Shocking Blue

Shocking Blue were a Dutch rock band from the Hague, Netherlands. The group first got together in 1967. The line-up was: Mariska Veres (lead singer), Robbie van Leeuwen (vocals/guitar/sitar), Klaasje van der Wal (bass guitar), and Cornelius van der Beek (drums). Shocking Blue had two minor hit singles in 1969 with "Long and Lonesome Road" and "Send Me a Postcard." The group scored a massive international smash that same year with their breakthrough song, "Venus." With its incredibly bouncy and catchy guitar riff, urgent driving beat and a powerhouse fiery vocal by stunning brunette beauty Veres, "Venus" peaked at #1 on the US pop charts in February, 1970 and sold over a million copies. Alas, it was the band's only major chart success in America. "Venus" has been featured on the soundtracks of The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Grumpier Old Men (1995), Outside Providence (1999), Remember the Titans (2000) and Otis (2004), among others. In 1986 the British girl group Bananarama had a #1 US h