Venus (Shocking Blue song)

"Venus"
Song
B-side	"Hot Sand"

"Venus" is a 1969 song by the Dutch band Shocking Blue which the group took to number one in the U.S. and five countries across Europe in 1970.

In 1986, the British girl group Bananarama returned the song to number one in the U.S. and made the top of the charts in six other countries around the world. The composition has been featured in numerous films, television shows and commercials, and covered dozens of times by artists around the world.

Shocking Blue

Released in late 1969 as a single from the album At Home, Shocking Blue's single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 7, 1970. RIAA certification came on January 28, 1970 for selling over one million copies in the U.S., garnering a gold record. Worldwide, the single sold over 7.5 million copies.

The song's lead vocals are performed by Mariska Veres. The song's music and lyrics are written by Robbie van Leeuwen, the band's guitarist, sitarist and background vocalist, who also produced, along with record producer Jerry Ross. Van Leeuwen originally miswrote the line "...the godess on the mountain top..." as "...the godness on the mountain top...". This was corrected in later versions.

Van Leeuwen used "The Banjo Song", an arrangement of "Oh! Susanna" on a 1963 album by The Big 3, as his inspiration; the bassline, riffs and melody sound almost exactly the same. However, The Big 3 never claimed plagiarism.

"Venus" was remixed and re-released by dance producers The BHF (Bisiach Hornbostel Ferrucci) Team in May 1990, scoring the group a Top 10 hit in the UK and Australia 21 years after the release of the original. The remix featured a hip house rhythm and samples. An instrumental version was also released independently under the producer's alias "Don Pablo's Animals". The instrumental version (credited only to Don Pablos Animals – without referencing Shocking Blue) became the highest charting version of the song. The single began with a sample from James Brown's 1988 hit "The Payback Mix (Part One)". This release of "Venus" peaked at #4 on the UK Singles Chart and #8 in Australia in 1990.

Shocking Blue version in popular culture

In advertising

• Parodied by the Muppets for a television public service announcement about the V-chip and TV ratings.

In films

The song was included in the films:

• Grumpier Old Men (1995)
• Needle (also known as Igla), 1988)
• Otis (2008), in the opening sequence
• Remember the Titans (2000)
• The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
• Zonder Zelda
• The Vanished Empire (2008)

In games

• A caveman-style musical version appears in Croc 2, as the theme for "Venus fly Von Trappe"

In literature

• Twin sisters, Sarah and Casey Hunter sang "Venus" in the Sugar & Spice book, Stuck in the 80's

In music

• Morissey, the former lead singer of The Smiths, used the Shocking Blue music video for "Venus", in a pre-concert video shown during his 2009 tour

In television

• Sharon Watts (played by Letitia Dean) sang "Venus" in an episode of EastEnders
• D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron) and her best friend Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) sang "Venus" with Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) in a season one episode of Full House in which he taught them how to succeed in a band
• The song was used in the March 11, 2009 episode of Life on Mars when a group of flight attendants arrive at an airport bar
• A Spanish version was played on the Prison Break episode "Good Fences"

Shocking Blue version on the charts

Chart (1970)	Peak position
Australian singles chart	1
Austrian singles chart	2
Belgium singles chart	1
Canadian singles chart	1
Finnish singles chart	8
French singles chart	1
German singles chart	2
Irish singles chart	10
Italy singles chart	1
Japan Oricon Singles Chart	2
Dutch Top 40 Single Chart	3
Spanish singles chart	1
UK Singles Chart	8
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1

Bananarama version

"Venus"
Song
B-side	"White Train"

"Venus" had been a part of Bananarama's repertoire for several years before they actually recorded it. The team's three members, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward, had the idea of turning the song into a dance music tune, but they were met with resistance from their producers at the time, Steve Jolley and Tony Swain. Bananarama brought the idea to the production trio of Stock Aitken Waterman, and it became Bananarama's first collaboration with them.

Dallin, Fahey, and Woodward had nearly completed recording their third album, titled True Confessions, with Jolley and Swain. Stock, Aitken and Waterman also resisted the idea because they believed that "Venus" would not make a good dance record. After persistence by the women, SAW relented, and the result was a worldwide smash. Bananarama's "Venus" went to number one in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Mexico, and South Africa. It hit number two in Germany and Hong Kong and was a top ten success in Italy, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Colombia, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and their native UK (#8 on UK Singles Chart). It also went to number one for two weeks on the U.S. Dance chart.

The collaboration on "Venus" led Bananarama and SAW to work together on the group's follow-up album Wow! the following year.

A new mix of the track appeared as b-side to the 1989 limited release "Megarama '89" in Germany and France. Bananarama has since re-recorded the track for their 2001 album Exotica and it was later remixed by Marc Almond, with re-recorded vocals, and included on their 2005 album Drama.

Music video

The music video for the song received extensive play on MTV and video channels across the world, and presented Bananarama in various costumes, including a she-devil, a French temptress, a vampiress, and several Grecian goddesses. In one sequence of the video, The Birth of Venus, the painting by Sandro Botticelli, was reenacted. The video marked a pivotal shift towards a more glamorous and sexual image for the girls that contrasted with the tomboyish style in their earlier work. Choreography by Bruno Tonioli. Music video directed by Peter Care.

Track listings

7" single NANA10

1. "Venus" 3:30
2. "White Train" 3:50

   S.Dallin/S. Fahey/K. Woodward/P. Bishop/P. Seymour

12" single NANX10

1. "Venus" (Extended version) 7:23
2. "Venus" (Dub) 8:15
3. "White Train" 3:50

2nd 12" single NANXR10

1. "Venus" (The Hellfire Mix) 9:20 #:Remixed by Ian Levine
2. "Venus" (Hellfire Dub) 6:55
3. "White Train" 3:50

3rd 12" single NAXRR10

1. "Venus" (The Fire And Brimstone Mix) 6:35 #:Remixed by Stock, Aitken & Waterman
2. "Venus" (Hellfire Dub) 6:55
3. "White Train" 3:50

US 12" maxi-single 886 088-1

1. "Venus" (The Hellfire Mix) 9:20
2. "Venus" (The Fire & Brimstone mix) 6:55
3. "Venus" (Extended version) 7:23
4. "Venus" (Dub) 8:25

CD video single

1. "Venus" (Extended version) 7:23
2. "True Confessions" (Edit) 4:09
3. "A Trick of the Night" (Edit) 4:07
4. "More Than Physical" (UK Single version) 3:40

Other versions

1. "Venus" (The Greatest Remix Edit) 3:40

   Found on the 1989 UK CD single "Cruel Summer '89", Remixed by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow

2. "Venus" (The Greatest Remix) 7:43

   Found on the 1989 German CD single "Megarama '89", Remixed by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow

3. "Venus" (2001 version)

   Found on the album Exotica

4. "Venus" (Marc Almond's Hi-NRG Showgirls mix) 6:02

   Found on the 2005 album Drama, Remixed by Marc Almond

5. "Venus" (From Soundtrack Sugar & Spice: Stuck in the 80's)

Personnel

Bananarama

• Sara Dallin – Vocals
• Siobhan Fahey – Vocals
• Keren Woodward – Vocals

Additional personnel

• Andrew Biscomb – Sleeve design
• Peter Barrett – Sleeve design

Bananarama version in popular culture

In film

• In the film American Wedding (2003)the song is featured in a dancing scene in a gay bar.
• Included in the film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)
• In Camille Rewinds the song was played during the 1985 party scene in a short montage of Camille (Noémie Lvovsky) and Eric (Samir Guesmi) dancing and getting close with each other.

In games

• This song is part of the set-list of Harmonix's Kinect game Dance Central 2.
• It was included on Dance Dance Revolution (2010 video game) (PS3/Wii/Xbox 360).

In television

• An episode of American Dad ("Moon Over Isla Island") features the song when Roger suggests changing the name of the country of Isla to "Bananarama", with Venus as its national anthem.
• The music video was viewed and commented on by Beavis and Butthead
• Canadian hit show Degrassi: The Next Generation, named in 2005 a two-part episode after the song.
• It was the first ever song which a contestant on the UK version of Don't Forget the Lyrics failed to complete.

In videos

• The song was used for the goals segment of Don Cherry's Rock'Em Sock'em Hockey (1989).

In advertising

• In the United States, United Kingdom and Canada for Gillette Venus razors.

Bananarama version on the charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
Australian singles chart	1
Austrian singles chart	7
Belgian singles chart	3
Canadian singles chart	1
Denmark singles chart	14
Dutch singles chart	4
Finland singles chart	5
French singles chart	4
German singles chart	2
Irish singles chart	12
Italian singles chart	4
Japan singles chart	43

Chart (1986)	Peak position
New Zealand singles chart	1
Norway singles chart	4
South African singles chart	1
Spanish singles chart	7
Swedish singles chart	9
Swiss singles chart	1
UK Singles Chart	8
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Hot Dance Club Play	1

Other cover versions

• In 1969, Bulgarian singer Lili Ivanova recorded her version of the song, called "Venera" (Bulgarian: "Венера").
• In 1970, Greek band Olympians recorded the song "To koritsi tou Mai" (Greek: "Το κορίτσι του Μάη", meaning "Girl of May") with the melody of "Venus" and lyrics written by Sevi Tiliakou.
• In late 1976 the Stockley Sisters, a South African duo, took their recording of the song to number 5 on the South African singles chart.
• In 1980, Nervus Rex, a largely forgotten power pop band of the CBGBs/Max’s era downtown NYC scene, recorded their own cover version.
• On July 18, 1981, Dutch act Stars on 45 reached #1 in the U.S. with a medley including the guitar riff from "Venus". With the original Shocking Blue and the later Bananarama cover both going to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, this arguably made it the only song in that chart's history to hit #1 by three different artists, though the Stars on 45 medley only included a portion.
• The Dutch rock and roll band Claw Boys Claw included a cover on their first album, Shocking Shades Of Claw Boys Claw in 1984.
• A cover was released by then J-pop idol singer Yoko Nagayama in 1986, which became her first big hit.
• In 1986, "Weird Al" Yankovic included the Bananarama version in his polka medley "Polka Party!" from the album of the same name.
• The song was covered by Italian singer Mina in her 1986's album Si, buana.
• A version of the song by The Chipettes, done in their signature style, was included on the album Born to Rock in 1988. They would also cover the Bananarama version for the 1998 album The A-Files: Alien Songs.
• The Italo House act Don Pablo's Animals released a mainly instrumental cover version in 1990.
• The Czech band Dunaj recorded a cover version in 1994
• When auditioning for the Spice Girls in the early '90s, Victoria Beckham recorded a version of the song for a demo tape, never intending for it to be released, though it has since leaked onto the Internet.
• Stefanie Sun (Simplified Chinese: 孙燕姿; Traditional Chinese: 孫燕姿), a Singaporean singer-songwriter, covered the song on her 2002 album (Start自選集) as well as covers of "Hey Jude" and "Silent All These Years".
• Various hi-NRG/eurodance cover remixes by Obsession was released through Almighty Records in 2003. Audio samples can be heard on the official Almighty Records website.
• The winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, Ruslana, has recorded this song.
• Norwegian act Erlend Øye recorded part of the song in a medley on his album that was part of the DJ-Kicks series.
• No Angels, first season winners of German Idol series Popstars, cover it for their 2003 album Pure. This version was used in TV spots for ladies' razor Gillette Venus
• Belgian girl group Seduced recorded a cover which peaked at #25 on the Belgian Singles Top 50 in 2004.
• The Russian children's band Street Magic (Volshebniki Dvora) (Волшебники Двора) cover the song on their 2005 album Hit Parade (Хит-парад), featuring lead vocals by band member Denis Uzkov (Денис Усков).
• Japanese singer Hitomi featured a cover as the B-side to her "Japanese Girl" single in 2005. This version was the theme to commercials for the Gillette Venus razor in 2006 featuring Hitomi on a rock of a lagoon in Hawaii.
• Kumi Koda recorded the song for Japanese Gillette commercials in 2007, releasing a full cover on her 2009 studio album Trick.
• Girlband (The X Factor UK 2008 finalist) covered the song in the first live show. 2010 Finalists Belle Amie also covered the song in the fourth live show which had a Halloween theme.
• Tom Jones covered the song on album "Classic Tom Jones", released in 1998
• Polish singer Doda covered the song on New Year's Eve 2009/2010 in Łódź (TVP2).
• Lussi Lebrun covered the song during season 8 of Nouvelle Star.
• Finnish new wave band Belaboris covered the song, with Finnish lyrics, on their "...Olpa Kerran" 12"
• The song is featured in the stage musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical
• Jennifer Lopez, spokesperson for Venus razors, recorded her own version of the song for "The Venus Goddess Fund for Education".
• The Mexican singer Niñel Conde recorded a Spanish version of the song, on her new album "Ayer y Hoy", with the same name, Venus.
• Cambodian singer Ros Sereysothea covered the song.
• In 2011 the Venezuelan band "EraSound" released a cover of this song.
• The Polish rock band IRA covered the song on album "Ogień" in 2004
• In 1980, Malaysian female singing band Ideal Sisters has recorded the cover version of Venus, and rebadged as 'Wanita' or Women in English. Although the lyrics has been modified but the musics are still similar to original one.
• Japanese rock legend Kiyoharu covered this song too.
• Tirso Cruz III on his album PIP under Vicor Records

"Shizgarah", or "Venus" in Russian urban folklore

Despite the fact that the heavily controlled Soviet mass media totally ignored much of Western popular culture, the Shocking Blue song quickly become a popular hit in 1970s Russia, especially among street youth akin to Western hippie and "hooligan" subcultures. Due to the song's simple arrangement and danceable rhythm, "Venus" was adopted and performed by thousands of underground amateur performers, both those who accompanied themselves on acoustic guitar and full contemporary bands who performed it with electric guitar at dance parties. Thus, the English language song of a Dutch band become a prominent phenomenon of Russian urban folklore and was considered by many an unofficial "anthem of the generation".

The English language in the song, however, was only very loosely approximated, and the song was not even known by its title, "Venus". A countless number of variants of Russian lyrics existed for this song, but traditionally it was performed using gibberish or scat singing phonetically inspired by the sounds of original English lyrics which had become hardly intelligible after being passed along via repeated duplicate copying on cheap, low-end tape recorders. In the Russian variant, the first line of the chorus, "She's got it", was usually pronounced as "Shizgarah" ("Шизгáра") [sheez-GA-rah], and it was this word which became a commonly adopted name of the song in the USSR, even among those who could understand the original English text.

In modern times, few disco clubs and a musical show on Nashe Radio are named "Shizgarah" after this song.

Also, "Shizgarah" ("Шизгара") is a novel of Russian writer Sergey Soloukh portraying the life of young Soviet hippies in 1970s.

Legacy

The Canadian teenage drama series program Degrassi: The Next Generation, which is known for naming each installment after an 1980s hit song, named a two-part installment after this song.

External links

• Template:MetroLyrics song