Is THIS the most PERFECT performance ever?!

Tonight we're taking a look at an awesome live performance by David Gates back in 1975!
TIME STAMPS -
0:00 Intro
0:43 Performance
3:27 Analysis
4:54 Guitar
8:29 Vocal Analysis (Keeping it Light)
9:53 Isolated Vocal
11:56 Range
15:28 Perfectly Imperfect
18:03 Vocal Balance & Not Breaking

[christinerobinson]

I guess David Gates was really serious about his lyrics, he married in 1958 and 65 years later is still married to the same woman.

[BaconIsNotBiceps]

If you didn't own The Best of Bread in the 70s, why not??? One of the greatest, most beautiful albums ever made. David Gates is a gift to humanity.

[puddysue]

No light show... no dancers... no backup... just a man and his guitar being phenomenal together...

[jeanniemainzer]

I think David Gates and Bread were sorely under-appreciated as artists. It is so nice to see someone truly appreciate the talent. Gates had a heart-breakingly beautiful voice.

[cito]

Bread never received the credit that they were due. Gates, Griffin, Botts and Knechtel were brilliant musicians who should be in the Rock Hall of Fame…

[larryb]

I miss this time in history. Music was a centerpiece of life, now cultures attention is so vastly different. He had such a beautiful and pure musical style.

[jamesdenecochea]

David Gates is so under appreciated. He's a treasure.
...and a real gentleman. My dad and I delivered a load of hay to him back in the late 70's. He was an extremely nice man, when we unloaded the hay, he brought us tall glasses of ice tea on a tray! We were just a couple of "working guys", and he showed great interest in what we were doing...hard to explain, but, you had to be there to fully appreciate a very nice man.

[CretvMG]

When he retired he bought a cattle ranch in CA (or was it Oregon?)
) and raises beef with his wife. He got in, got rich, got out, and survived as a normal whole human. That's so rare in this day.

[edamnaf]

"and when my love for life is running dry...you come and pour yourself on me"... I love this line...so much.

[SMETSYSGNIMIT]

My dad was a writer, arranger and orchestrator who did a little work with Bread. I began my musical studies when I was 5 years old so dad allowed me to hang around David and the others in the band. Precious memories.

[michaelnicola]

“If” is almost too intimate and emotional to listen to. When you’re older you will understand that our thoughts “go there”, thoughts of mortality and saying goodbye. Putting those feelings to music is heartbreakingly tender and profound. The technical elements almost happen like a soft fog engulfing you, taking your mind completely away from the mechanics, straight to the heart.

[carlsalazar]

They just don’t write songs like this anymore. David has a voice that touches the heart strings. Thanks for giving the song the recognition it deserves.

[catspajamas]

This was sung at our wedding 32 years ago. We’re still married. 😊 Such a beautiful song.

[dagmar.]

Love this song! I grew up listening to the soft rock music of Bread in the 70's & had their albums. Love David Gates voice. He has one of the most soothing & mellow voices. They had so many hits such as "Make It with You", "Baby I'm-a Want You", "Everything I Own", "Diary" "The Guitar Man", "Sweet Surrender", "Aubrey" etc. In 1978, Gates enjoyed success as a solo artist with the hit singles "Goodbye Girl" & "Took The Last Train".

[gulfgypsy]

For me what made David Gates and Bread such a wonderful group was how effortlessly his singing was. Clear, clean, pitch perfect --- I could get lost in his voice.

[sprezzatura]

No profanity, no screaming vocal gymnastics, no Auto-Tune. Just a great song, a great voice and a guitar. Music like this used to be on the radio all the time. Check out the music of Laufey, she is astounding. A young lady seemingly from another era.

[lisablacker]

The emotional tenderness in his voice is perfectly suited to the lyrics. I'm not usually the biggest fan of sappy, love songs, but when they're sung with such sincerity, I can't help but love it. Everything I Own always hits me hard too.

[imahvi]

A truly humble man from Oklahoma...a gentle cowboy with extraordinary talents in voice, musicianship and song writing.

[unclerudy]

One of the most amazing vocal/acoustic guitar performances of all time ....Period....

[Incomudro]

The amount of REAL talent that used to exist is amazing.