The Gants - Greener Days (1966)

If there was ever a small-time group that had the talent to hit the big time, it was these guys. Formed in 1963, The Gants had an impressive collection of original material and cover songs. Unfortunately for the members of the band, half of them were still in high school and under the pressure of their parents, making out-of-town performances and promotional appearances problematic. The other half of the band faces the same troubles, but for different reasons: they were enrolled in college and unable to drop out without facing getting drafted into the Vietnam conflict. When the band couldn’t make it to local promotions, the radio stations stopped giving them their local support. And when the support stopped rolling in, the band collapsed soon after.

Having been featured on A Bit Like You And Me two times prior, it’s no secret that this band has a lot of great songs. The song heard below was written for the band by their producer, David Gates, who would be a future member of the band Bread. Amid sending me an exclusive story via email, Sid Herring, the lead singer of The Gants, expressed to me that he was very proud of the way this song came out. When first released, it was backed with the B-Side “Just a Good Show.”



The Gants - Greener Days (1966)

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Lyrics:

As I write this letter
I hope you’re feelin’ better
Than I am as I sit here
Fightin’ back a tear
‘cause my mind keeps shiftin’
Back in time, it’ driftin’
To the days when you were near

Those were greener days
That we knew
Just me and you
Sharin’ the world together
But as they came, they went away
And our days of green
Turned into grey

So, I watch the sunrise
Hopin’ maybe your eyes
Will be shinin’ down on me
To brighten up my world
Like it once was, glowin’
When your face was showin’
Me the way to find our love

Those were greener days
That we had
It’s kinda too bad
They didn’t last forever
But, we’ll go on
Our separate ways
‘cause our greener days
Turned into grey

I better close and sign my name
It’s getting late
But don’t forget our chance
To twist the hands of fate

So the greener days
Will return
Deeper they’ll grow
With every spring rain of love
Rainbows will shine
You will be mine
And our days of green
Will never turn to grey

They’ll never fade away
They’ll never turn to grey
They’ll never fade away…

Bread - Truckin' (1971)

One of the original “soft rock” bands, this Los Angeles, California group was first created when guitarist and vocalist James "Jimmy" Griffin hired David Gates to produce his next solo album. What developed instead was a band, dubbed “Bread,” in 1968. Adding guitarist and vocalist Robb Royer to the mix, the trio signed with Elektra Records and saw the release of their first album in September 1969. Although the album produced no hits, it gathered the group a following. Their highest charting single was “Make It With You,” released June 13, 1970, reaching number one in the United States and number five in the United Kingdom. None of their other hits would ever chart as highly, but other Top 10 singles released were “It Don’t Matter to Me,” “If,” “Baby I’m-a Want You,” “Everything I Own,” and “Lost Without Your Love.” Since Gates had written and sang lead on all eleven of the band’s charting singles, Elektra Records wanted to continue featuring Gates’ songs as A-Sides. Griffin felt that the favoritism was unfair and strife within the band began to grow. By 1973, the band had split up, but “best of” compilation albums released by their label put the band back in high demand. The demand was so high, in fact, that the band was coerced into getting back together to record one more album. Released in 1977, their final album, Lost Without Your Love, was backed with a nationwide tour. For the second leg of the tour, Gates didn’t invite Griffin, whom he still couldn’t get along with. At the end of the tour, the band broke up once more, not to be seen again until a “25th Anniversary” tour of the United States took place in 1996-’97.

Released on the band’s second album, 1971’s Manna, this song was written by band members James Griffin and Robb Royer. The album featured twelve tracks, six of which were penned by Gates and the other six by Griffin/Royer. The song “If” was the only successful single from the album, but the particular track below shows that the band didn’t always have to rock softly.



Bread - Truckin' (1971)

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Lyrics:

Truckin’ down the highway
Get out of my way
Always in a hurry
Always in between

That’s where you can find me
Truckin’ down the highway
Sittin’ in the cab of
A ten-ton machine

I’m gettin’ pretty tired of stoppin’
In old, run-down cafés
Someday I’m gonna find me a woman
Rich enough to pay my way

Gonna make some in-roads
Drivin’ home a payload
Truckin’ down the highway
The likes you’ve never seen

I’m gettin’ pretty tired of lookin’
In them truck-stop cabarets
Someday I’m gonna find me a woman
Rich enough to pay my way

Then you’re gonna find me
Truckin’ down the highway
Sittin’ in the back seat
Of a long limousine

Truckin’ down the highway
Get out of my way
Truckin’ down the highway…