"Shokin Blue" (Shocking Blue): history and discography of a rock band. The history of the group Shocking Blue Shocking blue translation of the name of the group

Robbie van Leeuwen(Robbie van Leeuwen; October 29, 1944, The Hague, the Netherlands) - guitar, sitar,
backing vocals (1967-1973)
Mariska Veres(Mariska Veres; October 1, 1947 - December 2, 2006, The Hague, the Netherlands) - vocals (1968-1974)
Claché van der Wal(Klaasje van der Wal, February 01, 1949, La Haie, The Netherlands) - bass guitar (1967-1971)
Kor van der Beek(Cornelius van der Beek; 06 June 1948, Rotterdam, Netherlands) - drums (1967-1974)
The history of "Shocking Blue" is inextricably linked with Robbie van Leeuwen, born October 29, 1944 in The Hague. In the first half of the 60s, being influenced by British rock, Robbie seriously delved into musical research, and best place for this, than the group "Motions", at that time it was simply impossible to find in Holland (before "Motions" Robbie flashed in "Ricochets" and "Atmospheres"). Most of the Dutch bands of the first half of the 60s, such as "Johnny Kendall & The Heralds", "ZZ & The Maskers", "The Hunters" and even "Golden Earring", performed beat-rock, and only a few, including were "Motions", proudly "cut" rhythm and blues, in this case- in the spirit of British "mods". But due to a conflict with the band's vocalist Rudy Bennett in 1967, Robbie leaves and starts looking for like-minded people. The first project on this thorny path was "Six Young Riders", where Henk Smitskamp and Rene Nodelijk played along with Van Leeuwen. His century was short-lived, and in the same 1967, Robbie gathered new musicians: vocalist Fred De Wild (ex. - "Hu & Hilltops"), bassist Klaasje van der Wai and drummer Cornelius Van Der Beek (Cornelius van der Beek, ex.- "Sect", in some sources his name is spelled Cornelis, and most often just Cor). The idea of the name "Shocking Blue" Van Leeuwen involuntarily prompted Eric Clapton. Once he had the imprudence to write the thing "Electric Blue", which inspired our hero to exploits. During this period, changes began in the face of the Dutch rock scene. "Golden Earring" began to gradually move away from beat-rock sound towards blues, and a little later, hard rock, "Cuby & Blizzards" and "Q65" began to gain wide popularity, such "cool" bands as " Harpers Bizarre", "Livin` Blues", "Ekseption", "Brainbox". The main events of this rock whirlpool took place in the city of The Hague, from which our heroes began their journey. It should be noted here that in a few years critics will call The Hague "Dutch Liverpool" and "European San Francisco".
In 1967, the first album "Beat With Us" was released (according to other sources, it was simply called "The Shocking Blue"). By old habit, sustained in the "mod" rhythm and blues vein, it is somewhat reminiscent of the music of the British bands "The Who" and "Small Faces". However, for those years it was natural. It should be noted the original arrangement of the song with which Elvis Presley's career began - "That's All Right (Mama)". But this was not yet the music that Robbie Van Leeuwen wanted to play, because his eyes were fixed west of London - in distant city San Francisco. And something incomprehensible was going on there - hippies, psychedelia, rock and roll, marijuana, LSD ... From this cocktail, like mushrooms after rain, groups began to appear with new, unusual music - "Grateful Dead", "Quicksilver Messenger" Service", "Moby Grape", "Country Joe & The Fish" and, of course, the unsurpassed "Jefferson Airplane". Robbie and his team decided to be equal to these Californians.
In 1968, only one single was recorded, "Lucy Brown Is Back In Town" / "Fix Your Hair Darling", rather in the tradition of "Move" (and partly "Tomorrow"). But the main event of the year for the group was the departure of Fred De Wild. He had problems with serving in the army, and Fred parted ways with the group.
Van Leeuwen has long secretly dreamed of female vocals. The manager of "Shocking Blue" Ceec van Leeuwen looked for a suitable candidate at a jazz festival in Lusdrecht, and the issue was finally decided at a get-together arranged by "Golden Earring" in honor of their first "hit number 1". Before this wonderful event, Mariska Veres (Mariska Veres), namely that was the name new member group, managed to work with "Blue Fighters", "Danny & Favourites", "Motowns", "Mysteres", "Bumble Bees". From the latter, she was lured away by the more dexterous "Shocking Blue". With the changes in the line-up, a new style came: melodic moves in the best traditions of Jefferson Airplane, a powerful rhythm section in the spirit of the Rolling Stones, and Mariska worked miracles with her voice and could easily compete with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. It must be said that this lady was a very colorful figure: the daughter of a German woman and a Hungarian gypsy, she embodied in her appearance and voice everything best qualities these peoples. By the way, her external attractiveness played an important role in the success of the group.
In 1969, the album "At Home" was released, from which the musicians themselves count their discography. The sitar, which Van Leeuwen masterfully owned, was added to all the advantages of the group. The greatest success fell to the single "Venus" - in February 1970, he quickly broke into the top lines of the charts in England, the USA and many European countries. It was a serious bid for success, but unfortunately Venus' triumph did a disservice to Shocking Blue. Many - and quite in vain - began to consider them "heroes of one hit". But in general, luck accompanied the group.
In 1970, another disc "Scorpio`s Dance" came out from the pen of "Shocking Blue", which, thanks to the two-part composition of the same name, can be called quasi-conceptual. The signature sound covered the widest stylistic range: hard rock riffs in "Send Me A Postcard", psychedelic blues - "California Here I Come", "Demon Lover" and, finally, folk psychedelia "I Love Voodoo Music" .
In January 1971, Shocking Blue began recording their next album. Here comes a new character - the second guitarist Leo van der Kettery (Leo van der Kettery). Released in March '71, " The Third Album" became a true masterpiece of the European version of "west coast rock". It is interesting that, unlike most of their colleagues, the musicians of "Shocking Blue" had nothing to do with the drug cult that prevailed in those days. This, of course, did not benefit image, but "Shocking Blue", like Ted Nugent, Mike Pinera, or, say, musicians " Jethro Tull", they devoted more time and energy to creativity, and not to drinking bouts and orgies. True, it so happened that the creative take-off coincided with the first difficulties: tired of the race of recent years, Van Der Val left the group (in "Antilope"), and along with him and Van Der Kettery. Their place was taken by an old acquaintance of the group, the former bassist of the bands "Willy & Giants", "Motions", "Sandy Coast", "Six Young Riders" and "Livin` Blues" - Henk Smitskamp. He gave the group a new a charge of creative energy, which materialized in 1972 in the form of two new studio albums ("Inkpot" and "Attila") and "live" "Live In Japan". And I must say, they were capable of a lot, and it's amazing that this album is still stuck in the list of rarities.By this point, "Shocking Blue" traveled virtually the entire civilized world - from the US to Indonesia and South America.
For example, in the States, "Shocking Blue" performed in one bundle with the then stars of the first magnitude - "Sly & The Family Stone" and "Three Dog Night".
Released in 1973 next album"Dream On Dreamer", which brought a clear roll in the folk-rock sound. And at the same time, "Shocking Blue" had its first big failure: critics simply tore apart new single with the song "Let Me Carry Your Bag". The tension within the group increased sharply, Van Leeuwen was at the limit, because he wrote all the material - four albums in a year and a half, a lot of singles, numerous tours, plus pressure from the record company ... In general, completely exhausted, the captain left the ship . About the solo swimming of the ex-leader of the group - a little later, but for now let's continue the saga about "Shocking Blue".
In 1974, Martin van Wijk, known for his work in two Dutch bands, Fairy Tale and Jupiier, took over as guitarist. He surprisingly quickly became the leader of "Shocking Blue", and the new material was already the result of his research. It must be said that Martin successfully brought a certain amount of glam rock and funk into the music of "Shocking Blue". And although at first glance, these styles did not quite fit into the traditions of the group, calling the album "Good Times" an outlandish language simply does not turn. In memory of the breakaway Van Leeuwen in new album included the song "Nashville Rebel", one of his last recordings for the band. The process of disintegration caused by the departure of the patriarch of the group could not be stopped. In 1974, Mariska began her solo career, Henk moved to "Livin` Blues", and Cor and Martin started a joint project Lemming. A little later, Kor followed Smithskamp's example and also joined the ranks of the "Livin` Blues", which only benefited from this acquisition. After a year with the "Livin' Blues", Core moved to "Headline".
In the 75th, the last single "Gonna Sing My Song" was released, which put an end to the history of "Shocking Blue". Robbie Van Leeuwen has formed a new experimental group "Galaxy Lin". Next stop at creative way Robbie in the late 70s became the "Mistral" project. The result of it is three singles, and different vocalists sang on all three - Sylvia Van Asten, Mariska Veres and on the most famous - "Starship 109" - Marian Shattelein.
In 1984, Shocking Blue got together to perform at the Back-To-The-Sixties-Festival in Den Bosch, along with Q65 and other lesser known Dutch bands. In addition to the old hits "Shocking Blue", two legendary numbers were "cut": "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit" - the most famous hits of "Jefferson Airplane". In honor of the revival of the group, the musicians recorded a new single "Jury And the Judge" / "I`m Hanging On To Love", which was released in 1986. Then the group disappeared from the horizon.
In the early 90s, Mariska Veres resumed musical activity in a jazz-rock vein with his band "Mariska Veres Shocking Jazz Quintet". During four days From November 10 to 13, 1992, the musicians recorded an album that could be listened to in early 1993. They did not break their heads over the name for a long time: "Shocking You!" - one of best songs in the repertoire of "Shocking Blue" was perfect for this role. In the album, next to the old action films "Shocking Blue", cover versions of the songs "Golden Earring", "Jefferson Airplane", "The Zombies", "The Kinks" (all performed in the style of light jazz) are conveniently located. Inspired by her own luck, in 1993 the singer enlisted the support of Robbie van Leeuwen`a and collected a new version of "Shocking Blue". She was accompanied by: guitarist Andre van Geldorp, keyboardist Michael Eschauzier, Bert Meulink, bass player from the jazz quintet Veres, Gerben de Bruijn played drums ). The group actively performed throughout Europe, their concerts were especially successful in Germany, England and Belgium, and, of course, in Holland. The line-up was not without changes: in 1994, a new bassist, Paul Heppener, appeared, and four years later, a drummer changed. Actually, Jeff van Veen and Michael Schreuder shared this place from April to November '98, but in the end the last one remained. Not without new material - in 1994 the band's single "Body And Soul" / "Angel" was released. Robbie van Leeuwen decided to shake things up and joined the band, but only as a producer. Mariska occasionally performed at the Oldie Festivals in Holland and even recorded several singles with Peter Tetteroo, the lead vocalist of another famous Dutch band of the 60s, "Tee Set". The legendary lead singer of "Shocking Blue" died of cancer at the age of 59, at home in the Netherlands. It happened on December 3, 2006...

Based on the materials of "Rock encyclopedias"

Shocking Blue is a Dutch rock band best known for their 1969 hit Venus. For a short time of its existence, the team became the most popular in its country, but never achieved wide popularity outside of it. The composition of the Shokin Blue group, its history and discography - later in this article.

Creation

The Dutch guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen, already known in his homeland for his participation in group The Motions, decided to form his own band. The names of the participants of "Shokin Blue" in the original composition, in addition to Leuven:

Fred de Wilde (vocals)
Clasche van der Wal (bass)
Cornelius van der Beek (drums)

Robbie himself took the place of the guitarist and acted as the author of all the songs, he also came up with the name for the newly minted ensemble - at first it sounded like "Electric Blue", according to a line from Eric Clapton's song Strange Brew, but then "electric blue" turned into "shocking" . This suited all the members of the group. In this composition, the musicians released two singles and one album. The photo below shows the cover of this album, which was called "Shokin Blue". It is interesting because you can see the original composition of the group on it.

The arrival of Mariska Veres

However, both the participants themselves and the manager understood that the Shocking Blue group was missing something. The lyrics are good, the arrangements too, but overall the music is mediocre. And so, in 1968, when he saw the performance of the aspiring singer Mariska Veres at one of the musical parties, the manager immediately realized what exactly the group lacked. This girl with gypsy, Hungarian, German and Russian roots had a truly unique vocal, and the manager suggested that she be included in the line-up instead of Fred de Wilde. It took the participants one listening session to agree immediately. Below is a photo of "Shokin Blue", taken during one of the first performances with the participation of Mariska.

With the arrival of the vocalist, the group's success began to grow noticeably - in the new line-up of "Shokin Blue" they released two fairly successful singles, and then major hit group by which she is recognized to this day.

Venus

This song, released as a single in 1969, was a musical cover version of the 1963 hit The Banjo song by The Big Three. The lyrics and new arrangement were composed by Robbie van Leeuwen. In Holland, the homeland of the musicians, the song took only the third line of the hit parade, but in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium it was in first place. In 1969, the band's second album, At Home, was released - and, of course, Venus was included in its track listing. This contributed to the high sales of At Home itself, as well as several subsequent singles and albums.

But the real success for the song (and, accordingly, the group) came in 1970, when the head of the American label Colossus, Jerry Ross, signed a contract with Shokin Blue to release an American single with the song Venus. He did not lose - the hit took first place in the main US chart"Billboard 100" and did not descend from the top of several other charts for several months. This year it again took first place in the charts in Switzerland and Belgium and second place in the charts in Austria, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands. You can see the performance of the most famous song "Shokin Blue" in the video below.

In Russia and countries former USSR the song is often called "Shizgara" - by the sound of the line She "s got it, with which the chorus begins. This was also facilitated by the song of the domestic rock band "Mongol Shuudan", which recorded its version of the song in Russian, but with the original English chorus preserved, under the name "Shizgara".

Further creativity and breakup

Despite the innovative sound of melodies and unique vocals in subsequent compositions "Shokin Blue", the band failed to repeat the success of the Venus song. In the style of the psychedelic ensembles of the time, Robbie van Leeuwen very successfully combined the sounds of rhythm and blues guitar and Indian sitar, which he played on his own, in his arrangements. Some compositions of "Shokin Blue" were highly appreciated American group Jefferson Airplane playing like this musical direction, however, this did not affect their commercial success in any way.

From 1970 to 1971, another guitarist, Leo van der Ketterey, joined the band, and with this line-up the musicians managed to tour several countries, including South America, Japan, Indonesia and Hong Kong. The maximum sales of records at that time were noted in the Japanese and French music markets. But this success did not satisfy Leuven - his dream of big performances in the USA remained unrealizable. Growing on this basis, internal scandals between the members forced the bass player Clashe van der Wal to leave the group in 1971. He was replaced by Henk Smitskamp.

Finally, in 1973, founding member and songwriter Robbie van Leeuwen left Shokin Blue. He was replaced by Martin van Wijk, who also became a guitarist and songwriter. Under his leadership, Last year of its existence, "Shokin Blue" from a psychedelic turned into a funk band. Finally, in 1974, Mariska Veres also left the team, deciding to take up solo work. On this, the existence of the most famous Dutch rock band ceased. The only member who went all the way "Shokin Blue" from creation to disintegration was drummer Cornelius van der Beek.

Reunification attempt

In 1979, Robbie van Leeuwen made an attempt to rejoin the band. He even prepared new material for recording, but none of the former members supported the idea of resurrecting Shokin Blue. However, after only 4 years, in 1983, Mariska Veres turned to Leuven for permission to use the name of the former group for her new team. He agreed, but all the new Shokin Blue lineup did was one single and two gigs at the 1994 Back to the Sixties festival.

Discography

During the period of existence from 1967 to 1974, the Shokin Blue group released 11 music albums. In addition to the first two albums mentioned above, they were:

Scorpio's Dance (1970).
Third Album (1971).
Inkpot (1972).
Live in Japan (1972).
Attila (1972).
Eve and the Apple (1972).
Dream on Dreamer (1973).
Ham (1973).
Good Times (1974).

The band was founded in 1967 by guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen, a veteran of the famous Dutch rock bands The motions. The name "Shocking Blue" was inspired by Eric Clapton's Electric Blue lyrics from the song "Strange Brew". In addition to van Leeuwen, the band included drummer Cornelius van der Beek, bassist Klaasche van der Wal and vocalist Fred de Wilde. The group's second single "Lucy Brown Is Back in Town", which peaked at number 21 on the Dutch Top 40, was released on the Pink Elephant label. One day, the band's manager was at a party where the Bumble Bees were performing with amazing vocalist Mariska Veres, and decided that she would be the perfect addition to Shocking Blue (Robbie would agree with him at the first audition). Mariska, whose father was a Hungarian gypsy and whose mother was German-born French-Russian, often sang with her father, who played the violin in a gypsy orchestra. Prior to being invited to Shocking Blue, she recorded a solo single called "Topkapi" and gained experience in various bands. She replaced Fred de Vilde, and, without a doubt, it was her vocals that became a magnet that attracted viewers and listeners; her ringing voice gave the music a distinct rhythm and blues sound. As Robbie said: "When Mariska came, everything immediately started spinning, and one of the first singles - Venus - became a great hit."
The group's next single "Mighty Joe" went to number one in Holland and, like its predecessor, was present on all the charts.
Shocking Blue successfully combined beat and rhythm and blues with the oriental sound of the Indian sitar.
Robbie didn't mind if the band included a few cover versions of old songs on the albums, as it was too much of a burden for him to write new material all the time. “We did everything ourselves, and radio station DJs would like to hear from us every time everything is completely new. But a large number of albums led to the fact that the group was forced to supplement them with cover versions. It was extremely difficult for me to write all the music and words alone.” For several months in 1970-1971 guitarist Leo van de Ketterey played with the band. Mariska, Robbie, Cornelius and Klache were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting such distant corners as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. Despite the fact that the group continued to release excellent and often groundbreaking singles and to take places in the European charts, Robbie van Leeuwen fell into a depression. He was depressed by the limited success of the group, as a result of which quarrels began to occur within Shocking Blue.
Klaasche left first, replaced in 1971 by Henk Smitskamp. In 1973, van Leeuwen himself left the group for a while, and Martin van Wijk, who had previously played in two Dutch bands, Fairy Tale and Jupiier, took his place. He became the leader of Shocking Blue, and the new material was already the result of his research, bringing some glam rock and funk to the music of Shocking Blue.
Without Robbie, Shocking Blue still held on, but in 1974 Mariska also left the group, who decided to start a solo career, and the team finally broke up. In 1975, the last single "Gonna Sing My Song" was released. In 1979, Robbie wanted to revive the group, even the song "Louise" was recorded. However, the song was not released and the reunion never took place. However, in late 1984, Shocking Blue reunited and played two shows at the Back-to-the-Sixties festival.

Robbie van Leeuwen - guitar, sitar, backing vocals (1967-1973)
Fred de Wilde - vocals (1967-1968)
Klache van der Wal - bass guitar (1967-1971)
Kor van der Beek - drums (1967-1974)
Mariska Veres - vocals (1968-1974)
Leo van de Ketterey - guitar (1970-1971)
Martin van Wijk - guitar (1973-1974)
Henk Smitskamp - bass guitar (1971-1974)

The band was founded in 1967 by guitarist Robbie van Leyven, a veteran of the famous Dutch rock band Motion. The name "Shocking Blue" was inspired by the Eric Clapton song "Electric Blue". In addition to van Leuven, the band included drummer Cornelius van der Beek, bassist Klaasche van der Wal and vocalist Fred de Wilde. The group's first single "Lucy Brown Is Back In Town", which peaked at number 21 on the Dutch Top 40, was released on the Pink Elephant label. One day, the band's manager was at a party where the Bumble Bees were performing with the amazing vocalist Mariska Veres, and decided that she would be the perfect complement to Shocking Blue. Robbie was immediately attracted to her vocal style, which is very different from other performers. Mariska, half Hungarian, half German, often sang with her father, who played the violin in a gypsy orchestra.

Prior to being invited to Shocking Blue, she recorded a solo single called "Topkapi" and gained experience in various bands. She replaced Vilde and, without a doubt, it was her vocals that became a magnet that attracted viewers and listeners; her ringing voice gave the music a distinct rhythm and blues sound. As Robbie said: "When Mariska came, everything immediately started spinning, and one of the first singles - "Venus" - became a great hit."

In the Netherlands, "Venus" peaked at number three, while also topping the charts in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The record caught the attention of the newly founded American company Colossus. Label head Jerry Ross signed with Shocking Blue and was rewarded for his entrepreneurial spirit when Venus reached the top of the US charts in February 1970. It goes without saying that the band was extremely popular at home and had approximately fifty hits in the Dutch charts, while their records also sold well in France and Japan. The group's next single "Mighty Joe" went to number one in Holland and, like its predecessor, was present on all the charts.

"Never Marry a Railroad Man" also topped the Dutch charts; followed by "Hello Darkness", "Shocking You", "Long Lonesome Road", "Blossom Lady" and "Inkpot". "Shocking Blue" successfully combined beat and rhythm and blues with the oriental sound of the Indian sitar.

Robbie didn't mind if the band included a few cover versions of old songs on the albums, as it was too much of a burden for him to write new material all the time. “We did everything ourselves, and the DJs of the radio stations would like to hear from us every time everything is completely new. But a large number of albums led to the fact that the group was forced to supplement them with cover versions. It was extremely difficult for me to write all the music and words alone.” For several months in 1970-1971 guitarist Leo van de Ketterey played with the band. Mariska, Robbie, Cornelius and Klaasche were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting as far away as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. Despite the fact that the group continued to release excellent and often groundbreaking singles and to take places in the European charts, Robbie Van Leyven became depressed. He was depressed by the limited success of the group, as a result of which quarrels began to occur within Shocking Blue.

Klaasche left first, replaced in 1971 by Henk Smitskamp. In 1973, Van Leyven himself left the group for a while, and Martin van Wijk took his place. Without Robbie, Shocking Blue still held on, but in 1974 Mariska also left the group, who decided to start a solo career, and the team finally broke up. In 1979, Robbie wanted to revive the group, but for some reason this did not happen then. However, in late 1984, Shocking Blue reunited and played two shows at the Back-to-the-Sixties festival.

Mariska Veres died of cancer on December 3, 2006 at the age of 59.

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Biography

The conception of the group occurred in 1967. Robbie Van Leeuwen (October 29, 1944) is rightly considered the hero of the occasion. I dare say that this was not his first escapade. In general, there are rumors that he changed groups like gloves and failures and spans lay in wait for him everywhere. For example, such wonderful bands as "Ricochets", "Six Young Riders" and "Motion" (Holland). This is probably one of his most famous "failures".

And here in The Hague, in 1967, the Dutch guitarist and songwriter Robbie finally met:

bass player - Klaasje Van Der Wal, 01.12.1949,
drummer - Cora Van Der Beek (Cornelius Van Der Beek, 06/06/1948),
vocalist - Fred De Wilde Fred De Wilde (Fred De Wilde).

And they called it all not abusive American phrase "Shocking Blue" (blue, purple, very blue, very blue, crazy blue ... etc., no one knows for sure). Rumor has it that they, having heard enough of one composition by Eric Clapton "Electric Blue", decided to name their group that way ...

The first official disc is correctly considered "Beat with us". In those days, the popular rhythm and blues became their style. "Beat with us" however did not become a very popular CD, probably because, as I said, rhythm and blues was too common and many bands played music in the same vein. But this did not seem like a defeat to our heroes, and no one was going to cry at all. And even Robbie himself once said at a meeting of his colleagues: “Style is nothing! Music is everything! Everyone gasped and it would seem that now everything will go smoothly. However, the motherland did not forget its heroes. Fred was "hooked up" to serve in the army. So in 1968, Shocking Blue recorded only one single - "Lucy Brown is back in town", which took 21st place in the Dutch TOP 40. The single was released on the Pink Elephant label. It seemed that only a miracle could save them and ... Oh yes! a miracle happened and it was beautiful as ... yes, what can be compared with a miracle named Mariska Veres! (Mariska Veres, October 1, 1947 - December 2, 2006)
One fine day, a cool uncle fell in love with a wonderful vocalist who performed at some party with the Bumble Bees gang. Then the cool uncle realized that his life ... oh, that is, the life of "Shocking blue" without Mariska is not worth anything. Robbie was immediately attracted to her vocal style, which is very different from other performers. And she, in turn, did not understand her happiness and performed with her father, who played the violin in all kinds of gypsy orchestras, despite the fact that his daughter was half Hungarian, half German. However, she did record a solo album before she found herself in the Shocking Blue team and it was called "Topkapi". She also entered them already prepared for team performances, having gained experience in various groups.

Her father's name was Lajos Veres, he was from Hungary, he was a well-known gypsy violinist in the Netherlands, her mother was of French-Russian origin, a native of Germany). Mariska began her singing career in 1964 with the pop group Les Mystères, then in 1966 she sang with the Blue Fighters, in 1967 with the Bumble Bees, Danny and his Favorites, and later with the Motowns.

She replaced Fred, the original vocalist of Shocking Blue, and became the band's symbol! her ringing voice gave the music a distinct sound. As Robbie said: “When Mariska came, everything immediately started spinning, and one of the first singles - “Venus” became one of the biggest hits of this group and spread all over the planet, topping the charts in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Germany , USA, Japan and many other parts of the world! And of course, all the record companies, producers and managers flocked to it, like flies on ... Oh, that is, like ants on sugar! I'm talking about Colossus. Label head Jerry Ross signed with Shocking Blue and was rewarded for his entrepreneurial spirit! The singles "Mighty Joe", "Never Marry a Railroad Man", "Hello Darkness", "Shocking You", "Long Lonesome Road", "Blossom Lady" and "Inkpot" soared to the top. "Shocking Blue" successfully combined "beat" and "rhythm and blues" with the oriental sound of the Indian sitar. It was getting more and more difficult for Robbie to write songs and the band decided to include cover versions on the albums! Here is one of his statements:

“We did everything ourselves, and the DJs of the radio stations would like to hear from us every time everything is completely new. But a large number of albums led to the fact that the group was forced to supplement them with cover versions. It was extremely difficult for me to write all the music and words alone.” For several months in 1970-1971 guitarist Leo Van De Ketteridge played with the band. Mariska, Robbie, Cornelius and Claassier were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting as far away as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. Despite the fact that the group continued to release excellent and often groundbreaking singles and to take places in the European charts, Robbie Van Lieven fell into depression. He was depressed by the limited success of the group, as a result of which quarrels began to occur within Shocking Blue.

Claassier left first, replaced in 1971 by Henk Smitskamp. In 1973, Van Lieven himself left the group for a while, and Martin van Wijk took his place. The album "Good Times" (1974) distinguishes glam rock sound from all other records of the band. having recorded the last (very strong) single “Gonna sing me a song” with an equally powerful composition on the “B” side - “Get it on”, Mariska leaves the band, who suddenly decides to start a solo career. Like how jazz singer as part of the Shocking Jazz Quintet. This time there could be no replacement (1974). In 1979, Robbie wanted to revive the group, but for some reason this did not happen then. However, in late 1984, Shocking Blue reunited and played two shows at the Back-to-the-Sixties festival. Roby, after the breakup of the group, formed another group, Galaxy Inc. In 1993, Mariska assembled a new line-up of Shocking Blue, the group released singles and performed throughout Europe. In 2003 she recorded an album with Andrey Serban's gypsy ensemble "Gypsy Heart".

and "Venus" is still performed by many groups and soloists - for example, in 1986 it again reached the 1st place in the American charts performed by the group "Stars On 45" And after that - performed by the team "Bananarama". It is noteworthy that the opening riff was borrowed from the famous song "Pinball Wizard" British group"The Who". In the 1990s, all Shockin Blue records were re-released in CD format (fans of this group should be warned against some "pirated discs" on which the songs of another Dutch group "Nektar Assaasie" are included as bonus tracks.

Mariska died at her home in the Netherlands (October 1, 1947 - December 2, 2006) of bladder and liver cancer.

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History of Shocking Blue

The Dutch band Shocking Blue was born in 1968 in The Hague. It has 2 personalities in its composition: the popular guitarist and songwriter Robby Van Leenven (he wrote all the hits of the group) and the singer of Magyar origin Mariska Veres, the daughter of a gypsy violinist. Klassje Van DerWal plays bass and percussion instruments sat Cornelis Van Der Beck. After about two unsuccessful, in terms of publishing, records of a small Dutch company with strange name"Pink Elephant" was the perfect Venus record, a simple, irresistibly captivating rock 'n' roll track. Three million records sold, topping the charts in Belgium, the USA, Scandinavia, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Australia, Spain and other countries - this is how Venus opened the way for Dutch pop music (after Shocking Blue it was paved by the Tee Set, George Baker Selection, Golden Earring, Cats, Focus and other bands).

Shockig Blue has managed to get the following songs into the charts at home and overseas: Mighty Joe
(somewhat Jefferson Airplane style), I`ll Write Your Name Through Fire (from At Home), Long Lonesome Road, Hello Darkness, Never Marry and Railroad Man (very strong hit), Shocking You and the latest Out Of Mind.

On the band's third album (The Third Album) we meet the band's new guitarist Leo Van Der Kettery (Van Leeuven was mainly involved in the compilation and production of records). This disc, with such songs as Velvet Heaven, The Bird Of Paradise and I Saw Your Face, by the way, is still considered the most successful example of Shocking Blue music recorded on a disc. The style of the cute Dutch is somewhat reminiscent of the style of Creedence Clearwater Revival. They also return to late 50s rock'n'roll in their own way, although on the disc, of course, their range is much wider (for example, the sitar in Aka Ragu on the At Home album). A typical example is, say, the hit Dlossem Lady, which may have an "outdated" guitar solo. Shocking Blue stands on the edge of rock music, relying on listeners who enjoy well-crafted beat songs. Their main motto is, however, the expressive "peculiar" voice of the attractive Mariska Veres.

History of the band according to Shocking Blue (Unofficial Site)
Shocking Blue formed in 1967 under the direction of guitarist Robbie van Leuwen, a veteran of the well known Dutch rock band The Motions. The band's name came from a track by Eric
Clapton "Electric Blue".
Van Leeuwen was joined by drummer Cor van Beek, bassist Klässi van der Val and vocalist Fred de Wild.

In the spring of 1968, Shocking Blue signed a contract with the independent Dutch company Dureco. The band's first single, "Lucy Brown Is Back In Town", was released by Pink Elephant and peaked at number twenty-one on the Dutch Top 40.

Shortly thereafter, the manager and music editor of Shocking Blue attended a celebration attended by the success of Golden Earring's number one song in Holland. A band called the Bumble Bees performed at the party with an energetic and strong vocalist, Mariska Veres, and the men thought she would be a great addition to Shocking Blue. The manner of her singing, strikingly different from most other local vocalists of that time, produced a very strong impression on Robbie. Mariska, half Hungarian, half German, often sang with her father, who played the violin in a gypsy orchestra. Prior to being invited to Shocking Blue, she recorded a solo single called "Topkapi" and gained experience in various bands. Mariska replaced Fred de Wild, and, without a doubt, it was her vocals that became a magnet that attracted viewers and listeners; her ringing voice gave the music a distinct rhythm and blues sound. Robbie: “When Mariska arrived, everything happened in a matter of moments! The very first compositions we recorded for the album “Venus” became great hits.”
In the Netherlands, "Venus" immediately settled firmly at number three, while topping the charts in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The recording was made on the newest American record label "Colossus". Label head Jerry Ross received a huge reward for his labors when "Venus" soared to number one in February 1970. It would not be superfluous to say that the group was very popular not only at home, but "Venus" was well sold both in France and in Japan.

The band's follow-up to "Venus", the album "Mighty Joe", became number one in Holland and, like its predecessor, was present on all charts. "Never Marry a Railroad Man" also topped the Dutch rock charts; it was followed by "Hello Darkness", "Shocking You", "Long Lonesome Road", "Blossom Lady" and "Inkpot", but none of these songs could break above 43rd place in the American charts.

Shocking Blue successfully combined beat and rhythm and blues with the psychedelic elements of the time. Robbie didn't mind if the band included a few cover versions of old songs on the albums, as it was too much of a burden for him to write new material all the time. “We did everything ourselves, and the DJs of the radio stations would like to hear from us every time everything is completely new. But a large number of albums led to the fact that the group was forced to supplement them with covers. It was extremely difficult for me to write all the music and words alone.”
For several months in 1970-1971 guitarist Leo van de Ketteridge played with the band.
Mariska, Robbie, Kor and Klassi were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting such distant corners as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. The conditions of their travels were primitive and hardly matched the luxury of travel by the most famous bands of the present day. And Shocking Blue covered the distance, huddled together in an uncomfortable railroad car. “We didn't expect to be this busy,” Robbie replies. “All these tours have been a very difficult time for me.”

Despite the fact that the group continued to release excellent and often groundbreaking singles and to take places in the European charts, Robbie van Leeuwen fell into depression. He was depressed by the limited success of the group, which resulted in a major quarrel within Shocking Blue. Klassi was the first to leave in 1971. He was replaced by Henk Smithskamp.

In 1973, Robbie van Leeuwen partly left the band and was replaced by Martin van Wijk. Without Robbie, Shocking Blue still held on, but in 1974 Mariska also left the group, deciding to start a solo career.

In the mid-seventies, Robbie returned to the music industry with Galaxy Lyn, a more folk and jazz oriented group than Shocking Blue. He also became the producer of Mariska's solo single called "Too Young". Subsequently, Robbie released several hits at Mistral Studios. The team disbanded in the early eighties, and in 1983 the guitarist moved from The Hague to Luxembourg, where he lived away from the music business. In 1996 he returned to Holland.

In late 1984, the Shocking Blue reunited and played two shows at the Back-to-the-Sixties festival. They proved to be worthy of our memory: van Leuwen still keeps his style, and Mariska has one of the most wonderful female voices. And their interpretations of "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane are as strong as their own.

In September 1993, Mariska Veres decided to breathe new life into Shocking Blue.

But from former musicians no one returned to the group. Robbie van Leeuwen allowed Mariska to keep the name "Shocking Blue" for her new group and even became the producer of the CD single "Body & Soul", released in 1994. The band performed at many festivals in the sixties and seventies, mostly in Germany.

The initial line-up consist of:
Robbie Van Leeuwen (guitar, sitar and backing vocals)
Fred de Wilde (vocals, 1967–1968)
Klaasje van der Wal (bass guitar, 1967–1972)
Cor van der Beek (drums)
Later members were:
Mariska Veres (vocals)
Leo van de Ketterij (guitar, 1970–1971)
Martin van Wijk (guitar, 1973–1974)
Henk Smitskamp (bass guitar, 1972–1974)

party hosted by the Bumble Bees with amazing vocalist Mariska Veres and decided she would be the perfect complement to Shocking Blue. Robbie was immediately attracted to her vocal style, which is very different from other performers. Mariska, half Hungarian gypsy, half German, often sang with her father, who played the violin in a gypsy orchestra.

Prior to being invited to Shocking Blue, she recorded a solo single called "Topkapi" and gained experience in various bands. She replaced de Vilde, and, without a doubt, it was her vocals that became a magnet that attracted viewers and listeners; her ringing voice gave the music a distinct rhythm and blues sound. As Robbie said: "When Mariska came, everything immediately started spinning, and one of the first singles - Venus - became a great hit."

In the Netherlands, Venus peaked at number three while topping the charts in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The recording attracted the attention of the newly founded American company Colossus. Label head Jerry Ross signed with Shocking Blue and was rewarded for his entrepreneurial spirit when Venus topped the US charts in February 1970. It goes without saying that the band was extremely popular at home and had approximately fifty hits in the Dutch charts, while their records also sold well in France and Japan. The group's next single, Mighty Joe, went to number one in Holland and, like its predecessor, was present on all the charts.

Robbie didn't mind if the band included a few cover versions of old songs on the albums, as it was too much of a burden for him to write new material all the time. “We did everything ourselves, and the DJs of the radio stations would like to hear from us every time everything is completely new. But a large number of albums led to the fact that the group was forced to supplement them with cover versions. It was extremely difficult for me to write all the music and words alone.” For several months in 1970-1971 guitarist Leo van de Ketterey played with the band. Mariska, Robbie, Cornelius and Klache were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting such distant corners as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. Despite the fact that the group continued to release excellent and often groundbreaking singles and to take places in the European charts, Robbie van Leeuwen fell into a depression. He was depressed by the limited success of the group, as a result of which quarrels began to occur within Shocking Blue.

Klache left first, replaced in 1971 by Henk Smitskamp. In 1973, van Leeuwen himself left the group for a while, and Martin van Wijk took his place. Without Robbie, Shocking Blue still held on, but in 1974 Mariska also left the group, who decided to start a solo career, and the team finally broke up. In 1979, Robbie wanted to revive the group, but for some reason this did not happen then. However, in late 1984, Shocking Blue reunited and played two shows at the Back-to-the-Sixties festival.