Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - L to Z»Artists - S
    Artists - S Music - 1960s Music - 1970s 2 Mins Read

    Shocking Blue

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Dutch band Shocking Blue was founded in 1967 by guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen. Other members of the original group were Fred de Wilde, Klaasje van der Wal and Cor van der Beek.

    The group had a minor hit in 1968 with Lucy Brown is Back in Town before De Wilde left (to join the army) and van Leeuwen was introduced to singer Mariska Veres.

    He persuaded her to take over the vocals and the group achieved a worldwide hit with Venus, which peaked at #3 in the Netherlands in autumn 1969.

    The song was released in America and the UK and reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970. It subsequently sold 350,000 copies in Germany and topped the American chart for three weeks.

    Subsequent releases included Mighty Joe, Send Me a Postcard and Long and Lonesome Road. Later songs like Hello Darkness, Demon Lover, Shocking You, Blossom Lady, Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Inkpot, Eve and the Apple and Oh Lord were successful in Europe, Latin America and Asia, but failed to chart in the USA or UK.

    Klaasje van der Wal left in 1971 after their first trip to Japan (which spawned a live album). Robbie Van Leeuwen quit in 1974 and, later that year, Mariska Veres left also and the band folded.

    Veres enjoyed a solo career until 1982. Her singles Take Me High (1975) and Lovin’ You (1976) were popular mainly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. She also released the singles Tell It Like It Is (1975), a cover version of Dusty Springfield’s Little By Little (1976), and Too Young (1978).

    Shocking Blue reformed in 1979 and attempted another comeback in 1984.

    Drummer Cor van der Beek died on 2 April 1998, aged 49. Vocalist Mariska Veres died of cancer on 2 December 2006. She was 59. Bassist Klaasje van der Wal died on 12 February 2018 at the age of 69.

    Mariska Veres
    Vocals
    Robbie van Leeuwen
    Guitar, vocals
    Klaasje van der Wal
    Bass
    Cor van der Beek
    Drums
    Fred de Wilde
    Vocals

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
      Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
      Harold Melvin formed the Blue Notes in 1954. Recording for a variety of labels, they had minor R&B hits during…
    • Focus
      Focus
      Focus began in 1969 as a trio formed by Thijs van Leer, a singer, flautist and keyboard player who had…
    • Guys 'n' Dolls
      Guys 'n' Dolls
      Guys 'n' Dolls were formed in 1974 after Ammo Productions held auditions for three girls and three boys to start…
    • Champs, The
      Champs, The
      The Champs evolved from a group of Texan session musicians hired by Gene Autry for his fledgeling Challenge Records label…
    • Nazz, The
      Nazz, The
      Guitarist Todd Rundgren formed The Nazz with bassist Carson Van Osten in 1967 after they had quit blues purists Woody's Truck…
    • Timebox
      Timebox
      Southport art students Peter 'Ollie' Halsall, Clive Griffiths, and Chris Holmes formed a group called Take 5 which ended up…
    • Koobas, The
      Koobas, The
      Possibly the least-known of Brian Epstein's post-Beatles charges from the Merseybeat era, The Koobas formed in 1962 and broke up in 1968. Their story…
    • Creation, The
      Creation, The
      Formed in 1966, The Creation were the innovative wild men of rock onstage. Guitarist Eddie Phillips pummelled his guitar with…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleShirts , The
    Next Article Shoes

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Halls of Ivy, The
      1 9 5 4 – 1 9 5 5 (USA) 38 x 30 minute episodes Debuting […]
    • Vendetta
      1 9 6 6 – 1 9 6 8 (UK) 35 x 50 minute episodes This […]
    • World Party
      World Party was basically a one-man project from […]
    • Goodness Gracious Me
      1 9 9 8 – 2 0 0 0 (UK) 18 x 30 minute episodes Goodness […]
    • Treasure House
      1 9 6 4 – 1 9 6 5 (UK) 40 x 25 minute episodes Airing on […]
    • Bat Masterson
      1 9 5 8 – 1 9 6 1 (USA) 108 x 30 minute episodes A black […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.