Who says that country music can’t mix with Yacht Rock? The Bellamy Brothers developed into one of the top country acts of the 80s. But they made their first splash as a pop act in the mellow mid-70s.
Videos by American Songwriter
Their biggest hit, “Let Your Love Flow”, gave off sparkling, soothing vibes amidst the twang. How it landed in the laps of The Bellamy Brothers is a story that encompasses Jim Stafford, Neil Diamond, and a roadie who wrote a one-off sensation.
Brothers Making It Big
David and Howard Bellamy grew up listening to their parents’ favorite country music as lads in Florida. Eventually, they started to discover the harder rocking songs of the late 60s. All that coalesced into a desire to make music of their own, which they did in a few different local bands.
When none of those efforts materialized into anything special, they reconcentrated their efforts on becoming studio musicians. At one point, David was writing commercial jingles as a trade-off for getting some studio time to put together demos of songs he was writing.
One of those songs, “Spiders & Snakes”, was inspired by some close calls with the creepy crawlies in their Florida environs. The country-pop crossover artist Jim Reeves discovered the track and turned it into a Top 5 hit in 1973. Reeves then invited the brothers to the West Coast, which seemed like their best conduit to a recording career of their own.
“Flow” Chart
As David and Howard searched for a record deal, they ended up doing some demos with members of Neil Diamond’s band. That band’s drummer brought a song to their attention that he thought might work for them. It was called “Let Your Love Flow”, written by Larry Williams, who was, at the time, serving as a roadie for Diamond.
The brothers found that Williams had turned the song in to producer Phil Gernhard, who was also Reeves’ producer. Apparently, Diamond had neglected the chance to record it. Once Gernhard played it for them, The Bellamy Brothers pounced on the opportunity.
Smart move. “Let Your Love Flow” shot to No. 1 on the pop charts in 1976. Perhaps the brothers knew that they weren’t quite suited for that world, however. Country music soon embraced them to the tune of 26 Top 10 hits, ten of which made it all the way to No. 1.
Behind the Lyrics of “Let Your Love Flow”
Larry Williams’ lyrics for “Let Your Love Flow” suggest that the cosmos insists on people enjoying each other’s romantic company. So why resist it? Nature provides “sunshine sky,” “warm sweet nights,” and “candlelights” for us to enjoy. We should take advantage.
Even though the song arrived in 1976, it feels like a remnant of the flower power era. “You let your love fly like a bird on a wing,” the Bellamys insist. “And let your love bind you to all living things.” Give in to this concept, and bliss awaits: “Just let your love flow like a mountain stream/And let your love grow with the smallest dreams.”
As far as we can tell, Larry Williams never earned any more songwriting credits of note. No big deal, since “Let Your Love Flow” likely earned him a pretty penny. Its status as a Yacht Rock perennial has also earned The Bellamy Brothers honorary status in that world, even as they garnered their most renown for their country music excellence.
Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.