The Future Is Here, Jim, But Not in the Way That We Know It: David Gates

By 1973, Gates was a household name. Bread had become world superstars, but the tension between Gates and co-leader James Griffin put the band on a hiatus, allowing Gates to release his debut solo album. First was made, unsurprisingly, with the cream of LA session players, and showcased all his sweetness and craft. However, at the end of its first side, First contains a slice of proper prog. Suite: Clouds, Rain is a rumination on life and love inspired by a plane journey home. It’s two songs joined together, with epic synths and a piano motif redolent of Jimmy Webb’s MacArthur Park. It was recorded by Gates, on keyboards and guitar, over a rhythm section of Larry Knechtel (bass) and Russ Kunkel (drums); his sleeve essayist Alan Robinson, notes, “It’s a splendidly atmospheric concoction… making for a mini-masterpiece of subtly shaded mood and tone, and the way that the sharp tang of electric guitar pierces the carefully-created atmosphere is illustrative of how many years of studio technique he could bring into play.”

Clouds, the first part of the song, ends with a portentous thunderclap. A section from this was taken for a single, reaching the US Top 50 and striking a chord with a lot of British fans as it was used as a closing theme for Samantha Dubois’ show on Radio Caroline.

Gates returned to Bread, and when he had later solo success with the track, Goodbye Girl, he put together a compilation of his first two albums, and Suite: Clouds, Rain (re-titled the less proggy Clouds Suite) featured prominently; he was duly proud of his work.

David Gates has now retired from music, but his big copyrights remain staples of oldies programming. But, for those who prefer something a little deeper, a visit to this quite wonderful track is thoroughly recommended.