The Story of Mariska Veres, Shocking Blue And Their The Biggest Hit - Venus

[@photorealm]

I moved gear off and on stage for them (Phoenix AZ early 70's) and had the opportunity to talk with Mariska but she didn't speak english so it was mostly sign and hand gestures. She was humble and very nice. I think she moved over by me because I wasn't trying to hit on her. The bass player had the heaviest orange amp I have ever lifted in my life. 2 of us almost couldn't carry it. They were playing with Blues Image at the coliseum in Phx. I used to load gear for a promoter friend to get into the concerts for free , great memories.

[@nexttoawesomemusic3589]

Thank you for sharing with us your memories.

[@HSBsoulsurfer]

Awesome story! So cool. Yeah, apparently she flat-out refused to learn English, as she found it to sound ugly, loool! Robbie Van Leeuven had to write out the syllables to sing for her, along with make rough recordings of himself singing the rough drafts of songs. They were an amazing band.

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

Great memory!! BTW, how's your back? ;)

[@DJBOOTS378]

Thanks for sharing that piece of history. Cool brother.

[@nexttoawesomemusic3589]

I have never heard this story. Where did you find out that?

[@custodioguimaraes9981]

Mariska Veres. Alluring contralto voice on ravishing psychedelic songs in the band Shocking Blue. Heavenly hair, turquoise eyes, smiling light, in the incarnation of muse Venus in beauty and love.

[@KeesWezenbeek]

Geweldige zangeres mooi charmant en betoverend en oogverblindend ❤

[@johnallen6945]

Thank you for your report. I'm 73 and YTM informed me that I spent 56,000 hours listening to music in 2023, 10% of my life! The song I listened to the most (31 times) was, "Venus." What can I say? This song makes me feel good.

[@ghostchaser13]

Mine is probably the Rolling Stones "Paint It Black!"

[@feelinguru-vywiththepaingu9808]

Mine is Walking on Sunshine by Katrina And The Waves or Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. I'm 60. I remember Venus on the radio and liked the original waaaay better than the Bananarama version. I do have the original Venus on my playlist. It’s a great song and Mariska had a powerful voice.

[@feelinguru-vywiththepaingu9808]

​@@ghostchaser13That’s a worthy song for repeat plays!

[@ghostchaser13]

@@feelinguru-vywiththepaingu9808 You can listen to Paint It Black with only the sitar too and it is awesome!

[@feelinguru-vywiththepaingu9808]

@@ghostchaser13 That would be amazing! Thanks!

[@mkruup]

No 0ne ever talks about their drummer Cor. He's also fabulous and important for their sound.

[@paulkeahtigh2]

Love Mariska always,1969 first time I saw her 💓 great band, what a voice and very beautiful RIP😎🌷

[@muffs55mercury61]

I remember a DJ playing "Venus" in Dec, 1969. After a couple weeks then it gained more airplay and by Feb, 1970 it had reached #1 in the USA. Fortunately the song never lost interest and can still be heard on many stations today. Mariska and her departed bandmates were lost too soon

[@laydown6]

Yeah Robbie van Leeuwen is the only one left 😢

[@muffs55mercury61]

@@laydown6 Time waits for no one and often is not good to people.

[@laydown6]

True​@@muffs55mercury61

[@ntesla100]

What a stunning beauty!!

[@HemiVic]

Mariska was one beautiful woman!

[@jknuttel]

*Indeed, she was!!!*

[@jskyg68]

She looks really good in the stills and all made up but at the 2:18 mark you can see what she really looks like....wow she's a knockout for sure.

[@sjoerdrijpkema9197]

It's fake, it's made by Artificial Intelligence...

[@johnhughes3796]

In her younger years.

[@jamesbrice6619]

​@johnhughes3796 that's true about most pretty women😂

[@pmcclaren1]

She is a stunning beauty! so talented & intelligent, great song from our BOOMER generation!

[@johnsteelman-d1s]

SHE WORE A WIG ....

[@garyjackson3531]

​@@johnsteelman-d1s And?

[@gogoyubari366]

She was so pretty!

[@vladimirfateev9048]

Thanks a lot,i love so much and ever Mariska. She's a my Goddess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RIP

[@cayetanopenaloza5734]

NEXT TO AWESOME MUSIC- Thank you so much for this musical documentary!

[@nexttoawesomemusic3589]

It's pleasure to read your feedback. Thank you!

[@cayetanopenaloza5734]

One of my favorite bands of all time, Shocking Blue.

[@WaferBrik]

I was a kid when this hit was released and it remains one of the best songs I've heard. That voice -- just awesome.

[@alanhodges8839]

I play it every day.

[@johnsteelman-d1s]

@@alanhodges8839 I USED TO PLAY THE SONG TOO, E MINOR TO A ......

[@Rudy-j9x]

She was so beautiful, those eyes 👀, the song Venus fit her.R.I.P❤

[@jerrydillard2430]

Yes! Those eyes!

[@ЛюдмилаМалышева-б2к]

And "Shoking you!!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@JoeSchmo-u1d]

Big blue eyes! She was beautiful!

[@jameshaxby5434]

Great song, great band, great singer.

[@KeesKouwenberg]

So proud she, and Shocking Blue, are from my home town.

[@CBeard849]

She was gorgeous!!

[@andrewpeacock7584]

❤ Wow amazing photos 👍

[@DJBOOTS378]

To me, she was the most beautiful woman of the 60s. Oh, look to find it all pretty much.👉❤👈

[@Johnnycdrums]

"Never Marry A Railroad Man" should have been a big hit in the U,S., not just because it's harmonized in "Spanish Thirds", but because it's a great song, and i don't care that it's a little longer than most sides. "Send Me A Post Card (Baby)" is a catchy one that I also dig. Oh yeah, "Mighty Joe" is pretty cool too.

[@LannieLord]

My choice for a HUGE hit would have been Long and Lonely Road Or California Here I Come.

[@gurmin1]

"Never Marry A Railroad Man" picqued my attention in '70. I married in '69 (still married to this wonderful woman). In '71 through '77, I was a railroad brakeman and conductor (foreman) in freight service. It was a tough job and tough on the family but paid very well. As souvenirs of my service, I have poor hearing (from air brake exhaust in the engine cab) and a bad back. Although I never served in the military, I lost my fear of everything one night. It was 3 AM when I took our locomotive into the yard of the electric company. From 50 feet away, a drunk security guard fired 6 shots at me and missed. Mariska spoke the truth.

[@wa0000]

Could you say a little more about 'Spanish Thirds'? Google doesn't have much to offer, if anything at all.

[@Johnnycdrums]

@@wa0000; Think of "Spanish Eyes" ~ Al Martino. The 4 chord goes back and forth between a minor triad and major triad, and the 5 chord is the dominant 7 chord. There are variations to this obviously. "Never Marry A Railroad Man" is different but I hear a minor 4th being utilized.

[@wa0000]

@@Johnnycdrums Thanks. That's an unusual kind of alternation.

[@Meme-dp9gn]

That’s the first time I have ever seen a picture of her in colour ( black and white t.v ) I always thought she was incredibly beautiful but it’s obvious that she was far more stunning than I had thought . It’s sad she never married or had children ,those genes deserved to be passed down ! But I do hope she had a happy life rest in peace ❤

[@babywah3290]

Romany? Makes sense that she is a beautiful gypsy. Fantastic singer❤

[@mariadoloreszvab]

We don’t like to be called gypsies; it’s like the “n” word.

[@gaborszegedy1673]

Yep Romani, her name "Veres" means red in Hungarian and Mariska in nickname for Maria.

[@libertyjustice2703]

If Mariska would have had better material she would have had many more top ten hits. She was special and the song Venus has endured as a fan fovorite for 60 years and it is just one of those songs from when music had great lyrics, melody, harmony and singers. It will always be played and listened to by someone somewhere for decades to come. Its a great song.

[@rnrpeg1]

Yeah, I only just now watched three of their other songs mentioned in a different 'short doc'. Lyrics are awful, but some great sounds. 🤘

[@RealAlLePage]

Strange to see images of the real Mariska interspersed with images of someone that resembles Linda Ronstadt

[@Fargoguy54]

Where?

Ronstadt wasn't that gorgeous.

[@billdux3271]

We played “Venus” in a garage band in the 60’s. We loved her voice, and what a beauty.

[@spellerlittlewing]

Great band love their sound

[@beatleboy869]

Mariska was very beautiful 😍😍😍

[@Elephant2024-wi2li]

Originally heard 'Venus' as a kid growing up in the 1970's. We had it on a .45 record. Although I had never saw Mariska and the Shocking Blue at the time, I always loved the song. Even though I liked Bananarama's 1986 remake, I always preferred the original.

[@Amarti58]

What a lovely woman.

[@celsogamarano3401]

Venus é uma música muito bonita. Fez muito sucesso aqui no Brasil.

[@AlanCole-c8w]

One of my favorite songs of the time

[@beameup64]

Those eyes.......😍

[@CharlieRogersMusic]

this band was one of the best in the 1960s and 70s.

[@Keepnthem]

That chic Mariska is truly dazzling!

[@michaelrafa100]

I loved the song for many years before I discovered Mariska, her amazing voice and incredible beauty! ❤

[@pongsakvittayarumpa9233]

Brilliant !

[@SouthPawGuy1977]

Love her look ! R.I.P

[@TyroneEpps]

This is excellent❤❤❤❤

[@floydfanboy2948]

So many great bands came from The Hague. Mariska and the guys are sorely missed.

[@gerrylavelle8433]

Beloved song forever.

[@travelinben1966]

Striking.😍💘

[@ClassicTrialsChannel]

The person in video clips isnt Mariska

[@Mr05Chuck]

It is her grand daughter

[@rupertberr]

It is Ai. State right under the play list.

[@TFD31415]

Wait, is this whole video generated by AI?

[@markmiller6817]

yes

[@wmden1]

Great musicians, Great singer, and super fine looking lady.

[@gloriache8903]

"Venus " my favorite song from Dec 69-jan feb mar 70

[@randyronny7735]

I thought she was born in Hungry. She and her family escaped at age 5 before settling in the Netherlands.

[@harvey1954]

Who is the young woman pretending to be interviewed ? That's not Mariska.

[@Shambashamble]

AI

[@ewg6200]

Yes it is

[@shable1436]

She looks like she never aged, like a Romanian gypsy vampire

[@Kevin_40]

shes a genius Shocking Blue has endless hits with her singing

[@alanhodges8839]

Mariska, at the top with all the other best talents.

[@kathrynhostetler7367]

Mariska leaves us many good memories ...shocking blues one hit wonder "Venus" lives on even when her body gave out. That legacy gives her legs to be remembered , and reminds us that nobody escapes the raveges of time.....Except Venus !

[@RonMazasco]

Having said that... they were not a one hit wonder. Their other hits were just not as huge as Venus, excuse my dutch accent

[@JohnDeHaanSeekerOfTruth365]

Fun Fact! When Venus first came out, it received very little radio play in the USA! DJ's were told; by their Bosses, not to play the song because; it was considered, sexually suggestive & evil. Which of course, made us teens at the time, wanted it played even more! Hence; making it a huge success! I bought my copy 45 rpm. when it first came out, Now at almost 67! I still have it & still listen to it from time to time! 🙂

[@joejones9520]

just say it w/o prefacing with that ff nonsense

[@CiscoDuck]

Robbie van Leeuwen's great guitar hook / riff solo was something actually stolen - which he freely admitted in an interview about 20 years ago. In his own words, he said, "It was lifted from The Beatles guitar riff on their song 'Get Back' which was from the guitar solo bits played by John Lennon on a lap steel. I borrowed the ideas and played my version of some of that and had no idea Lennon did his bits on the steel!" There are mash-up videos on KZbin exploring this and comparing the licks on Venus and Get Back. Check it out!

[@wa0000]

! As I was learning Robbie's solo, the part following the 6ths is indeed very much like John's 'Get Back' solo.

[@lewismusser7184]

Venus was their smash, but another great single is Mighty Joe. ..."l loved ya, oooh I loved ya, I loved you oh so bad"🎵🎶 Mariska was the absolute bomb 💣💓 in her time.Ahead of her time and paving the way for the likes of Shirley Manson and other fabulous femes.

[@MrFishermanbob]

IMO the greatest voice in rock, male or female.

[@hondac7028]

God those eyes just melt a man's heart 💗❤️

[@JoaoBatista-li9tc]

Muito linda, ♥️♥️. Infelizmente ela já faleceu.

[@tyronejohnson6482]

Yes..I was a bit shocked at Mariska's beauty, when I checked the song on YT!

[@allan9603]

Mariska speaks, and spoke English very well, why is the narrator dubbing her?

[@willswalkingwest7267]

This AI narration crap has to stop. IT SUCKS!!!!

[@penumbrazewolf]

Some images were AI, as well as the videos where you could even see the face glitching.

[@kennethjohnson2983]

You too! It's driving me away from alot of content that I would listen to otherwise.

[@JamesFolkers]

Get used to it - it’s everywhere

[@jodyjackson5475]

Hate it. I click off shortly into it too creepy

[@bhbluebird]

Lovely eyes.

[@whttrails]

I would love to hear her rendition of white rabbit

[@gdpcpa]

Not a word about the Wurlitzer electric piano part of "Venus" or who played it, arguably the most important rhythm part in the entire arrangement.

[@tripjet999]

Nice-looking one-hit wonder!

[@jofo3197]

First time i heard Venus i knew it was a winner.

[@radiomindchatter7994]

I had a crush on her...

[@freetob1]

Should have gotten more, much more notoriety than she did.

[@richardgiem6404]

Still have this song on my devices

[@jeffreydeuitch2146]

Like many others here, I really just in the past few months discovered SB whole catalog and like many others have been blown away. Really a shame that they were not promoted properly in the USA in the day. Can't imagine that they wouldn't be remembered in same light as JA, Janis, and other female led groups. Their song writing and instrument arrangements are absolutely fantastic. Perhaps Mariska's lack of fluent English kept US based media from giving her publicity. Had they been all fluent English speaking and had good promotional efforts, their music and Mariska's look would have gone ballistic.

[@LannieLord]

There should have been at least 3 or 4 more hits here in the USA . California Here I Come, Long and Lonely Road, Postcard and Love Buzz. Nirvana covered one of their songs on stage many times.

[@alexlanning712]

Its was her husky voice on "Venus" that struck me

[@Luked0g440]

Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac on the front cover of that magazine she's holding.

[@morowilson8673]

Sou teu fã a muitos anos eu nasci 1941 tou vivo quando você começou cantar eu amava vc abraços beijos thau eu sei que vc partiu para eternidade eu tenho todas suas músicas

[@alanhodges8839]

Me too, I’m 82 born in 1941

[@jaguarsunburst1570]

So Beautiful Girl ❤ Great Job Thankyou

[@nexttoawesomemusic3589]

Thank you for watching.

[@JTW3159]

what about inkpot

[@johnsteelman-d1s]

HELLO, THE SHOCKING BLUE PLAYED AT THE WHISKY A GO GO ON SUNSET STRIP . SO WHAT HAPPEN TO THE LEAD SINGER ?

[@jamesbrice6619]

Shocking Blue had some great songs and good albums. Too bad they never caught on big in America

[@tedfordhyde]

Not her in the thumbnail...?

[@michaelhull63]

What a BABE she's still a goddess today just goes to prove beauty transcends the decades

[@CarlMartin-hw3ev]

The ai voice and photos are no match for what the reality of this woman actually was.

[@JosephMartin-sj3kz]

Yeah, great point. All of the AI stuff is distracting. Mariska and the boys deserve better. 👍✌️

[@sjoerdrijpkema9197]

It would be nice or even moraly right if you tell us what material in the video is AI made.

[@jdnelson9538]

Nirvana's first vinyl release was a 45 rpm single on the Subpop label called "Love Buzz" which Kurt Cobain discovered on Shocking Blue's first U.S. release from 1969, in the early 1990's, which indicates how inspiring and influential Shocking Blue was, even to the avatars of what was soon to become Seattle's grunge movement.

[@mazzym4750]

Yes !

[@electronwave4551]

AI moving images are used here, it would seem. Veres was a very quiet person and quiet people don't look for confirmation from others. The AI generated images are of a "look-at-me" showgirl.

[@mycomment474]

Mariska, RIP babe

[@3057luis]

The banjo song WOW

[@jamilavidaverde3887]

Ela era tão linda e tinha a voz poderosa

[@fabiocecchini7837]

MARISK❤

[@Sergiy-od3qd]

Mariska is very beautiful and very talented

[@GBPaddling]

Was........she died...🤕

[@gedbogjid2218]

its all AI imagery

[@robertwilkinson2232]

She had a charisma about her

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

60s Bond Girl or Beat Club Chic?

[@jucamoreira7758]

MARISKA E SHOCKING BLUE 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🇧🇷

[@emilyannfrancesmay3919]

Some of the segments where it looks like Mariska was giving an interview were created by AI??? I thought they were actual clips from the past. Anyway I was delighted anyway with this viewing. I really enjoyed seeing how Mariska might have looked without the wig and heavy make-up.

[@ПетрПоляков-м6у]

Видимо часть фото Маришки ретушировано,но какая же она была хорошенькая! Как же мы в юности ее любили(и естественно песни).

[@Dreamcatcher9000]

2:10 Who is that??

[@rcrai0547]

Never heard of her.

[@6lmao9]

She was so gorgeous in the 60s. Old age is a cruel beast

[@axxellein]

TRES Cool

[@Retroscoop]

You forgot "Inkpot" of course.... And that she apparantly died relatively poor: the big money went of course to the man who wrote the song. More versatile but less powerful than Grace Slick. Difficult to compare actually.

[@Kruisje2000]

The girl around 2.30 is not Mariska, is she? To me it is a lookalike...... Mariska never was so expressive while talking, she was more of a little shy and laid back. Would never make such gestures.