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 - - - - - - - - - -
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Shocking Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By and by, Lord, ah, by and by.
There's a bell on all my waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky.
But I was standing by the window
On the cold and rainy day.
When I saw there was
Undertaker, undertaker,
Undertaker, please drive slow,
'Cause the body, ah, you are carrying,
Lord, I hate to see him go.
Now will the circle, ah, be unbroken
By and by, Lord, ah, by and by.
There's a bell on all my waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky.
The lyrics of Shocking Blue's song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" speak about the uncertainty people face in life and the inevitability of death. The first stanza of the song is a question that asks whether the circle of life will ever be unbroken, whether there is any hope of escaping the cycle of birth and death. The repeated phrase "By and by, Lord, by and by" suggests that the answer to this question may not be immediately clear, but may become clearer sometime in the future.
The second stanza of the song describes a personal moment of loss. The singer was standing by the window on a cold and rainy day when she saw that her man was being taken away. The repetition of the word "Undertaker" and the plea to "please drive slow" give the impression of a slow, solemn procession, as if to show respect for the life that has ended. The final stanza of the song returns to the question from the first stanza, asking again whether the circle of life will be unbroken.
Overall, the lyrics of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" can be interpreted as a meditation on the impermanence of life and the inevitability of death. It is a song that touches on themes that are both personal and universal, and its message is still relevant and powerful today.
Line by Line Meaning
Will the circle, ah, be unbroken
Is it possible for our group to stay together forever, even after we die?
By and by, Lord, ah, by and by.
Someday, in the future, when we die, we'll be reunited with our loved ones and with God.
There's a bell on all my waiting
I'm waiting for something big to happen, like the bell that announces a funeral procession.
In the sky, Lord, in the sky.
This important thing I'm waiting for will happen far away, in the heavens.
But I was standing by the window
I was watching the rain fall from my window, probably feeling helpless and lonely.
On the cold and rainy day.
The weather was miserable, reflecting how I was feeling inside.
When I saw there was
Suddenly, I noticed something happening outside.
Come and carry my man away.
Someone was taking my significant other away, presumably by hearse to their funeral.
Undertaker, undertaker,
I'm addressing the person who's responsible for dealing with my loved one's dead body.
Undertaker, please drive slow,
I'm asking the undertaker to be extra careful and respectful on this sad occasion.
'Cause the body, ah, you are carrying,
The person being transported is someone very important to me, maybe my partner or spouse.
Lord, I hate to see him go.
I'm filled with sorrow and pain at the thought of never seeing this person again.
Now will the circle, ah, be unbroken
I'm returning to my earlier question, asking if it's possible for our community to stay together even after death.
There's a bell on all my waiting
I'm still waiting for the same big event, which is death and the afterlife.
In the sky, Lord, in the sky.
This event will happen in a place far away from Earth, in a spiritual realm.
Writer(s): Roebuck Staples, Roy Acuff, Johnny Sandlin Copyright: Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music, Unichappell Music Inc., Conrad Music
Contributed by Chloe P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Simone Bordelon
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