Sylvia (Focus song)

"Sylvia"
Single by Focus
from the album Focus 3
B-side Love Remembered
Released January 1973
Format 7" single
Recorded 1972
Olympic Studios
Genre Progressive rock, hard rock
Length 3:32
Writer(s) Thijs van Leer
Producer(s) Mike Vernon
Music sample
"Sylvia"

"Sylvia" is a 1972 song by Dutch rock band Focus. It was released on their 1972 album Focus 3 and as a single on 27 January 1973.[1] The single became the band's biggest international hit.[2]

Background

The song was released on the album Focus 3 in July 1972. On 12 December, the band recorded a session for the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test, including "Sylvia" segueing into "Hocus Pocus".[3]

Aside from Thijs van Leer's short section of yodeling, the song is instrumental.[4]

Reception

The Rough Guide to Rock describes Akkerman's guitar melody as "exuberant".[5] The band's Christmas 1972 appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test, along with a number of UK gigs in late 1972,[3][6] has been crediting with exposing the band and helping the single reach number 4 in the UK Singles Chart.[7][1] The programme's presenter, Bob Harris, is quoted as saying that the band's appearance was so well-received by the audience that the pressing plant for the single was overwhelmed and only produced copies of "Sylvia" for the following week to cater for the demand.[4]

Dave Thompson, writing for AllMusic, said that aside from the studio recording, the band's best version of the song was the one included on the At the Rainbow live album.[4] He compared the relatively short length of the song to the band's longer progressive works, describing Akkerman's playing as an "exercise in economics".

In the US, the song peaked at #89.[4]

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Roberts, David (2004). British Hit Singles and Albums (17th ed.). London: Guinness world records. p. 207. ISBN 0-85112-199-3.
  2. ↑ Fowles, Paul; Wade, Graham (2012). Concise History of Rock Music. Pacific, MO: Mel Bay Publications. p. 152. ISBN 1619110164.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The Sky Will Fall Over London Tonight". Progressive Rock Remaster Project. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Thompson, Dave. "Sylvia – Focus". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  5. ↑ Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 384. ISBN 1843531054.
  6. ↑ "HISTORICAL GIGLIST". Focus. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  7. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press, in association with Muze. p. 2128. ISBN 0857125958.