The Best of Focus: Hocus Pocus

Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia". The band broke up in 1978, but reformed in 2002 and has been recording and touring since.

They have found also renewed fame due to the use of "Hocus Pocus" by guitarist Gary Hoey on his 1993 album Animal Instinct, and as the theme for the Nike 2010 World Cup commercial, Write The Future, directed by the Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu.

At the release of their first album Focus Plays Focus (aka In and Out of Focus) (1970), Focus comprised keyboardist and flutist Thijs van Leer, guitarist Jan Akkerman, bassist Martin Dresden, and drummer Hans Cleuver. The album was little noticed outside the Netherlands, where a small but avid fan base developed. Akkerman left the group to form another band with bassist Cyril Havermans and Pierre van der Linden, a drummer he had previously performed with in Johnny and the Cellar Rockers, The Hunters, and Brainbox. When Cleuver and Dresden left Focus shortly after, Van Leer joined Akkerman, Van der Linden, and Havermans as the new lineup of Focus.

In 1971, the group released Focus II (aka Moving Waves), which brought the band international acclaim and a hit on both sides of the Atlantic with the radio edit of "Hocus Pocus". This rock classic consists of Akkerman's guitar chord sequence used as a recurring theme, with quirky and energetic interludes that include alto flute riffs, accordion, guitar, and drum solos - along with Van Leer's whistling, nonsensical vocals, falsetto singing, and yodeling.

But in September 1971, shortly before the band went on tour to support the album, Havermans quit and was replaced by Bert Ruiter. He released a solo album, Cyril, in 1973, on which he was backed by all three of his former bandmates from Focus.

The Focus 3 double album was released in 1972. Van Leer and Akkerman were still producing much of their most seminal work, but critics claimed that the album was not as cohesive as Focus II/Moving Waves and the material did not support the length of a double album. However, the album contained the Van Leer-penned "Sylvia" which became a major hit in many markets outside the US and was spent eleven weeks in the UK Singles Chart where it peaked at No. 4.

In late 1973, Focus released the album At the Rainbow.

In 1974, Van der Linden was replaced by ex-Stone the Crows drummer Colin Allen, before the Focus recorded the Hamburger Concerto album. An attempt to repeat the chart-topping performance of the "Hocus Pocus" sound in the single "Harem Scarem" was not successful, and this contributed to the band's declining fortunes at this time.

The album Mother Focus (1975), featuring new drummer David Kemper, was released to mostly negative reviews. In 1976, frustrated with group's lack of direction and the constraints of working with its commercial ambitions, Akkerman left on the eve of a sell-out UK tour. His last minute replacement was Belgian jazz-fusion guitarist Philip Catherine. The group's US label Sire Records released Ship of Memories, an album of largely unfinished Focus tracks from the aborted 1973-1974 rehearsal sessions to produce a follow-up album to Focus 3. The liner notes were written by Mike Vernon who was the group's producer at the time, and claimed that Akkerman's lack of interest in the project was the reason the sessions fell through. Ship of Memories was released largely due to the effort of Vernon and without the active involvement of the band. The title track is a Van der Linden composition.

American singer P. J. Proby, drummer Steve Smith (later of Journey) and guitarist Eef Albers joined Philip Catherine and the rest of Focus to record Focus con Proby (1978). The album received dismal reviews and a lack of interest, and after a short tour the band decided to call it quits.

In 1985, Van Leer and Akkerman reunited for a joint project (because of contractual obligation) which resulted in the commercially unsuccessful album Focus.

In 1990, the "classic" lineup of Akkerman, Van Leer, Ruiter, and Van der Linden performed old and new compositions on the Dutch TV shows Veronika and Goud van Oud. An unsuccessful attempt was made to formally restart the band at this time.

Van Leer and Akkerman shared the stage and performed Focus compositions at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1993. Six years later, Van Leer attempted to reform Focus with original drummer Hans Cleuver, bassist Bert Ruiter, and new guitarist Menno Gootjes. They performed several live dates in the Netherlands, but internal wrangling over material intended for a CD release effectively split up the group.

In 2002, Thijs van Leer re-formed Focus with himself, stepson Bobby Jacobs on bass, guitarist Jan Dumée, and drummer Ruben van Roon (all are former members of the band CONXI). Van Roon was soon replaced by Bert Smaak. The result was the well-received Focus 8 album and world tour.

In 2004, Pierre van der Linden replaced Bert Smaak on drums. Due to "musical differences", Dumée was dismissed from the band in 2006. In the same year, the band released the album Focus 9 / New Skin, on the Red Bullet label, which currently owns the entire back catalogue of Focus. In July 2006, Niels van der Steenhoven joined the group and the Focus 9 / New Skin CD was recorded. Jan Dumée formed the group On The Rocks with the British singer John Lawton (ex-Uriah Heep and Lucifer's Friend).

In May 2010, Nike included "Hocus Pocus" as the main theme tune in their extended FIFA World Cup commercial. The advert was first aired on US Network TV during the UEFA Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan on 22 May and then throughout the World Cup. A re-release of "Hocus Pocus", due to the Nike commercial, led to the song entering the UK Singles Chart at No. 57.

As of 2011, Menno Gootjes has rejoined the band, replacing Niels van der Steenhoven. Also in 2011, American rapper J. Cole sampled "Hocus Pocus" in his song "Blow Up", which is featured in the game MLB 11: The Show.

The band released a studio album, Focus X, with cover art by Roger Dean in October, 2012.

Akkerman's "House of the King" (from the Focus Plays Focus album) was the title theme of Don't Ask Me, a science-based British TV show of the 1970s that made household names of Dr. Magnus Pyke and Professor David Bellamy. It is also the title theme of Steve Coogan's BBC 2 sitcom, Saxondale.

ANALYSIS OF THE ALBUM: THE BEST OF FOCUS: HOCUS POCUS

In the case of Focus each album has at least one or two fabulous tracks, but are also full of long and sometimes boring instrumental tracks, which are accepted only by the die-hard fan.
"Hocus Pocus, The Best of Focus" is a good compilation and a perfect introduction for the new listener that needs to get used to their peculiar style with great songs mixed with some shorter instrumentals.

The title track is absolutely weird, the frantic yodeling of Thijs Van Leer is absolutely out of this world, some people take this song as a joke, but we believe it's an attempt to do something unique and never tried before, their attempt was successful, we never heard anything like this, it's a good song, catchy (because of the repetitive guitar chord by Jan Akkerman) and something I'm almost sure nobody will try again. Words are not enough to describe this track.

"Hocus Pocus" is followed by "Anonymous" an aggressive and fast song with great flute, killer piano, strong bass and spectacular drums, this track has everything, can't understand why it's not considered a classic by everybody.

The best song for us is the amazing "House of the King", with a spectacular flute that makes the casual listener believe he's in front of Jethro Tull, but mostly because of the perfect bass played by Cyril Havermans. If the flute makes the song unforgettable, the bass carries all the weight of the song, a masterpiece.

This compilation also contains the band's first hit "Silvia", an instrumental with the classic flamenco sound that was Focus trade mark melancholic but strong enough and not boring at all.

Taken from their album "Hamburger Concerto", "Harem Scarem" is absolutely breathtaking, fast and full of power with few and soft semi yodels by Van Leer, is a classic of the band. More medieval and soft, "Bennie Helder" is another unknown classic of the band, excellent changes and a very good piano makes of this track an underrated one.

The album ends with the US single version of "Hocus Pocus", more rhythmic with great bass but still frantic and aggressive.

Probably the hardest song to accept by the newbie is "Focus (Instrumental)" a 9:32 minutes song that consists mostly in a flute-guitar and drums solo, but I must say it's a very good one, strong and jazzy it's easier to swallow by almost everybody.

"Janis" is also another instrumental but it's special beauty makes of it a must have.

The other tracks are good enough to keep the interest of the listener without abusing of the endless guitar and keyboards typical of this peculiar but correct band.

So against what we usually do, we strongly recommend this album not only to the new listener but also to the prog' fan that is not willing to listen endless instrumentals but wants to have the Focus classics.

The Best of Focus: Hocus Pocus

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