Bread was one of the most popular pop groups of the early 1970s, earning a string of well-crafted, melodic soft rock singles, all of which were written by keyboardist/vocalist
David Gates. A session musician and producer, Gates met in 1968 guitarist/vocalist James Griffin, who had already released a solo album called Summer Holiday. Griffin hired Gates to produce a new album, and the pair soon became a group, adding guitarist/vocalist Robb Royer from the band Pleasure Fair, whom Gates had produced early in their career. The trio soon signed with Elektra Records, becoming one of the label's first pop bands.