Shocking Blue: Venus

The advantages of having older sisters when growing up were many. I could listen to their stories and glimpse their outside social relationships, happily delve into their music and book collections, and discover things, including what kind of music (and people) I liked. One song among many that still sticks and thrills me is the pop song "Venus" by the Dutch group Shocking Blue. It's catchy, ultra-cool, and taps into ancient human lore.

"Venus" was playfully covered by the British group Bananarama in 1986. When my cellphone rings, it sounds like a knockoff of the same song. "Venus" has Proustian possibilities. Growing up, I liked to play with the lyrics, which are simple but groovy when set to music.


A Goddess on a mountain top
Was burning like a silver flame
The summit of Beauty in love
And Venus was her name

She's got it yeah, Baby, she's got it
Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire

Her weapons were her crystal eyes
Making every man mad [variation: making every man she met]
Black as the dark night she was
Got what no-one else had
Wa!

Venus shot to Number 1 on the pop charts worldwide in early 1970. The four-member group sounds at times like Jefferson Airplane, with lead singer Mariska Veres in the role of Grace Slick. They've got that great period sound, echo, basic backing plus sitar. Several of their other songs (they lasted from 1967 to 1974) were European hits, and many have been sampled or covered -- take, for example, Nirvana's 1989 cover of "Love Buzz." Another Dutch band, Golden Earring, also had an enduring smash hit (in 1973) with "Radar Love."

Today's Rune: Wholeness.

Viva Shocking Blue and "Venus"!