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 - - - - - - - - - -
Ink Pot
Shocking Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like you put the ink in the inkpot.
Learn it and you will enjoy it baby
To put the ink in the inkpot.
Shu-bi-do-ah
Shu-bi-do-ah
Shu-bi-do-ah
Shu-bi-do-ah.
But you cannot play with your heart
Fooling around make it mean
And then I'm feeling that we'll be apart.
Put some love in your heart...
Your mama taught you how to pray
But once you will be a grown-up girl
But what you also have to learn
That is how to love somebody in this world.
Put some love in your heart...
The lyrics of the song "Inkpot" by Shocking Blue seem to be about the importance of love and the need to give it a proper place in life. The first stanza uses the metaphor of ink in an inkpot to suggest that love is something that needs to be nurtured and kept safe, just as ink needs to be stored properly in an inkpot. The singer implores the listener to "learn it," that is, to understand the importance of love, and promises that doing so will bring enjoyment.
The next stanza continues the theme of the importance of love, warning against "fooling around" and suggesting that neglecting to take love seriously could lead to the end of a relationship. The final stanza alludes to the idea of growing up and learning, suggesting that just as one learns how to pray, one must also learn how to love. The chorus repeats the idea of putting love in one's heart like ink in an inkpot, emphasizing the importance and urgency of this task.
Overall, the lyrics seem to be urging the listener to take love seriously and to make it a priority in life. The use of the inkpot metaphor creates a tangible image of the importance of nurturing and protecting love, while the repetition of the "shu-bi-do-ah" refrain adds a catchy, upbeat energy to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Put some love in your heart
Add some love to your life in the same way as you add ink to an inkpot.
Like you put the ink in the inkpot.
The process of adding love to your life should feel as natural as adding ink to an inkpot.
Learn it and you will enjoy it baby
If you learn how to add love to your life, you will enjoy the benefits that come with it.
To put the ink in the inkpot.
Reiterating the metaphor that adding love to your life should be effortless and automatic.
Shu-bi-do-ah
Nonsensical phrase used to signify feeling good.
You can play with every thing
You can can experiment with anything in life, except for matters of the heart.
But you cannot play with your heart
Playing with matters of the heart can result in negative outcomes.
Fooling around make it mean
Being careless with love can cause it to lose its meaning and importance.
And then I'm feeling that we'll be apart.
If lovers play around and devalue their relationship, they may eventually split up.
Your mama taught you how to pray
Referring to upbringing and tradition, including religious teaching.
But once you will be a grown-up girl
As you grow older and become an adult, you will need to learn other important life skills.
But what you also have to learn
Reiterating the point that love is one of the important life skills to be learned.
That is how to love somebody in this world.
Succinctly summing up the message of the song: learn to love other people in the world.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sebastianascencio7158
Put some love in your heart
Like you put the ink in the inkpot.
Learn it and you will enjoy it baby
To put the ink in the inkpot.
Shu-bi-do-ah
Shu-bi-do-ah
Shu-bi-do-ah
Shu-bi-do-ah.
You can play with every thing
But you cannot play with your heart
Fooling around make it mean
And then I'm feeling that we'll be apart.
Put some love in your heart...
Your mama taught you how to pray
But once you will be a grown-up girl
But what you also have to learn
That is how to love somebody in this world.
Put some love in your heart...
✌️
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
Put some love in your heart
like you put the ink in the inkpot.
Learn it and you will enjoy it baby
to put the ink in the inkpot.
Shu-bi-do-ah
You can play with every thing
but you cannot play with your heart
fooling around make it mean
and then I'm feeling that we'll be apart.
Your mama taught you how to pray
but once you will be a grown-up girl
but what you also have to learn
that is how to love somebody in this world.
@hugejohnson5011
I hadn't heard this song, until a couple of days ago when I happened upon some Shocking Blue. I am finding them and their music fascinating. I especially like "Inkpot", "Railroad Man", and the song that hooked me into listening to these people, "Venus". I am glad that I found Shocking Blue, my only regret being that I hadn't been aware of them long ago. They're really interesting and I like their songs.
@DJBOOTS378
Yep they got some good ones don’t they😊
@hugejohnson5011
@@DJBOOTS378 Yes, and some that are surprisingly freaky! One called "Hot Sand"? It wouldn't sound out of place of it were on a new album today, to my ear.
@kennygr8ify
She has such a BEAUTIFUL voice!
@fioletovamari
Фантастическая Маришка, одна из богинь вокала и харизмы!!!!
@alanhodges8839
The top goddess
@user-fi7hq9or7d
ОДНО СЛОВО ( ШИЗГАРА ) КАК ДАВНО ЭТО БЫЛО ...
@sylvainmoreljean4739
La meilleure époque de la musique..
On ne verra plus jamais ça !!!
Et on ne reverra jamais une chanteuse comme Mariska !!!
Une voix de dingue et une exceptionnelle beauté !!!
Tu étais là déesse du Rock...
Je t'écoute tout les jours..
Repose en paix belle Mariska ❤❤🙏
@jfro5867
The 60’s /70’s had something special going on musically.
@RoninKahO
This is a famous song in Hong Kong, since it is still a theme song of Mark Six 六合彩 until now.