Shocking Blue's by far biggest hit was Venus, which went to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970. 'Venus' returned to the top of the U.S. charts in 1981 as part of the Stars on 45 Medley and was also successfully covered by artists such as Greece's Olympians (1970), Bananarama (1986), Japanese singer Yoko Nagayama (1986).
Nirvana covered the song Love Buzz for their debut album Bleach in 1989, and it was released as their first single. The British Group The Prodigy also sampled Love Buzz for their song 'Phoenix' on their 2004 album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned.
Before 'Venus' the group had only had two minor Dutch hits in 1969: Long Lonesome Road and Send Me A Postcard. In 1970 two more hits followed: Mighty Joe and Never Marry A Railroad Man, the latter almost provoking a strike by workers on the London Underground when posters advertising the single in the Underground stations were put on display.
Shocking Blue had several more hits in The Netherlands and beyond. The group started to dissolve in 1973 when Van Leeuwen called it quits. Singer Mariska Veres left the group to start a solo-career in 1974 and Shocking Blue folded.
Mariska Veres died on December 2nd, 2006, after a short battle with cancer. She was just 59 years old.
Members
The initial line-up consisted of
Robbie van Leeuwen (guitar, sitar and backing vocals) (1967–1973)
Fred de Wilde (vocals, 1967–1968)
Klaasje van der Wal (bass guitar, 1967–1972, deceased in 2018)
Cor van der Beek (drums) (1967–1974, deceased in 1998)
Later members were
Mariska Veres (vocals, 1968–1974, deceased in 2006)
Leo van de Ketterij (nl) (guitar, 1970–1971)
Martin van Wijk (guitar, 1973–1974)
Henk Smitskamp (nl) (bass guitar, 1972–1974)
Also
Wim Voermans
Jan Pijnenburg (nl)
Michael Eschauzier
André van Geldorp (nl)
Charles Pesch
Discography
Albums
1967 Shocking Blue (Polydor) also known as Beat with Us (German title) #31 US
1969 At Home (Pink Elephant)
1970 Scorpio's Dance (Pink Elephant) also known as Sally Was A Good Old Girl (Japanese title)
1971 Third Album (AKA Shocking You, Pink Elephant)
1972 Inkpot (Pink Elephant) – The official music of Mark Six
1972 Live in Japan (Pink Elephant)
1972 Attila (Pink Elephant) also known as Rock in the Sea (Japanese title)
1972 Eve and the Apple (Same as Attila with one different track, Polydor)
1973 Ham (Pink Elephant)
1974 Dream on Dreamer (Same as Ham, but with 3 different songs and 6 alternate versions, Polydor)
1974 Good Times (Pink Elephant)
Singles
Year Title US UK AUS NED NOR GER FRA NZ BEL JPN
1967 Love is in The Air / Fix Your Hair Darling - - - - - - - - - -
1968 Lucy Brown is Back in Town / Fix Your Hair Darling - - - 21 - - - - - -
1968 Send Me a Postcard / Harley Davidson - - - 10 4 - 4 - - -
1969 Long and Lonesome Road / Fireball of Love 75 - - 17 - - 6 - - -
1969 Venus / Hot Sand 1 3 1 3 1 2 1 1 - 15
1969 Mighty Joe / Wild Wind 43 45 43 2 - 6 8 - - -
1970 Never Marry a Railroad Man / Roll Engine Roll 102 - 40 1 5 10 1 4 19
1970 Hello Darkness / Pickin' Tomatoes - - - 4 - - - - 12 -
1971 Shocking You / Waterloo - - - 10 - - 1 - 21 -
1971 Serenade / Sleepless at Midnight 110 - - - - - - - - -
1971 Blossom Lady / Is This a Dream - - - 2 - - - - 3 -
1971 Out of Sight, Out of Mind / I Like You - - - 6 6 - - - 5 -
1972 Inkpot / Give My Love to The Sunrise - - - 5 - 21 1 - 4 -
1972 Rock in the Sea / Broken Heart - - - 14 - - 3 - 21 -
1972 Eve and the Apple / When I was a Girl - - - 15 - - 1 - 18 -
1973 Let Me Carry Your Bag / I Saw You in June - - - - - - 2 - - -
1973 Oh Lord / In My Time of Dying - - - 14 - - - - 6 -
1974 This America / I Won't be Lonely Long - - - - - - - - 16 -
1974 Dream on Dreamer / Where The Pick-Nick Was - - - - - - 4 - - -
1974 Good Times / Come My Way - - - - - - - - - -
1975 Gonna Sing My Song / Get It On - - - - - - - - - -
1980 Louise / Venus - - - - - - - - - -
1986 The Jury and The Judge / I am Hanging on to Love - - - - - - - - - -
1990 Venus '90 (UK Only) - 75 - - - - - - - -
1994 Body and Soul / Angel - - - - - - - - - -
Beggarman
Shocking Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A beggar stood on back street corner,
His clothes went weed and he drags on his feet,
A beggar stood down on back street.
A man passed by, he's fat and richy,
A man passed by, he's fat and richy,
He does not seem to know this weed at all,
Hey, hey, hey, beggarman, yeah,
Will you play a beggarman? Yeah,
Will you play a beggarman? Yeah,
Beggarman, do you care?
A drunken guy, he screams so badly,
A drunken guy, he screams so badly,
He kicks my head and drags my tongue,
He kicks my head and that.
Hey, hey, hey, beggarman, yeah,
Will you play a beggarman? Yeah,
Will you play a beggarman? Yeah,
Beggarman, do you care?
Hey, hey, hey, beggarman, yeah,
Will you play a beggarman? Yeah,
Will you play a beggarman? Yeah,
Beggarman, do you care?
The lyrics of Shocking Blue's song "Beggarman" narrate the story of a destitute man who is begging on a back street corner. The song describes the beggar's appearance, emphasizing the tattered and worn-out state of his clothes, and his physical condition, dragging his feet to move. As the beggar stands alone on the street, he watches people passing by, including a wealthy man who seems ignorant of his plight. The chorus repeats the question, "Will you play a beggarman?" as a plea to acknowledge and empathize with the beggar's situation, questioning whether anyone cares about his condition.
The song takes a dark turn in the second verse as a drunken man approaches the beggar and starts screaming and kicking him, causing him physical harm. The violence portrayed in the lyrics highlights the vulnerability and dehumanization that the homeless face in society. The second verse also adds the repetition of the line, "He kicks my head and drags my tongue," which further emphasizes the brutality of the scene.
Overall, "Beggarman" is a poignant commentary on the social and economic inequality prevalent in many societies, where those at the bottom of the economic ladder are often ignored, dehumanized, and subject to violence. The song questions society's apathy towards the suffering of others and highlights the need for empathy and compassion towards those less fortunate.
Line by Line Meaning
A beggar stood on back street corner,
There was a homeless person standing on a corner in a less trafficked area.
His clothes went weed and he drags on his feet,
His clothes were tattered and he appeared to be extremely tired.
A man passed by, he's fat and richy,
A wealthy man walked past the beggar looking prosperous.
He does not seem to know this weed at all,
The rich man appeared oblivious to the beggar and didn't acknowledge him.
Hey, hey, hey, beggarman, yeah,
Hey, homeless man, listen up:
Will you play a beggarman? Yeah,
Can you continue to beg and live this way of life?
A drunken guy, he screams so badly,
A drunk individual yells loudly and uncontrollably.
He kicks my head and drags my tongue,
The drunk person violently attacked the beggar.
Hey, hey, hey, beggarman, yeah,
Hey, homeless man:
Beggarman, do you care?
Do you even care about your own well-being and safety?
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
geert van Raaij
geweldig dat dit er nu EINDELIJK is - bereikbaar voor iedereen!! Was 'n mooi album in de vooravond van...