R.I.P., Venus

My heart froze a little today when I read about Saturday's death of Mariska Veres. She was the lead singer of one of the best Euro-rock bands of the early 70s, The Shocking Blue. But, even more importantly, she was my first rock-star crush thanks to the video for Venus (YouTube link) that I saw on TV at an impressionable age. 

Not only did Mariska have an amazing voice, but something about her presence was just hypnotizing. No, it wasn't her breasts, thank you. I was actually more enthralled by her wild 60s hair. That and her Gypsy heritage - which is always pretty hot. (I was going to say unless you're Stevie Nicks, but, nah, I used to think she was pretty hot as well.)

Anyway, being a child of the 80s I first heard the cheesy Bananarama version of Venus (which came just a few years after it was also included in the massive Stars on 45). Thanks to that hit version, the original started resurfacing. Then other songs crept into my periphery: a friend put Ink Pot on a mix tape, a college radio DJ spun Love Buzz for me after I gushed about the Nirvana single, Send Me a Postcard popped up on a compilation by Ladytron. All of these songs blew me away, and before I knew it I was a full-blown Shocking Blue fan.

If you don't know the non-Venus side of The Shocking Blue, try their first album, At Home. It is pop-rock confection all the way through, and while it's loaded with the early hits my favorite song is the bonus-track B-side Harley Davidson (mp3). We need more Dutch biker songs! (Mariska and the band hail from The Haugue, Holland.)

Just last month a Shocking Blue fan (who also runs an amazing Euro Disco web archive that is almost worth it's own post) put a slew their videos on YouTube:
Never Marry a Railroad Man      Shocking You     Ink Pot     Mighty Joe     Blossom Lady     Navajo Tears     Hello Darkness (fan video)    and here is  another version of Venus (rare) 

After Mariska left the Shocking Blue she had a solo hit in 1975, Take Me High. By 1978 Shocking Blue's co-founder and songwriter Robbie Van Leeuwen and Mariska were back together with a Euro-Disco outfit called Mistral. Check out their song Neon City. It will make you giddy with chessy satisfaction, and has become my favorite clip today.

Comments

[Tony S]

Don't miss this lively Hungarian number:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJpijyqd4rs

[mc]

Man, you totally bring back the memory of that video. I was in the youth hostel in Rome, a young teenager allowed to travel Europe by my parents (what were they thinking?!?) and the video came on. Yeah, she was a hottie. First rock crush? Yeah, that might be true, too. I still see the video playing in my head, and that's saying something...

[Grotesnor]

I agree, we do need more Danish biker songs. But Mariska was Dutch. It's very sad to read she's gone.

[Swedish Tommy]

"We need more Danish biker songs!" Danish? Shocking Blue came from the Hague – a city in the Netherlands.
(The Netherlands is of course pretty close to Denmark, but there's a country called "Germany" in between...)

Btw, "Send me a postcard" is thee best popsong EVER.

[ResidentClinton]

I fixed the Danish gaffe above. I knew that they were Dutch, just let my fingers do the walking when my brain shut off.

[ResidentClinton]

By the way, I've been to Holland and I have to say that Amsterdam is overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful city and well worth a visit, but the tourist trade there is so berzerk.

I much prefered Rotterdam, an underrated city with a great art scene and marvelous architecture. And of course a great film festival. My travel report. Someday I want to go back and visit the countryside of the Netherlands as well. All I saw was from the train, and it was stunning.

[TJ Hooker]

Neon City... Nice. If Scott Williams were to start an Organ Face tribute, he should start here. Really fun song. Thanks!

[Chris R.]

Shocking Blue was awesome. RIP Ms. Veres!

[poesboes]

O yes "Send me a postcard"!! That was here best; totally agree Swedish Tommy! Sadly missed. She was headline news here in the Netherlands.

[Jay McGee]

I'm with the author here. Lost my heart to Marsiska due to that venus video and her amazing voice. To me, she was up there with Grace Slick & Sonja Christina. Even now,I'm shedding tears as I type.....

Rest peacefully, Marisksa, and thankyou for all the pleasure you bestowed.

[Jeffersonic]

The beauty and power of her voice completely grabbed me the first time I heard it, and
haunts me to this day. Venus is such a great song.....

[Bill Bug]

Thanks to Evan 'Funk' Davies for the tribute on his show of 12/04-12/05, because somehow Mariska's passing got by me completely.

Definitely take 20 minutes out on YouTube and hit the tracks cited above - the Budepestre video is a especially fun and surprising for its musicality.

I thought some of the cuts show a strong Grace Slick influence. I suppose 'Send Me a Postcard' shows a strong Airplane influence in general.

I'd also vote for the videos of 'Navajo Tears', 'Never Marry A Railroad Man', and 'Inkpot' for their architypal early 70's video effects - real pieces of time.

The medley put together for 'I Love Voodoo Music' - in addition to highlighting a really beautiful tune - is full of funky album art, pop art backgrounds, and clips of Mariksa from the last 30 years.

Thank you Mariska Veres and RIP.

[The Catfish]

Mariska had some solo jazz albums that never got out of Holland - some might show up at the gemm/playland site. There's a good Shocking blue blog at...

http://www.geocities.com/ofmang/greg/shockblu.html

[Igor]

hi, Im Igor
Shocking Blue is one of my favorite bands and I Want to have their t-shirt, does anybody know where i can order it? If anyone knows any infor greatly appreiated on my email. Thanks!
Igor.

[Tohir]

Unfortunately the song of divine Mariska removed from U-Tube. I put some songs to my site & www.drmedia.us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yupKv9vcL3w