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 - - - - - - - - - -
Hello Darkness
Shocking Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The time stands still.
It seems like a hundred light-years
Since the day you went away.
Oh
Oh
Oh
Hello darkness
Step inside
Make the hours run through' the night.
Knowing that you're far from my heart
It's so hard to live on.
But on the day when you'll return
Know you'll make my fire burn
When the night is over you'll be mine.
Hello
Hello darkness
Step inside
Make the hours run through' the night.
The lyrics of Shocking Blue's song "Hello Darkness" depict the pain of being away from a loved one. The singer describes the period of twilight, as the time between the grey and red shadows, where they feel trapped and stagnant since the day their love left. The chorus "Hello darkness, step inside, make the hours run through the night" suggests that they are welcoming the darkness because it helps to pass the time, although it fails to fill the void left by their love's absence. The singer is aware that even though they feel distant from their partner's heart, they are still deeply in love and find it difficult to live without them. The hope that the one they love will return to them someday and ignite their passion is their only salvation.
The song's title "Hello Darkness" is a reference to the famous opening line of the poem by Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken" that reads, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both, And be one traveler, long I stood, And looked down one as far as I could, To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that, the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."
Line by Line Meaning
Between the grey and red shadows of twilight
In the dimly lit time between day and night, when the colors blend into each other.
The time stands still.
A moment that feels as though time has stopped completely.
It seems like a hundred light-years
The distance feels so far that it could take centuries to cover.
Since the day you went away.
The time that has elapsed since the day when the person left.
Oh
An exclamation of feeling or emotion.
Oh
An exclamation of feeling or emotion.
Oh
An exclamation of feeling or emotion.
Hello
Addressing the darkness as if it were a person to welcome them in.
Hello darkness
Addressing the darkness again with a sense of anticipation.
Step inside
Inviting the darkness to come closer and join in.
Make the hours run through' the night.
Pass the time until dawn breaks.
Knowing that you're far from my heart
Being aware that the person is distant from one's heart.
It's so hard to live on.
The difficulty of living without the person.
But on the day when you'll return
Anticipation for the person's return.
Know you'll make my fire burn
The expectation that seeing the person again will stoke one's passion and love.
When the night is over you'll be mine.
The belief that the person will belong to them again at the end of the night.
Hello
The same welcome to the darkness once more.
Hello darkness
Repeating the address to the darkness.
Step inside
Again inviting the darkness to join in and pass the night.
Make the hours run through' the night.
Continuing to pass the time in the darkness till dawn.
Lyrics © THE MUSIC GOES ROUND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HumbertoMendoza1898
Hello Darkness
lyrics:
Between the grey and red shadows of twilight
The time stands still.
It seems like a hundred light-years
Since the day you went away.
Oh
Oh
Oh
Hello
Hello darkness
Step inside
Make the hours run through' the night.
Knowing that you're far from my heart
It's so hard to live on.
But on the day when you'll return
Know you'll make my fire burn
When the night is over you'll be mine.
Hello
Hello darkness
Step inside
Make the hours run through' the night.
@juanpablolaf1978
Cada vez amo más a esta banda, estoy en busqueda de sus discos de vinilo!
@thomasholden3820
What a voice! What a band! For the ages. Blows EVERYTHING completely away today. Mariska is in a class all by herself. She absolutely redefines glamour and beauty. I really think of all the gorgeous women I have seen and or been with, that Mariska tops them all. A real head turner!!! She and this band deserved to be much bigger. They are better than a lot of bands out there that were/are bigger. I am around Mariskas age and I lived that lifestyle, so believe me I know. See you on the other side honey. I just hope not too soon!
@whisky2roxy
Indeed. A goddess.
@Rose-cp7wv
Mariska has such a beautiful voice. 3 Such a great band!
@HumbertoMendoza1898
Hello Darkness
lyrics:
Between the grey and red shadows of twilight
The time stands still.
It seems like a hundred light-years
Since the day you went away.
Oh
Oh
Oh
Hello
Hello darkness
Step inside
Make the hours run through' the night.
Knowing that you're far from my heart
It's so hard to live on.
But on the day when you'll return
Know you'll make my fire burn
When the night is over you'll be mine.
Hello
Hello darkness
Step inside
Make the hours run through' the night.
@katakalyptica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sbW_Z6fcXQ
@user-ex8cr4gi7m
Классная певица,красивая девушка!!!жаль что ушла
@rothharry1
je n'oublierai jamais cette magnifique chanson..merci Shocking blue ..(special thanks à Mariska..)
@justboo3093
Incredible tune performed by a great talented band.
@user-oj1xl6tr3y
Память на века всем ушедшим рокерам рок 🎸 рольщикам рокершам