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 - - - - - - - - - -
I'm A Woman
Shocking Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look here you can't change me
Even if you want to
Darlin' I know just my way
I'm a woman, yes I am
Makes souls grow out
Don't be afraid I'll show you how
To share me and my weakness
You please me very much dear if you say yes
Know how to love me just try to understand
I'm a woman, yes I am
Makes souls grow out
The only thing I care for is, is followin' the line
Look here, you can't change me
The words yes is all mine
I'm a woman, yes I am
Makes souls grow out
The lyrics of Shocking Blue’s “I’m a Woman” are a declaration of independence from societal expectations placed on women in relationships. The singer acknowledges that her ‘day love mind’ is still the same and that she cannot be changed or controlled by anyone, not even her partner, who she addresses as “darling”. The singer asserts herself as a woman and suggests that her mere presence has the power to make “souls grow out”, suggesting her strength and influence.
She then reassures her partner that he should not be afraid of her, and that she will show him how to handle her weaknesses. She wants to be understood and loved, and reminds him that saying “yes” is all that is needed to please her. The singer expresses that all she cares about is ‘following the line’, which can be interpreted as her own moral compass or possibly her own sense of self. The song is a reminder of the power of female independence and self-determination, while also welcoming and encouraging love and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
My day love mind is still the same
My feelings towards you have not changed
Look here you can't change me
You cannot change who I am as a person
Even if you want to
No matter how much you may desire it
Darlin' I know just my way
I have confidence in my own decisions
I'm a woman, yes I am
I am proud to be a woman
Makes souls grow out
My presence has a positive effect on those around me
Don't be afraid I'll show you how
Do not fear, I will guide you
To share me and my weakness
To understand and accept my vulnerabilities
You please me very much dear if you say yes
Agreeing with me brings me joy
Know how to love me just try to understand
Learn how to love me by making an effort to comprehend me
The only thing I care for is, is followin' the line
The only thing that matters to me is staying true to myself
Look here, you can't change me
I cannot be changed or swayed from who I am
The words yes is all mine
I am in control of my own decisions
I'm a woman, yes I am
I am proud to be a woman
Makes souls grow out
My presence has a positive effect on those around me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ROBBIE VAN LEEUWEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pedroavila9619
My day love mind is still the same
Look here you can't change me
Even if you want to
Darlin' I know just my way
I'm a woman, yes I am
Makes souls grow out
Don't be afraid I'll show you how
To share me and my weakness
You please me very much dear if you say yes
Know how to love me just try to understand
I'm a woman, yes I am
Makes souls grow out
The only thing I care for is, is followin' the line
Look here, you can't change me
The words yes is all mine
I'm a woman, yes I am
Makes souls grow out
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
My day love mind is still the same
Look here you can't change me
Even if you want to
Darlin' I know just my way
I'm a woman, yes I am
Makes souls grow out
Don't be afraid I'll show you how
To share me and my weakness
You please me very much dear if you say yes
Know how to love me just try to understand
The only thing I care for is, is followin' the line
Look here, you can't change me
The words yes is all mine
@custodioguimaraes9981
Eletrizante Presente Iridescente (POEMARISKaVEREsSHOCKINgRAINBOw)
Mariska Veres - todas as mulheres
em uma: quinta-essência do Uno,
silhueta e cabeleira celestes,
olhar turquesa de aurora boreal.
Caras, looks e kohl* em caleidoscópio.
Voz de arrepio no encanto de sereia.
Vênus - a deusa: o amor e a beleza em verbos.
Paixão à primeira audiovisão.
* kohl: pó cosmético negro usado pelas mulheres do Oriente para delinear olhos e sobrancelhas
@velvetrevolvs
one of the greatest female rock voice ever
@constantin7024
not only rock ...
@sainthaven2114
maybe the best !
@WocklessGamingforAnimeMoms
@@constantin7024 she sounds morelike a cross between old northern European Folk Songs and some RnB and Soul than exactly a conventional Rock Singer which I would say is pretty interesting. Shocking Blue indeed. Reminds me both of what Arthur Lee was doing in The States at around the same time and what Krautrock in Germany came to a couple years later.
@mariopalacio6538
No entiendo como esta bella canción no fue un éxito mundial con esa voz fenomenal de Mariska Veres .
@WocklessGamingforAnimeMoms
They had several songs which were hits in The US,I do know that's not the entire world but they were also on Japanese Television and featured in The Beijing Lottery,which is all pretty far from The Netherlands.
@danhilbert6727
@@WocklessGamingforAnimeMoms Like Golden Earring they were both very popular and heard much in their native Netherlands.
It's sad how some great European talents don't "make it" here in the the US; and yet how some popular acts here are barely heard of in Europe. An interesting paradox would be a group like Bad Company (from) England who were much more popular here in the US, than in the UK - and how Jimi Hendrix had to go to England to be "discovered" & become popular before taking America by storm!
@williamwallace5533
Carajo son grandiosos, y la voz de ella fenomenal.
@jknaus1
I totally agree - great female soft and hard voice at the same time!!!
@robertkiraly4451
This is particularly beautiful song!