party, where the band "Bumble Bees" performed with amazing vocalist Mariska Veres, and decided that she would be the perfect addition to " Shocking Blue" Robbie was immediately captivated by her vocal style, which was quite different from other performers. Mariska, half Hungarian gypsy and half German, often sang with her father, who played violin in a gypsy orchestra.

Before being invited to Shocking Blue, she recorded a solo single called “Topkapi” and gained experience in various groups. She replaced de Wilde, and, without a doubt, it was her vocals that became the magnet that attracted viewers and listeners; her ringing voice gave the music a distinct rhythm and blues sound. As Robbie said: “When Mariska came, everything immediately started spinning, and one of the first singles - Venus - became a great hit.”

In Holland, Venus peaked at number three, while topping the charts in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The recording attracted the attention of the newly founded American company"Colossus" Label head Jerry Ross signed Shocking Blue and was rewarded for his entrepreneurship when Venus reached the top of the US charts in February 1970. It goes without saying that the group was extremely popular at home and had approximately fifty hits in the Dutch charts, while their recordings also sold well in France and Japan. The band's next single, Mighty Joe, reached number one in Holland and, like its predecessor, was present on all charts.

"Never Marry a Railroad Man" also topped the Dutch charts; followed by "Hello Darkness", "Shocking You", "Long Lonesome Road", "Blossom Lady" and "Inkpot". "Shocking Blue" successfully combined beat and rhythm and blues with the oriental sound of Indian sitar.

Robbie didn't mind if the band included a few cover versions of old songs on their albums, since it's a constant task to write new material was too much of a burden for him. “We did everything ourselves, and radio station DJs would like to hear something completely new from us every time. But the large number of albums led to the fact that the group was forced to supplement them with cover versions. It was extremely difficult for me to write all the music and lyrics alone.” Guitarist Leo van de Ketteray played with the band for several months in 1970-1971. Mariska, Robbie, Cornelius and Klashe were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting such distant corners as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. Although the band continued to produce excellent and often innovative singles and chart positions in Europe, Robbie van Leeuwen fell into depression. He was depressed by the band's limited success, and as a result, quarrels began to occur within Shocking Blue.

First Clashe left, replaced in 1971 by Henk Smitskamp. In 1973, van Leeuwen himself left the group for a while, and Martin van Wijk took his place. Without Robbie, Shocking Blue still held on, but in 1974, Mariska also left the group, deciding to start solo career, and the team finally broke up. In 1979, Robbie wanted to revive the group, but for some reason this did not happen then. However, at the end of 1984, Shocking Blue reunited and played two shows at the Back-to-the-Sixties festival.

Shocking Blue is a Dutch rock band best known for their 1969 hit Venus. During the short time of its existence, the group became the most popular in its country, but never achieved widespread fame outside its borders. The composition of the group "Shokin Blue", its history and discography are further in this article.

Creation

Dutch guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen, already known in his homeland for his participation in the band The Motions, decided to form his own band. Names of the members of "Shokin Blue" in the original lineup, in addition to Leuven:

• Fred de Wilde (vocals)
• Clashe van der Wal (bass guitar)
• Cornelius van der Beek (drums).

Robbie himself took the place of the guitarist and acted as the author of all the songs; he also came up with the name for the newly formed ensemble - at first it sounded like “Electric Blue”, according to a line from Eric Clapton’s song Strange Brew, but then “electric blue” turned into “shocking” . This suited all group members. With this lineup, the musicians released two singles and one album. The photo below shows the cover of this album, which was called “Shokin Blue”. It is interesting because you can see the original composition of the group on it.

Parish of Marishka Veres

However, both the members themselves and the manager understood that the Shocking Blue group was missing something. The lyrics are good, the arrangements too, but overall the music is mediocre. And so, in 1968, having seen the performance of aspiring singer Marishka Veres at one of the music parties, the manager immediately realized what exactly the group was missing. This girl with Gypsy, Hungarian, German and Russian roots had truly unique vocals, and the manager suggested including her in the lineup instead of Fred de Wilde. One listen was enough for the participants to immediately agree. Below is a photo of “Shokin Blue” taken during one of the first performances with Marishka’s participation.

The success of the group with the arrival of the vocalist began to grow noticeably - in the new composition, “Shokin Blue” released two quite successful singles, and then the main hit of the group appeared, by which it is recognized to this day.

Venus

This song, released as a single in 1969, was a musical cover version of the 1963 hit of the year The Banjo song recorded by The Big Three. The lyrics and new arrangement were composed by Robbie van Leeuwen. In Holland, the homeland of the musicians, the song took only third place on the charts, but in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium it was in first place. In 1969, the group's second album, At Home, was released - and, of course, Venus was included in its track list. This contributed to the high sales of At Home itself, as well as several subsequent singles and albums.

But real success for the song (and, accordingly, the group) came in 1970, when the head of the American Colossus label, Jerry Ross, signed a contract with Shokin Blue to release an American single with the song Venus. He was right - the hit took first place on the main American Billboard 100 chart and remained at the top of several other charts for several months. This year it again reached number one in the charts in Switzerland and Belgium and number two in the charts in Austria, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands. You can see the performance of the most famous song “Shokin Blue” in the video below.

In Russia and countries former USSR the song is often called “Shizgara” - based on the sound of the line “She”s got it”, with which the chorus begins. This was also promoted by the song of the domestic rock group “Mongol Shuudan”, which recorded its version of the song in Russian, but preserving the original English chorus, called "Shizgara".

Further creativity and collapse

Despite the innovative sound of the melodies and unique vocals in the subsequent compositions of "Shokin Blue", the group was unable to repeat the success of the song Venus. In the style of the psychedelic ensembles of the time, Robbie van Leeuwen very successfully combined the sound of rhythm and blues guitar and Indian sitar, which he played himself, in his arrangements. Some compositions of "Shokin' Blue" were highly appreciated by the American group Jefferson Airplane, which plays in a similar musical direction, but this did not in any way affect their commercial success.

From 1970 to 1971, another guitarist, Leo van der Ketterey, joined the band, and with this lineup the musicians managed to tour several countries, including South America, Japan, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Maximum record sales at that time were recorded in the Japanese and French music markets. But this success did not satisfy Leuven - his dream of big performances in the USA remained unrealizable. Growing internal scandals between the members on this basis forced bass guitarist Clashe van der Wal to leave the group in 1971. He was replaced by Henk Smitskamp.

Finally, in 1973, the founder and author of all the songs of the group, Robbie van Leeuwen, left Shokin' Blue. He was replaced by Martin van Wijk, who also became a guitarist and songwriter. Under his leadership, in the last year of its existence, Shokin Blue turned from a psychedelic band into a funk band. Finally, in 1974, Mariska Veres left the team, deciding to pursue solo work. With this, the existence of the most famous Dutch rock band ceased. The only member who went through the entire path of Shokin Blue from creation to disintegration was drummer Cornelius van der Beek.

Reunion attempt

In 1979, Robbie van Leeuwen made an attempt to reunite with the group. He even prepared new material for recording, but none of them former members did not support the idea of ​​​​resurrecting Shokin Blue. However, just 4 years later, in 1983, Mariska Veres turned to Leuven for permission to use the name former group for her new team. He agreed, but all that the new line-up of Shokin Blue did was one single and two concerts as part of the 1994 Back to the Sixties festival.

Discography

During its existence from 1967 to 1974, the Shokin Blue group released 11 music albums. In addition to the first two albums mentioned above, they were:

• Scorpio's Dance (1970).
• Third Album (1971).
• Inkpot (1972).
• Live in Japan (1972).
• Attila (1972).
• Eve and the Apple (1972).
• Dream on Dreamer (1973).
• Ham (1973).
• Good Times (1974).

This team was founded in 1967 by guitarist Robbie Van Leeuwen (b. October 29, 1944), a veteran of the famous Dutch rock band "The Motions". The name "Shocking Blue" was inspired by Eric Clapton's song "Electric Blue". In addition to Van Leeuwen, the starting lineup included drummer Cor Van Der Beek (b. April 8, 1948), bassist Klaasje Van Der Wal (b. December 1, 1949) and vocalist Fred De Wilde. The first single, "Love Is In The Air", did not make much of an impression, but the second, "Lucy Brown Is Back In Town", had already reached number 21 in the Dutch Top 40. One day, the band's manager, who was present at a party where the band was performing, Bumble Bees, with the amazing vocalist Mariska Veres (b. October 1, 1947), decided that she would be the perfect complement to Shocking Blue. Robbie was immediately drawn to her vocal style, which was quite different from other performers.

Mariska, half Hungarian and half German, often sang with her father, who played violin in a gypsy orchestra. Before being invited to Shocking Blue, she managed to record a solo single (“Topkapi”) and gain experience in various groups. Veres replaced Wild and with her in a ringing voice And beautiful appearance immediately became the center of attention, both audio and visual. As Robbie said: "When Mariska came along, everything started to take off and one of the first singles ("Venus") became a huge hit."

In Holland, "Venus" took third place, while at the same time topping the charts in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The recording attracted the attention of the newly founded American company Colossus. Label head Jerry Ross signed Shocking Blue and was rewarded for his entrepreneurship when Venus reached the top of the US charts in February 1970. It goes without saying that the group was extremely popular at home and had approximately fifty hits in the Dutch charts, while its recordings also sold very well in France and Japan. The next single, "Mighty Joe", reached number one in the Netherlands and, like its predecessor, was present in many other charts.

The "Never Marry A Railroad Man" EP also topped the Dutch popularity charts, followed by hits such as "Hello Darkness", "Shocking You", "Long Lonesome Road", "Blossom Lady" and "Inkpot". In their work, "Shocking Blue" successfully combined beat and rhythm and blues with psychedelia and the sound of the Indian sitar. The full-lengths followed one after another, so Robbie did not mind if the group included several covers on the albums, since constantly writing new material was too much of a burden for him.

Guitarist Leo Van De Ketteridge played with the band for several months in 1970-1971. Mariska, Robbie, Kor and Klaasje were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting such far-flung places as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. Although the band continued to produce excellent and often innovative singles and chart positions in Europe, Robbie Van Leeuwen fell into depression. He became frustrated by the team's limited success, which led to infighting within Shocking Blue. First Klaasje left, replaced in 1971 by Henk Smitskamp. In 1973, Van Leeuwen himself left the group for a while, and Martin Van Wijk took his place.

Without Robbie, Shocking Blue still somehow held on, but in 1974 Mariska also left the group, deciding to start a solo career, and the team finally broke up. Attempts to revive the project were made in 1979 and 1984, but these reunions were short-lived. In the 90s, Mariska received permission from Robbie to use the name "Shocking Blue" and for several years toured under this guise with musicians who were not related to the original lineup. On December 2, 2006, Veres died of cancer.

Last update 05/28/08

The band was founded in 1967 by guitarist Robbie van Leuven, a veteran of the famous Dutch rock band Motion. The name "Shocking Blue" was inspired by Eric Clapton's song "Electric Blue". In addition to van Leuven, the band included drummer Cornelius van der Beek, bassist Klaasche van der Wal and vocalist Fred de Wilde. The band's first single, "Lucy Brown Is Back In Town", reached number 21 in the Dutch Top 40, was released on the Pink Elephant label. One day, the band's manager was present at a party where the band Bumble Bees performed with the amazing vocalist Mariska Veres, and decided that she would be the perfect addition to Shocking Blue. Robbie was immediately drawn to her vocal style, which was quite different from other performers. Mariska, half Hungarian and half German, often sang with her father, who played violin in a gypsy orchestra.

Before being invited to Shocking Blue, she recorded a solo single called “Topkapi” and gained experience in various groups. She replaced Vilde and, without a doubt, it was her vocals that became the magnet that attracted viewers and listeners; her ringing voice gave the music a distinct rhythm and blues sound. As Robbie said: “When Mariska came, everything immediately started spinning, and one of the first singles - “Venus” - became a great hit.”

In Holland, "Venus" peaked at number three, while topping the charts in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The recording attracted the attention of the newly founded American company Colossus. Label head Jerry Ross signed Shocking Blue and was rewarded for his entrepreneurship when Venus reached the top of the US charts in February 1970. It goes without saying that the group was extremely popular at home and had approximately fifty hits in the Dutch charts, while their recordings also sold well in France and Japan. The group's next single, "Mighty Joe", reached number one in Holland and, like its predecessor, was present in all charts.

"Never Marry a Railroad Man" also topped the Dutch charts; followed by "Hello Darkness", "Shocking You", "Long Lonesome Road", "Blossom Lady" and "Inkpot". "Shocking Blue" successfully combined beat and rhythm and blues with the oriental sound of Indian sitar.

Robbie didn't mind if the band included some cover versions of old songs on the albums, since constantly writing new material was too much of a burden for him. “We did everything ourselves, and radio station DJs would like to hear something completely new from us every time. But the large number of albums led to the fact that the group was forced to supplement them with cover versions. It was extremely difficult for me to write all the music and lyrics alone.” Guitarist Leo van de Ketteray played with the band for several months in 1970-1971. Mariska, Robbie, Cornelius and Klaasche were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting such far-flung places as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. Although the band continued to produce excellent and often innovative singles and chart positions in Europe, Robbie Van Leuven fell into depression. He was depressed by the band's limited success, and as a result, quarrels began to occur within Shocking Blue.

First Klaasche left, replaced in 1971 by Henk Smitskamp. In 1973, Van Leuven himself left the group for a while, and Martin van Wijk took his place. Without Robbie, Shocking Blue still held on, but in 1974, Mariska also left the group, deciding to start a solo career, and the team finally broke up. In 1979, Robbie wanted to revive the group, but for some reason this did not happen then. However, at the end of 1984, Shocking Blue reunited and played two concerts at the Back-to-the-Sixties festival.

Mariska Veres died of cancer on December 3, 2006 at the age of 59.

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Biography

The conception of the group occurred in 1967. It is correct to consider Robbie Van Leeuwen (10/29/1944) to be the hero of the occasion. I dare say that this was not his first prank. In general, there are rumors that he changed groups like gloves and everywhere he was met with failures and failures. For example, such wonderful groups as “Ricochets”, “Six Young Riders” and “Motion” (Holland). This is probably one of his most famous “failures.”

And in The Hague, in 1967, the Dutch guitarist and songwriter Robbie finally met:

bassist - Klaasje Van Der Wal, 12/01/1949,
drummer - Cora Van Der Beek (Cornelius Van Der Beek, 06/06/1948),
vocalist - Fred De Wilde Fred De Wilde.

And they called it all the non-abusive American phrase “Shocking Blue” (blue, purple, very blue, very blue, crazy blue... etc., no one knows for sure). Rumor has it that it was they who, having heard enough of Eric Clapton’s composition “Electric Blue”, decided to name their group that...

“Beat with us” should be considered the first official album. At that time, popular rhythm and blues became their style. "Beat with us" however did not become a very popular disc, probably because, as I already said, rhythm and blues was too common and many groups played music in the same spirit. But this did not seem like a defeat to our heroes and in general no one was going to cry. And even Robbie himself once declared at a meeting of his colleagues: “Style is nothing! Music is everything!” Everyone gasped and it seemed that now everything would go smoothly. However, the homeland has not forgotten its heroes. Fred was forced into joining the army. So in 1968, Shocking Blue recorded only one single - “Lucy Brown is back in town”, which took 21st place in the Dutch TOP 40. The single was released on the Pink Elephant label. It seemed that only a miracle could save them and...Oh yes! a miracle happened and it was wonderful as... well, what can be compared with a miracle named Mariska Veres! (Mariska Veres, October 1, 1947 - December 2, 2006)
One fine day, a cool uncle fell in love with a wonderful vocalist who performed at some party with the Bumble Bees gang. Then the cool uncle realized that his life... oh, that is, the life of “Shocking blue” without Mariska is worth nothing. Robbie was immediately drawn to her vocal style, which was quite different from other performers. And she, in turn, did not understand her happiness and performed with her father, who played the violin in all sorts of gypsy orchestras, despite the fact that his daughter was half Hungarian and half German. However, she did record a solo album before she found herself in the Shocking Blue team and it was called “Topkapi”. She also came to them already prepared for team performances, having gained experience in various groups.

Her father's name was Lajos Veres, he was from Hungary and was a famous gypsy violinist in the Netherlands, her mother was of French-Russian origin, a native of Germany). Mariska began her singing career in 1964 with the pop group "Les Mystères", then in 1966 she sang in the group "Blue Fighters", in 1967 - "Bumble Bees", "Danny and his Favorites", and later - "Motowns".

She replaced Fred, the original singer of Shocking Blue and became the symbol of the group! her ringing voice gave the music a distinct sound. As Robbie said: “When Mariska came, everything started to take off, and one of the first singles, “Venus,” became one of the biggest hits of this group and spread across the entire planet, topping the charts in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Germany , USA, Japan and many other parts of the world! And of course, everyone flocked to her record companies, producers and managers are like flies on... Oh, that is, like ants on sugar! I'm talking about Colossus. Label head Jerry Ross signed Shocking Blue and was rewarded for his entrepreneurship! Next to the top were the singles “Mighty Joe”, “Never Marry a Railroad Man”, “Hello Darkness”, “Shocking You”, “Long Lonesome Road”, “Blossom Lady” and “Inkpot”. Shocking Blue successfully combined beat and rhythm and blues with the oriental sound of the Indian sitar. Robbie found it increasingly difficult to write songs and the team decided to include cover versions on the albums! Here is one of his statements:

“We did everything ourselves, and radio station DJs would like to hear something completely new from us every time. But the large number of albums led to the fact that the group was forced to supplement them with cover versions. It was extremely difficult for me to write all the music and lyrics alone.” Guitarist Leo Van De Ketteridge played with the band for several months in 1970-1971. Mariska, Robbie, Cornelius and Klaassier were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting such far-flung places as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. Although the band continued to produce excellent and often innovative singles and chart positions in Europe, Robbie Van Leeuwen fell into depression. He was depressed by the band's limited success, and as a result, quarrels began to occur within Shocking Blue.

First, Klaassier left, replaced in 1971 by Henk Smitskamp. In 1973, Van Leeuwen himself left the group for a while, and Martin Van Wijk took his place. The album “Good Times” (1974) is distinguished from all other records of the group by its glam rock sound. Having recorded the last (very strong) single “Gonna sing me a song” with an equally powerful composition on side “B” - “Get it on”, the band is left by Mariska, who suddenly decides to start a solo career. For example, as a jazz singer in the Shocking Jazz Quintet. This time there could be no replacement (1974). In 1979, Robbie wanted to revive the group, but for some reason this did not happen then. However, at the end of 1984, Shocking Blue reunited and played two concerts at the Back-to-the-Sixties festival. After the breakup of the group, Roby formed another group, Galaxy Inc. In 1993, Mariska assembled a new line-up of Shocking Blue, the group released singles and performed throughout Europe. In 2003 she recorded an album with Andrei Serban’s gypsy ensemble “Gypsy Heart”.

and “Venus” is still performed by many groups and soloists - for example, in 1986 it again reached 1st place in the American charts, performed by the group “Stars On 45”, and then - performed by the team “Bananarama”. It is noteworthy that the opening riff was borrowed from the famous song “Pinball Wizard” by the British group “ The Who" In the 90s, all Shockin Blue records were reissued in CD format (fans of this group should be warned against some “pirated discs”, which include songs from another Dutch group “Nektar Assaasie” as bonus tracks.

Mariska died at her home in the Netherlands (October 1, 1947 – December 2, 2006) from bladder and liver cancer.

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History of Shocking Blue

The Dutch band Shocking Blue was born in 1968 in The Hague. It consists of two individuals: the popular guitarist and songwriter Robby Van Leenven (he wrote all the group's hits) and the singer of Magyar origin Mariska Veres, the daughter of a gypsy violinist. Klassje Van DerWal plays bass guitar, and percussion instruments village Cornelis Van Der Beck. After about two unsuccessful, in terms of publishing, records from a small Dutch company with strange name“Pink Elephant” was where Venus’ superb recording came from, a simple, irresistibly addictive rock ‘n’ roll composition. Three million records sold, championship in the charts of Belgium, the USA, Scandinavia, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Australia, Spain and other countries - this is how Venus opened the way for Dutch pop music into the world (after Shocking Blue it was paved by Tee Set, George Baker Selection, Golden Earring, Cats, Focus and other groups).

Shockig Blue managed to get the following songs into the popularity charts at home and abroad: Mighty Joe
(somewhat in the style of Jefferson Airplane), I`ll Write Your Name Through Fire (from the album At Home), Long Lonesome Road, Hello Darkness, Never Marry and Railroad Man (a very strong hit), Shocking You and the last one Out Of Mind.

On the third album of the group ( The Third Album), we meet the new guitarist of the group, Leo Van Der Kettery (Van Leeuven was mainly involved in composing and producing records). This disc, with such songs as Velvet Heaven, The Bird Of Paradise and I Saw Your Face, by the way, is still considered the most successful example of Shocking Blue music recorded on a record. The style of the cute Dutch is somewhat reminiscent of Creedence Clearwater Revival. They also return in their own way to the rock and roll of the late 50s, although on the disc, of course, their range is much wider (for example, the sitar in Aka Ragu on the At Home album). A typical example is, say, the hit Dlossem Lady, which has an arguably “outdated” guitar solo. Shocking Blue stands on the edge of rock music, drawing on listeners who enjoy well-crafted beat songs. Their main motto, however, is the expressive “peculiar” voice of the attractive Mariska Veres.

History of the group according to Shocking Blue (Unofficial Site)
Shocking Blue formed in 1967 under the leadership of guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen, a veteran of the well-known Dutch rock band The Motions. The name of the group was born thanks to Eric's track
Clapton's "Electric Blue".
Van Leeuwen was joined by drummer Cor van Beek, bassist Klassi van der Weal and vocalist Fred de Wilde.

In the spring of 1968, Shocking Blue signed a contract with the independent Dutch company Dureco. The group's first single, "Lucy Brown Is Back In Town", was released by the Pink Elephant record label and reached number twenty-one on the Dutch Top 40 chart.

Shortly afterwards, Shocking Blue's manager and music editor attended a celebration following the success of the band's song "Golden Earring", which became number one in Holland. A band called Bumble Bees with an energetic and strong vocalist, Mariska Veres, performed at the party, and the men thought she would be a great addition to Shocking Blue. Her singing style, strikingly different from most other local vocalists of that time, made a very strong impression on Robbie. Mariska, half Hungarian and half German, often sang with her father, who played violin in a gypsy orchestra. Before being invited to Shocking Blue, she recorded a solo single called “Topkapi” and gained experience in various groups. Mariska replaced Fred de Wilde, and, without a doubt, it was her vocals that became the magnet that attracted viewers and listeners; her ringing voice gave the music a distinct rhythm and blues sound. Robbie: “When Mariska arrived, everything happened in a matter of moments! The very first compositions we recorded for the album “Venus” became great hits.”
In Holland, "Venus" immediately settled firmly in third place, while at the same time topping the charts in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The recording was made on the newest American record label “Colossus”. Label head Jerry Ross received a huge reward for his efforts when Venus rocketed to number one in February 1970. It would not be out of place to say that the group was very popular not only at home, and “Venus” sold well in both France and Japan.

The band's follow-up to "Venus", the album "Mighty Joe", became number one in Holland and, like its predecessor, was present in all charts. "Never Marry a Railroad Man" also topped the Dutch rock charts; followed by “Hello Darkness”, “Shocking You”, “Long Lonesome Road”, “Blossom Lady” and “Inkpot”, but none of these songs managed to break above number 43 on the American charts.

Shocking Blue successfully combined beat and rhythm and blues with the psychedelic elements of the time. Robbie didn't mind if the band included some cover versions of old songs on the albums, since constantly writing new material was too much of a burden for him. “We did everything ourselves, and radio station DJs would like to hear something completely new from us every time. But the large number of albums led to the fact that the group was forced to supplement them with covers. It was extremely difficult for me to write all the music and lyrics alone.”
Guitarist Leo van de Ketteridge played with the group for several months in 1970-1971.
Mariska, Robbie, Kor and Klyassi were together for three years: they toured the world, visiting such distant corners as Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and South America. Their travel conditions were primitive and barely comparable to the luxury of travel famous groups present time. And Shocking Blue covered distances, huddled together in an uncomfortable railway carriage. “We didn't expect to be so busy,” Robbie responds. - “All these trips on tour were very difficult time».

Although the band continued to produce excellent and often innovative singles and chart positions in Europe, Robbie van Leeuwen fell into depression. He was depressed by the band's limited success, which resulted in a major falling out within Shocking Blue. Klyassi was the first to leave, in 1971. He was replaced by Henk Smitskamp.

In 1973, Robbie van Leeuwen partially left the group and was replaced by Martin van Wijk. Without Robbie, Shocking Blue still held on, but in 1974, Mariska also left the group, deciding to start a solo career.

In the mid-seventies, Robbie returned to music industry with the band Galaxy Lyn, more folk and jazz oriented than Shocking Blue. He also became the producer of Mariska's solo single entitled "Too Young". Subsequently, Robbie released several hits at the Mistral studio. The team broke up in the early eighties, and in 1983 the guitarist moved from The Hague to Luxembourg, where he lived away from the music business. In 1996 he returned to Holland.

In late 1984, Shocking Blue reunited and played two shows at the Back-to-the-Sixties festival. They have proven that they are worthy of our memory: van Leeuwen still maintains his style, and Mariska has one of the most wonderful women's voices. And their interpretations of Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit" are as strong as their own.

In September 1993, Mariska Veres decided to breathe new life into Shocking Blue.

But none of the former musicians returned to the group. Robbie van Leeuwen allowed Mariska to keep the name "Shocking Blue" for her new group and even became the producer of the CD single “Body & Soul”, released in 1994. The band performed at many festivals in the sixties and seventies, mainly in Germany.

The initial line-up consisted of:
Robbie Van Leeuwen (guitar, sitar and backing vocals)
Fred de Wilde (vocals, 1967–1968)
Klaasje van der Wal (bass guitar, 1967–1972)
Cor van der Beek (drums)
Later members were:
Mariska Veres (vocals)
Leo van de Ketterij (guitar, 1970–1971)
Martin van Wijk (guitar, 1973–1974)
Henk Smitskamp (bass guitar, 1972–1974)

Robbie van Leeuwen(Robbie van Leeuwen; October 29, 1944, The Hague, the Netherlands) - guitar, sitar,
backing vocals (1967-1973)
Mariska Veres(Mariska Veres; October 1, 1947 - December 2, 2006, The Hague, Netherlands) - vocals (1968-1974)
Clashe van der Wal(Klaasje van der Wal, 01 February 1949, La Haye, the Netherlands) - bass guitar (1967-1971)
Cor van der Beek(Cornelius van der Beek; 06 June 1948, Rotterdam, Netherlands) - drums (1967-1974)
The history of "Shocking Blue" is inextricably linked with Robbie van Leeuwen, born on October 29, 1944 in The Hague. In the first half of the 60s, being influenced by British rock, Robbie seriously delved into musical research, and best place for this purpose, than the group “Motions”, at that time it was simply impossible to find in Holland (before “Motions” Robbie flashed in “Ricochets” and “Atmospheres”). Most of the Dutch bands of the first half of the 60s, such as "Johnny Kendall & The Heralds", "ZZ & The Maskers", "The Hunters" and even "Golden Earring", performed beat-rock, and only a few, including there were "Motions", proudly "cutting" rhythm and blues, in this case - in the spirit of British "mods". But due to a conflict with the band's vocalist Rudy Bennett in 1967, Robbie left and began searching for like-minded people. The first project on this thorny path was "Six Young Riders", where Henk Smitskamp and Rene Nodelijk played together with Van Leeuwen. His life was short-lived, and in the same 1967 Robbie gathered new musicians: vocalist Fred De Wild (ex.-"Hu & Hilltops"), bassist Klaasje van der Wai and drummer Cornelius Van Der Beek (Cornelius van der Beek, ex. - "Sect", in some sources his name is spelled Cornelis, but most often simply Cor). Van Leeuwen was unwittingly inspired by Eric Clapton to come up with the name "Shocking Blue". Once upon a time he had the imprudence to write the song “Electric Blue”, which inspired our hero to his exploits. During this period, changes began in the appearance of the Dutch rock scene. "Golden Earring" began to gradually move away from the beat-rock sound towards blues, and a little later, hard rock, "Cuby & Blizzards" and "Q65" began to gain wide popularity, such "cool" bands appeared in the near future as " Harpers Bizarre", "Livin` Blues", "Exception", "Brainbox". The main events of this rock whirlpool took place in the city of The Hague, from which our heroes began their journey. It should be noted here that in a few years critics will call The Hague “Dutch Liverpool” and “European San Francisco”.
In 1967, the first album "Beat With Us" was released (according to other sources, it was simply called "The Shocking Blue"). According to the old habit, it is kept in the "Mod" rhythm and blues key, it is somewhat reminiscent of music British bands"The Who" and "Small Faces". However, for those years it was natural. It should be noted the original arrangement of the song with which Elvis Presley's career began - "That"s All Right (Mama)". But this was not yet the music that Robbie Van Leeuwen wanted to play, because his eyes were directed west of London - into the distant the city of San Francisco. And something incomprehensible was happening there - hippies, psychedelia, rock and roll, marijuana, LSD... From this cocktail, like mushrooms after rain, groups with new, unusual music began to appear - "Grateful Dead". ", "Quicksilver Messenger Service", "Moby Grape", "Country Joe & The Fish" and, of course, the unsurpassed "Jefferson Airplane". Robbie and his team decided to emulate these Californians.
In 1968, only one single was recorded, “Lucy Brown Is Back In Town” / “Fix Your Hair Darling,” which was more in the tradition of “Move” (and partly “Tomorrow”). But the main event of the year for the group was the departure of Fred De Wilde. He had problems related to his military service, and Fred broke up with the group.
Van Leeuwen had long secretly dreamed of female vocals. Shocking Blue manager Ceec Van Leeuwen had his eye on a suitable candidate. jazz festival in Luesdrecht, and the issue was finally resolved at a party organized by "Golden Earring" in honor of their first "No. 1 hit". Before this wonderful event, Mariska Veres, that is the name of the new member of the group, managed to work with Blue Fighters, Danny & Favorites, Motowns, Mysteres, Bumble Bees. It was from the latter that she was lured away by the more dexterous "Shocking Blue". With the changes in composition came a new style: melodic moves in best traditions“Jefferson Airplane”, a powerful rhythm section in the spirit of the “Rolling Stones”, and Mariska performed miracles with her voice and could easily compete with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. It must be said that this lady was a very colorful figure: the daughter of a German woman and a Hungarian gypsy, she embodied in her appearance and voice everything best qualities these peoples. By the way, her visual attractiveness played an important role in the success of the group.
In 1969, the album “At Home” was released, from which the musicians themselves began counting down their discography. To all the advantages of the group was added the sitar, which Van Leeuwen masterfully mastered. The greatest success was the single "Venus" - in February 1970, it quickly burst to the top of the charts in England, the USA and many European countries. It was a serious bid for success, but unfortunately, the triumph of "Venus" did a disservice to "Shocking Blue". Many - and completely in vain - began to consider them "one-hit wonders." But overall, luck was with the group.
In 1970, Shocking Blue released another album, Scorpio's Dance, which, thanks to the two-part composition of the same name, can be called quasi-conceptual. The signature sound covered the widest stylistic range: these include hard rock riffs in “Send Me A Postcard”, psychedelic blues in “California Here I Come”, “Demon Lover” and, finally, folk psychedelia in “I Love Voodoo Music”. .
In January 1971, Shocking Blue began recording their next album. A new character appears here - second guitarist Leo van der Kettery. Released in March '71, "The Third Album" became a true masterpiece of the European version of "west coast rock". It is interesting that, unlike most of their colleagues, the Shocking Blue musicians had nothing to do with the drug cult that reigned at that time. This, of course, did not benefit the image, but Shocking Blue, like Ted Nugent, Mike Pinera, or, say, the musicians of Jethro Tull, devoted more energy and time to creativity, rather than drinking bouts and orgies. True, it so happened that the creative takeoff coincided with the first difficulties: tired of the race of recent years, Van Der Wal left the group (in "Antilope"), and with him Van Der Ketteri. Their place was taken by an old friend of the group, former bassist of the groups "Willy & Giants", "Motions", "Sandy Coast", "Six Young Riders" and "Livin` Blues" - Henk Smitskamp. He gave the group a new charge of creative energy, which in 1972 materialized in the form of two new studio albums ("Inkpot" and "Attila") and the live "Live In Japan". The concert record perfectly shows the work of the group without studio bells and whistles - as they say, we play what we can. But it must be said that they were capable of a lot, and it is surprising that this album is still stuck on the list of rarities. By this point, "Shocking Blue" had traveled virtually the entire civilized world - from the USA to Indonesia and South America.
For example, in the States, Shocking Blue performed in conjunction with the then top stars - Sly & The Family Stone and Three Dog Night.
In 1973, the next album, "Dream On Dreamer", was released, bringing a clear focus on folk-rock sound. And at the same time, Shocking Blue had its first big failure: critics simply tore the new single with the song “Let Me Carry Your Bag” into pieces. Tension increased sharply within the group, Van Leeuwen was at the limit, because he wrote all the material - four albums in a year and a half, a lot of singles, numerous tours, plus pressure from the record company... In general, completely exhausted, the captain left the ship . About the solo sailing of the ex-leader of the group - a little later, but for now we will continue the saga of “Shocking Blue”.
In 1974, Martin van Wijk, known for his work in two Dutch bands, Fairy Tale and Jupiier, took over as guitarist. He surprisingly quickly became the leader of Shocking Blue, and the new material was already the result of his research. It must be said that Martin successfully introduced a certain amount of glam rock and funk into the music of “Shocking Blue”. And although at first glance these styles did not quite fit into the traditions of the group, it’s simply hard to call the album “Good Times” a black sheep. In memory of the breakaway Van Leeuwen in new album included the song "Nashville Rebel" - one of his last recordings for the group. The process of disintegration caused by the departure of the group's patriarch could not be stopped. In 1974, Mariska began her solo career, Henk moved to "Livin` Blues", and Cor and Martin started a joint project"Lemming" A little later, Kor followed Smitskamp's example and also joined the ranks of "Livin' Blues", who only benefited from this acquisition. After a year of working with "Livin` Blues" Core moved to "Headline".
In 1975, the last single, “Gonna Sing My Song,” was released, which put an end to the history of “Shocking Blue.” Robbie Van Leeuwen has formed a new experimental group "Galaxy Lin". Next stop at creative path Robbie became the Mistral project in the late 70s. The result was three singles, and on all three different vocalists sang - Sylvia Van Asten, Mariska Veres and on the most famous - "Starship 109" - Marian Chattelene.
In 1984, Shocking Blue got together to perform at the Back-To-The-Sixties-Festival in Den Bosch, along with Q65 and other lesser-known Dutch bands. In addition to the old hits "Shocking Blue" they cut two legendary numbers: "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit" - the most famous hits of "Jefferson Airplane". In honor of the band's revival, the musicians recorded a new single, "Jury And the Judge" / "I`m Hanging On To Love", which was released in 1986. After which the group disappeared from the horizon.
In the early 90s, Mariska Veres resumed musical activity in a jazz-rock vein with his group "Mariska Veres Shocking Jazz Quintet". Over the course of four days from November 10 to 13, 1992, the musicians recorded an album that could be listened to in early 1993. They didn’t puzzle over the name for a long time: “Shocking You!” - one of best songs in the repertoire "Shocking Blue" was perfect for this role. In the album, next to the old action films "Shocking Blue", cover versions of the songs "Golden Earring", "Jefferson Airplane", "The Zombies", "The Kinks" (all performed in the style of light jazz) are conveniently located. Inspired by her own luck, in 1993 the singer enlisted the support of Robbie van Leeuwen and compiled a new version of "Shocking Blue". She was accompanied by guitarist Andre van Geldorp, keyboardist Michael Eschauzier, Bert Meulink (bass player from the Veres "jazz quintet"), and Gerben de Bruijn on drums. ). The group performed actively throughout Europe; their concerts were especially successful in Germany, England and Belgium, and, naturally, in Holland. There were also line-up changes: in 1994, a new bassist, Paul Heppener, appeared, and four years later the drummer changed. Actually, from April to November '98, this place was shared by Jeff van Veen and Michael Schreuder, but in the end the last one remained. There was also new material - in 1994 the group's single "Body And Soul"/"Angel" was released. Robbie van Leeuwen decided to shake things up and joined the group, but only as a producer. Mariska periodically performed at Oldie Festivals in Holland and even recorded several singles with Peter Tetteroo, the lead vocalist of another famous Dutch group of the 60s, “Tee Set”. The legendary "Shocking Blue" singer died of cancer at age 59 at home in the Netherlands. It happened on December 3, 2006...

Based on materials from "Rock Encyclopedias"