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
The Bellamy Brothers recorded both early and late shows on this date for the Silver Eagle Cross Country Radio Series in 1982; having relocated to Los Angeles, it was only natural that this popular country duo play this venue. Although the Palomino was best known for embracing the New Traditionalist country movement, the Bellamys were certainly well accepted by the audience as soon as they began playing their distinct brand of country pop.
Although the group's biggest hit was not included in this set ("Let Your Love Grow"), they do include a number of their fan favorites such as "Dancin' Cowboys," "The Night They Killed Country," and "It's Hard To Be A Cowboy These Days," which laments about the changing country music business. The duo reprises David's "Spiders and Snakes," the hit he wrote for country star Jim Stafford that launched their career. And on "I Love You For All the Wrong Reasons," the boys sing about unrequited love, their most common theme.
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, while also hearing the 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. The brothers had been influenced heavily by'60s rock and R&B acts such as The Beatles, the Stones, and The Temptations, but had grown up and learned to play in a home steeped heavily in country music.
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" ended 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 #5 on the pop charts. The success of "Spiders & Snakes" earned 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 it, and within a few months the Bellamy Brothers had a #1 song on both the country and pop charts.