dan), and Bread's late Larry Knechtel, the great keyboard player and bassist, who played with people like The Mamas & the Papas, The Doors, and Elvis. James Griffin's recordings are rare. Try and find his s/t release. Just a couple more things about James Griffin; He once said that one of his favourite David Gates' songs was "She Was My Lady", and his fav Bread album was "Manna". "Manna" is definitely worth checking out. Going back to David Gates and Bread:- David is famous for songs like "Baby I'm-a Want You", "The Guitar Man", "If", "Make It with You", etc, etc, and they are frequently played on the radio, but has anybody heard his song, "Lorilee", found on his 1973 "First" album, and also on his 1977 "Goodbye Girl" album. A neglected Gates' song, but one of his best. It's a laid back jazzy number, with a beautiful melody.

[P.S: Thanks, Mike P. for reminding me of just how good Bread was. Your recent WLSO broadcast was terrific ! (A.O.O.F.C) ]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS / PERFORMERS

A1 Breakin' Up Is Easy - Royer [ James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); Royer (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]
A2 Someday - Griffin [ James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); James Griffin [Ges] (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]
A3 Love You Till the Cows Come Home - Griffin [ James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); James Griffin [Ges] (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]
A4 She Knows - Griffin, Royer [James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); James Griffin [Ges] (Creator); Royer (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]
A5 Father and Son - Griffin, Royer [ James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); James Griffin [Ges] (Creator); Royer (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]
B1 You'll Get Along - Griffin [ James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); James Griffin [Ges] (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]
B2 Lifeline - Griffin, Royer [ James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); James Griffin [Ges] (Creator); Royer (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]
B3 Goin' Back to Boston - Griffin, Royer [James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); James Griffin [Ges] (Creator); Royer (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]
B4 Only Now - Griffin, Royer [James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); James Griffin [Ges] (Creator); Royer (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]
B5 Love to Light the Way - Griffin, Royer [ James Griffin [Ges] (Performer); Marty Paich [Arr] (Performer); James Griffin [Ges] (Creator); Royer (Creator); Streicher (Performer); Lee Sklar (Performer); Russ Kunkel (Performer); Curtis Amy (Performer); Denny Lardin (Performer); John Miles (Performer); Jeff Baxter (Performer); Mike Iseberg (Performer); Mike Botts (Performer); Larry Knechtel (Performer); Jim Horn (Performer). ]

BIO

Best known for co-founding soft rock hitmakers Bread, singer/songwriter James Griffin also won an Academy Award for co-authoring 1970's smash "For All We Know." Born in Cincinnati on August 10, 1943, Griffin was raised in Memphis, growing up in the neighborhood that housed rock & roller siblings Dorsey and Johnny Burnette; after the Burnettes relocated to Los Angeles, Griffin traveled west for a visit, and with their help he signed with Frank Sinatra's Reprise label in 1962. The covers collection Summer Holiday followed a year later, and in 1965 Griffin co-starred in the big-screen feature None But the Brave; he also wrote songs for Lesley Gore, Bobby Vee, and Ed Ames. In 1967 Griffin began collaborating with singer/keyboardist Robb Royer, a member of the harmony pop quartet Pleasure Fair. The group's 1968 self-titled LP was produced by in-demand L.A. session musician David Gates, and when the Pleasure Fair dissolved soon after, Gates recruited Griffin and Royer to form Bread. Bolstered by Griffin/Royer songs like "Friends and Lovers," "Could I," and "Any Way You Want Me," Bread's eponymous 1969 debut was first and foremost a showcase for Gates, whose "It Don't Matter to Me" proved a massive radio hit. Favoring lush harmonies and gentle arrangements that contrasted sharply with the harder-edged sounds then dominating FM radio, the album was instrumental in midwifing the soft-focus melodicism that would enjoy commercial supremacy throughout the decade to follow, and made Bread superstars. In 1970 Griffin and Royer were asked to set lyrics to Fred Karlin's music for the film Lovers and Other Strangers; "For All We Know," performed on the soundtrack by Larry Meredith, went on to win the Oscar for Best Original Song, later becoming a massive radio hit when covered by the Carpenters. While Bread notched a total of ten Top 20 hits, among them "Make It with You," "If," and "Baby, I'm a-Want You," fewer of Griffin's songs made it on each of the group's successive albums, and in frustration he broke ranks following 1972's Guitar Man; two years later he resurfaced with a solo LP, Breakin' Up Is Easy. After rejoining Bread for 1976's ill-conceived reunion effort Lost Without Your Love, Griffin issued his third solo record, 1977's James Griffin, before teaming with ex-Hollies vocalist Terry Sylvester for 1981's one-off collaboration Griffin and Sylvester. Five years later he resurfaced alongside Billy Swan and Randy Meisner in the harmony supergroup Black Tie, and during the 1990s worked with Cymarron's Richard Mainegra and Rick Yancey in the Remingtons. Griffin was performing with Sylvester and John Ford Coley when cancer claimed his life on January 11, 2005. © Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide, www.answers.com/topic/james-griffin