Shocking Blue

Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band formed in 1967 in The Hague. It was part of the music movement in the Netherlands that was generally known by the name Nederbeat. The band had a number of hits throughout the counterculture movement during the 1960s and early 1970s, including "Send Me a Postcard" and "Venus", which became their biggest hit and reached number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and many other countries during 1969 and 1970. The band sold 13.5 million records by 1973 but disbanded in 1974. Together with Golden Earring they are considered the most successful Nederbeat-band, if the criterion is scoring hits abroad and especially in the United States.

History

Original era

Shocking Blue were founded in 1967 by The Motions guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen. Other members of the group at this time were Fred de Wilde, Klaasje van der Wal (1 February 1949 – 12 February 2018) and Cor van der Beek (9 June 1949 – 2 April 1998). They had a minor hit in 1968 with "Lucy Brown is Back in Town". When De Wilde was the band's lead singer, the band originally had a sound that was described as cross between The Beatles and Brothers Four.

De Wilde left in 1968 after joining the Dutch army, and van Leeuwen was introduced to Mariska Veres, singing at that time with a club band. He persuaded her to take over the vocals, and the group recorded a worldwide hit with the song "Venus", which had entered the Veronica top 40 hit parade at position #12 the 12 July 1969 and had peaked at number three on 26 July 1969 in the Netherlands. The song was released in the United States and the United Kingdom at the end of the year and reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in February 1970. It subsequently sold 350,000 copies in Germany and topped the U.S. chart for three weeks, the first song from the Netherlands to do so. It sold over one million copies there by January 1970 and received a gold record awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America. Global sales exceeded five million copies. Other hits include "Send Me a Postcard" in late 1968 and "Long and Lonesome Road" (often mistakenly named as "Long Lonesome Road") in 1969.

"Venus" was followed by "Mighty Joe" (flip-side "Wild Wind") in 1969 and "Never Marry a Railroad Man" (flip-side "Roll Engine Roll") in 1970, both of which sold over a million records. The latter became a top-ten hit in several countries around the world. Later songs were successful in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, including "Hello Darkness", "Demon Lover" (1970), "Shocking You", "Blossom Lady" and "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" (1971), "Inkpot", "Rock in the Sea" and "Eve and the Apple" (1972) and "Oh Lord" (1973), but they failed to make the charts in the U.S. or U.K.

Klaasje van der Wal left towards the end of 1971, following their first trip to Japan (which spawned a live album). In 1974, Robbie Van Leeuwen quit, and Mariska Veres left later that year, leading to the band's split. Veres went on to pursue a solo career until 1982.

Reunions

Shocking Blue reformed with its most famous line-up in 1979 and recorded "Louise" as their first single since their break-up in 1974. The song was never released. They did, however, perform live in 1980 with earlier songs such as "Venus" and "Never Marry a Railroad Man".

The band attempted another comeback in 1984 and released a new single "The Jury and the Judge" with "I Am Hanging on to Love" as the B-side in 1986.

In 1994 the single "Body and Soul" was released.

Aftermath

Drummer Cor van der Beek died on 2 April 1998 at age 49 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Mariska Veres died of gallbladder cancer on 2 December 2006 at age 59 in The Hague, Netherlands. Bassist Klaasje van der Wal died on 12 February 2018 at age 69.

Cover versions

* Bananarama covered "Venus" in 1986, hitting number one in the United States, Canada, and Australia, and reaching the UK top 10 (#8).
* Nirvana covered the song "Love Buzz" as their debut single in 1988; it also appeared on their 1989 album '' Bleach''.
* The Prodigy covered the song "Love Buzz" on their 2004 album ''Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned'', retitling the song "Phoenix".
* Amy Gore & Her Valentines covered "Send Me a Postcard" in 2012 on the album ''In Love''.
* Mint Royale remixed Shocking Blue's version of "Acka Raga" (Acka Ragh)(itself a cover from John Mayer and Joe Harriott's Indo-jazz fusions song of the same title) for their 1999 track "From Rusholme with Love", featured in several films of the time.
* Gyllene Tider from Sweden, the band Roxette frontman Per Gessle headed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, covered "Send me a Postcard" as ("Send a postcard, darling") on their 1980 debut album ''Gyllene Tider''.
* Jess and the Ancient Ones covered "Long and Lonesome Road" on their 2013 EP ''Astral Sabbat''.
* The Mr. T Experience covered "Send Me a Postcard" on their 1990 album ''Making Things with Light''.
* Big Business covered "Send Me a Postcard" as a bonus track on their 2009 album '' Mind the Drift''.
* Chantal Janzen, Jan Smit and Edsilia Rombley covered a remixed of "Venus" by DJ Pieter Gabriel for the flag parade introducing the 26 finalist countries of Eurovision Song Contest 2021.
*Bob Mould covered "Send Me a Postcard" on the 2019 album '' Sunshine Rock''.

Members

;Former members
*Robbie van Leeuwen (guitar, sitar and backing vocals, 1967–1973)
*Fred de Wilde (vocals, 1967–1968)
*Klaasje van der Wal (bass guitar, 1967–1971; died 2018)
*Cor van der Beek (drums, 1967–1974; died 1998)
*Mariska Veres (vocals, 1968–1974; died 2006)
*Leo van de Ketterij (guitar, 1970–1971; died 2021)
*Martin van Wijk (guitar, 1973–1974)
* (bass guitar, 1972–1974)
*Wim Voermans
*
*Michael Eschauzier
*
*Charles Pesch

Timeline

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

*''Shocking Blue'' (also known as ''Beat with Us'', German version) (1967)
*'' At Home'' (also known as ''The Shocking Blue'', 1970 American version) (1969)
*'' Scorpio's Dance'' (also known as ''Sally Was a Good Old Girl'', Japanese title) (1970)
*''Third Album'' (also known as ''Shocking You'') (1971)
*''Inkpot'' (1972)
*''Attila'' (also known as ''Rock in the Sea'', Japanese title, and ''Eve and the Apple'') (1972)
*''Ham'' (1973)
*'' Dream on Dreamer'' (1974)
*'' Good Times'' (1974)

Live albums

*'' Live in Japan'' (1972)

Compilation albums

;Charted or certified compilation albums

;Other compilation albums
*1969 ''Sensational Shocking Blue'' (Discofoon)
*1970 ''Shocking Blue'' (Pink Elephant)
*1971 ''Hello Darkness'' (Pink Elephant)
*1972 ''The Shocking Blue, Perfect Collection'' (Polydor)
*1972 ''The Best of Shocking Blue'' (Pink Elephant)
*1973 ''Shocking Blue's Best'' (Metronome)
*1973 ''With Love from... Shocking Blue'' (Capri)
*1978 ''The Shocking Blue Double Deluxe'' (Polydor)
*1980 ''Venus'' (Piccadilly)
*1981 ''The Shocking Blue Greatest Hits'' (CNR)
*1986 ''Best of Shocking Blue'' (CNR)
*1986 ''Classics'' (21 Records)
*1986 ''The Best of Shocking Blue'' (Victor)
*1990 ''The Very Best of Shocking Blue'' (Red Bullet), (Arcade, 1993)
*1990 ''Shocking Blue 20 Greatest Hits'' (Repertoire)
*1990 ''Venus'' (Castle Communications AG)
*1994 ''A Portrait of Shocking Blue'' (Castle)
*1995 ''Shocking Blue The Golden Hits'' (Red Bullet)
*1997 ''Singles A's and B's'' (Repertoire)
*1997 ''Shocking Blue Grand Collection'' (A.R.O.)
*1998 ''Shocking You'' (Laserlight)
*2000 ''Shocking Blue Golden Collection 2000'' (Lighthouse)
*2000 ''All Gold of the World Shocking Blue'' (Mekkophone & Castle Communications)
*2004 ''Shocking Blue Greatest Hits'' (Red Bullet)
*2022 ''At Home (The Singles)'' (Music on Vinyl; RSD limited edition 10" pink vinyl)

Box sets

Singles

Videos

*2004 ''Greatest Hits Around the World'' (Red Bullet)

See also

* List of one-hit wonders in the United States

References

External links

*
*

Shocking Blue biography


*

{{Authority control

Dutch psychedelic rock music groups
Nederpop
Musical groups established in 1967
Musical groups disestablished in 1974
1967 establishments in the Netherlands
1974 disestablishments in the Netherlands
Female-fronted musical groups