A Very Persona Music Report 1 "The Shocking Blue"

1967-1974, The Netherlands

Why The Shocking Blue

        I heard their best-selling song “Venus” in the Netflix drama, The Queen’s Gambit, in January this year. I was amazed how cool the intro music the song starts with! And the voice of the vocalist! I don’t know the adjective to describe her voice, but I know it’s the opposite of sweet. That was what I liked about it. Several other funky songs from the 1960s were played in the drama, which I have to check out soon, but “Venus'' is my favourite at the moment. There are also some interesting facts about the band and their songs, that is why I decided to write about them today.

The Songs

        “Venus” is a punchy, cool, sexy song, I think. Although the lyrics of the song do not particularly knock me down, probably because I don't quite get it, the music surely did. The introduction part just grabbed me, drew me and threw me in the air. As the song continued, I felt the shower of dopamine in my head. What a sensation!
        It’s so different from whatever music I’ve ever listened to. Here, I must say that there is not much music that I know, in the first place. I didn't have proper friends when it was time to be exposed to lots of nice, cool, interesting things, that's why I didn't get any information about good music or cool bands, I guess. Also, I have The Blue Hearts in my heart. They are one of the greatest Japanese Rock bands, and I've always loved them. With the Blue Hearts playing automatically in my head all the time, my hunger for music might have been quite small. But it's been a long time since I got The Blue Hearts in me, and I guessed that they would be nice and kind if I ask them to move a little bit to make some room for somebody new. The Shocking Blue hit the just-created, little empty space in my brain with a bang. In the way like a modern, highly effective missile does. The Shocking Blue makes great sounds. I hope that my The Blue Hearts will find them nice and start a good friendship there.

        In the United States and in the UK, “Venus” was the only song that The Shocking Blue made no. 1 in the weekly charts. However, in Japan, there was another song which sold very very well, which is “Never Marry a Railroad Man”. I don’t know if it’s the far-East end country people’s gene, I like it very much, too. It goes like this,

Never marry a Railroad man
He loves you every now and then
His heart is at his new train, no, no, no
Don't fall in love with a Railroad man

        I’m in love with the ‘no, no, no’, part. I started to use the ‘no, no, no’ in my daily conversation. It’s fun. And I do kind of know how it feels when someone just loves me every now and then, which is terrible! And what he has in his heart instead of me is his new train…... What a fun song!

        Now I need to mention another song. It starts like this, “I wish I was a bird in the sky……”. When I first heard this song, I wasn’t surprised as people often wish that. But at the same time, I could also say I was a bit surprised because it doesn’t sound like the song this band would play. Too innocent and dreamy for them. Then the music continues like this, “I wish I was a mole in the ground……”. Then I was kind of shocked. Wishing to become a mole, or anything that lives underground was MY dream! Did they see my idea in my head?? Or was it so common to wish to become a mole?? The panic mode arose! I had to practice my mindfulness methods and breathe deeply. A few minutes later, I was calm and cooking again. Since the music world I had never been introduced to was so big, there must have been lots of songs with strange lyrics. No wonder if there were a few people in millions who think the same as I did. I got to thinking in my cooled-down brain. Then I started to wonder if there were songs where someone wishes to become a stone, which was another of my dreams when I was young and weak and exhausted. Then came the third part. The song went like this. “I wish I was a rock in the sea, Like a rock in the sea, Nothing could budge me, I wish I was a rock in the sea……”!!!! What can I say!? Maybe, I just have to make it my new theme song…...

The Band

        The band is Dutch! Which was another surprising fact. They were people from the Hague. The female vocalist, Mariska Veres, wasn’t an original member. She joined in after the original vocalist had left the band.
Mariska and the founder of the band, Robbie van Leeuwen, were known as racists. It is in the 1960s and the 1970s. And they are people from a funky band in a small country. I guess it’s not particularly surprising. I am also quite sure that the other two or three members in the band were probably something similar to them, too, but they probably just didn’t have a chance to talk in public. That is probably only why they are not known as racists. The band was so popular that they even visited Japan for live and promotion of their records in 1971. Still, Robbie was said to have said in an interview with a Dutch music magazine, “Japanese are not more than monkeys with some money.” The band was not too happy or proud with the success in Japan. When asked why they had released a live album that they played in Japan while they hate Japan so much, Mariska answered, “we wanted to show that we are popular even in such a wild land of monkeys”. The monkey fans at that time are in my parents’ generation. I feel a little bit heartbroken when I imagine they heard what Robbie and Mariska had made those remarks.

Conclusion

        The Shocking Blue is a very interesting band to me. I will listen to more songs from this band and decide if I still like it or not, while I try other bands’ music including Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Monkees, and so on. The exploration continues…...