Shocking Blue
20 Greatest Hits

THE REVIEW

They are still a surprise today and worth (re)listening to, even if someone has nicknamed them "the Middle Of The Road in a more rockin' version".

Famous mostly for their superhit "Venus" from 1969, with the famous guitar riff borrowed from "Pinball Wizard" by the Who, these Dutch musicians did what has been defined as "psychedelic pop" supported by the wonderful voice of the half-Hungarian, half-German Mariska Veres, who reminds many of Grace Slick. Indeed, another band to which Shocking Blue was compared was Jefferson Airplane: a comparison that suits them much better than with M.O.T.R.

Almost every track they produced is a real gem, and it's no coincidence that Nirvana decided to cover one of their songs: "Love Buzz." Shocking had a very particular and unmistakable sound, which crossed the barriers between styles, barriers that were very marked at the time and of which critics and the public themselves were keenly aware. "Sally Was A Good Old Girl", for example, is a country song, the sweet "Water Boy" features the arabesques of a sitar, "Little Cooling Planet" is rather funky... but, taken all together, it's the typical "shocking blue" sound of this band.

It's not hard to get your hands on one of their compilations. If you can, listen to "I Love Voodoo Music", the aforementioned "Love Buzz" (beware: it's not included in 20 Greatest Hits!) or the wild rock of "Daemon Lover." Robbie van Leeuwen (guitar and sitar), who wrote almost all of their songs - including the lyrics -, is definitely to be counted among the best songwriters in the world.

The group toured the States with Ike & Tina Turner, Sly & The Family Stone, and Three Dog Night; they went to South America, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong... But in 1974, they ended up disbanding, partly because Robbie van Leeuwen was tired of being the glue between the individual components and of bearing the pressure from Elephant Pink, their label, which demanded at least three albums a year. The singer Mariska Veres then pursued a solo career, presenting songs in Dutch, German, and English, but achieved noteworthy success only in Holland. In 1993 she attempted to organize a reunion, but the other former members of Shocking showed little interest, and she revived the project with completely new musicians. For years, the newly formed Shocking Blue participated in numerous festivals for "Oldies" groups. Mariska devoted herself in parallel to blues, jazz, and gypsy music. She never married and, as in the old days of "sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll", led a moderate life, did not smoke or drink (her favorite drink was always tea...).

Unfortunately, we must speak of her in the past, as the leader of Shocking Blue passed away on December 4, 2006, in The Hague; she was only 59. Paradoxically, it was cancer that killed her: precisely her, who had never fallen victim to vices..

Veres was the first European singer to embody, in the beat era, the ideal of the sexy young woman, capable of enchanting millions of fans with her sensual voice. An emblem of the vocal sensuality of that era was "Venus", which decreed the band's resounding success, remaining in the charts of best-selling records in Europe and the United States for over six months. "Venus" has since been covered by other bands and has also been frequently used in commercials. In "20 Greatest Hits" it is, of course, the number one track.

Essential Discography:

The Best of Shocking Blue

Shocking Blue - 20 Greatest Hits

Ink Pot / Attila (their first 2 albums on one CD)

Scorpio's Dance (1969)

At Home (1970) (includes "Love Buzz")

Dream On Dreamer / Good Times (1973/75; 2 albums on one CD)