David Bellamy- lead vocals, guitar; Howard Bellamy - lead vocals, guitar; Wally Dentz - bass, harmonica; Billy Crain - lead guitar; Danny Jones - pedal steel guitar; Juan Perez - drums; Jon LaFrandre - keyboards
This show, the second performance of the Bellamy Brothers recorded for the Silver Eagle Cross Country Radio Series, was captured long after the band had seen their biggest success, but while they still had a sizeable draw on the country music circuit. It had seemed that the Bellamy's were done with the country chart success they experienced during the 1970s, but shortly after this show was recorded, they would write and record a new song called "You'll Never Be Sorry," that stayed on the country charts for a remarkable 27 weeks.
Recorded at New York's legendary Lone Star Cafe on 52nd Street, the Bellamy Brother Band open and close the show with their biggest hit, "Let Your Love Flow." They go through a series of material from several of their albums, including the country hits, "Sugar Daddy," "You Ain't Just Whistling Dixie," "Old Hippie," "Its Hard To Be A Cowboy These Days," and the novelty songs, "Redneck Girl," and "Reggae Cowboy." Hearing all these songs together it is clear to see why the Bellamy Brothers have been enduring act for over 30 years.
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, rock 'n' roll that their older sister introduced to them, and 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 and later, Little Anthony & The Imperials. When David got out of school, the two brothers formed a soul band called Jericho, relocating in 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 it the two brothers soon saw success when the song soared to the top of the Country charts, and eventually #5 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 the song and within a few months, the Bellamy Brothers had a #1 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)."