THE BET
Belgium's laid-back, mainstream, slick pop-group of the early eighties. Their
modest, quiet guitar rock never brought them to great heights.
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Songs
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"Don't talk to the liar"
39,8 sec. - 78 Kb.
song : M. Vanhie
Producer : H. Duchateau
Year : 1981
Record co. : Payola Records
"No"
43,8 sec. - 86 Kb.
song : M. Vanhie, G.Keppens
Producer : M. Lawrence
Year : 1981
Record co. : Payola - EMI
"Roll on"
40,9 sec. - 80 Kb.
song : M. Vanhie
Producer : P. Lacirignola
Year : 1983
Record co. : EMI
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Start off their career when Mark Vanhie and Rik Aerts of the group Frenzy join
forces with rhythm-section Guido Vanmilleghem and Gerd Keppens.
Their music has obvious roots in America. The melodic guitarrock and the urge
for perfection by frontman Mark Vanhie lift up "Don't talk to the liar"
to a modest hit in Belgium.
The album that follows ("Facing fate" in 1981 is very well received.
It is recorded in the English Strawberry Studios in a production by Martin Lawrence
(sound engineer of Barclay James Harvest and 10 CC). The consecutive singles of
the album made ideal radio-hits but didn't do much at the counter of the record
stores.
After Mark Vanhie takes a retreat to America and a new bass-player is found
in Wilfried Van Dijck, they record their second album. The singles 'Sometimes'
and "Roll on" prove it's another album full of "subtle pop
with ingredients of rock and westcoast, spiced with a little bit of funk from
time to time." as Oor's Pop Music Encyclopedia says.
 When
even this "second arrow" didn't hit target in the middle, they quit
betting.
As Marc Vanhie recalls in "Wit-lof from Belgium". "At the
period of the debut album, there was an atmosphere around that said "anything
goes". The enthusiasm of the groups also influenced the record companies
and the managers and in the end even the public. The result : very highly raised
expectations for the follow-up. No-one had realized how Belgian record sales compared
to foreign ones. We sobered up slowly. The chain of enthusiasm broke, which had
its influence on the music." That's how a whole generation of very promising
and exciting groups that sprouted up between 1980 and 1982 came to a halt in the
years 1983 and 1984.
In the middle of the nineties, when the groups which formed the "Belpop"-period
reemerged into fashion, the Bet made an - unsuccessful - comeback as so many others
(Toy, Red Zebra ...).
Frontman Mark Vanhie has built himself a successful career as a producer. He
recently wrote and produced the debut single "True love is tough" for
Sarah, a girl who has won the Soundmix-show with an impersonation of Alanis Morisette.
 Band
members :
- Mark Vanhie (vocals)
- Rik Aerts (Guitars)
- Gerd Keppens (bass)
- Guido Van Milleghem (drums)
Albums :
- Facing Fate (EMI, 1981)
- Second Arrow (EMI, 1983)
- Wysiwyg (Alora, 1994)
Websites :
- none found.
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