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 - - - - - - - - - -
Sally Was A Good Old Girl
Shocking Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sally was a good old girl
Helped me with my homework said I was a fool
Sally was a good old girl
If you want to just a kiss
Or a little bitty squeeze
She would always spin to do
Yeah Bruce will make her love
And not make her tease
Sally was a good old girl
[Chorus]
Yeah, Sally was a good old girl
Sally was a good old girl
No matter what the week was she gave love
Sally was a good old girl
Well, Sally sought full
But she asked all she could
Sally was a good old girl
Hardest workin' dude in the neighborhood
Sally was a good old girl
Well, she walked up and down
The streets all day
If they couldn't afford then she gave them away
Sally was a good old girl
[Chorus]
Sally was the favorite
At the ball for men
Sally was a good old girl
All of the ladies despises her
Sally was a good old girl
Well, she worked at the bathroom
Sally didn't care
She kept on working and doin' her share
She wanted to marry to millionaire
Sally was a good old girl
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Shocking Blue's "Sally Was A Good Old Girl" speak of a woman named Sally who is portrayed as a kind, hardworking, and loving individual. The song describes her helping the singer with his homework and carrying his bags to school, indicating that she was a supportive and helpful friend. The lyrics also reveal that Sally was generous with her love and would give a kiss or a hug to those who wanted it. Additionally, she is described as being a hard worker, walking up and down the streets all day, and helping others who couldn't afford her services.
Sally's character is depicted as being very likable as even the men at the ball loved her. However, despite her popularity, the women in the lyrics are described as hating her. The final line of the song suggests that Sally wanted to marry a millionaire indicating that she wanted to elevate her social status. Overall, the lyrics paint the picture of Sally as a good- hearted, hardworking, and caring person, who was beloved by most but also faced jealousy and hatred from some.
Line by Line Meaning
Sally used to carry my bags to school
Sally was always willing to help and support me, even in small ways like carrying my bags to school
Sally was a good old girl
Sally was a kind, helpful, and hardworking person who was well-respected and liked by those who knew her
Helped me with my homework said I was a fool
Sally would offer me guidance and correction when I needed it, even if it meant telling me I was wrong or needed to study harder
If you want to just a kiss Or a little bitty squeeze She would always spin to do Her best oh please
Sally would go out of her way to satisfy or please others, whether it was by giving a kiss or a squeeze or just doing her best to help in any way she could
Yeah Bruce will make her love And not make her tease Sally was a good old girl
Sally was the type of person who could be trusted and respected by men like Bruce, who would treat her with love and care instead of just using her for her physical or emotional availability
[Chorus] Yeah, Sally was a good old girl Sally was a good old girl
Sally's positive qualities and reputation were well-known and appreciated within the community, as demonstrated by the repeated chorus praising her
No matter what the week was she gave love Sally was a good old girl
Sally was consistently kind and compassionate, even during difficult times or bad weeks
Well, Sally sought full But she asked all she could Sally was a good old girl
Sally was ambitious and motivated to improve her life, but she never took more than she needed or exploited others in the process
Hardest workin' dude in the neighborhood Sally was a good old girl
Sally was known for her strong work ethic and dedication to her job, which earned her respect and admiration among her peers
Well, she walked up and down The streets all day If they couldn't afford then she gave them away Sally was a good old girl
Sally was a generous and caring person who would give her time or money to those in need, regardless of their ability to pay
[Chorus]
A repeat of the previous chorus, emphasizing Sally's positive qualities and impact on those around her
Sally was the favorite At the ball for men Sally was a good old girl All of the ladies despises her Sally was a good old girl
Sally was well-liked and popular among men, but this caused resentment and jealousy among some of the women in town who disliked her due to this attention
Well, she worked at the bathroom Sally didn't care She kept on working and doin' her share She wanted to marry to millionaire Sally was a good old girl
Sally was a hard worker who didn't let the unpleasantness of working in a bathroom or the opinions of others deter her from achieving her goal of finding a wealthy husband
[Chorus]
Another repetition of the chorus, highlighting Sally's positive impact and legacy as a good old girl
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARLAN HOWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bubu4433
Sally used to carry my books to school
Sally was a good old girl
Helped me with my homework said I was a fool
Sally was a good old girl
If you wanna just a kiss
Or a little bitty squeeze
She would always spin to do
Her best oh please
Yeah Bruce will make her love
And not make her tease
Sally was a good old girl
REFRAIN:
Yeah, Sally was a good old girl
Sally was a good old girl
No matter what the week was
She gave love
Sally was a good old girl
Well, Sally sought full
But she asked all she could
Sally was a good old girl
Hardest workin' dude in the neighbourhood
Sally was a good old girl
Well, she walked up and down
The streets all day
If they couldn't afford then she gave them away
Sally was a good old girl
REFRAIN
Sally was the favourite
At the ball for men
Sally was a good old girl
All of the ladies despises there
Sally was a good old girl
Well, she worked at the bathroom
Sally didn't care
She kept on working and doin' her share
She wanted to marry to millionaire
Sally was a good old girl
@antoniosilva-bg4cy
Excelente canção ..firme nas batidas e talento desta super - cantora que sem dúvida detona o som ..!!
@mariananwn
Amo esta versión
@dongkysp8870
All today's musicians & recording engineers should learn everything from this era! With limited technologies back then they could produce and deliver the best, yet immortal musics. Shame on what we have today....
@thinkbeforetlaking
You're absolutely right. It's so shameful to have viral songs with no talent whatsoever.
@reuireuiop0
You might wonna check out SB city mates Bintangs Riding on the L&N
@fcamsterdam8941
@reuireuiop0 ?? City mates ?? Beverwijk or The Hague, bit of a difference
@assisbrasilmachado6182
Grande Mariska Veres. GRANDE Schoking Blue
@bubu4433
Sally used to carry my books to school
Sally was a good old girl
Helped me with my homework said I was a fool
Sally was a good old girl
If you wanna just a kiss
Or a little bitty squeeze
She would always spin to do
Her best oh please
Yeah Bruce will make her love
And not make her tease
Sally was a good old girl
REFRAIN:
Yeah, Sally was a good old girl
Sally was a good old girl
No matter what the week was
She gave love
Sally was a good old girl
Well, Sally sought full
But she asked all she could
Sally was a good old girl
Hardest workin' dude in the neighbourhood
Sally was a good old girl
Well, she walked up and down
The streets all day
If they couldn't afford then she gave them away
Sally was a good old girl
REFRAIN
Sally was the favourite
At the ball for men
Sally was a good old girl
All of the ladies despises there
Sally was a good old girl
Well, she worked at the bathroom
Sally didn't care
She kept on working and doin' her share
She wanted to marry to millionaire
Sally was a good old girl
@user-ex8cr4gi7m
Ностальгия👍👌
@patriarca4160
My childhood days are here again!!!