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 - - - - - - - - - -
Waterboy
Shocking Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come from the well on the hill.
If you wonder where the well comes from,
Come from the rain, Lord.
Water boy, water boy,
Water, water boy.
Water boy, water boy,
If you wonder where the rain comes from,
Come from the sky, Lord.
If you wonder where the water comes from,
Come from the well on the hill.
Water boy, water boy,
Water, water boy.
Water boy, water boy,
Bring some water now.
The lyrics to Shocking Blue's song Waterboy present a simple yet profound message about the source of our most basic need - water. The song explores the origins of water, from the well on the hill to the rain in the sky. The opening lines of the song invite us to wonder about the source of water and encourage us to look to the well on the hill for answers. The well is the physical manifestation of a deeper source, as the following lines suggest that the rain is the true source of all water.
The chorus, which repeats the phrase "water boy" several times, serves as a call to action, asking the titular water boy to bring some water now. The song seems to be presenting a cautionary tale about the importance of appreciating and preserving our natural resources. The lyrics draw attention to the interconnectedness of all things and suggest that the water boy, and all of us, have an essential role to play in ensuring that we have access to clean water.
Overall, the song Waterboy is a simple yet powerful reminder of the importance of water and the need to protect and cherish our natural resources. It encourages us to wonder and to be curious about the world around us, fostering a deeper appreciation for the delicate balance that exists in nature.
Line by Line Meaning
If you wonder where the water comes from,
The singer is addressing anyone who is curious about the source of the water.
Come from the well on the hill.
The water originates from a well that is situated on top of a hill.
If you wonder where the well comes from,
The singer anticipates that someone may ask about the source of the well.
Come from the rain, Lord.
The well gets its water from the rain, which comes from the Lord.
Water boy, water boy,
The singer is calling out to the person who is responsible for bringing water.
Water, water boy.
The singer is emphasizing the need for water.
Bring some water now.
The singer is urging the water boy to bring water immediately.
If you wonder where the rain comes from,
The singer is asking anyone who is curious about the source of the rain.
Come from the sky, Lord.
The rain originates from the sky, which is controlled by the Lord.
If you wonder where the water comes from,
The singer is reiterating the question that was asked earlier.
Come from the well on the hill.
The water still comes from the same well that was mentioned earlier.
Water boy, water boy,
The singer is repeating the call for the water boy to come and bring water.
Water, water boy.
The need for water is still pressing.
Bring some water now.
The urgency for water has not decreased.
Contributed by David Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dpramirez66
Why did this band not make it bigger? This is pure psychedelic man.
@lindatiferet9729
Eclipsed by Hendrix Comet, and all is for the Good
@jamesaron1967
They were Dutch, hard to make it big competing with the British Invasion and Laurel Canyon scene among others..
@yavoralexandroff2321
I don't think they deserve that much attention.
@dongkysp8870
In a 5/4 measure? Gosh....these guys are really great!
@jamesaron1967
They were a great band. I hate to use the word 'underrated' but being billed as a one-hit wonder certainly is!
@honeybozo
probably better than Jefferson Airplane - but they didn't hail from Frisco but from The Hague , which didn't help. Having said that, Blue did get their props from Nirvana -as their first single was Love Buzz - a Shocking Blue song..... Kris is probably still a fan. I certainly am.
@Julio_Cesar_82
Krist Novoselic?
@wellylhakim3619
awesome👍👍👍👍👍
@TrueFreddyK
Cool Tune, a bit like Jethro Tull's- Living in the past