Shocking Blue

Shocking Blue were a Dutch rock band from the Hague, Netherlands. The group first got together in 1967. The line-up was: Mariska Veres (lead singer), Robbie van Leeuwen (vocals/guitar/sitar), Klaasje van der Wal (bass guitar), and Cornelius van der Beek (drums). Shocking Blue had two minor hit singles in 1969 with "Long and Lonesome Road" and "Send Me a Postcard." The group scored a massive international smash that same year with their breakthrough song, "Venus." With its incredibly bouncy and catchy guitar riff, urgent driving beat and a powerhouse fiery vocal by stunning brunette beauty Veres, "Venus" peaked at #1 on the US pop charts in February, 1970 and sold over a million copies. Alas, it was the band's only major chart success in America.

"Venus" has been featured on the soundtracks of The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Grumpier Old Men (1995), Outside Providence (1999), Remember the Titans (2000) and Otis (2004), among others. In 1986 the British girl group Bananarama had a #1 US hit with their cover of the song, and Nirvana did a cover of the Shocking Blue song "Love Buzz" on their 1989 debut album "Bleach." However, Shocking Blue enjoyed a steady succession of Dutch radio hits with such excellent, exciting and innovative songs as "Mighty Joe," "Never Marry a Railroad Man," "Hello Darkness," "Shocking You," "Blossom Lady," "Inkpot," "Out of Sight Out of Mind," "Eve and the Apple," and "Rock in the Sea." The group also recorded several albums before disbanding in 1974. Veres went on to pursue a solo career and fronted a new version of Shocking Blue in the 1990s. The original band briefly reunited in 1984 for a "back to the '60s" concert festival. In addition, Shocking Blue recorded a few singles from the mid-'80s up until the mid-'90s. Sadly, Mariska Veres passed away from cancer at 59 on December 2, 2006. Drummer van der Beek died at age 49 on April 2, 1998.