1972’s “Inkpot” was more earthy than trippy, though it still managed to put a sitar through a wah-wah pedal. “Send Me a Postcard” should have been bigger than Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” - it rocked on the same opening riff, droned on a similarly haunting organ, played for an eighth of the length and is unarguably catchier. As it should, Singles A’s and B’s kicks off with 1969’s “Venus.” Mysteriously, it was the band’s only hit in America, enjoying a resurgence in popularity following Bananarama’s successful 1986 cover. This outstanding 1998 compilation boasts nearly 50 single-tracks - the first half gathering the A-sides and the second half covering the B-sides. Be careful - once you realize that there was a lot more to Shocking Blue than “Venus” or “Mighty Joe,” it’s easy to fall under the spell of their infectious Dutch psychedelia (and even easier to fall for their doe-eyed, husky-voiced singer Mariska Veres).
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