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DARBY — To the uninitiated, it would seem an unlikely pairing: a country duo with a crossover pop hit from the mid '70s and a Swiss rocker who is as famous in his country as Michael Jackson was here.
Yet those who follow Pasco's own Bellamy Brothers probably wouldn't be surprised that they recently teamed up to make a CD with Swiss sensation Marco Pfeuti, known to fans by his nickname Gola.
The brothers, Howard, 64, and David, 59, have toured in yodeling country a number of times, said publicist Shane Wooten. Their 1976 hit song Let Your Love Flow also climbed back up the charts last year when it was played on a Barclay Bank ad in Europe.
"While the Bellamy Brothers have been one of America's favorite duos for the past 35 years, they have also built a huge fan base while touring in Europe," Wooten said. "In addition, while growing up, Gola was fascinated by the Bellamy Brothers music and has idolized them as musicians from a young age."
Music giant Universal Music Switzerland conceptualized the project and approached the Bellamy Brothers and Gola.
The artists, along with a Swiss camera crew and a writer from Blick magazine, recently traveled to the brothers' ranch in east Pasco to record video footage and document the visit in advance of the release of the album, Duets.
After the work, the country duo introduced the 41-year-old Swiss singer to the local culture. Gola and the crew enjoyed Cuban food, toured Tarpon Springs and Honeymoon Island at Caladesi Island State Park, where Gola fell in love with the warm gulf water.
"Where Gola is from, the glacier lakes make for very cold swimming holes," Wooten said. "Therefore it was no surprise when Gola spent more than three hours straight in the ocean." He then dove into the powdery sand and covered himself from head to toe.
Gola also went on a shopping spree, buying jeans, shirts and, of course, cowboy boots and a hat, Wooten said.
But the highlight of the trip happened after he returned to the Bellamy Brothers' Ranch to finish some songs at the studio: a chance to see a gator in one of the Bellamy ponds, the one they call Big Daddy — even though it's only 5 feet long.
"My trip to Florida is now complete," he told his hosts.
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