2 Belgen

The Belgian new wave band 2 Belgen scored a run of Top 40 hits during the mid-1980s, including the Number 6 single "Lena / Dancing Thoughts." Rembert de Smet and Herman Celis formed the group in 1982 in Ghent, Belgium. Within the year, they'd signed with Antler — a Belgian label whose roster included simpatico bands like Silo XX and Nacht und Nebel — and released their self-titled debut album, 2 Belgen. Soulsmasking followed one year later, featuring an expanded band that now included guitarist Jean-Lou Nowé. Soulsmasking failed to make a significant dent on the charts, which prompted Herman Celis to leave the group and join Nacht und Nebel instead. De Smet and Nowé rebuilt the band's lineup with new members and began pursuing a more mainstream-friendly sound that drew upon influences like disco and dance music. The result was 1985's Trop Petit, a popular album that featured 2 Belgen's biggest hits. The first single, "Opération Coup de Poing / Same Song Never Again," reached Number 10 on the Ultratop 50 Singles chart several months before the album's release, followed by the Number 6 hit "Lena / Dancing Thoughts" and the Number 19 hit "Queen of Mine / I Was a Fool." After "Energy / Secret Soul" reached Number 32 during the final months of the year, though, 2 Belgen's hit streak came to a halt, with the 1986 album Sweet and Sour failing to generate the same level of success. The band split in 1993 and released a gold-certified compilation, Voilà!, the following year. De Smet passed away two decades later in 2017.