The Best of Bread explained

The Best of Bread
Type:	greatest
Artist:	Bread
Cover:	The Best of Bread.jpg
Released:	March 1973
Genre:	Soft rock
Length:	33:25 60:14 (2001 re-issue)
Label:	Elektra
Producer:	David Gates
Prev Title:	Guitar Man
Prev Year:	1972
Next Title:	The Best of Bread, Volume 2
Next Year:	1974

The Best of Bread is a multi-platinum compilation album by the band Bread released in 1973 by Elektra Records. The original album contains 12 songs that were first released between 1969 and 1972.

Release history

In addition to the usual 2 channel stereo version the album was also released by Elektra in a 4 channel quadraphonic version in 1973. The quadraphonic version was released on LP record, 8-track tape and reel-to-reel tape. The quadraphonic LP was encoded using the Quadradisc system.

The 2001 CD re-issue by Rhino has eight additional tracks including several from the 1974 album The Best of Bread, Volume 2, along with the November 1976 single Lost Without Your Love.

In 2015 Audio Fidelity released the 12 song album on the Super Audio CD format. This edition contains both stereo and quadraphonic mixes.

Track listing

All songs written by David Gates except as noted.

Side one

1. "Make It with You" – 3:15
2. "Everything I Own" – 3:06
3. "Diary" – 3:05
4. "Baby I'm-a Want You" – 2:25
5. "It Don't Matter to Me" – 2:41
6. "If" – 2:33

Side two

7. "Mother Freedom" – 2:55
8. "Down on My Knees" (Gates, James Griffin) – 2:44
9. "Too Much Love" (Griffin, Robb Royer) – 2:45
10. "Let Your Love Go" – 2:25
11. "Look What You've Done" (Griffin, Royer) – 3:10
12. "Truckin'" (Griffin, Royer) – 2:31

Additional tracks (2001 re-issue)

13. "The Guitar Man" – 3:42
14. "Aubrey" – 3:36
15. "The Last Time" (Griffin, Royer) – 4:06
16. "Sweet Surrender" – 2:33
17. "He's a Good Lad" – 2:53
18. "Daughter" – 3:17
19. "Friends and Lovers" (Griffin, Royer, Tim Hallinan) – 3:50
20. "Lost Without Your Love" – 2:52

Tracks 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 19 appeared on 1974's The Best of Bread, Volume 2.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for The Best of Bread!Chart!Peak
position

Canadian RPM Albums Chart^[1]	3
New Zealand Albums Chart^[2]	15

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for The Best of Bread!Chart (1973)!Position

US Billboard Pop Albums^[3]	18
Chart (1974)	Position
US Billboard Pop Albums^[4]	28
Chart (1975)	Position
UK Albums (OCC)^[5]	44

References

• Elektra EKS-75056 (1973 LP)
• Rhino 74311 (2001 CD)
• Allmusic.com review of original 12 track LP (link)
• Allmusic.com review of 20 track CD re-issue (link)
• RIAA certifications of "Top 58 Best Selling (multi-platinum) Greatest Hits Albums 1955-2001" (link)

Notes and References

1. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4819&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=ccntousk30frf6h4jsn237nm12 Library and Archives Canada.
2. Web site: charts.nz Bread – The Best of Bread. Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. ASP. 2012-03-03.
3. Web site: https://archive.today/20121204135943/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/archivesearch/article_display/855834?imw=Y . Billboard.BIZ Top Pop Albums of 1973 . billboard.biz . 2012-12-04 . 2014-04-28 . dead .
4. Web site: https://archive.today/20121231123035/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/archivesearch/article_display/855864?imw=Y . Billboard.BIZ Top Pop Albums of 1974 . billboard.biz . 2012-12-31 . 2014-04-28 . dead .
5. 27 December 1975 . Top Selling Albums For 1975 . live . PDF . . 10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210309074922/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1975/Music-Week-1975-12-27.pdf . 9 March 2021 . worldradiohistory.com . 30 November 2021.