I've been on a Shocking Blue kick of late, in case you hadn't noticed.
Anyway, I had never previously seen the above video until I chanced across it the other day, and musical merits aside, but may I just say, and for the record, that lead singer Mariska Veres could have had me if she'd played her cards right. I mean -- hubba hubba, as today's kids put it.
But seriously, though -- for the life of me, I can't comprehend what this inspirational verse...
Put some love in your heart
Like you put the ink in the inkpot.
Learn it and you will enjoy it baby
To put the ink in the inkpot.
...could possibly mean.
Oh well, it was recorded, after all, in a uniquely censorious era, when songwriters around the world were forced to take great pains to disquise what they were really talking about. 😎
Steve, you ignorant slut. :)
ReplyDeleteA great band, virtually unknown and unremembered over here aside from "Venus".
ReplyDeleteWikipedia claims that Mariska's hair was actually a wig, though. Slightly kills the buzz.
Not just big in Japan, but also in Hong Kong. Per Wikipedia: "The album's title song may be familiar to people in Hong Kong, as a version of it has been used as the longtime theme song of televised Mark Six lottery drawing programme, since the commencement of the programme on 13 July 1976."
ReplyDeleteFollowing up Anonymous -
ReplyDeleteThink about the # of overseas bands who had one hit here and then were largely forgotten but went on to have a long career in their country and Europe
Status Quo, Golden Earing, T Rex , 10cc
rob
PS - Mariska's voice has that certain Grace Slick quality
I call that 'Big in Blighty' and would include acts that barely made a blip here such as the Move, Slade, Cliff Richard (and the Shadows)... and even the divine Kate Bush.
DeleteForgot about Slade - they made Quiet Riots career.
DeleteRobbie Williams, huge in G/B, never transitioned to a US market
Rob - Golden Earring actually had 2 hits (Radar Love and Twilight Zone). As for Mariska sounding like Grace Slick - check this out: https://youtu.be/xo-LOLaorhA?si=riTvJHuPdELQaDV5
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to see Golden Earring sometime in the early to mid 70s….on a Who tour, maybe? Anyway, they were killer, as we used to say back then.
ReplyDelete..... which opens the door wide, then, for you to present your favorite Golden Earring deep cut, doesn't it?
DeleteSteve- GE did not appear with the Who in the U.S., although they did open for them on a European tour. Saw them several times, got to meet them once. They were always a killer live band, right up until the end in 2019. Here is a small snippet of their last show: https://youtu.be/FHCyEfFr1Io?si=ylil7rA-kwxuRvXt
ReplyDeleteMJ, kind of read that but as usual I tend to bend rules 😎
ReplyDeleteI was sitting with Simels at The Who show at MSG in 1974 and Golden Earring was the opening act. They were okay at best. Then again who could open for The Who in 1974 and be considered any good? Golden Earring just didn't have the luster!!! :-) !
ReplyDeleteCaptain Al
Should been The Hounds!
DeleteI stand corrected! The MSG dates were the only 2 they did together in the US.
DeleteI was 10 when "Venus" was a hit and went through puberty, high school, college, and into adulthood imagining just how hot the woman behind that voice must look. And when I finally saw a few photos / videos of the band 40 years later I was extremely pleased!
ReplyDelete