You Better You Bet
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"You Better You Bet" is a song by British rock band
the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
, appearing as the first track on their 1981 album '' Face Dances''. It is sung by frontman
Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include " My Generation", " Pinball Wizard", " Won't Get Fooled ...
with backing vocals from
Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...
and bassist John Entwistle. Townshend's guitar part is performed on a
Rickenbacker 360/12 The Rickenbacker 360/12 is the Rickenbacker company's 12-string variant of their 360 electric guitar model. Mainly known for producing " jangly" sounds, it was among the first electric 12-string guitars. The 360/12 was given worldwide attention ...
. "You Better You Bet" became a hit and one of the Who's most recognizable songs. It was the last single by the band that reached the top 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, reaching No. 18. The track was at No. 1 on the ''Billboard''
Top Tracks Classic Vinyl is a Sirius XM Radio channel focusing on classic rock music mostly from the late-1960s to the mid-1970s, with the channel's name meant to indicate that it consists of music that first appeared on vinyl records. This encompasses musi ...
chart for five weeks beginning 4 April 1981. It was also their last single to hit the top ten in the UK, peaking at No. 9.


Background

"You Better You Bet" was written by Pete Townshend as a love song for his girlfriend at the time:
"I developed You Better You Bet'over several weeks of clubbing and partying. I had gone through a lean period in my marriage and was seeing the daughter of a friend of mine. I wanted it to be a good song because the girl I wrote it for is one of the best people on the planet."
Townshend also commented: You Better You Bet' was a very spontaneous lyric. A fairly spontaneous, peppy song; it's a pop song, really, it's just a pop song." Roger Daltrey praised the song's vocal melody, comparing it to
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
. He stated, "A wonderful, wonderful song. The way the vocal bounces, it always reminds me of Elvis." Daltrey also noted, "'You Better You Bet' is still one of my favourite songs of all." The song references the group T. Rex, as well as the group's own album ''
Who's Next ''Who's Next'' is the fifth studio album by English rock band the Who. It developed from the aborted '' Lifehouse'' project, a multi-media rock opera conceived by the group's guitarist Pete Townshend as a follow-up to the band's 1969 album '' ...
'' (1971), with the line: "I drunk myself blind to the sound of old T. Rex... and ''Who's Next''." The synthesizer riff is performed on a Yamaha E70 home organ.


Release

"You Better You Bet" was released as the first single from ''Face Dances'' in February 1981, backed with the John Entwistle-penned " The Quiet One". The single peaked at number 9 in the UK; in the U.S., it reached number 18. The single's relative underperformance is thought to have been because
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
had decided to boycott independent promoters in America, which resulted in less airplay for the track. Pete Townshend reflected on the single's success: "A surprise hit single for us... We even went back on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
''."


Reception

"You Better You Bet" has seen positive critical reception since its release. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' ranked the song as the band's 32nd-best, stating, "Tough and to the point, 'You Better You Bet' reflects the way Townshend's enthusiasm for punk rock was tightening his songwriting. Addressed to his new girlfriend, it also hits a note of sly nostalgia when Daltrey sings about getting drunk "to the sound of old T. Rex. Mike DeGagne of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
praised the song as "arguably the strongest track on ''Face Dances''" and concluded, "The Who's use of synthesizers fit in perfectly with the beginning of the decade, while the song's alliterative chorus and clever use of sarcasm and wit gave it lyrical sustenance."


Music video

A
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for the song was produced in black and white, featuring the band and keyboardist
John Bundrick John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick (born November 21, 1948 in Houston, Texas) is an American–English rock keyboardist. He is best known for his work with The Who and associations with others including Eric Burdon, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Rog ...
playing onstage. Upon the launch of MTV on 1 August 1981, it was the fourth video played; it was also the 55th, 98th, 141st, and 191st video to be aired, becoming during that sequence the first video seen multiple times on the channel.


Personnel

*
Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include " My Generation", " Pinball Wizard", " Won't Get Fooled ...
– lead vocals *
Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...
– guitar, keyboards, backing vocals * John Entwistle – bass, backing vocals *
Kenney Jones Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones (born 16 September 1948) is an English drummer best known for his work in the groups Small Faces, Faces, and the Who. Jones was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Small Faces/Faces ...
– drums Additional musicians *
John "Rabbit" Bundrick John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick (born November 21, 1948 in Houston, Texas) is an American–English rock keyboardist. He is best known for his work with The Who and associations with others including Eric Burdon, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Rog ...
– keyboards


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


See also

* List of ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1980s


References

{{Authority control 1980 songs 1981 singles The Who songs Songs written by Pete Townshend Song recordings produced by Bill Szymczyk British new wave songs Warner Records singles Polydor Records singles Black-and-white music videos