Shocking Blue
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1967-68) - Fred de Wilde -- vocals - Cornelius Van Der Beek -- drums - Klaasje Van Der Wal -- bass - Robbie Van Leeuwen -- lead guitar, sitar
line up 2 (1968-70) - Cornelius Van Der Beek -- drums - Klaasje Van Der Wal -- bass - Robbie Van Leeuwen -- lead guitar, sitar NEW - Mariska Veres (RIP 2006) -- vocals (replaced Fred de Wilde)
line up 3 (1970-71) NEW - Leo van de Ketterij -- guitar (1970) - Cornelius Van Der Beek -- drums - Klaasje Van Der Wal -- bass - Robbie Van Leeuwen -- lead guitar, sitar - Mariska Veres (RIP 2006) -- vocals
line up 4 (1971-73) NEW - Henk Smitskamp -- bass (replaced Klaasje Van Der Wal) - Leo van de Ketterij -- guitar (1970) - Cornelius Van Der Beek -- drums - Robbie Van Leeuwen -- lead guitar, sitar - Mariska Veres (RIP 2006) -- vocals
line up 5 (1973-74) NEW - Henk Smitskamp -- bass (replaced Klaasje Van Der Wal) - Leo van de Ketterij -- guitar (1970) - Cornelius Van Der Beek -- drums - Robbie Van Leeuwen -- vocals - Martin van Wijk -- lead guitar, vocals (replaced Robbie Van Leeuwen) - Mariska Veres (RIP 2006) -- vocals
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- Antilope (Klaasje Van Der Wal) - Galaxy Lin (Robbie van Leevwen) - Hu & Hilltops (Fred de Wilde) - Jupiter (Martin van Wijk) - Lemming (Cornelius Van Der Beek and Martin van Wijk) - Livin' Blues (Henk Smitskamp) - Mistral (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - The Motions (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - Sandy Coast (Henk Smitskamp) - Sect (Cornelius Van Der Beek) - Mariska Veres (solo efforts) |
Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: At Home Company: Pink Elephant Catalog: MLP 15-353 Year: 1969 Country/State: Holland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: original Dutch pressing; gatefold sleeve Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD Price: SOLD Cost: $16.50
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You have to laugh when you realize that today most American's don't even associate Shocking Blue with their biggest hit - "Venus". Ask most folks under 30 who did the song and their liable to tell you it's Bananarama. Their right, but that mid-1980s remake was at best a lame and forgettable cover next to the killer original ...
Maybe due to the fact I spent the early 1970s living in Europe where this outfit was a staple on pop radio, they have a special place in my heart. I'm certain the fact lead singer Mariska Veres was a major babe had nothing to do with it ... So here's a brief bio on the group.
In addition to serving as lead guitarists for The Motion, Robbie Van Leeuwen was responsible for penning many of their commercial hits. Unfortunately, by 1967 he and singer Rudy Bennett were at each others throats, with Van Leeuwen ultimately deciding to start his own group. Recruiting former Hu & Hilltops singer Fred de Wilde, bassist Klaasje van der Wal and ex-Sect drummer Cornelius van Der Beek, the quartet quickly scored a contract with Polydor, releasing their debut 45 "Love Is In the Air" b/w "What You Gonna Do (Polydor catalog number S 1248l). Dropped by Polydor the group rebounded signing with the Dutch Pink Elephant label. Their label debut "Lucy Brown Is Back In Town" b/w "Fix Your Hair Darling" (Pink Elephant catalog number PE-22001) proved a modest Dutch hit, but a combination of personality clashes and management intervention soon arose and within a short period de Wilde was history, replaced by female vocalist Mariska Veres whom band manager Cees van Leeuwen had spotted performing at a Dutch jazz festival with the band The Bumble Bees. (Another story has van Leeuwen spotting Veres and the Buble Bees performing at a party for Dutch Rockers Golden Earring.)
The new line up debuted with the 1968 single "Send Me a Postcard Darling" b/w "Harley Davidson" (Pink Elephant catalog number PE-20004). A substantial Dutch hit, it was followed by the equally successful "Long and Lonesome Road" b/w "Fireball of Love" (Pink Elephant catalog number PE 22007). The band's breakthrough came with the release of their fourth single. Penned by Van Leeuwen (like most of their material), "Venus" b/w "Hot Sand" (Pink Elephant catalog number PE 22015) hit # 3 in Holland, but topped the charts almost everywhere else in the world, including the US where it was released by Jerry Ross' newly formed Colossus Records.
It's unfortunate 1969's self-produced "At Home" didn't see an American release since its more consistent than the "Venus" compilation that Colossus Records marketed in the States. While the spotlight was clearly on the young and attractive Ms. Veres (check out the inner sleeve photo), Van Leeuwen was the obvious creative mainstay, responsible for penning ten of the eleven songs, mixing the album and handling guitars and sitar. I've read various pieces comparing Veres to Grace Slick. Personally I don't hear it, but in spite of a heavy accent, Veres was a quite impressive singer and on tracks such as "I'll Write Your Name Through the Fire" she displayed a dark and rugged voice that was well matched to Van Leeuwen's material. While "Venus" attracted all of the attention, the rest of the album was nearly as good. Highly diverse, none of the 11 tracks sounded similar to one another, yet they shared a certain infectious Dutch-pop/rock feel (yeah, I know, what the hell did that mean?). Personal favorites include the sitar-powered instrumental (and lone non-original) "Acka Raga", "Love Machine" and "California Here I Come". Geez, even Kurt Cobain and Nirvana were apparently fans covering "Love Buzz" on their 1986 album "Bleach". By the way, though the CD reissue sports a couple of bonus tracks, it cuts "Poor Boy" in half, wiping out the meltdown second half. The message here is be sure to look for a copy of the original LP! "At Home" track listing: (side
1) 2.) I'll Write Your Name Through the Fire (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:50 3.) Acka Raga (instrumental) (J. Mayer) - 3:10 4.) Love Machine (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3:15 5.) I'm Your Woman (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3:00 6.) Venus (Robby Van Leeuwen) - 3:07
(side
2) 2.) Poor Boy (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 4:50 3.) Long and Lonesome Road (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:44 4.) Love Buzz (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3:40 5.) The Butterfly
and I (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3:50
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Scorpio's Dance Company: Pink Elephant Catalog: MLP 15 377 Country/State: Holland Year: 1970 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: original Dutch pressing; gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4875 Price: $40.00 |
Self-produced, 1970's "Scorpio's Dance" was simply a great album. With Robbie Van Leeuwen continuing to write most of the material (the album included one non-original), material such as "Alaska Country" and "Keep It If You Want It" underscored the fact Shocking Blue remained a rock band. On the other hand, the band didn't hesitate to use their new found commercial success to explore a number of musical genres including country ("Sally was a Good Old Girl"), classical (the instrumental title track) and psychedelic rock ("Daemon Lover") (their spelling, not mine). Kicked along by Mariska Veres's heavily accented vocals and the band's somewhat cryptic lyrics ("Little Cooling Planet"), at least to my ears, part of their appeal lay in their distinctive European sound. Okay, okay I'll admit it. Veres was a babe and her voice was an amazing instrument, kicking considerable energy into even the Robbie Van Leeuwen's lamest compositions. Personal favorites included the bizarre "I Love Voodoo Music" and "Water Boy". Elsewhere it was somewhat ironic that the album was recorded in New York's Bell Sound Studios, but never saw an American release.
"Scorpio's Dance" track listing: (side
1) 2.) Alaska Country (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3:51 3.) Sally was a Good Old Girl (Howard - Harlan) - 3:30 4.) Daemon Lover (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 6:00 5.) Scorpio's Dance (instrumental) (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3:40
(side
2) 2.) I Love Voodoo Music (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3:58 3.) Seven Is a Magic Number (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:58 4.) Keep It If You Want It (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:51 5.) Water Boy (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:30
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Venus Company: Colossus Catalog: CS-1000 Country/State: Holland Year: 1970 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor ring wear Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD 6130 Price: SOLD $9.00 |
Having signed these Dutch rockers to an American distribution deal with his newly formed Colossus Records, manager Jerry Ross chose to cobble together their American debut from a mix of earlier Dutch albums (notably 1969's "At Home") and previously released European-issued 45s. The cleverly-titled "Venus" clearly sought to take advantage of the single's worldwide success, adding a couple of Mariska Veres-era Dutch singles to the mix ("Send Me a Postcard" and "Long and Lonesome Road"). Since the original Dutch albums are rather difficult to obtain, this isn't a bad and affordable way to check out the band's talents.
"Venus" track listing: (side
1)
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: 3rd Album Company: Pink Elephant Catalog: PE-l 877.010G Country/State: Holland Year: 1971 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: Dutch pressing; laminate has begun to peel; gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5929 Price: $50.00
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If I do the math, then technically 1971's "3rd Album" (also released under the title "Shocking You") was actually their fourth studio set. True it was the third set to feature Mariska Veres on vocals, but ... So much for truth in advertising. So here's the funny thing about this album - two years earlier these folks had ruled the airwaves with 'Venus' and then ... commercial oblivion. Try finding an in-depth review on this one. For that matter try to find a brief review of this one. I couldn't and ended up buying this album at a yard sale based on my affection for their earlier catalog. Like the previous couple of releases, lead guitarist Robbie Van Leeuwen was again responsible for penning the majority of the set - the lone exception being the track 'I Saw Your Face'. Propelled by Veres wonderful voice, their sound remained instantly recognizable, though this time out some of the earlier pop gloss was notably absent with Van Leeuwen and company spotlighting a surprisingly affection for American country and western influences. Before you panic and go running for the doors, this wasn't a country album by any stretch of the imagination.
- Opening up with a searing blast of harmonica, 'Shocking Blue' was one of the hardest rocking tracks the band ever recorded. Veres literally sounded like her voice box was about to tear out. The other highlight came in the form of some of the clumsiest banjo you've ever heard. Yeah, banjo sounded weird in a hard rock song, but Van Leeuwen somehow made it work. For anyone interested, while clearly a lip-synch performance from an unknown European television appearance, YouTube featured an interesting performance of the song at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO6OMgksqQY rating: **** stars - On the heels of one of their hardest rockers, the acoustic ballad 'Velvet Heaven' was easily one of Van Leeuwen's prettiest melodies. Veres may have been singing the lyrics phonetically, but the song's breezy, laconic feel was special. rating: **** stars - The band's stab at recording a blues-oriented song, 'Love Sweet Love' simply never kicked into gear. Not terrible (okay the 'bam, bam' chorus was terrible), but flat compared to the other treasures on this album. rating: ** stars - 'I Saw Your Face' stood out for a number of reasons. The lone non-original, it was also the only track to showcase Van Leeuwen's surprisingly likeable vocals. Musically the track was also unique. Kicked along by what sounded like an electric sitar, the song showcasing a distinctive psychedelic edge and some fantastic girl group-styled backing harmony vocals from Veres. What a cool song. rating: **** stars - The instrumental 'Simon Lee and the Gang' served to showcase Van Leeuwen's acoustic guitar credentials. Very nice 12 string work. rating: **** stars - With an instantly likeable chorus 'Serenade' was easily side one's most commercial and pop oriented track. rating: **** stars - 'Don't You See' started side two with Shocking Blue trying their chops at a country-blues number. Complete with lots of banjo, slide guitar, and Jews harp, you had to give them credit for being willing to go out on a creative limb. Unfortunately, it wasn't a genre particularly suited for a Dutch rock band. Luckily the song quickly morphed into a blues-rock much heavier blues-rock segment which ended way too soon. rating: ** stars - The lyric was a mystery to me ('the bird of paradise flew upon my nose'), but musically the rocker 'The Bird of Paradise' had everything going for it - great pounding melody, fantastic Van Leeuwen lead guitar, and one of Veres nicest vocal performances. Would have been a killer single. rating: ***** stars - More banjo !!! The rocker 'Moonlight Night' was definitely one of the strangest compositions on the album, though this time out the banjo served to nicely propel the song along. rating: *** stars - It took a minute to kick in, but 'Sleepless of Midnight' had the album's best hook, probably explaining why Buddah took a chance and released it as a US single. Nice, bluesy-rocker with Van Leeuwen's best lead guitar. rating: **** stars - Sounding like Van Leeuwen had been listening to lots of American cowboy tunes, 'I'll Follow the Sun' had a cool melody with instant appeal for any guitar player. rating: **** stars
Throughout Europe the album was tapped for a single in the form of:
- 1971's 'Shocking You' b/w 'Waterloo' (Pink Elephant catalog number PE-22050)
In the States Buddah decided to release a different single:
- 1971's 'Sleepless of Midnight' b/w 'Serenade' (Buddah catalog number BDA 258)
To my ears this one was every bit as good as the earlier albums. Shame it never attracted much of an audience and today is largely forgotten.
"3rd Album" track listing: (side
1) 2.) Velvet Heaven (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3.) Love Sweet Love (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 4.) I Saw Your Face (Reggis Mull) - 5.) Simon Lee and the Gang (instrumental) (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 6.) Serenade (Robbie Van Leeuwen) -
2.) The Bird of Paradise (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3.) Moonlight Night (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 4.) Sleepless of Midnight (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 5.) I'll Follow the Sun (Robbie Van Leeuwen) -
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Live In Japan Company: Pink Elephant Catalog: 888.014 Country/State: Holland Year: 1972 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve; minor ring wear; Dutch pressing Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD 4947 Price: SOLD $75.00
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As a big Shocking Blue fan I've always wondered what they sounded like in concert. While this live set didn't sport the greatest sound quality (Klaasje Van Der Wal's bass was too high in the mix), judging by these 14 abbreviated performances they were a surprisingly accomplished live act, although I wouldn't rate them much in the area of audience interaction (band chatter being limited to an occasional 'thank you'). Recorded at a pair of July 1971 dates at Tokyo's Koseinenkin Hall, "Live In Japan" featured a hits-heavy set, including two versions of 'Venus'. In spite of her heavy accent Mariska Veres acquitted herself well on tracks like 'Hot Sand' and 'Long and Lonesome Road' her voice coming off as much huskier and darker than on the band's studio albums. Powered by Robbie Van Leeuwen's lead guitar, the performances were surprisingly tight and close to the studio originals; occasionally to the point of being mildly dull ('Poor Boy' and 'Tobacco Road'). Elsewhere, while Mason Williams didn't have anything to fear, their electrified cover of 'Classical Gas' was kind of entertaining.
"Live In Japan" track listing: (side
1) 2.) I'm a Woman (Robbie Van Leeuwen) 3.) Sally was a Good Girl (Harlan - Howard) 4.) Poor Boy (Robbie Van Leeuwen) 5.) Tobacco Road (Robbie Van Leeuwen) 6.) Classical Gas (instrumental) (Mason Williams) 7.) Hot Sand (Robbie Van Leeuwen)
(side
2) 2.) Boll Weevil (Robbie Van Leeuwen) 3.) Blossom Lady (Robbie Van Leeuwen) 4.) Mighty Joe (Robbie Van Leeuwen) 5.) Never Marry a Railroad Man (Robbie Van Leeuwen) 6.) Shocking You (Robbie Van Leeuwen) 7.) Venus (Robbie Van Leeuwen)
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Atilla Company: Pink Elephant Catalog: PE 877.025-G Country/State: Holland Year: 1972 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: Dutch pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4941 Price: $40.00
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I've always been amazed by how much quality material Robbie Van Leeuwen churned out during the 1968 - 73 timeframe. By my count he was responsible for penning virtually everything on seven studio sets (and numerous non-LP singles) Shocking Blue released during that five year timeframe.
For the most part 1972's "Atilla" wasn't a major change from earlier Shocking Blue albums. That said, to my ears its actually one of the group's stronger releases. Clearly in a comfortable creative groove, Robbie Van Leeuwen-penned material such as the slinky Rattler'', ''A Waste of Time and '' was seldom as consistent or enjoyable. Normally inclined to let Mariska Veres handle the vocals, Van Leeuwen even stepped into the spotlight showing off a surprisingly commercial voice on 'Don't Let Your Right Know' and 'Broken Heart'. For her part Veres heavily accented English vocals never sounded as sultry. I can't think of anyone else who could make a lyric like 'I wish I were a mole in the ground' sound as sexy. Sure, there wasn't anything as immediately top-10 catchy as 'Venus' (well 'Rock in the Sea' came close), but virtually any of these twelve tracks would have sounded good on top-40 radio. Personal favorites included ''The Devil and the Angel' and 'I've Spent My Money'. I'm still puzzled as to why a set with as much sales potential didn't even see an American release.
"Atillla" track listing: (side
1) 2.) Never Release the One You Love (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:58 3.) A Waste Of Time (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:40 4.) Wait (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:00 5. 5.) The Devil And The Angel (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:27 6. 6.) Rock In The Sea (Robbie Van Leeuwen)- 3:00 7. (side
2) 2.) Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:38 3.) Early In The Morning (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:16 10. 4.) I Built My World Around You (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 1:55 11. 5.) Don't Let Your Right Know (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:05 12. 6.) Broken Heart (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:27
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Ham Company: Pink Elephant Catalog: PE 877.038 G Country/State: Holland Year: 1972 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: Dutch press; gatefold sleeve Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD 4479 Price: SOLD$75.00
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Musically 1972's "Ham"
was basically the same album as the earlier "Dream On Dream"
collection. Differences were limited to a new cover and three
different songs - 'Oh Lord', 'I Saw You In June' and 'Wild Roses' replacing
'Diana In Her Dreams', 'Just In Her Dreams' and 'Save Your Love'. The
band's third studio set within a year found guitarist Robbie Van Leeuwen again handling
production, as well as all
of the writing chores. With so much demand on the group for product, it was
only natural that they began to run out of creative steam. To some
extent the album serves to underscore that problem. That said, the
set's still quite good (instantly recognizable as a Shocking Blue product)
and is well worth hearing. Musically most of the collection is best
described as rather conventional pop-rock, though every one of the
twelve tracks had commercial potential. to my ears the
highlights included the poppy 'Dowee Dowee', the rockin' 'Devil's Suite' and
'I Saw You in June'. Elsewhere singer Mariska Veres remained a
guilty pleasure. By this time she'd been singing English lyrics for
years, but her mastery of the language seems slimmer than ever (check out
the way she handles the lyrics to 'Oh Lord' and the bluesy 'Everything
that's Mine').
"Ham" track listing: (side
1) 2.) Dowee Dowee (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:43 3.) Everything that's Mine (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 4.) Devil's Suite (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:57 5.) Time Slips Away (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:24 6.) A Little Bit of Heaven (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:30
(side
2) 2.) Wild Rose (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:31 3.) In My Time of Dyin' (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3:37 4.) So Far from Home (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:09 5.) Take Your Time (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:09 6.) Now He's Gone (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:11
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Inkpot Company: Polydor Catalog: 2310 223 Country/State: Holland Year: 1972 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: German press; gatefold sleeve; small cut out hole top right corner; still in shrink wrap Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4874 Price: $40.00
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I have to admit that 1972's self-produced, "Inkpot" is the first Shocking Blue album I wasn't crazy about. While Robbie Van Leeuwen was again responsible for the majority of the material and Mariska Veres voice remained instantly recognizable, something was missing from the mix. Part of the problem may have simply been creative exhaustion - this was the group's second studio release within a year. With all four members looking somewhat worn and torn, the back album cover certainly lent credence to such a contention. That said, Van Leeuwen and company were simply too talented to turn in a complete flop. Propelled by Veres heavily accented vocals, material like the title track, 'Navajo Tears' and 'Blossom Lady' was all quite likeable. Elsewhere Van LEEUWEN took a rare shot handling lead vocals on the closing rocker 'Hey'. You also got to hear the weirdest cover of Hank Williams 'Jambalaya' ever recorded. You could just hear Veres trying to figure out what the hell the lyrics were about ... Curiously, for a band that had been on the top of the American charts a couple of years earlier, the album didn't even see an American release.
"Inkpot" track listing: (side
1) 2.) Who Save My Soul (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 1:54 3.) Out of Sight, Out of Mind (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:54 4.) Shadows (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:25 5.) Is this a Dream (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 3:49 6.) I Like You (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:10
(side
2) 2.) I Ain't Never (M. Tilles - W. Pierce) - 2:14 3.) Navajo Tears (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:36 4.) Jambalaya (Hank Williams) - 2:24 5.) Give My Love To the Sunrise (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:24 6.) Hey (Robbie Van Leeuwen) - 2:25
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