Few could match Bread’s chart success in the early 1970s, even if they might not have had the same critical renown as some of their contemporaries on the West Coast music scene. The delicate singer/songwriter era was epitomized by their tracks, 10 of which shot into the US Top 20. David Gates, who wrote and sang the majority of those tunes, told Gary James of Classicbands.com that he usually knew instantly when he had a smash song. Except for one instance.
“My instincts are correct nine times out of ten,” Gates remarked. “Diary” tricked me. It wasn’t a commercial hit, in my opinion. It never occurred to me that it would be a Top 40 song, even though I thought it was a beautiful, private little ballad.
In fact, “Diary” rose as high as number 15 in 1972. Perhaps the allure of a fantastic twist ending is the one element that Gates failed to consider while evaluating the music. It’s the sort of thing that’s a little simpler to do in a film where the surprise is set up over a few hours. Gates does this far more difficult task in a song while still telling a poignant tale of unrequited love.
Gates starts off with singing, “I found her diary underneath a tree/And started reading about me,” while the scene is built up with a somber acoustic guitar and ethereal electronics. The narrator is shocked to discover that the girl he secretly loves feels the same way about him after gaining access to her innermost thoughts and this priceless book. He sings, “Wouldn’t you know it?” “She refused to display it.”
