Poll: Who Is your pick for the GREATEST FEMALE SINGER of all time?

@catherine6653

3 ай бұрын

Aretha Franklin

@surlechapeau

3 ай бұрын

Soft rock- Karen Carpenter. Hard rock - tie - Janis Joplin and Ann Wilson.

@mournblade1066

3 ай бұрын

Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. Her voice is so dreamy. If you're going for sheer vocal power, then Pat Benatar, hands down..

@Code.Name.V

3 ай бұрын

Ella Fitzgerald Jo Stafford

@christineml1476

3 ай бұрын

Nancy Wilson - this isn't the member of Heart, this Nancy is a jazz singer.

Shocking blue had the best version of Venus in my opinion. I loved the 1986 version too.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Both are great! Thanks Wayne!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Yes the original is cool.

@Cicilo1983

3 ай бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock Bananarama really managed to reinvent the song. They didn't just cover it - they turned it into something else, even though it remained identifiable. I find that quite impressive.

@briarpalek9254

3 ай бұрын

💯 %

@sabbracadabra8367

3 ай бұрын

Kurt Cobain rewrote it too. If you take the lead guitar fills away and change the melody, you have About a Girl.

Speaking of groups from the Netherlands, have you considered doing segment on Focus, who recorded Hocus Pocus? Fast-paced, uplifting, and one of the few rocks songs that includes yodeling. The version they performed on TV in cut time because they didn’t have time to play it in normal tempo. The vocals are amazing.

@hombre1965

3 ай бұрын

Heck, just Dutch Rock. Little Green Bag, anyone?

@StellaWaldvogel

3 ай бұрын

GOLDEN. EARRING. Radar Love, Twilight Zone...perfection.

@foureyedchick

3 ай бұрын

He should do a video about ABBA. They are Swedish, so that's close to Dutch.

@StellaWaldvogel

3 ай бұрын

@@foureyedchick Close? I just looked up the driving distance, it's 998 miles.

@robertwilloughby8050

3 ай бұрын

Sandy Coast - Just a Friend? Cuby and the Blizzards - Appelknocker Flophouse?

Bananarama's rendition was good, but nothing compares to the sultry original, wrong words and all.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

For sure!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Yup the original smokes!

@jean-philippeperetti8463

3 ай бұрын

100%

@WolfRun59

3 ай бұрын

Not even close. The original was golden. Bananarama’s version was fluff.

@ellessandraramsay1841

3 ай бұрын

Yeah, nothing compares to Shocking Blue version.

The Godness just makes it better. With her accent I do hear eyes.

@edkollin

2 ай бұрын

I have heard "eyes" since 1970. At age 12 if I heard "ass" that surely would have gotten my attention.

I'm 61, and I've loved this song/singer all my life. It's funny, but I didn't know what she looked like until KZread days. So Beautiful. RIP, Great Venus ♥

@RexHrothgar1

3 ай бұрын

Really? Same age as you and I’ve loved it since first grade! Thanks to my siblings who had it on 45 and they also had “Ma Belle Ami” on the same label! Sadly, Covid has done a number on my word recall lately or I’d remember the band’s name on that one and the label. Either way, Thank goodness I haven’t lost any of the fantastic memories from that time in my life! Never thought I’d ever even hear of another such person like you and I, but there you were so I had to say something. 😊Peace P.S. I’m going to venture a guess and just say that I’m just two weeks and two days older than you. If I may derive a clue from your given handle. 😉

One very fun fact not mentioned - Venus was part of Stars on 45, a dance medley that hit #1 in the US in 1981. In other words, the song has the distinction of hitting the top spot THREE times - the only song to do so in history.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Isn’t that amazing?

@erik5374

3 ай бұрын

Shocking Blue and Stars on 45 are the only two Dutch acts ever on nr 1 on billboard 100

NAILED IT ! Simply one of the best songs ever (original version) from a fun ,musical, enduring song. Third grade, Detroit MI. I can recall the very day, walking into my sisters new bedrm in our new house. I walked in just in time to hear that FANTASTIC opening riff. I was hooked and still love it like the first time I ever heard it. Great song that helped me appreciate a girl singing rock. Great Pick Adam.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks! A great song!

Mariska Veres had the voice and the look going on! RIP. I loved the collaborations: Bananarama w/Fun Boy Three- “Really Saying Something” and Fun Boy Three w/Bananarama- "It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" !!!

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Indeed!

@mournblade1066

3 ай бұрын

Fun Boy Three was such a great group.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Fun Boy Three is so underrated!

@primalartifice

3 ай бұрын

Their version of My Lips Are Sealed is fantastic. Written by Go Go's Jane Wiedlin and Specials/Fun Boy Three's Terry Hall.

@jenniferggreer457

3 ай бұрын

She's who I'd like yo be as a performer. Total stage image, yet totally different not drinking , being a loner. Hanging out w family and a but of unrecognisability

those "discrepancies" are what makes the song over the top!

I remember when I was a little boy in 1973 My family would always go out to eat Chinese food , The Asia In Dorchester MA They had the biggest speakers connected to to their juke box. I remember my brother and I begging our parents for a few dimes to play the song on the jukebox . Yes it was a dime for a song So dad would give us 30 cents to play one song each and then we had to play Your So Vane by Carly Simon for my mother. But my older brother was a financial genius he realized that the juke box would let you have 1 play for a dime but if you put a quarter in it would give you 5 plays. So I got to listen to my song twice plus we saved a nickel. . The only draw back was you couldn’t play it back to back. Another cool thing about my older brother . He would let me keep the nickel. I miss those days Iam almost 60 years old and still I miss my dad. Thanks for letting me post.

@lyndaleigh413

2 ай бұрын

What a sweet memory.

@lancecrocket2391

2 ай бұрын

My family from dot Upham corner.

@wasabe591

Ай бұрын

❤

@iambiggus

Ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing.

In the UK, three completely different songs with the same title went to No 1 in the mid 80s within a 9 month period. The Power of Love by: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Dec 84; Jennifer Rush - Jun 85; Huey Lewis & The News - Aug 85.

@kelf114

3 ай бұрын

The 70s had their share of songs titled. "Lady". Styx, Little River Band, and Supertramp. As well as Kenny Rogers....but I'm not sure when that one came out. All different songs.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

I knew that! It’s a force from above!

@Jrf-1884

3 ай бұрын

Huey Lewis didn't get to number 1 in the UK. It originally peaked at No. 11 in September 1985. Then it was re-released as a double A side with "Do You Believe in Love" about six months later and got to number 9.

@supafrogg258

3 ай бұрын

In the '70s, whenever Shocking Blue's Venus came on the radio, it always sounded good. Mariska's assertive contralto singing was perfect for the song. I had no idea that Mariska didn't speak English, that Shocking Blue was a Dutch band, or that the arrangement borrowed bits & pieces from arrangements of other recorded songs. None of that mattered, because Shocking Blue's Venus just worked, and we loved it!

The shift in perspective from 3rd person to first person, I believe, is intentional. If you look at the song as a profession of love, the singer is explaining who Venus is. She is saying that she is a "Goddess on the mountain top", "and Venus was her name.", "She's got it". Next the narrative shifts to 1st person. "I am YOUR Venus". In a sense, I am your goddess.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Oh so they’re saying that the person singing IS Venus?

@CiscoDuck

3 ай бұрын

@kevinwilley968 Your lyrical analysis is spot on! Cheers!

@paulperkins1615

3 ай бұрын

Right, so it is really a single perspective, that of a woman who describes the Goddess Venus and then declares that she plays the role of Venus with respect to the audience. I like to think of the "she's got it" part as sung by an all-male chorus, even though that's not quite how it was recorded, but that's not actually required for it to make sense.

Something I will add to all of this: I really love the sound of 60s lead guitar! It's a style that's lost and sounds great!

@CiscoDuck

3 ай бұрын

FYI Robbie van Leeuwen's great guitar solo hook / riff 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 YT exploring this and comparing the licks on Venus and Get Back. Check it out!

I can't stress enough how amazing the entire Shocking Blue discography is. Seek out every album they ever released and be prepared to literally be shocked !!!

@jerrydavison1176

3 ай бұрын

There isn't a single song that I don't like. I do like some more than others though. Afresh I found out Venus had been done by then originally I then had to listen to others. One I especially like is abt a guy on a train or something like that. It's very catchy

@steveboverie9432

3 ай бұрын

There are good Shocking Blue songs on the same album as Venus. Mariska could sing with a Texas accent on Mighty Joe and Boll Weevil. Aga Rag is a great instrumental merge of pop and Indian music.

@sevenravens

3 ай бұрын

God, Mariska was hot

Adam, I recently found this channel and I’m so glad I did. You do amazing work and your interviews are incredible but the thing that stands apart for me is your obvious love for your father and continuing his legacy of love for music in this arena. You refer to him often and how he shared his albums and songs and love for music with you and I think that’s awesome. Keep it up. .

Fact is definitely stranger than fiction with this one. I never noticed the words being sung wrong until today and I have heard Venus for years, how did I miss it? Banana Rama's version captured the 80s dance track to a tee. I knew nothing about Shocking Blue till today. Thanks great episode professor!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Me too. I didn’t even know about these lyrics.

In between the versions by Shocking Blue and Bananarama, the "Venus" intro made it to #1 in America as part of the Stars on 45 medley.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

That's right! It technically hit #1 3 times!

@californiahiker9616

3 ай бұрын

Lol, I used out to work out to Stars on 45. Our group trainer used it for our aerobics sessions and I consequently bought all their other (I think it was) tapes at the time.

@simonmason8582

3 ай бұрын

@@ProfessorofRockStars on 45 was produced by Golden Earring's ex-drummer, Jaap Eggermont, using three Dutch singers from other bands.

@jasfan8247

3 ай бұрын

In Holland the song "only" reached no.3 in '69 and again no.3 in '70 after the US fame. Bananarama version made no.4. (?!)

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

I knew that! 😊

I remember the "off" lyrics and just chalked it up as a mistake due to language barriers. The song was great and Mariska is gorgeous. (Hope I spelled that right) Banarama did well but the original is still my favorite. Thanks P O R.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Me too. It’s clear English was not their first language.

@beaumontmichaels3575

3 ай бұрын

How would Michael Scott make this song his own?....

@HubertofLiege

3 ай бұрын

@@beaumontmichaels3575thats what she said

@charlespitts3213

3 ай бұрын

19:57 Adam,the song isn’t confusing to me at all. She first sets the stage by describing the “real”Venus and then says,”Well,I’m your Venus”

That's funny that it was written as 'godness'. To me, as a kid, I always heard it as "It got us on a mountain top". In any event, definitely one of the best tunes of 1970 (along with "Green Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf). The Bananarama version was also great. Thanks! - Dave

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Classic

@rabby-u

3 ай бұрын

Now you've done it! I'll be singing those words forever! 😂

@m.lisadoherty

3 ай бұрын

Yes I heard it this way too

@angelsinger4574

3 ай бұрын

I thought it said, “She’s got a summer mountaintop.” Elementary-school me just thought she was bragging about a summer home, as rich people often have. It seemed very logical to me at the time, lol.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

“God is on the mountaintop” was what I have been hearing for years.

Ahhh, I love the old memories that so many of your videos bring back. Venus is a great song, will never go out of favor, but kind of melts into all the other great songs of the era. Thank, Professor.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Wanna talk about misheard lyrics? As a kid, I was in the church/school choir. My 10 year old ears heard “God IS on the mountain top. And the end of the chorus was “Joy, Messiah!!!”

I remember Bannarama's version on MTV back in the days when MTV actually played music videos. I swear I had no idea that this was a cover. I though this was a song they came up with.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Such a cool video!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Me too. When I discovered the original it was a shocking revelation.

@craigplatel813

3 ай бұрын

I don't understand how anyone could confuse her voice for a man. As a 12 year old in 69 I had no trouble telling the difference.

@suzybearheart530

3 ай бұрын

​@craigplatel813 To me her voice reminded me of a male who kinda sounded like a female. Like Pet Shop Boys. If that makes any sense. 😂

The Intro to this is so unmistakable and memorable. One great tune!

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Love it!

@simonmason8582

3 ай бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock Robbie van Leeuwen stole this from "The Banjo Song" by The Big 3 featuring Mama Cass.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

That guitar riff is instantly recognizable.

Shocking Blue also had a single called "Love Buzz", which Nirvana covered and had a minor hit with on their first album 'Bleach'.

@yb-rk5oh

3 ай бұрын

flip side, "hot sand" was a much better track

@yb-rk5oh

3 ай бұрын

years later, she was like mama Cass, "bigger than a house"

@donaldjz

2 ай бұрын

​@lyb-rk5oh let's see you and hear your music. REPORTED

I love this channel. I don't know how Homie always knows so much insider info about so many Great Bands and Songs but I'd imagine a lot of hard work, a crazy love for it and probably a crack team of Geniuses. Keep up the great work Brother.

I’m a child of the 80’s, so I loved Bananarama’s version (didn’t know there was an original at that time) Then, while visiting an uncle, I was able to go through my mom’s record collection. I was floored by this great tune by Shocking Blue. My favorite version to this day. Thanks for unearthing a great memory of mine Prof Adam!

@angelsinger4574

3 ай бұрын

I have so many good memories of going through my mom’s records and finding songs like “Heaven on the Seventh Floor” by The Bee Gees, “Instant Karma” by John Lennon, “Nobody” by Sylvia (does anyone else remember her, lol?), the first Ramones album, and those early great records by her all-time favorites: Hall and Oates. Now my kids go through my CDs (although they just notice the songs and then go look at them online.) That’s how my kids discovered PJ Harvey, Skinny Puppy, the Cocteau Twins, and my all-time favorite: Prince.

@LaManteca76

3 ай бұрын

​@@angelsinger4574 I love Nobody! Such a great song!

@ohffsnoway

2 ай бұрын

I love discovering things like that - I’m an early 70s baby, and my daughter is a mid 90s baby, and I remember many of the songs she would listen to were covers - once in the car, i first heard a Hilary duff song and started singing along to Our Lips Are Sealed - so I got to introduced my daughter to the GoGos, and SpiderBait’s Alex The Seal. My daughter recently thanked me profusely for giving her such a great musical education - I’d say I just end pointed her in the right direction! Anyway, it was always fun to hear a cover and then share the original and other versions.

The "Dutch Invasion" of the Shocking Blue, the Tee Set, and the George Baker Selection in 1970 produced just one big hit in North America for each group, and the GBS came back with "Paloma Blanca" in 1976, but all three had plenty of hits in their homeland during the '70s. You can find the old Dutch singles charts online.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@jediroya6810

3 ай бұрын

Don’t forget Golden Earring!

@ronrambler

3 ай бұрын

Focus and Mouth and MacNeal also

@LaManteca76

3 ай бұрын

I just discovered Paloma Blanca & fell in love with it! Such a happy song whereas Paloma Negra is kind of sad & melancholy but both are really great songs. 🤗

@yb-rk5oh

3 ай бұрын

​@LaManteca76 little green bag was baker's first hit

Hats off for your research on Dutch pop history! You even mentioned Wasted Words of The Motions, that's impressive ❤ Why don't I educate you about the pronunciation of the two leading people, I'm Dutch 😂: phonetically: Rawbee vawn Laywuhn, Mariskaw Veer-us both family names spoken with emphasis on the first syllable. Glad to give something back 😮😂

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!. I tried do the pronunciations right based on how they were said in interviews. DanG!

@Linusgump

3 ай бұрын

I was reading the comment looking for what you wrote. If nobody else had mentioned it, I was going to. Ik ben Amerikaan, maar ik had in Nederland gewoond bijna twee jaren. Het is de beste land. 😊

@andrevandervlies5700

3 ай бұрын

@@Linusgump Almost two years? Good job! Your Dutch isn't perfect but I understand you clearly.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

I need to hone my Dutch skills it seems.

Love❤❤❤this song! Mariska was so beautiful, I named one of my antique dolls with the same intense eyes after her.

@LazyIRanch

3 ай бұрын

She had such gorgeous eyes!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Those eyes were so tempting.

@lawdogwales5921

3 ай бұрын

Very fitting, since she was just a painted doll back then. Those are her own words.

Thanks Professor! The song has everything. Have you Covered "I Fought the Law," and the untimely death of Bobby Fuller? -or "Sugarshack" by Jimmy Gilmer -or "Sleepwalk" by Santo and Johnny

@harrytabb328

3 ай бұрын

Bobby Fuller pretty much asked for it.

Thanks for your hard work . Getting the story behind the story can be difficult, but you are the master...

Grew up with the Bananarama version of the song - and it was one of my favorites back in the day. "Cruel Summer" put them on my radar, but it was "Venus" that made me a fan. Fun vid! :)

Adam, how cool you did a video on a band from my country! Love this band!

I haven’t heard the original version. I think the misunderstanding about “her crystal eyes” could be a simple mispronunciation. If Mariska knew no English, it would make sense that she would pronounce the final s in “eyes” as an s instead of an z. That’s the end of my linguistic analysis…

@Whisper_292

3 ай бұрын

And a lovely analysts it is! Kidding aside, I agree.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Agreed.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

That is true.

@CiscoDuck

3 ай бұрын

Listen to her - she clearly sings "EYES" not 'ass'!

When I was 14, my Mom joined the Columbia Records club. Her first purchases - Abbey Road, Cosmo's Factory, and the 45 of Shocking Blue - Venus, with the b-side Hot Sands.

@NewFalconerRecords

3 ай бұрын

That B-side is an absolute banger as well.

Man, what a great video. One of our best by far. Great info. Shocking blue is a great band and you've showed great respect. Good job !..

THANK YOU for acknowledging Shakespeare's Sister. I remember "Stay", but it's like that song and that group were retconned right out of reality.

Thanks for doing this band, I always found them intriguing.

I absolutely loved the original by Shocking Blue. They just kept playing it over and over and it still wasn't enough. I was completely surprised by Bananarama's version when it came out. Such a wild and joyful party song! Of course, we played the original at our parties, but this new version seemed to be designed specifically for fun. I still can't get enough!

I heard a rumor by Bananarama was one of my favorite songs in the 80s! Such a fun video too. I had forgotten all about the song until you mentioned it. What a great blast from the past. I love this channel so much.!!!

I met the singer who originally sang this song. She was sexy and wild. The last time I saw her was a year before she died.

@LazyIRanch

3 ай бұрын

She was gorgeous! Reminds me of Cher before she had plastic surgery (I liked "original" Cher) 😉 She's got that Grace Slick wild sexiness, too.

@constipatedinsincity4424

3 ай бұрын

@@LazyIRanch For me she's far hotter than Grace Slick. I can't get down with anyone who named her son God.

@mysticwolf75

3 ай бұрын

​​@@constipatedinsincity4424 She only said that jokingly to the nurse, she actually named her daughter China. She never had a son.

@mournblade1066

3 ай бұрын

@@constipatedinsincity4424 Eh, all three of 'em (Mariska, Grace, and Cher) were all smokin' hot. But Cher was a much better actress than she was a singer. (I can't believe she's being nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.)

@LazyIRanch

3 ай бұрын

@@mournblade1066 I could not agree more! I love Cher as an actress, but her singing always got under my skin. My mother was a classically trained singer, and I remember that we both loved the "Sonny and Cher Show" except for her singing! I loved the comedy and her fabulous outfits by Bob Mackie. My favorite movie she was in is "Moonstruck" with Nick Cage. I've seen it so many times I've got dialogue memorized.

I remember Shocking Blue, Venus when I was a kid. I would sing along without knowing the meaning of the lyrics. This Banarama cover was a hit when I was a teenager. I like both, but prefer the Phychedelic groove of the original. Great story telling today 😊.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Catherine! I really appreciate it!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Yeah I prefer Shocking Blue slightly. The sound of the original is just too cool to ignore.

@catherine6653

3 ай бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 😊 Real instruments and no backing tracks.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

@@catherine6653 Yes, but the Bananarama version was fun to dance to as well!

What a classic song, it has infiltrated so many generations. What an amazing story, Thanks Adam.

Thank you so very much for finally doing this excellent song !!! 👍👍👍👍👍

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

For sure!

First time I heard the Bananarama’s remake was in the Arcade playing TRON. Have no idea why I remember that :)

@stinkypinkeee5085

3 ай бұрын

Great game...we didn't have music piped in at any of our arcades...

@markshouse

3 ай бұрын

Arcades during 80s…doesn’t get better than that!

@themonstajamma4495

3 ай бұрын

“Tron” 😂 love it.

@RollerCoasterLineProductions

3 ай бұрын

Niiiiiiiice lol! We always exchanged Venus for another word describing male anatomy.

@stinkypinkeee5085

3 ай бұрын

@@RollerCoasterLineProductions I accidentally blurted that once on junior high...was trying to "Weird" Al the song in my head and suddenly just sang out, "And 'Penis' Was His Name!'" I got in trouble, and some questionable looks...

Congrats 950,000!

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks! A million or bust!

@archivist17

3 ай бұрын

​@ProfessorofRock Looking good for that target!

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!@@archivist17

@user-xm7jy7dc8f

3 ай бұрын

​@@ProfessorofRock$$$

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

YES! WE CAN DO IT!

My first 45 record I ever owned was this song while in Italy at age 7. This started my rock & roll journey! The B side song "Hot Sand" was also awesome. I still love this song 54 years later.

One of my all time favourite songs! I was only 5 when it was released but I remembered it when it showed up on music shows in the later 70's and then when Bananarama covered it. That opening riff!

I remember a radio station in the sf Bay Area playing shocking blue songs like “never marry a railroad man” great band!

Yet another masterclass! Hats off to you, sir! Love this! And love the song, Venus. It provided the opening strains of Stars on 45. You should do an episode on that!

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

That's right!

@bretwalker2295

3 ай бұрын

Also don't forget that Weird Al Yankovic covered it briefly in "Polka Party!" And I think you said in another video that when Weird Al covers your song, you've made it.

Great episode Professor. Always loved Shocking Blue's Venus and Mariska was stunning.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@lawdogwales5921

3 ай бұрын

Mariska was just a painted doll back then.

9:25 - The only pop song I can think of that starts with a *suspended 4th* chord!

@CiscoDuck

3 ай бұрын

Well, the sus4 chord is the opening for The Who's 'Pinball Wizard' which has been routinely attributed as the source for Robbie van Leeuwen's guitar riff borrowing. The lead guitar solo on Venus actually came from parts of John Lennon's lap steel guitar solo bits on The Beatles 'Get Back' - some insist they came from 'Pinball Wizard' but Pete Townsend never played a riff like that in his life - it isn't his style at all. Interestingly enough, the sus4 is also the basic composite guitar chord (played by two guitars by George and John) for the opening of the Beatles 'Hard Day's Night' which has added notes played by McCartney on his bass and George Martin's left-hand bass piano notes which expand the chord as an orchestration beyond the basic sus4.

@mauricearpin7946

3 ай бұрын

Unbelievable , isn't it😂

Before Led Zeppelin's 1975 version of "In My Time Of Dying" (from 1975 "Physical Graffiti"), Shocking Blue did that song in 1973!!

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

That's right!

@CiscoDuck

3 ай бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock Yes, and Bob Dylan recorded it with the same title in 1963 on his 1st album - which was the first time it was released under that title - which were adaptations of a song originally recorded 1st by Blind Willie Johnson as 'Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed' in January of 1928.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

I am just now learning this.

@denonhd8

3 ай бұрын

@CiscoDuck Blind Willie Johnson also sang Nobody’s Fault But Mine.

Isn't it amazing how often Adam makes a great video that answers a question you have long wondered about, only you forgot, *until* he does a vid on *that very song.* How often does he knock it out of the park? Even when he "doesn't", it's only because I don't care about that song. I'm confident that for those who do like whatever song he's talking about, *it's a homer!*

I thought this song was super cool from the beginning, and glad to see it appreciated all these years. Wondered about the lyrics tho. Now I know. Thanks 💜👏👍😎💃💜

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

VERY COOL!

I was in a car show room looking at this gorgeous gloss white Dodge Challenger Hellcat. As I sat down in the hip hugging driver's seat, my phone's side buttons were pushed by the seat, accidentally. The combination of buttons pushed was perfect to cause my phone's media player to start. Bananarama's Venus started to play. And as I heard the music start, I totally got it. The hook lyrics jumped into my head before the singing even started. "I'm your Venus, I'm your fire, at your desire!" This car just told me her name, Venus. I felt I had no choice. I purchased the car but, unfortunately, someone already had a personalized plate "Venus" so I couldn't get that license plate. The name, however, stuck and this amazing car is called Venus at car shows and I play the Bananarama version of the song when introducing the car.

There is no confusion about the person point of view of the song. The singer starts out singing in the third person talking about Venus. When she shifts to first person, she is talking about herself, comparing herself to Venus to her love intetest - "I'm your Venus."

Hard to believe the original was 1969. Being such a good dance beat, it resurged in the disco era. Had no idea they were from the Netherlands. Another mispronunciation in the last words of the chorus. The words 'your desire' sound more like 'dee-or desire', which always stood out to me.

@kelf114

3 ай бұрын

You can really hear that sort of thing in every Abba song.

@CiscoDuck

3 ай бұрын

The thing is the lyric is "at your desire" which came out sounding like Mariska was singing "at chore desire" which is a common speech alliteration in the US among those who speak fluent English let alone someone from the Netherlands who doesn't speak English. All of that made for quaint lyrical dimensions as far as I was concerned. I never got the 'godness' typo in her lyric - but it is there - but I accepted that she was saying 'goddess' regardless of how she was singing it. Rock lyrics are meant to be misunderstood as sort of a secret language hidden from the establishment and even when they are understood as sung, they are meant to be cryptic. It's all part of the mystique!

@ViolettaD1485

3 ай бұрын

​@@CiscoDuck I heard, "Georgie sire." Didn't have a clue what it meant, but it had a good beat.

@CiscoDuck

3 ай бұрын

@@ViolettaD1485 Some people have actually thought she was singing "sure desire" thinking she mispronounced 'sure' as 'chore' - I had to look up the official lyrics and relisten to the track and it just fell together. By the way in the 2nd verse she clearly does NOT sing "crystal 'ass'..." she clearly sings the word 'eyes'!

Thanks for another great breakdown history of a top song & for the clip of The Professionals with Steve Jones & Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols on vocals, guitar & drums jamming their glorious song 1 2 3! I'm a long time fan of the Pistols, The Clash, The Jam & British 70s/80s punk bands & had never heard The Professionals before, love their raw energy & kick*** enthusiasm & rebellion! Sounds like something that would be electrifying covered by Rancid or Dropkick Murphys, cheers!

I had completely forgoten the bananarama version. Now I have to forget it again.

@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398

3 ай бұрын

I hope you can't, hee hee.

@samichgrrl

3 ай бұрын

💯.

@claytontucker

3 ай бұрын

Shame on you. Bananarama’s version is a dance floor classic.

Speaking of Shocking Blue... Nirvana did a great cover of their other hit Love Buzz.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Good call!

Your channel is just always a treat to watch, thanks, man. Really music is keeping the world together,eh. Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

Such a great song! I like the Banarama version but give me Shocking Blue any day.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

For sure!

Many times in the music industry,,,,foreigners who sings in English give a very irrisistable very Kool vocal sound❤❤❤❤❤

As a Dutchman, I really appreciate this story and I love your channel! As a 6 year old Dutch boy in 1969, I was wildly in love with Mariska (I suppose everybody was) But your prononciation of Dutch names will cause cracks in our National flood protection barriers.....!

@bartl9956

3 ай бұрын

Ha ha ha, indeed. Van Leeuwen is way off. But Dutch is really hard for non native speakers. I would suggest to pronounce it as ‘van lay when’. The ‘van’ will still be an issue though.

@CiscoDuck

3 ай бұрын

Well, if we can get over a Dutch record with singers butchering the King's English, they can get over westerners mispronouncing their Dutch names. It never bothered me when I heard songs with mispronounced words by non-English speaking artists. I just enjoy their music and the mystique of words not said or sang properly. I do try to learn how to say their names correctly. (BTW - there are dialects of Dutch language that do not agree on how many words or names are pronounced.) Cheers! :)

@bastienjeritsch2987

3 ай бұрын

@@CiscoDuck Today I learned that 'Godness' is a word in Middle English, would Robbie van Leeuwen have known 😂?

@melz2952

3 ай бұрын

I think Adam mispronounced something else when he referred to Mariska as what sounded like a “tea toddler” instead of a tea totaller. 😊 maybe he’s giving a nod to the mispronounced lyrics!

@CiscoDuck

3 ай бұрын

@@melz2952 I don't know - from some of the comments and his replies it seems he clearly had no idea what a teetotaler is. I guess I shouldn't blame him (or be so hard on him) - he is quite a bit younger than me (I'm nearly 70!) and it's not a phrase that is used much in popular culture. I heard it all the time as a kid and now I am a teetotaler as in I no longer imbibe alcohol - I drink lots of tea instead! Aha! Wait for it... I remember one of those AI computer voice videos talking about Mariska and it sounded like they said 'tea-toddler' and the subtitles with text actually had the words 'tea toddler' instead of the correct way to spell and say it - so there it is there, he got his info from a flawed source. Not hard to do if you're on the internet! :)

the Professor digs deep and administers my musical fix! GLORIOUS!!!

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

For sure!

"Venus" came out my Junior year in high school. I always felt there was something off about the opening words but just passed it off until this enlightening vid. Thanks Professor!

I'm at present, wearing out the computer chips on my "smart phone" playing the Shocking Blue original. Has such a nasty groove, a beautiful girl and a cool piano accompaniment. Can't believe no one could hear that keyboard tone! Cheers Prof! 🙏🕊❤

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Awesome! Rock on!

HE EXPLAINS THE WORD AT 7 MINUTES.....FINALLY

Great episode. I love the original, and the cover by Bananarama. Good stuff.

Yeah she doesn't sing "I'm Venus", switching to it being Venus in first person straight after third person. She sings "I'm YOUR Venus". So she's told her lover all about the goddess Venus, and then tells her lover that she will be as Venus to her lover.

LOVE how you butcher the Dutch words in a lecture on how a typo became a "comical and confusing" part of the lyrics of the song Venus. "Van Leeuwen" is pronounced "Van (with the "a" sounding like the "o" in the word "one") and "Laawuhn" (which is the Dutch plural for lions is pronounced with the double "eeu" sounding like the 2nd a in the word "amAzing", and the "en" after the letter w as the word "Uh" followed by an n). The Hague does NOT rhyme with "leg". It's pronounced "The Haack" ("a" and "gue" sound like the word "snake").

@dannycarbona

9 күн бұрын

He butchers English words too

Thanks for all your interesting video's. The keyboardplayer on Venus was 'Cees Schrama' who played many keyboardparts on '60-songs. Also, because he was one of the few musicians who could work with electronic keyboards - to start them up, and getting sound out of it, seemed to be a challenge in those days. I just found out that Michael Eschauzier, you name in the video, joined the band on keyboard from 1993 till 2006.

Love this song - aways have since the first time I head it and saw the video as a very young teenager - and was told I reminded them of Shocking Blue's singer. Great memories.

❤ Love Venus! Prefer the Banananana-rama 😅 version better. Shocking Blue's version almost sounds depressing at times. Banananana-rama's version was quintessential 80s. Thanks Professor! Another hit episode.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

Haha, that’s okay. Both versions are unique in their own ways.

That was a great podcast. I like the original version and then the Bananarama version. Cheers.

When this song went to number one, to me it was the beginning of the 1970s. This song actually was released in 1969 but had such a 70s feel that finally there is songs that are defining this decade. I was familiar with Bananarama’s version only until I heard this wonderful version and now it is also a favorite.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

That's right!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

3 ай бұрын

To me it sounds like the 60s, but it signaled the transition.

Man you really know how to build anticipation in the opening. Awesome show man

Thanks for this one! I always include this song in my personal top ten rock and roll songs of all time. Up there with Johnny B Goode and Bang a Gong. Great song.

Funny, for about the 4 time in the last couple years, my memories of the 60s have brought a song into my head that I've gone to KZread to relive... and within a month, you do a bit about it. You are much younger than I, but you got a grasp of the good stuff... We were military brats and my older sister would drag her little brother to shows. We saw Shocking Blue in the 70s in a park in Wiesbaden, Germany. I was 10, I had such a crush on Mariska.

Awesome history of the song. Subscribed.

I always learn something new, Professor. Thank You for you vast knowledge spectrum.

Fun fact: Marcella Detroit (16:14) was an alias for longtime Eric Clapton backing vocalist Marcy Levy.

@robgronotte1

3 ай бұрын

She was amazing on the song "Promises". Wish she and Clapton did more duets.

Bananarama oh such fun memories of that group as a young boy in the 80s they were the girls you wanted to hang out with and invite to your house parties for a good time those where the days

7:07 - I always misheard this as "You gotten us on a mountain top" ! :)

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@robthomas3664

3 ай бұрын

I had always heard it as "God is on a mountain top"...

@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398

3 ай бұрын

OU2, huh? That's how I've always heard it.@@robthomas3664

One of Nirvana's early recordings, was a cover of a Shocking Blue song, "Love Buzz".

I could never understand some of these lyrics and thought they were saying I’m your Venus, I ‘m your fire, joy, desire, thanks for the clarification, love this song, I too thought a male sang it. Thanks Adam, love the channel.

@jamesjones-wv9ik

3 ай бұрын

I'd always thought "...fire, joy, desire" as well! Only today learning otherwise even though it's always been a fav.

Love your vids, man. Music history at it's best. You could do a syndicated show on cable. Would love to hear what you come up with for ABBA.

I was in 2nd grade, and had gotten my very first record player for Christmas. I also got 2 records, one was a Red Barron snoopy Christmas record if recall correctly, and the other, Shocking Blue- Venus. I'm sure my mom grew tired of it quickly, but never made me stop playing it, and I played it at least a few times a day, sometimes several times in a row. Life is tough when you're 7 and only have 1 rock record. Lol

I was first introduced to the song because of marching band. It was one of our pep band songs we played at ball games and during parades.

An all-time favorite of mine. I love both Shocking Blue's and Bananarama's versions equally.

I remember this song everywhere on AM radio good stuff professor.

I loved this song when it came out. It just leaps out at you with those hooks and vocals. Then I saw the album cover wowwwwww!!!! Good times!!!

Huh, I never caught that. I did always think she sang "jor" rather than "your." A wig?! I'm heartbroken. It still was a turn up the AM car radio song. I am thankful I found your channel. It is entertaining and educational.

@ProfessorofRock

3 ай бұрын

THanks!

My favourite Bananarama song is Love in the First Degree. The radio is always turned up when that comes on!

so fun - bananarama version is one of my highschool dance favorites I never realized there was an earlier version till I saw something here on youtube about it. great song - I never noticed the lyrics were different I guess for that reason - I am guessing that later versions were corrected so now I just go with it. great fun learning something new while jamming to some tunes and reliving my youth!

Great video 👍 I really wish you'd talk about the lyrics to Love Machine by Shocking Blue. The Dutch accent makes a lot of people hear different words.

This seems to be an ongoing thing because I have the retro box set of Nuggets 2 and another group from Holland (The Tages) made an error and it STILL got released to airplay.

I was too young to be smttten by Mariska Veres in the '70s but in the 90s I got to do a radio inetrview with Mariska Veres who at that time was touring Shocking Jazz. She was good fun!