THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

923-The Bellamy Brothers-Let Your Love Flow.

1976-Number 7 single. When re-issued in 2008, it reached Number 21.

Best Bit-At 0.44. Unlike the ‘Walker’s,’ and the ‘Righteous,’ and the ‘Beyond’s,’ these two are actually real brothers.

The Bellamy Brothers are the American ‘Pop,’ and ‘County’ duo of Homer Howard Bellamy, who was born on February 2nd, 1946, in Dade City, Florida, United States, and his younger brother David Milton Bellamy, who was born on September 16th, 1950, also in Dade City. The brothers first major breakthrough occurred in 1974 when they were introduced to the American singer/songwriter Jim Stafford. Together David Bellamy and Jim Stafford co-wrote ‘Spiders & Snakes,’ which would go on to make Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America, and Number 14 in the UK, in 1974. Homer Bellamy who was now using his middle name ‘Howard’ as his stage name, took on the role of road manager to Stafford. In 1975 the duo were signed to the ‘Curb Records’ label, where David released an unsuccessful single called ‘Nothin’ Heavy,’ which was just prior to the big breakthrough hit,’Let Your Love Flow.’

The Discography of The Bellamy Brothers includes 37 studio Albums released between 1976-2021, and 85 singles that have been issued between 1976-2019, there are also 19 official compilation Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, they have charted twice within the top 40, with ‘Let Your Love Flow’ going all the way to Number 1, and ‘If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me,’ reaching Number 39 in 1979. In the UK the same two songs remain their only chart entry’s, with ‘If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me,’ making Number 3. The Bellamy Brothers have found their greatest chart success on the American Billboard ‘Hot Country Songs’ chart where 35 of their singles have made that charts top 40, with 10 of those tracks reaching Number 1.

‘Let Your Love Flow’ was the debut single from The Bellamy Brothers, and also the title of their debut studio Album from 1976. ‘Let Your Love Flow’ was written by Larry E. Williams, and produced by Phil Gernhard, (1940-2008) (see also best songs 803) and Tony Scotti. The songs composer Larry Eugene Williams had been a roadie working for Neil Diamond (see also best songs 536-426 and 13) on his live shows. Williams offered the song to Diamond who turned it down, and then according to Howard Bellamy, the song was next offered to the American ‘Rockabilly’, and ‘Blue Eyed Soul’ singer Johnny Rivers who also passed it up, before Williams offered it to The Bellamy Brothers. ‘Let Your Love Flow’ was also recorded by the American ‘Pop/Folk’ singer Gene Cotton in the autumn of 1975 for single release, but it is unsure who actually recorded the first version.

Howard Bellamy has recalled how it paid off to be in the right place at the right time,’Around ’74, we moved from Florida to L.A. to kind of pursue a career. We’re from here in Central Florida in a little community called Darby, there is not much of a music scene here, to say the least. So we moved out there and met a lot of guys and met Neil Diamond’s band, became good friends with his band. And one day Neil’s drummer came over to our house and brought the demo of ‘Let Your Love Flow,’ and said, ‘Hey, this sounds like something you guys would do.’ So we went off to record that, and the rest is kind of history. It became not only the largest song of that year, it’s become somewhere in the area of one of the largest songs ever, as far as being played. And it’s become a standard, basically. I wish another one of those would come along.’ Bellamy has also gone on to say,’I would say the guy who wrote this song is the wealthiest roadie now that ever was.’

In 2008 ‘Let Your Love Flow’ was used in a television commercial to promote ‘Barclay’s Bank’s ‘Barclaycard’ in it’s contactless format, this brought the song to the attention of a whole new generation, and put it back in the UK top 40 again. David Bellamy said,’We had no idea the song ‘Let Your Love Flow’ had been licensed to Barclay for an advertisement until after the single started climbing the charts in England. Any artist is always thrilled when one of your signature songs has longevity like this because it was thirty-two years ago when we first released the tune.’

‘There’s a reason for the sunshine sky, and there’s a reason why I’m feelin’ so high. Must be the season when those love lights shine all around us. So let that feeling grab you deep inside, send you reeling where your love can’t hide, and then go stealing through the moonlit nights with your lover.’