Baby I’m – A Want You – Bread | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#3) & Adult Contemporary (#1); 1971
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
By his mid-teens, future Bread lead singer David Gates had already mastered the piano, bass, and guitar. So naturally he formed a band, which included his girlfriend’s brother, Leon Russell.
In 1958 David Gates and The Accents released Jo Baby, in 1960 Johnny Burnette recorded David’s The Fool Of The Year, and in 1963 David and some famous session players released the Ski Surfin’ album as The Avalanches.
None set the charts on fire. 1964 saw David write the dreamy Popsicles And Icicles for The Murmaids (#3) and the girl-group rave-up My One And Only, Jimmy Boy (The Girlfriends, #49).
In 1968, Leon Russell suggested that David produce an album for James Griffin and Robb Royer. As Bread, the trio clicked and David finally had hits of his own, including Baby – I’m A Want You, the group’s fourth Top 10 single
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- David Gates
Lyrics Written by:
- David Gates
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).