Before her voice appeared, “Venus“ started with an acoustic guitar and piano. Then Mariska Veres sang the first words and the song of Shocking Blue became one of the recognizable sounds of the late 60s. Born on October 1, 1947 in The Hague as Maria Elisabeth Ender, she remained in the history of rock music as the vocalist who gave face and character to the world hit.
Music has been a part of her life since home. Her father Lajos Veres is a Hungarian violinist and orchestra leader. In the early 60s, Mariska began singing in various groups, and in 1968 she joined Shocking Blue. The line-up now includes guitarist and songwriter Robbie van Leeuwen, bassist Klaase van der Wall and drummer Cor van der Beek.
The song that reaches the top in the US
“Venus“ was written by Robbie van Leeuwen and recorded in 1969. The song initially attracted attention in Europe, and in 1970 it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Shocking Blue thus became the first Dutch group to have a number one song in the United States. In Europe, the single entered the top positions of a number of national charts, including in the UK.
Success also changed Veres' image. Her black hair, strongly outlined eyes and stage costumes made her a memorable figure of the era. The hair she is known for is actually a wig. The singer herself, however, does not fully accept the way the press presents her. “This is not the way I perceived myself“, she says, quoted by DutchNews.nl. Veres explains that the leather clothes with straps and laces that the magazines write about were sewn by her mother.
More than one hit
Shocking Blue is not left without other successful songs. After “Venus“ the group recorded “Mighty Joe“, “Never Marry a Railroad Man“, “Blossom Lady“ and “Inkpot“. In the Netherlands, the band had 13 Top 40 hits, although internationally it is most closely associated with "Venus". The band broke up in 1974, but its songs live on in new versions.
In 1986, British trio Bananarama recorded a cover of "Venus", which also reached number one in the US, Canada and Australia. The song was also given new life by other artists, and in 1988 Nirvana included their version of "Love Buzz" - composition from the Shocking Blue repertoire.
Jazz, solo career and recent years
After the end of the group, Veresh released solo singles and gradually turned to jazz. In the 1990s, she created the Shocking Jazz Quintet, with which she reinterpreted pop songs from the 1960s and 1970s. In 2003, the album “Gipsy Heart“ was released, connected to her Roma roots. She continued to perform under the name Shocking Blue in later years, including with new formations around Robbie van Leeuwen.
Mariška Veres died on December 2, 2006 in The Hague at the age of 59 after suffering from cancer. Her last recording of “Venus“ was released posthumously in 2007. In the history of pop and rock music, however, that voice from the beginning of the song remains above all - low, confident and strong enough to turn a name from ancient mythology into an immortal chorus.
Sources: Independent, DutchNews.nl, OOR