"Dear World" by David Gates

With his trademark angelic voice, David Gates is best known as a leader of the soft rock band Bread. After the last slice of Bread disappeared, Gates got a fresh start as a solo artist. His solo work is just another loaf of Bread, so to speak, but his songs never quite got the attention of the band's material.

Gates first chart appearance as a solo artist was the long winded suite called "Clouds," which somehow floated to #47 in 1973. He managed better in 1975 with "Never Let Her Go," which hit #29 (incidentally, this is also his best solo album in my opinion).

A successful Bread union in 1977 served to sandwich his solo career, and Gates scored a comeback hit with "Goodbye Girl" in 1977. Thanks to being featured in a movie of the same name, the sweet tune went all the way to #15. Gates couldn't hold on to that momentum though and scored his last charting single in 1981 with "Take Me Now" landing at #62. After that, Gates left the music scene to run a cattle ranch.

No one expected Gates to release a brand new album 13 years later amid the grunge craze, but then again Celine Dion just scored a #1 hit, reminding us that soft rock never dies. The album was called "Love Is Always Seventeen" and is trademark Gates, with some leftover 80s electric piano. His voice sounded as silky smooth as ever. Highlights from the record include the title track, "Ordinary Man," and this one, "Dear World."