Bettie Serveert served up some adolescent alienation wrapped in dreamy grunge drone on their indie opening salvo. The Dutch band originally formed in 1986 to play only one gig as a side project. Peter Visser and Herman Bunskoeke were in the band De Artsen (the Doctors) at the time. Carol van Dijk was their sound engineer and Berend Dubbe was a roadie. There is no Bettie. The band's name comes from the title of a book written by Dutch tennis player Betty Stöve, which translates to "Bettie Serves", or "Service to Bettie". Dubbe was flipping through the book and thought it would make a great name for a band. De Artsen released the album 'Conny Waves with a Shell' on their own label Why Are There People Like Frank? and broke up when their lead singer Joost Visser started a solo career.
Bettie Serveert reformed in 1990 to record their debut album 'Palomine' at Sound Enterprise Studio in Weesp, Holland. The sessions were produced by Edwin Heath and Frans Hagenaars with Carol van Dijk on vocals and guitar; Peter Visser on guitar; Herman Bunskoeke on bass; and Berend Dubbe on drums. Van Dijk's unique vocal phrasing is a result of her upbringing. She was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and moved to Amsterdam when she was seven. She admits: "I am not a singer singer. I've tried it, believe me. I've failed."
'Palomine' was released in 1992 on 4AD subsidiary Guernica Records in Europe and on Matador Records in the US. The album received rave reviews and saw considerable airplay on college and alternative radio.
Dubbe says of their success: "One of my biggest dreams, seven or eight years ago, was to visit the states at least once in my life, you know? And now we've been over there so many times that it's actually quite amazing. We never planned on, or dreamed of, the level of success 'Palomine' eventually reached or the attention the record brought us. I mean, we started the band with the intention of playing out no more than a couple of times a month just for the fun of it."
Visser reflects: "I'm really glad that this all happened to us now. If it had happened 10 years ago, at the beginning of our 20s, we would've signed any contract and done all this stupid stuff. Then your career lasts for only one album, and you're done.... We knew exactly what to expect, so we didn't fall into any of those traps."
Bunskoeke muses: "Being a rock artist is not as romantic as it seems it is. Most of the time you are just waiting. You are waiting for the sound check to be ready. You are waiting for the show to happen. After the first two years, traveling is like waiting to arrive at the next city."
Carol van Dijk considers: "I never had any imagination about it. It just happend to us all of a sudden. I guess you can make it as crazy as you want to. All of us find it very important to have a stable home life. Most bands are a lot younger than we are but we were in our late 20s when we started. If we had been 18 in the same situation, we probably would have done all those dumb things other bands do. But we got to do them in private at home, and not have all the tabloids on top of us...I like being at home and writing the songs and then getting together and practicing and recording in the studio. I always get a little--well, very nervous when I go onstage. I don't know what to say. As long as we're playing it's OK--it's more in the spaces between the songs that I get a little lost...I was very comfortable when I was a sound engineer, spending my time in the back of the venue in the dark. And when we were first jamming and writing songs, we never thought that people would like our stuff. Our only goal was like, 'Well, maybe if we make a demo we could get a gig maybe once a month or something--if we're lucky'."
http://www.bettieserveert.com/
"Leg"
Tuesdays and Fridays
I'd wait at the bus stop
And guess who won't show up
I'm tired of waiting for you
Reflections in puddles
And rain on their faces
How awkward this place is
When all seems connected to you
You warned me from the first time on
But I chose to ignore the things you said
Of course it didn't take you long
To figure out a way to pull my leg
Well, here I stand, I don't feel too good
Slightly canned, I wish you would
Untie the knot, untie the knot
Then the have, have not
Untie the knot
You won't have me worried
I can still take care of myself somehow
You won't have me worried
Just have to rethink my thoughts somehow
Well, here I stand, I don't feel to good
Slightly canned I wish you would
Untie the knot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XmT15E62EU
"Palomine"
Well I wish I had known your name
Is it possible that we might have felt the same
'bout the senselessness within the air
paints it's words almost everywhere
now the sun will always shine on this palomine
Well I wish I had known you then
well who knows I might have been a better friend
but now the senselessness within the air
paints it's words almost everywhere
how come life sometimes makes you feel so scared
I know the sun will always shine
I know the sun will always shine
yes the sun will always shine on this palomine
Well even when I think out about
the things you used to say out loud
even then I can't say I was prepared
to settle down to what you did
you made your choice and that was it
how come life sometimes makes you feel so scared
I know the sun will always shine
I know the sun will always shine
yes the sun will always shine on this palomine
"Kid's Allright"
Down in the cellar with Dolly and Sue
Smoking fags and feeling cool
Talking to the guy who lives downstairs
Walking around in ridiculous flares
Back in the bushes, we find a cat
beat'm up with a baseball bat
and grandma says, we'll turn out bad
an go straight to hell, just like dad
But don't you get your hopes up high
the kid's allright
Down in the cellar with Dolly and Sue
Falling in love and feeling blue
Flirting with the guy who lives downstairs
and walking around in ridiculous flares
Playing hooky, pretend we're sick
Mamma don't care if it's just a trick
cause she just wishes she never had
those kids from hell who drive her mad
But don't you get your hopes up high
the kid's allright
now don't you think the kid's allright
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkpo0VzfAys
"Tom Boy"
From where I stand, I can see
They've got the upper hand of me
Reminds me of this world at last
Simply changes much too fast for me
And when they call out, will I hear them
And when they fall out, will I see them
This yellow light, on the crowd
And colours way to loud to see
Reveal their drive, we could change it
Try to rearrange it
They call me a tom boy and I let them
Cause only a tom boy could forget them
And simply change it
They call me a tom boy and I love it
Cause only a tom boy could stand above it
By simply changing
Bettie Serveert played 'Palomine' in its entirety at the Paradiso (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) to celebrate their twentieth anniversary.
'Palomine'
full album:
"Leg" - 6:11
"Palomine" - 4:09
"Kid's Allright" - 4:20
"Brain-tag" - 6:26
"Tom Boy" - 4:21
"Under the Surface" - 4:17
"Balentine" - 4:11
"This Thing Nowhere" - 3:18
"Healthy Sick" - 2:23
"Sundazed to the Core" - 7:05
"Palomine (small)" - 2:31
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