The Guitar Man
Encyclopedia
"The Guitar Man" is a song written by David Gates
and originally recorded by the pop rock
group Bread
, of which Gates was a member. It first appeared on Bread's 1972
album, Guitar Man. The song is a mixture of the sounds of soft rock
, including strings and acoustic guitar, and the addition of a wah-wah effect
electric guitar, played by Larry Knechtel
. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in the United States. The song was a number-one hit on the easy listening chart, the third for the band on this chart (following "If
" and "Baby I'm-a Want You
").
The song has been covered by David J
on his 2003 album Estranged, Cake
on their 2004 album Pressure Chief
, Starflyer 59
on their 2007 vinyl collection Ghosts of the Future, and Bobby Bare, Jr.
on his American Bread EP. Hank Marvin
released his album Guitar Man
with a cover version of the song.
David Gates
David Gates is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which reached the tops of the musical charts in Europe and North America on several occasions in the 1970s. The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame...
and originally recorded by the pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
group Bread
Bread (band)
Bread was a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977 and were a prime example of what later was labeled soft rock....
, of which Gates was a member. It first appeared on Bread's 1972
1972 in music
-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
album, Guitar Man. The song is a mixture of the sounds of soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
, including strings and acoustic guitar, and the addition of a wah-wah effect
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
electric guitar, played by Larry Knechtel
Larry Knechtel
Lawrence William "Larry" Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician with such artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, The Partridge Family, The Doors, and Elvis Presley, and as a member of the 1970s...
. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in the United States. The song was a number-one hit on the easy listening chart, the third for the band on this chart (following "If
If (Bread song)
"If" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates in 1971. Originally popularized by his group Bread, the song charted at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 when released as a single in 1971. The song also spent three weeks at number one on the Easy Listening chart...
" and "Baby I'm-a Want You
Baby I'm-a Want You
Baby I'm-a Want You was the fourth album by Bread, released in 1972. Its singles included the title cut , "Everything I Own",, "Mother Freedom" ,and "Diary"...
").
The song has been covered by David J
David J
David John Haskins , better known as David J, is a British alternative rock musician. He was the bassist for the gothic rock band Bauhaus and Love and Rockets....
on his 2003 album Estranged, Cake
Cake (band)
Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
on their 2004 album Pressure Chief
Pressure Chief
Pressure Chief is the fifth studio album by American band Cake. It was released on October 5, 2004, pushed back from its original August release date. It was produced by the band and recorded in a converted house in Sacramento. It reached #17 on the Billboard 200 but fell to #55 the following week....
, Starflyer 59
Starflyer 59
Starflyer 59 is an alternative rock band from Riverside, California that was founded in 1993 by Jason Martin, brother of Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric. While Jason Martin has written nearly all of Starflyer 59's songs, the band has included a number of different musicians over the years, including...
on their 2007 vinyl collection Ghosts of the Future, and Bobby Bare, Jr.
Bobby Bare, Jr.
Bobby Bare, Jr. is an American musician who has recorded several solo albums, along with two albums with his band, Bare, Jr....
on his American Bread EP. Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
released his album Guitar Man
Guitar Man (Hank Marvin album)
Guitar Man is an album by guitarist Hank Marvin, released in 2007.- Track listing :- Personnel :* Lead guitar, Arranger, Producer - Hank B...
with a cover version of the song.
Personnel (Bread version)
- David GatesDavid GatesDavid Gates is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which reached the tops of the musical charts in Europe and North America on several occasions in the 1970s. The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame...
- vocals, bass - James GriffinJimmy GriffinJames Arthur Griffin was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter with the 1970s rock band Bread.-Early life:An Academy Award winning songwriter, Griffin was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. His musical training began when his parents signed him up for accordion lessons...
- guitar, keyboards - Larry KnechtelLarry KnechtelLawrence William "Larry" Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician with such artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, The Partridge Family, The Doors, and Elvis Presley, and as a member of the 1970s...
- keyboards, lead guitar - Mike BottsMike BottsMichael G. Botts was the drummer of 1970s soft rock band Bread and a studio musician.Born in Oakland, California, Botts grew up in nearby Antioch before moving to Sacramento. While in college, he began playing with a band called The Travellers Three and working as a studio musician...
- drums