Robb Royer Bread When did he join bread Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin co-founded Bread with David Gates in 1968.
How did the band start
How did the band Bread start?
Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin co-founded Bread with David Gates in 1968. Maria Yolanda Aguayo once again contributed to the band's history when she revealed a trend she noticed as (Record Producer) Gary Usher's desk girl at CBS Records - band managers generally waited in the lobby but attorneys generally had immediate access to the executives at CBS. The trio quickly hired Al Schlesinger to represent them and he pitched their group to three labels in their search of a recording contract: Elektra Records, The Beatles' Apple Records and Atlantic Records, but Apple did not have clear leadership and was quickly eliminated from the process while Atlantic had recently signed two supergroups - Crosby Stills & Nash and Led Zeppelin - and they were based on the East Coast. Elektra was the label for The Doors, but were becoming embroiled in Jim Morrison's legal battles. When both Atlantic and Elektra offered recording deals to Bread, the group chose the Elektra deal because they had a local headquarters in L.A. and the group felt Elektra would more actively promote them, given Atlantic's other recent signings.  The first album made use of Jimmy Gordon's drumming and Gordon also performed drums with the group during their initial gigs, but due to Gordon's high demand among multiple recording artists and his participation with the artists that eventually became Derek and the Dominos, he was replaced with Mike Botts as the group's regular drummer, thus expanding the band to a quartet.  After three years, Robb Royer and David Gates came to a breaking point because Gates wanted more control of the group, so Royer left the group in 1971 after its third album Manna and was replaced with famous session keyboardist/bassist/guitarist Larry Knechtel, who had previously contributed the piano performance on Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Royer continued to write with Griffin and Bread continued to record Royer/Griffin collaborations. CANNOTANSWER
Maria Yolanda Aguayo once again contributed to the band's history when she revealed a trend she noticed as (Record Producer) Gary Usher's desk girl
Robert Wilson "Robb" Royer (born December 6, 1942 in Los Angeles, California) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of Bread from 1968 to 1971. While he was with the band, they had a #5 UK/#1 US hit single with "Make It With You". He was replaced by Larry Knechtel in 1971.

In 1970, Royer and Jimmy Griffin, under the pseudonyms Robb Wilson and Arthur James, wrote the lyrics for "For All We Know," featured in the film Lovers and Other Strangers. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Before co-founding Bread, Royer had been a member of the band The Pleasure Fair, whose only album in 1967 was produced and arranged by David Gates, Royer's future bandmate in Bread.

Now living and working in Nashville, his songwriting credits include works for Jimmy Griffin, The Remingtons, Mary Chapin Carpenter, John Michael Montgomery, Randy Travis, Billy Burnette, The Finnigan Brothers (Mike Finnigan) and others.

Musical career

Early interests in music
Robb Royer was exposed to recordings of classical music from early childhood and in Junior High school he pursued playing clarinet in the band.  He attended and graduated from Sierra High School in Tollhouse, CA.  While there he briefly participated in marching band but preferred to focus on the music rather than the marching.  During his senior year he participated in concert band playing alto saxophone.

Royer obtained his first guitar when he was a 19-year-old sophomore at San Fernando Valley State College (now California State University, Northridge).  He met Tim Hallinan at the school. "Finally, when I began playing guitar, the scales tipped and Tim saw reason to talk to me. He liked to sing and I liked to play."

The two began to perform together as "Robb & Tim" and then later added the talent of Michele Cochrane.  Hallinan recalled "What I remember best about Michele was, first, that she could actually sing. I was just faking it, doing what I’ve done since I was born, an approach to life that begins with the words, 'Act like you can –'  In this case, it was sing. But Michele actually could; she had a glorious voice."

The Pleasure Fair
Soon the trio became a quartet with the addition of Stephen Cohn, who had previously graduated from Valley State's music department, giving a senior recital in classical guitar.  The group called themselves by various names, the most notable being "The Pleasure Fair" and by 1966 they managed to obtain a recording contract for a single with Hanna Barbera Records under the name "The Rainy Day People".  "Junior Executive" was the "A" side, backed with "I'm Telling It To You" (both songs written by Cohn, Hallinan and Royer) 

A year later the group signed a recording contract with Uni Records in 1967 David Gates was hired as the arranger and conductor for the Pleasure Fair's self-titled album.

Royer's song "Say What You See" (co-written with Tim Hallinan) would end up in 1968 being produced by Jimmy Griffin and arranged by David Gates.  It was sung by a trio calling themselves "The Curtain Calls."  Soon afterward in the same year the three founding members of Bread (Royer, Griffin and Gates) would combine forces as their own group.

Jimmy Griffin collaborations
Robb Royer met Jimmy Griffin through a mutual friend, Maria Yolanda Aguayo, who would later become Griffin's wife.  Initially Griffin asked Royer to help with writing horn parts for a music course that Griffin was taking.  Soon Royer and Griffin were working together as staff songwriters for Viva Publishing.  Jimmy Griffin had been hired by Viva first and was originally supposed to write with another Viva writer, but preferred working with Royer.  Griffin soon forced the issue with Viva when he asked if they wanted only half of the publishing rights or all of the rights, resulting in Viva hiring Royer by 1967.  Griffin earned $75 a week (US$ in  dollars) and Royer received $50 a week (US$ in  dollars), but those salaries were sufficient to pay the rent at that time (Royer's rent for his L.A. apartment was $80 a month in 1967).

Royer and Griffin, using the pseudonyms Robb Wilson and Arthur James, wrote the lyrics for "For All We Know," featured in the film Lovers and Other Strangers, which won the Academy Award for Best Song.  The song has charted three times: The Carpenters (1971) reached number one on the Adult Contemporary charts (#3 in the Billboard Hot 100); Shirley Bassey (1971) reached number six on the UK charts; Nicki French (1995) reached number 42 on the UK charts.

Royer and Griffin would continue to write and collaborate on various projects until Griffin's death in 2005.

Bread
Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin co-founded Bread with David Gates in 1968. Maria Yolanda Aguayo once again contributed to the band's history when she revealed a trend she noticed as (Record Producer) Gary Usher’s desk girl at CBS Records – band managers generally waited in the lobby but attorneys generally had immediate access to the executives at CBS. The trio quickly hired Al Schlesinger to represent them and he pitched their group to three labels in their search of a recording contract: Elektra Records, The Beatles' Apple Records and Atlantic Records, but Apple did not have clear leadership and was quickly eliminated from the process while Atlantic had recently signed two supergroups – Crosby Stills & Nash and Led Zeppelin – and they were based on the East Coast. Elektra was the label for The Doors, but were becoming embroiled in Jim Morrison’s legal battles. When both Atlantic and Elektra offered recording deals to Bread, the group chose the Elektra deal because they had a local headquarters in Los Angeles and the group felt Elektra would more actively promote them, given Atlantic’s other recent signings.

The first album made use of Jimmy Gordon’s drumming and Gordon also performed drums with the group during their initial gigs, but due to Gordon’s high demand among multiple recording artists and his participation with the artists that eventually became Derek and the Dominos, he was replaced with Mike Botts as the group’s regular drummer, thus expanding the band to a quartet.

After three years, Robb Royer and David Gates came to a breaking point because Gates wanted more control of the group, so Royer left the group in 1971 after its third album Manna and was replaced with famous session keyboardist/bassist/guitarist Larry Knechtel, who had previously contributed the piano performance on Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.  Royer continued to write with Griffin and Bread continued to record Royer/Griffin collaborations.

Griffin and Knechtel
Bread disbanded in 1973 and Jimmy, Larry and Robb ended up working together, releasing one album with Polydor records in 1973 under the name “James Griffin & Co.”  although none of the songs charted.  The trio began work on a second album but it was completed by other producers and released in Europe.

Toast/Radio Dixie
In 1982 Royer wrote the song “Quittin’ Time” (co-written with Roger Linn) which eight years later was recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter and won an ASCAP Airplay award.  Royer traveled to Nashville to receive the award and stayed with Griffin, who had previously relocated from L.A. to Nashville.  Larry Knechtel had also been living and working as a session musician in Nashville.  Royer relocated to Nashville in 1994.

Todd Cerney was already a grammy-nominated songwriter when Royer met him in 1994 at Jim Della Croce's house.  Cerney had written two top-forty songs (Loverboy’s “Notorious” and Restless Heart’s “I'll Still Be Loving You,” which reached number one on the Country charts).  Cerney had established a private recording studio in his home where he engineered a number of other singer-songwriters’ albums.

Griffin, Royer and Cerney first collaborated by co-writing the song “Kyrie” in 1994.  Knechtel later joined the trio and together they performed and co-wrote songs (including the 1995 song “Slow Train”) under the band name “Toast”.  Toast performed at various Nashville venues including the Bluebird, Third and Lindsley,  and 12th & Porter.  They wrote and performed their own songs including such titles as “Road Kill,” “Knechtelodeon,” ”No More Smokin’,” “Grenadine,” “Magdelena,” and “Radio Dixie.”  The group used session drummers for their recordings and performances.  The group would later be known as Radio Dixie in 1998.  The name change was intended to help with promotion of the group, but the group disbanded by the end of 1998.  Royer and Cerney continued to write together, generating additional titles including ”Hurtin’ Cowboy,” ”New Orleans Prayer,” “I Believe I Kissed an Angel,” and “Beside Myself.”

Cosmo and Robetta
Robb Royer, fulfilling a deathbed wish from Jimmy Griffin, completed in 2010 a project begun by the two in 1973 after Bread's first breakup.  A mix of rock opera and radio "Theater of the Mind," the project is a dramatic narration completed with sound effects and music which tells the story of Cosmo, an electronics whiz who is the sole human employee of Savage motors.  In his spare time he has built Robetta, a robot who later becomes nearly human in appearance and abilities. The project was an expansion of an earlier work, "The Plastic Sibling", co-written by Robb alongside a number of college friends, including Tim Hallinan.

Additional songwriting
Royer collaborated with Richard Fagan to write "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" which was recorded by John Michael Montgomery and became a number one Billboard Country chart hit in 1995.

References

External links
 The Robb Royer Pitch Sheet blog
 Nashfilms Records Robb Royer CEO
 Robb Royer interview

1942 births
Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters
Living people
American rock guitarists
American male bass guitarists
American multi-instrumentalists
American rock keyboardists
American rock bass guitarists
American male singers
American flautists
American rock saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Record producers from California
Singers from California
Songwriters from California
Guitarists from Los Angeles
20th-century American bass guitarists
21st-century saxophonists
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians
American male songwriters
How to Start a Fire is the second album by the Pompano Beach, Florida rock band Further Seems Forever, released in 2003 by Tooth & Nail Records. It was the band's only album with vocalist Jason Gleason, who had replaced original singer Chris Carrabba when the latter left the band to focus on his new project Dashboard Confessional. Gleason would leave the band the following year due to interpersonal tensions and be replaced by former Sense Field singer Jon Bunch. How to Start a Fire was also the band's first album with guitarist Derick Cordoba, replacing original guitarist Nick Dominguez.

Background and production
Frontman Chris Carrabba left Further Seems Forever as his side project Dashboard Confessional was becoming popular. He returned briefly to record the group's debut album The Moon Is Down (2001), but left before its eventual release. Following this, the group enlisted former Affinity vocalist Jason Gleason as their frontman. His earliest recorded performances appeared on the Rock Music: A Tribute to Weezer (2001) and Punk Goes Pop (2001) compilations. Guitarist Nick Dominguez was replaced by Derick Cordoba.

Recording for How to Start a Fire started in June 2002, with sessions taking place at Wisner Productions. James Paul Wisner and Further Seems Forever served as producers; Wisner handled recording, engineering and mixing. Halfway through recording, the band toured as part of the Warped Tour in mid-2002, and later embarked on an east coast and midwestern US tour with Breaking Pangaea. After returning home, they spent another month recording. Alan Douches mastered the tracks at West West Side Mastering.

Composition
Musically, the sound of How to Start a Fire has been described as emo and indie rock, drawing comparisons to the Juliana Theory, Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World and early Manic Street Preachers. The band operated in two modes for the album: louder tracks with angular guitar lines and harsh rhythm parts with catchy chorus sections, as displayed in the title-track and "The Sound"; and the softer mode, as shown in "A Blank Page Empire" and "I Am". It introduces string and piano instrumentation into the group's sound and showcases Gleason's vocal style, which was similar to Carrabba's albeit grainer. The lyrics focused on poetic imagery to convey the tone; Gleason offered a darker perspective, in comparison to Carabba, which was mainly pessimistic with overtones of hope. Wisner provided keyboard and additional guitar parts to the recordings.

The opening track "How to Start a Fire" starts with the sound of a struck match, shifting into a hardcore punk-indebted song. "The Sound" bounces between post-hardcore verse sections and harmony-infused chorus sections in the vein of Cheap Trick. "A Blank Page Empire" is an alternative blues shuffle track about dealing with the loss of a loved one, and was compared to The Moon Is Down track "Snowbirds and Townies". "I Am" is about questioning the viability of a strained relationship. It starts off partially acoustic before building to an electric ending, in the vein of "For Evangeline" by the Juliana Theory and The Moon Is Down number "Monachett". "Pride War" tackles the theme of egotism. "On Legendary" opens with an acoustic guitar intro. "Insincerity as an Artform" features the use of guitar harmonics. "The Deep" showcased Gleason's wider vocal abilities. The closing track "Aurora Borealis (In Long Form)" incorporates a string section alongside the loud guitars. Over the course of the near-five minute song, Gleason's voice changes from singing to screaming and back again.

Release
In August 2002, Further Seems Further went on a tour of Germany. In October and November 2002, the band went on tour across the US alongside New Found Glory, Something Corporate and Finch. How to Start a Fire was made available for streaming on January 14, 2003, before released through Tooth & Nail Records on February 11. In February and March, the band embarked on a headlining US tour, with support from Elliott, the Early November, the Rise, the Beautiful Mistake, Open Hand, and Twothirtyeight. The music video for "The Sound" was posted on MP4.com on March 10. Following this, they toured with the Ataris and the Juliana Theory on a two-month tour of the US. The band went on The Made Tour, which ran from June to August; they played alongside the Movielife, Autopilot Off, and Anberlin. In September, the band participated in the Take Action Tour. How to Start a Fire was released in the UK on October 13. Gleason left the band in early 2004, citing that they "spent too much time" together "packed in a box".

Four of the album's tracks – "Pride War", "Against My Better Judgement", the title-track and "The Sound" – later appeared on the group's compilation album Hope This Finds You Well (2006). In 2016, the group went on tour playing How to Start a Fire with Gleason.

Reception

How to Start a Fire would go on to sell over 100,000 by 2013. Exclaim! ranked it at number six on their Best Punk Album of the year list. Christianity Today included the album at number 11 on their best Christian albums of the year list. Jesus Freak Hideout ranked it at number 18 on their list of the top 100 Tooth & Nail releases.

Cross Rhythms writer Tony Cummings said due to the "smouldering vocals" from Gleason, the "exceptional light-and-shade dynamics" from the group, combined with the "inventive arrangements", it stood as "every bit the equal" to The Moon Is Down. Christianity Today Andy Argyrakis said it was "a fitting follow-up that presents the band in a tighter, more cohesive environment." AllMusic reviewer Johnny Loftus said Gleason aided the band in making "a focused and fiery sophomore effort" with "a greater understanding of formula." Jesus Freak Hideout staff member Sherwin Frias said Gleason carried "the same emotional style as his forebear", which allowed the group "to pick up right where it left off." The record "has proven itself strong enough to stand apart from its predecessor's imposing shadow." Post-Bulletin found Gleason's "more mature voice ... a much better fit for the band's music than Carrabba's whiny squeak." With the album, the group "took a risk and the result is 10 great songs" with them being "finally poised to make a name with their music, not with their past." Rolling Stone reviewer Kristin Roth said it "burns with incendiary power-pop guitar riffs and smolders with intensely emotive vocals", with Gleason incorporating "both a harder edge and a softer underbelly to the band's sound".

musicOMH contributor Vik Bansal complimented the group's "louder" mode, "although these songs definitely rock, they are never overbearingly aggressive". The group infrequently "over-elaborate with the rhythms and guitar patterns, and every now and again a little more rage would not go amiss." Stuart Green of Exclaim! said that while Gleason lacked Carrabba's lyricism, "his contribution to this disc cannot be ignored. His torment and lovelorn angst is sincere and affecting." He found the tracks "a little less complex" than those on The Moon Is Down, "although no less interesting." In a review for Punknews.org, staff member Scott Heisel asked the question "So how did the band do?" before answering himself with: "Not bad. Not amazing, not great, but not bad." He elaborated that it was "spotty" with a "feeling of deja vu tends to creep up throughout the album". Arizona Daily Wildcat writer Adam Pugh said the addition of Gleason "changed the whole concept of what the band was" negatively, as they lacked "the intensity of the first album and just sticks with mediocre lyrics and an endless barrage of cry-alongs." The Pitch Geoff Harkness criticized the band for "rely[ing] on paint-by-numbers chord progressions" with "remedial lyrics ... that are scarred from a terminal case of hackney." He said the group "might be able to overcome the loss of its original singer, but a second record that continues Fire trite tradition might as well be titled How to Extinguish a Career."

Track listing
All songs written by Further Seems Forever.

"How to Start a Fire" – 2:51
"The Sound" – 3:41
"A Blank Page Empire" – 4:09
"Against My Better Judgement" – 3:41
"I Am" – 3:24
"Pride War" – 3:04
"On Legendary"  – 3:40
"Insincerity as an Artform" – 3:44
"The Deep"  – 3:46
"Aurora Borealis (In Long Form)" – 4:50

Personnel
Personnel per booklet.

Further Seems Forever
 Jason Gleasonvocals
 Josh Colbertguitar
 Derick Cordobaguitar
 Chad Neptunebass
 Steve Kleisathdrums

Additional musicians
 James Paul Wisnerkeys, additional guitar

Production
 James Paul Wisnerproducer, recording, engineer, mixing
 Further Seems Foreverproducer, art direction, design
 Alan Douchesmastering
 Brandon Ebelexecutive producer
 Bill Powerexecutive producer
 David Rankinillustrations
 Alan Fergusonband photography
 Kris McCaddondesign

References
Citations

Sources

 

2003 albums
Further Seems Forever albums
Tooth & Nail Records albums The Away Days is a Turkish dream pop band formed in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2012 by Can Özen (vocals, guitar) and Sezer Koç (guitar, bas guitar), but the current line-up consists of Can Ozen and Orkun Atik.

History
Formed in 2012 by Oğuz Can Özen and Sezer Koç, the band released their debut EP, How Did It All Start, independently in late 2012. Following year, the band released their first music video, "Galaxies", and performed at South by Southwest festival, attracting international attention. In addition, the band performed at The Great Escape Festival and toured United Kingdom. The band also opened for artists such as Portishead, Paul Banks and Owen Pallett.

In 2014, the band released the singles "Your Colour" and "Paris" with respective music videos. The music videos were premiered by Clash and Spin, respectively.

Musical style
The band's musical style has been described as "dream pop" and "shoegazing." Clash magazine editor Robin Murray wrote that "the band's material matches the citrus-sharp songcraft of School of Seven Bells with the whirlwind drumming of early Ride," while also noting that "there's even a bit of Swervedriver's rock edge in there." Mischa Pearlman of The Guardian wrote: "Turkish shoegaze might not be a major phenomenon, but given the breadth of their [The Away Days'] talent, it soon could be." Zachary Lipez of Vice described the band's style as "a solid mix of 2006 Brooklyn, forever Flying Nun, and The La’s if they were mentored by the Reid brothers." The band's lyrics are sung entirely in English.

On the band's name, lead vocalist Oğuz Can Özen stated: " We called the band The Away Days, not because we feel we don’t belong to Istanbul or Turkey, but because we don’t feel like belonging anywhere. And maybe Istanbul didn’t have a great deal of influence to our music, but it has been a great home for us." On the influences, Özen further stated: "We [Özen and Koç] both listened to Selda and The Strokes when we were kids. But now, as we begin our twenties, we're trying to find some rare music influences through far east and India." He also listed Joy Division, The Stooges and The Smiths as personal influences.

Members
Current members
Oğuz Can Özen – vocals, guitar

Discography
Albums
 Dreamed at Dawn (2017)

EPs
 How Did It All Start (2012)
 THIS (2015)

Singles
 "Your Colour" (2014)
 "Paris" (2014)
 "Best Rebellious" (2014)
"Paris (Portecho Remix)" (2014)
"World Horizon" (2016)
"Places to Go" (2016)
"You Think You're High" (2018)
"Designed" (2019)
"Sadness Will Last Forever" (2020)

Music videos
 "Galaxies" (2013)
 "Your Colour" (2014)
 "Paris" (2014)
 "Sleep Well" (2014)
 "Best Rebellious" (2015)
 "Calm Your Eyes" (2015)
 "World Horizon" (2016)
"White Whale" (2017)
"Designed" (2019)

References

Musical groups established in 2012
Turkish indie rock groups
Shoegazing musical groups
Dream pop musical groups
Indie pop groups
Musical groups from Istanbul
Turkish rock music groups
Musical quintets
2012 establishments in Turkey