Carl's Scrapbook: The 70s: The Bellamy Brothers Band

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 CHAPTER FOUR

The Recordings

There's nothing like performing on a stage in front of a crowd of people -- be it thousands or tens. To be able to emotionally move an audience, from tears to cheers is the entertainers dream. Problem is, once the show is over, the memory fades and like with any other addiction, it has to be repeated with some regularity in order to keep that "feel good feelin'".

Recordings, on the other hand, stay with you....forever!

It was late in 1978 when we recorded our first single, "Lovin' On", for Warner/Curb records, in producer Michael Lloyds apartment in L.A.. I did the acoustic overdubs standing in a hallway, down from the bedroom, where the mixing board was located. The song only made it into the twenties, but it was still quite a rush to hear our work on the radio. If you've ever heard "Lovin On"-- you hear it's obvious similarity in feel to "Let Your Love Flow", the Brothers huge hit from 1976. "Lovin' On" was not a big hit but it did remind the listening public about what they had liked so much about the Bellamys. The stage was set.

By early 1979 we were back in L.A. finishing up our first album, "The Two and Only", with the Brothers. Michael Lloyd had moved into a "nice" home in Beverly Hills and had his studio in the guest house, next to the pool. It was a tuff go, but we made the best of it.

That first album had it's ups and downs. It was recorded under a little duress, in that our drummer, Rodney Price, was not allowed to play on most of the songs on that first album. This was a bit of a downer, since we had worked so hard as a group up to this point. The bulk of the drums were played by the legendary Carlos Vega (seasoned studio percussionist and tour drummer with James Taylor). Rodney was somewhat let down (to say the least), but the two became good friends and Rodney's drumming was heavily influenced by Vegas' style from then on.

In the musicians credits for "The Two and Only", the Dizzy Rambler Band is the credit name listed for the band. As a band we were not what you would call "hot" - but we were tight and well rehearsed. The arrangements were truly a group effort and everyone's ideas were given a shot.

From that album came the number one hit "If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me)" and probably my favorite David Bellamy tune of all time, "You Ain't Just Whistlin' Dixie" (I think it made number one on at least one chart, if not on Billboard). The album also included our first chart single "Lovin' On".

   The Hits From "Two and Only"

 

Our second album, "You Can Get Crazy", was also recorded at Michael Lloyds studio in Beverly Hills in mid-1979. It was an extension of the first album (only about six months apart), and contained the number one hits, "Sugar Daddy" and "Dancin' Cowboys".

   The Hits From "You Can Get Crazy"

 

Other than the obvious - "they sing real good together" - the key to the Bellamy's success (in my humble opinion) has always been David's ability to pen shamelessly commercial hooks into well crafted songs. I only wish that I could be so prolific for so many years. But, I would also like to think that their initial success (after "Let Your Love Flow") was also partially due to their band. Our performances were a little on the crude side and the arrangements were somewhat simple, but the band had a very distinctive sound. I will always be proud to have contributed a small part to that successful sound.