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 - - - - - - - - - -
Eve and the Apple
Shocking Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics to Shocking Blue's "Eve and the Apple" explore the story of Adam and Eve from the Book of Genesis in the Bible. The song begins in the garden of Eden, where a black snake approaches Eve and tempts her to taste a big apple. Eve is hesitant at first, but the snake convinces her that the taste will be sweeter than wine. She ultimately gives in to the temptation and takes a bite of the apple, resulting in the loss of paradise for both Adam and Eve.
The lyrics are an interpretation of the story of the fall of man, where the serpent represents the devil and the apple represents sin. The song highlights the idea that the desire for pleasure and temptation can often lead to dire consequences. The lyrics also touch on the idea of curiosity, as Eve was tempted to taste the apple out of curiosity despite knowing the potential consequences.
Overall, Shocking Blue's "Eve and the Apple" is a poetic retelling of the Biblical story, exploring themes of temptation, sin, and the fall of man.
Line by Line Meaning
In the garden of Eden
This is where the story starts, in the famous biblical garden where Adam and Eve lived.
The black snake talked to Eve
The snake is an allegory for Satan or the devil, who tempts Eve to eat the apple, leading to the fall of humanity.
He said taste a big apple
The devil tempts Eve with the fruit, suggesting that by eating it, she will gain knowledge and power.
It won't give you any grief
The devil reassures Eve that there will be no negative consequences to eating the apple, despite what God has said.
She said No, It ain't mine
Initially, Eve resists the temptation, recognizing that the fruit does not belong to her and that it would be wrong to eat it.
But a taste must be sweeter than wine
Eventually, Eve's curiosity and desire for the fruit become overwhelming, and she gives in to temptation, believing that the experience will be worth the risk.
Well she took the apple
Eve gives in to temptation and eats the fruit, an act that marks the beginning of human sin and the loss of innocence and paradise.
And we lost paradise
Eve's action has far-reaching consequences, affecting all of humanity and leading to the expulsion from the Garden of Eden and the experience of sin and suffering in the world.
Every boy and girl
The song suggests that the story of Eve and the apple is a universal tale, one that has resonance for all people and cultures.
Ask their mom and dad
The story is passed down from generation to generation, a shared cultural narrative that carries moral and spiritual significance.
About a place here on earth
The story is a marker of a particular place and time in human history, an event that is both mythic and grounded in physical reality.
Where little Eve once said
The focus is on Eve as the central figure in the story, whose actions have profound consequences both for herself and for all of humanity.
And the sun went down
As the song ends, the sun sets, reflecting the tragic and irreversible nature of Eve's decision and its aftermath.
In that world of light
The garden of Eden represents a time of innocence and purity, a lost world that can never be regained.
Contributed by Gavin T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
László Horváth
In the garden of Eden
The black snake talked to Eve
He said taste a big apple
It won't give you any grief
She said
No, It ain't mine
But a taste must be sweeter than wine
Well she took the apple
And we lost paradise
Well she took the apple
And we lost paradise
paula oates
Every boy and girl
Ask their mom and dad
About a place here on earth
Where little Eve once said
No, It ain't mine
But a taste must be sweeter than wine
Well she took the apple
And we lost paradise
Well she took the apple
And we lost paradise
And the sun went down
In that world of light
And the sun went down
In that world of light
And the sun went down
In that world of light
In the garden of Eden
The black snake talked to Eve
He said taste a big apple
It won't give you any grief
She said
No, It ain't mine
But a taste must be sweeter than wine
Well she took the apple
And we lost paradise
Well she took the apple
And we lost paradise
Andrea Mink - StimmKraftwerk
I was a child, didn't understand the text, but loved this song sooo much! It's for eternity great!
Claudio Vieira
Gênio da música! Fenômeno daquela época.
Центурион
Ни какой вульгарности ! Голос просто заворажывает !А, что мы видим сейчас на сцене ?
Kukuruza Gibridnaya
К сожалению, на примере музыки можно очень легко проследить людскую деградацию :(
Liz Mitchel
Чёж камунисты всё это запрещали?))
Светлана Мерзлякова
Голос Маришки еще долго будет покорять.
Lorenzo Lezcano Ullon
Sencillamente Mariska Veres las voz más dulce del planeta
adrian lopez
instrumental genial,voz perfecta
Jo Kas
una de mis favoritas de este maravilloso grupo, gracias SHOCKING BLUE!!!!
Sebastian M.
maicol llacson