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{{For|the Jerry Reed song|Guitar Man (song)}}
{{Infobox Single
{{Infobox song
| Name = The Guitar Man
| Cover =
| name = The Guitar Man
| Artist = [[Bread (band)|Bread]]
| cover = The_Guitar_Man_-_Bread.jpg
| from Album = [[Guitar Man]]
| alt =
| B-side =
| type = single
| Released = 1972
| artist = [[Bread (band)|Bread]]
| Format = [[7" single|7"]] 45 RPM
| album = [[Guitar Man (Bread album)|Guitar Man]]
| Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]]
| B-side = Just Like Yesterday
| Length = 3:46
| released = July 1972
| recorded =
⚫
| Label = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| Writer = [[David Gates]]
| studio =
| Producer = [[David Gates]]
| venue =
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[soft rock]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://oldies.about.com/od/70spopandsoul/g/Oldies-Music-Encyclopedia-Soft-Rock.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-08-20 |archive-date=2012-01-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121101504/http://oldies.about.com/od/70spopandsoul/g/Oldies-Music-Encyclopedia-Soft-Rock.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| Chart position =
| length = 3:46
⚫
| label = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| writer = [[David Gates]]
| producer = [[David Gates]]
| prev_title = [[Diary (Bread song)|Diary]]
| prev_year = 1972
| next_title = [[Sweet Surrender (David Gates song)|Sweet Surrender]]
| next_year = 1972
}}
}}
⚫
'''"The Guitar Man"''' is a song written by [[David Gates]] and originally recorded by the [[Popular music|pop]]/[[Rock music|rock]] group [[Bread (band)|Bread]], of which Gates was a member. It first appeared on Bread's [[1972 in music|1972]] album, which was titled ''[[Guitar Man]]''. The song is a mixture of the sounds of [[soft rock]], including strings and acoustic guitar, and the addition of a heavy metal electric guitar. It peaked at #11 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] chart in the [[United States]], and spent nine weeks in the [[Top 40]]. The song was a #1 hit on the [[Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks|adult contemporary]] chart, the third #1 on this chart for the band (following "[[If (Bread song)|If]]" and "[[Baby I'm-A Want You]]").


⚫
"'''The Guitar Man'''" is a song written by [[David Gates]] and originally recorded by the [[rock music|rock]] group [[Bread (band)|Bread]]. It first appeared on Bread's [[1972 in music|1972]] album, ''[[Guitar Man (Bread album)|Guitar Man]]''. It is a mixture of the sounds of [[soft rock]], including strings and acoustic guitar, and the addition of a [[Wah-wah pedal|wah-wah effect]] electric guitar, played by [[Larry Knechtel]]. It peaked at No. 11 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart in the United States and was their third No. 1 hit on the [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|easy listening]] chart,<ref>{{cite book |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2002 |publisher=Record Research |page=39}}</ref> (following "[[If (Bread song)|If]]" and "[[Baby I'm-a Want You (song)|Baby I'm-a Want You]]").
The song has also been covered by [[David J]] in his 2003 album ''Estranged'', and the band [[Cake (band)|Cake]] in their 2004 album ''[[Pressure Chief]]''.

''[[Record World]]'' called it a "superfine superhit" with a "beautiful tune, apt lyric, full, rich production."<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=July 15, 1972|accessdate=2023-03-30|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/72/Record-World-1972-07-15.pdf}}</ref> ''[[Cash Box]]'' said "this ballad proves [Bread's] versatility
and ability to handle a lyric that says a bit more than 'I love you.'"<ref name=cb>{{cite magazine|magazine=Cash Box|date=July 15, 1972|accessdate=2023-03-30|title=Cash Box Singles Reviews|page=20|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1972/Cash-Box-1972-07-15.pdf}}</ref> ''Cash Box'' also said the song "is about performers, but is bound to be a listener's dream."<ref name=cb/>

==Chart performance==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1972)
!align="left"|Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|Australia ([[Kent Music Report|KMR]])
| style="text-align:center;"|22
|-
|align="left"|Canada Top Singles ([[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'']])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4193&URLjpg=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f4/nlc008388.4193.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4193|title=Image : RPM Weekly|date=17 July 2013|website=Bac-lac.gc.ca|access-date=April 23, 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|-
|align="left"|Canada Adult Contemporary ([[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'']])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4200&URLjpg=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f4/nlc008388.4200.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4200|title=Image : RPM Weekly|date=17 July 2013|website=Bac-lac.gc.ca|access-date=April 23, 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|-
|{{singlechart|Ireland2|14|song=Guitar Man|access-date=July 1, 2018}}
|-
{{singlechart|New Zealand|8|artist=Bread|song=The Guitar Man|access-date=November 24, 2018}}
|-
{{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|16|artist=Bread|access-date=November 24, 2018}}
|-
{{singlechart|Billboardhot100|11|artist=Bread|access-date=November 24, 2018}}
|-
{{singlechart|Billboardadultcontemporary|1|artist=Bread|access-date=November 24, 2018}}
|-
|align="left"|US ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' Top 100<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19720923.html |title=Cash Box Top 100 9/23/72 |access-date=2016-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018215939/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19720923.html |archive-date=2016-10-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|10
|}

==Personnel==
*[[David Gates]] - [[singing|lead vocals]], [[bass guitar|bass]], [[violin]]
*[[Jimmy Griffin|James Griffin]] - [[acoustic guitar]], [[harmony vocals]]
*[[Larry Knechtel]] - [[lead guitar]]
*[[Mike Botts]] - [[drums]]

==Cover versions==
The song has been covered by [[David J]] on his 2003 album ''Estranged'', [[Cake (band)|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 (Hank Marvin album)|Guitar Man]]'' with a cover version of the song. In 2012 [[Wreckless Eric]] and [[Amy Rigby]] recorded a version for a fund raising CD titled ''Super Hits of the Seventies'' for radio station [[WFMU]]. In 2020, [[The Wild Feathers]] included a version of the song on their album "''Medium Rarities''".

==See also==
*[[List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1972 (U.S.)]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits'', 6th Edition, 1996


{{Bread (band)}}
<br clear="all">
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Guitar Man, The}}
[[Category:1972 singles]]
[[Category:1972 singles]]
[[Category:Bread songs|Guitar Man, The]]
[[Category:Bread (band) songs]]
[[Category:Cake songs|Guitar Man, The]]
[[Category:Songs written by David Gates]]
[[Category:Rock ballads]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks number-one singles|Guitar Man, The]]
[[Category:Songs about music]]
[[Category:Songs about musicians]]
[[Category:Songs about guitars]]
[[Category:1970s ballads]]
[[Category:1972 songs]]
[[Category:Cake (band) songs]]
[[Category:Elektra Records singles]]

Latest revision as of 06:30, 3 August 2024

For the Jerry Reed song, see Guitar Man (song).
"The Guitar Man"
Single by Bread
from the album Guitar Man
B-side"Just Like Yesterday"
ReleasedJuly 1972
GenreRock, soft rock[1]
Length3:46
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)David Gates
Producer(s)David Gates
Bread singles chronology
"Diary"
(1972) 		"The Guitar Man"
(1972) 		"Sweet Surrender"
(1972)

"The Guitar Man" is a song written by David Gates and originally recorded by the rock group Bread. It first appeared on Bread's 1972 album, Guitar Man. It 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 No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and was their third No. 1 hit on the easy listening chart,[2] (following "If" and "Baby I'm-a Want You").

Record World called it a "superfine superhit" with a "beautiful tune, apt lyric, full, rich production."[3] Cash Box said "this ballad proves [Bread's] versatility and ability to handle a lyric that says a bit more than 'I love you.'"[4] Cash Box also said the song "is about performers, but is bound to be a listener's dream."[4]

Chart performance

[edit]
Chart (1972) Peak
position
Australia (KMR) 22
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] 6
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[6] 7
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 14
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 8
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 16
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 11
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[11] 1
US Cash Box Top 100[12] 10

Personnel

[edit]

Cover versions

[edit]

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. In 2012 Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby recorded a version for a fund raising CD titled Super Hits of the Seventies for radio station WFMU. In 2020, The Wild Feathers included a version of the song on their album "Medium Rarities".

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. Retrieved 2013-08-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 39.
  3. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. July 15, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  4. ^ a b "Cash Box Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 15, 1972. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  5. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  7. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Guitar Man". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  8. ^ "Bread – The Guitar Man". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  9. ^ "Bread: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  10. ^ "Bread Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  11. ^ "Bread Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  12. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 9/23/72". Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
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