As it was, “Let Your Love Flow” soared to number one in pop, but it did manage to make a pretty fair dent on the Billboard country chart, too, peaking at #21. The record built some momentum for the Bellamys in the country field and they placed four singles on the country playlist during 1978, inching a bit higher on the chart each time. The fourth record, “Lovin’ On” made it to #16, setting the stage for the completion of the brothers’ full-fledged transition to country with “If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me.”
David Bellamy got the title for the song from watching a rerun of one of the old “You Bet Your Life” programs on a Los Angeles TV station. Host Groucho Marx made the off-color remark on the show. Although the series was originally aired in the conservative 1950s, viewers tuned in mainly to hear what risqué things Groucho might say and he rarely disappointed. David thought the quip might make a good title for a song.
“If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me” reached number one on Billboard’s country singles chart on May 19, 1979 and stayed there for three weeks, securing a Grammy nomination in the process. It also outsold every other single during 1979 in England, where it established an unusual mark as the longest title to ever hit the British pop chart. The previous record-holder was Paul Evans’ 1959 recording called “Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat Hugging And Kissing With Fred.”
