Howard Bellamy - guitar vocals; David Bellamy - guitar, vocals; John LaFoundry - keyboards; Wally Dentz - bass; Juan Perez - drums; Billy Crane - guitar; Danny Jo Jones - pedal steel
Recorded in 1984 while they still maintained a stream of country and pop hits, this Bellamy Brothers show is considerably more concise than others recorded for the Silver Eagle Cross Country radio series. Two decades later, it serves as a sort of Greatest Hits Live collection, featuring most of the usual crowd pleasers.
The Bellamys had a strong following during this period, and many of their fans were also hard core Jimmy Buffett "parrotheads." Musically, the two acts had a lot in common, plus both were based out of Florida, at least initially.
There is nothing like the sound of sibling voices—as proved by the Everly Brothers and The Bee Gees—and the Bellamys are no exception. Their voices mix beautifully, and each boasts a powerful voice box in his own right.
Among the highlights here: "Strong Weakness," Redneck Girl," "Reggae Cowboy," "Do You Love As Good As You Look?," as well as the signature pop hits: "If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me)," "For All The Wrong Reasons," and "Let Your Love Flow."
Howard and David Bellamy grew up in Florida, where their parents had a successful orange grove plantation. Their father was a country swing musician on the side, and the boys grew up in a musical family listening to their father's country music, their older sister's rock 'n' roll, and the calypso music that the migrant works on their parent's farm would sing while in the fields.
After attending college at the University of Florida, Howard landed a job playing organ for Percy Sledge ("When A Man Loves A Woman") and, later, Little Anthony & The Imperials. When David got out of school, the two brothers formed a soul band called Jericho, and relocated to Atlanta.
Eventually, they moved back to Florida, and one of David's songs, "Spiders & Snakes," would end up in the hands of popular country artist Jim Stafford. Stafford liked the song enough to record it, and the two brothers soon saw success when the song soared to the top of the country charts, and, eventually, number five on the pop charts. The success of "Spiders & Snakes" got them a spot on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and brought them to the attention of the Nashville A&R brass.
The group signed with Curb Records in 1976, and the initial singles were released to little fanfare or success. Then, when a roadie for Neil Young named Larry Williams (who had been a friend of Howard's) gave them one of his songs, "Let Your Love Flow," the brothers immediately cut it.
Curb, knowing a hit when it heard one, released "Let Your Love Flow" as a single, and within a few months the Bellamy Brothers had a number-one hit on both the country and pop charts.
They would continue recording and touring but didn't see another major hit until 1979 when they wrote and recorded the massive country hit "If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me)." The title of the song, the brothers later revealed, came from Groucho Marx, who oft used it on his TV show You Bet Your Life.