How a Translation Error Turned “Venus” Into a #1 Smash—Twice!

Here’s one for ya… Today’s song Venus by Shocking Blue was written in a different language… When it was translated to English, guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen wrote down the opening line incorrectly… However, the singer who recorded it, Mariska Veres spoke only Dutch so she sang the lyric wrong. The typo changed how the word was sung… which became very confusing since the word that was sung hadn’t been used since the 1500s. But nobody caught it until after it was released…It wouldn’t matter… Venus hit #1… In fact, it hit #1 twice… in two different decades…the 70s and the 80s by 2 different bands, Shocking Blue and Bananarama, and would become the only song title in history to hit #1 3 different times… Up next, the incredible back story of this irresistible smash Venus and the skinny behind both #1 hit versions that have dazzled multiple generations of music fans including the hilarious mispronounced lyric! Next on Professor of Rock.

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