Focus (band)

Focus

The 2011–2016 line-up of Focus in 2014.
Left to right: Menno Gootjes, Thijs van Leer, Pierre van der Linden, Bobby Jacobs
Background information
Also known as
  • Trio Thijs van Leer
  • Thijs van Leer and the Rebaptised
Origin Amsterdam, Netherlands
Genres
Years active
  • 1969–1978
  • 1985
  • 1990
  • 1999
  • 2002–present
Labels
Associated acts
  • Trio Thijs van Leer
  • Brainbox
  • Conxi
  • Van Leer
Website focustheband.com
Members Thijs van Leer
Pierre van der Linden
Menno Gootjes
Udo Pannekeet
Past members See Personnel

Focus are a Dutch rock band formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer. The band have undergone numerous formations in its history; since December 2016 it has comprised van Leer, drummer Pierre van der Linden, guitarist Menno Gootjes, and bassist Udo Pannekeet. Other important members include guitarist Jan Akkerman and bassist Bert Ruiter. They have sold one million RIAA-certified albums in the United States.[1]

After the addition of Akkerman to van Leer's rock trio in late 1969, the band's named themselves Focus and performed in the pit band for the Dutch production of the rock musical Hair. Their debut album Focus Plays Focus (1970) gained little attention, but their follow-up album Focus II (1971), better known as Moving Waves, and its lead single "Hocus Pocus", earned the band international recognition. Their success continued with Focus 3 (1972) and Hamburger Concerto (1974), the former containing their second hit single, "Sylvia". After two albums recorded with various musicians, Focus dissolved in 1978. They reunited in 1985, 1990 and 1999.

In 2002, van Leer reformed Focus with a new line-up. The albums Focus 8 (2002), Focus 9 / New Skin (2006), and Focus X (2012) were well received, and Focus continue to perform worldwide and record; their most recent album is Focus 8.5 / Beyond the Horizon (2016). They received a renewed interest after Nike used "Hocus Pocus" in its 2010 World Cup commercial Write The Future. Focus remain one of the most successful and influential rock bands from the Netherlands.

History

1969–1970: Formation

Thijs van Leer, the founding member of Focus, in 1971

Focus formed in mid-1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer, who recruited bass guitarist Martijn Dresden and drummer Hans Cleuver[2] after he met them at sessions for the Jazz and Poetry radio program in Hilversum, Netherlands. The three went on to start a new three-piece band initially known as Thijs van Leer and the Rebaptised,[3] playing a set formed mostly of cover songs by Traffic and original material mostly written by van Leer.[4] In November 1969, during rehearsals at the theatre where van Leer performed with Shaffy,[2] they were joined by guitarist Jan Akkerman of the rock band Brainbox who was invited by Ramses Shaffy, who had performed with van Leer in his theatre act, to play with the trio. Van Leer latter recalled the first try out session: "Jan came in and we jammed for hours, and it was really kicking". They then settled on the name Focus; Akkerman later said, "Focus is a Latin word that is the same in many languages. It means concentration, which is the meaning of what Focus does".[5] Their first live gig with the name followed at the Bird's Club in Rembrandtplein,[4][3] which led to a residency of two gigs a night for two days a week[6] with a set formed of covers, including "I Shall Be Released" by Bob Dylan, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum and "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues, mixed with original material, including van Leer's first song written with the group in mind, the instrumental "Focus".[7]

In their search for more work and a steady income, Focus was chosen to play as part of the pit band for the Dutch production of the rock musical Hair, produced by Welsh actor Victor Spinetti.[8] They were invited to audition at the Victoria Ballroom, London after Dutch lyricist Lennaert Nijgh suggested them to Del Newman, the musical's director. Cast member Robin Lent claimed the production was suffering and Focus, taking part only for the money, "were also pretty rusty ... but this changed and everybody got into it".[7] The show, launched in December 1969, involved six nightly performances a week and gave them space to rehearse in the afternoons for free and store their equipment.[7][9][8] An album of the soundtrack featuring the band was recorded in February 1970 and released soon after by Polydor Records.[10]

In June 1970, Hair ended its run and Focus turned down the prospect of touring the musical across the country for a year and a half to become a full-time band. By this time, they had picked up more local gigs and dates across the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.[11][4] Their weekly earnings from them and Hair had reached 400 guilders, though Akkerman recalled the group "didn't know the value of it, we immediately spent it". To manage their finances more carefully, Cleuver was chosen to oversee their earnings and expenses.[12]

1970–1971: Debut album, "House of the King" and line-up change

In 1970, through connections with Dresden's father, Focus reached contact with Hubert Terheggen, the director of Radio-Tele-Music Belgium-Holland, a music publishing division of Radio Luxembourg. Terheggen took a liking to their music and signed Focus to his production company, secured deals with music publishers worldwide, and booked studio time for them to record their first album,[4][6] which took place in January 1970 during time off from Hair at Sound Techniques in Chelsea, London. The result was Focus Plays Focus, better known as its international release title In and Out of Focus, with Terheggen as producer and Jerry Boys as engineer.[2] A mix of pop-oriented songs and instrumentals were recorded for the album; van Leer felt the vocals suffered as a result of singing English lyrics with a foreign accent, which inspired the group to become stronger instrumentally.[4]

After Focus Plays Focus was recorded, the band struggled to find a record label that was willing to release it. Their fortunes changed after Focus recorded "House of the King", an instrumental written by Akkerman that has different accounts over its origins. Band biographer Peet Johnson gives the general consensus that it was inspired by the band's appearance at the Barbarela de Conjuntos music contest in Majorca on 11 June 1970,[13] where in the final round, their rendition of Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo ran over the 15-minute time limit causing their plugs to be pulled.[11][4] Focus retaliated with van Leer playing the flute to the audience as a distraction while the rest of the group trashed the dressing room. The four were arrested and spent a night in jail. Van Leer claims Akkerman came up with it the day after their arrest, but the guitarist said he wrote it "on a mountain, with a beautiful Spanish stewardess ... written in about five minutes".[13] Focus recorded the song, without management's permission, in one evening at Heemstede. It soon reached management at Imperial Records, who thought it was strong enough as a hit single and saw potential in the band. Imperial signed the group and released Focus Plays Focus in September 1970, eight months after it was recorded,[3] along with their first single, "Why Dream" with "Happy Nightmare" on its B-side, in the Netherlands. Its American release followed in October, handled by Sire Records who secured the rights to the band's international distribution[14] and issued the album with "House of the King" added.[2][15][16] Sire founder Seymour Stein flew to the Netherlands to see the band perform, thinking "without a doubt they were the most original band I had ever heard" and signed them.[17] Though the album received little commercial attention it earned Focus their first Edison Award,[18] and the January 1971 release of "House of the King" went to number 10 on the home chart.[19]

Towards the end of 1970, Akkerman became unhappy with Cleuver and Dresden as a rhythm section and missed playing with his former Brainbox bandmate, drummer Pierre van der Linden.[20] He thought the pair struggled to incorporate their own identity or musicianship into the music.[12] He presented an ultimatum to van Leer, threatening to quit unless the two left. Van Leer did not wish to part with his original trio members and told Akkerman to leave, causing a rift between them. Cleuver said the pair would often be at odds, "fighting about copyright or whatever", and that Akkerman wished to make a statement to van Leer by splitting the group up. He also mentioned the panic from their record company as they knew "House of the King" would become a hit and wished for van Leer and Akkerman to stay together.[21] The situation reached Terheggen, who asked Yde de Jong if he could manage the band if a reunion took place, which de Jong accepted.[20] After six weeks of driving to both members' homes to negotiate, van Leer ended his time with Cleuver and Dresden and joined Akkerman, van der Linden, and bassist Cyril Havermans, who had played on Akkerman's second solo album Profile, on the condition that the group continue as Focus.[21] With the new line-up secured, Stein convinced English producer Mike Vernon to witness the band perform in the Netherlands in late 1970. Vernon was not so impressed with their first album, but was blown away by their show: "I couldn't stop talking or thinking about them! They were formidable ... the power of Jan and Thijs alone gave me heart palpitations". He then agreed to produce their next studio album.[22][23]

1971–1972: Moving Waves and breakthrough

Following rehearsals at Groeneveld Castle in Baarn, the band recorded Focus II, better known as its international title Moving Waves, in April and May 1971 at Sound Techniques and Morgan Studios, London.[22][24] It showcased the band exploring progressive rock with jazz fusion and classical music elements with extended pieces and lengthy solos. Akkerman changed his sound, moving from a Gretsch White Falcon to a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Custom which enabled him to "'sing' on the guitar" to compensate for the group's weak vocals.[22] Its opening track, "Hocus Pocus", became one of the band's best known tracks, featuring a recognisable rock guitar riff and van Leer's yodelling, whistling, and nonsensical vocals that developed through an improvised jam session.[25] Akkerman wrote "Janis" as a tribute to Janis Joplin, and its closer, "Eruption", is a 23-minute multi-part track inspired by the operas Orfeo ed Euridice by Christoph Willibald Gluck and L'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, combining rock, jazz and classical influences.[26]

Released in October 1971, Moving Waves became the band's international breakthrough, reaching number 2 in the UK,[27] number 4 in the Netherlands,[19] and number 8 in the US. The album awarded Focus with a Conamus Export Award, their second Edison Award,[28] and gold certifications in the three aforementioned countries; the US award was issued in 1973 for selling 500,000 copies.[29][1] Its success was helped by the release of "Hocus Pocus" as a single, released in the Netherlands in July 1971 which peaked at number 12[30] and exposed the band to a new audience. It peaked at number 20 in the UK in January 1973.[27]

Between the recording and release of Moving Waves, Focus underwent further line-up changes. Shortly before a tour of France in July 1971, van der Linden temporarily left the band after he found out van Leer and Akkerman would get paid more than himself. He was replaced by Akkerman's younger brother, the 19-year-old Jacob "Cocky" Akkerman, before the rift was sorted and van der Linden resumed on the drums at its conclusion.[31] This was followed by Havermans' departure in September 1971, having handed in his notice in late June.[29][4] He wished to sing on more tracks but was unable to do so within the confines of the group and pursued a solo career.[12] The remaining members would reunite with the bassist in the US in early 1973 to play on his first solo album, Cyril.[12] Focus found their new bassist in Bert Ruiter, who had previously rehearsed with van der Linden prior to a Focus gig in Texel in June 1971,[31] and went on to see the band live around ten times. He was invited by the drummer to a try out session, after which he became the new member.[28]

Focus resumed as a live act in September 1971; among their first gigs with Ruiter was in Rotterdam as part of the European Newport Jazz Festival, on 29 October.[28] Towards the end of the year, de Jong organised the band's first UK tour from 15 February to 10 March 1972 spanning 15 gigs to help gain further exposure and sales. Van Leer felt insecure about the tour at first and expressed the lack of courage from the group when they compared themselves to other UK rock acts.[32] They arrived in the UK during a period of nationwide energy shortages, yet de Jong resolved the issue by having Focus tour with their own power generator. Despite receiving little money, they received radio airplay on BBC Radio 1, earned positive reviews from critics, and gained new fans.[33] Akkerman recalled the attendance of the gigs: "They were packed because it was probably the only thing that was going on".[4] On 28 May 1972, Focus were booked to play the Lincoln Festival for an estimated 40,000 people, but the band arrived too late for their spot and were unable to reschedule, leaving them furious at the missed opportunity. Two days later, Focus made their British television debut with a pre-recorded performance of excerpts of "Eruption" and "Hocus Pocus" on the BBC music show The Old Grey Whistle Test.[34] As a result, from their UK tour, the group were voted "Brightest Hope" by readers of Melody Maker in June 1972 and Best New Talent by readers of New Musical Express.[35][4]

1972–1975: Focus 3 and Hamburger Concerto

The band spent four days at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London in July 1972 recording their third album, Focus 3.[36][4] They had written a considerable amount of material by this time which led to the decision to make a double album, mostly by van Leer and Akkerman. Focus 3 saw the group produce short and extended pieces, including the three-minute instrumental "Sylvia" and the group devised, 26-minute "Anonymous II" that devotes a solo spot for each member, and the addition of "House of the King". Upon its release in November 1972, the album went to number one in the Netherlands for one week,[19] number 6 in the UK,[27] and number 35 in the US. "Sylvia" was released as a single and reached number 4 in the UK in January 1973, the week after "Hocus Pocus" reached its peak on the same chart.[27] This marked the first time in a decade that a band had two concurrent songs without lyrics in the UK top 40.[37]

To support the album, Focus began their largest tour since their formation with spots at the Reading Festival on 12 August 1972 followed by the Melody Maker Poll Awards show at The Oval, London on 30 September.[4] This was followed by an exhaustive 31-date UK tour in 36 days that included their return appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test on 12 December which caused a surge in interest for their records;[38] host Bob Harris said the show was inundated with calls and letters about the band and Polydor's record plant printed nothing but Focus for ten days in order to meet demand.[39][40] A performance of "Sylvia" from the Marquee Club, London aired on the BBC's Top of the Pops show.[41] After a sell out UK tour in January 1973 that spanned 24 days,[37] Focus completed their first of three North American tours in 1973 from February to April, supporting various acts including Gentle Giant, Frank Zappa and Yes.[41] Upon their return, they toured the UK once more which included two sold out shows at the Rainbow Theatre, London in May 1973 which aired on BBC television.[4][5]

In early May 1973, Focus returned to Olympic Studios at Vernon's request and recorded a new cut of "Hocus Pocus" titled "Hocus Pocus II", released exclusively for the American market.[42] Later in the month, the band retreated to Chipping Norton Recording Studios, Oxfordshire to record a fourth studio album. Akkerman had expressed a wish to put down "great ideas" he had written over the past year, but extensive touring had left the band physically and mentally exhausted which reduced their eagerness to write and record new group material. Vernon recalled Akkerman's reluctance to take part in the sessions which to him, "led to the final dissolving of the Akkerman/van Leer partnership".[43] Around 40 minutes of songs was eventually recorded, yet the pair refused to co-operate and recorded their parts without the other present.[4] Vernon later called this period as "probably the worst ten days I've ever spent in a studio".[44] As a new studio album could not be released, Vernon took the recording from the Rainbow Theatre concerts and released it as a live album, At the Rainbow. The album went to number 23 in the UK in October 1973. The band went on to receive a Billboard Trendsetter Award for their success after notching up two gold albums, combining sales of one million copies sold in the US, and one gold single.[4] Recordings from the Chipping Norton sessions remained unreleased, rearranged years later, or included in the collection of previously unreleased Focus studio recordings Ship of Memories, in 1976.

The 1973–1975 line-up on the Dutch television show Top Pop in April 1974, with drummer Colin Allen on far right.

Upon their return from their second North American tour from June to September 1973,[45] the band returned to Groeneveld Castle for rehearsals. Van der Linden failed to turn up, and the group soon learned of his decision to quit the band.[4] Van Leer claimed rock music was a step in the wrong direction for the drummer, who wished to pursue jazz. Vernon suggested English players Mitch Mitchell, Aynsley Dunbar, and Colin Allen as replacements; Allen was the only one available, taking the invitation as a complete surprise and flew to meet the band the following day. After a successful try out session, Allen "Got the thumbs up. It all happened pretty quickly ... I fitted in."[46] His arrival came eight days before the band's upcoming North American tour was to start.[5]

From January to March 1974, Focus recorded Hamburger Concerto at Olympic Studios with Vernon. Recording was met with growing tension, with van Leer, Ruiter and Allen working together during the day and Akkerman recording his parts in the evening.[47] The album presents further classical music influences, opening with "Delitæ Musicæ", a lute piece Akkerman adapted from Delitæ Musicæ Cantiones by Dutch composer Joachim van den Hove.[48] It closes with a six-part, 20-minute conceptual title track inspired by Akkerman once eating a hamburger while watching cartoons at his hotel room in New York City and was put down in basic form during the 1973 Chipping Norton sessions.[49] Released in May 1974, Hamburger Concerto peaked at number 5 in the Netherlands and number 20 in the UK. Van Leer claimed it was the band's "First proper work. It has strength and purpose", and Vernon later said the album and Moving Waves were the most rewarding on a second listen.[50] Akkerman later felt the album suffered as his position in the group had weakened with van der Linden gone and claimed van Leer "broke up the tandem I had with Pierre rhythmically".[4] A single version of "Harem Scarem" was released but did not chart in the UK.[51]

Focus toured Hamburger Concerto from March 1974, starting with dates across Europe, including two in London that were filmed for broadcast on the BBC2 and US television music series In Concert.[52] They began their first tour of Japan and Australia in June,[53] followed by an appearance at the Reading Festival in August and the start of their fourth North American tour in September.[54] They were featured on the nationally syndicated Don Kirshner's Rock Concert show aired live from Long Beach, California, giving the band widespread exposure.[55] At one concert during the US leg, van Leer and Akkerman noticed a young Michael Jackson sitting in the front row.[56] Upon their return, the band completed a 24-day tour of Europe and two compilation albums were released, The Story of Focus and Masters of Rock.[57]

1975–1978: Mother Focus, Focus con Proby, and disbanding

In 1975, the band gathered at Morgan Studios, Brussels to rehearse and record Mother Focus.[46] They reunited with Terheggen to oversee the project as executive producer, but the group found themselves without a collective direction; van Leer put its failure down to the band's recording contract which required them to produce one studio album each year, the pressures of touring had affected the songs,[4] and a lack of overall interest from the band.[58] In addition, Akkerman continued to record parts separately, showing no sign of an improvement in his relationship with van Leer.[59] Ruiter became a more prominent songwriter and contributed more ideas than he had on previous Focus albums; he and Allen, after recording "I Need a Bathroom", began to experiment with a drum machine to aid their ideas, but the drummer recalled Akkerman got angry, shouted at him, and tossed the machine across the room. Allen was fired the next day, not knowing who made the decision. He was required to pay what he owed to the group during his tenure which amounted to roughly £10,000, using his earnings from royalties to pay much of it. Despite the problems, he "will always remain proud to have been a member".[46] In May 1975, at the suggestion of their studio engineer, American drummer David Kemper was brought in to complete the rest of the album.[59]

Released in October 1975, Mother Focus saw Focus depart from their classical and jazz-influenced sound towards shorter, commercially accessible songs with middle of the road influences and little room for improvisation and jamming they were known for.[60] Akkerman argued with van Leer and Ruiter over the group's change in musical direction, deeming it "typical American music".[61] The album went to number 15 in the Netherlands and 23 in the UK, and received mostly negative reviews from critics. During plans for their upcoming tour Akkerman refused to perform the album's music, thinking it was not strong enough. To solve the issue, he and van Leer returned to Morgan Studios and put down "Red Sky at Night" and "O Avondrood", the latter featuring the two singing in Dutch.[62] After Kemper left when recording was complete, Akkerman wished van der Linden to return, thinking he was responsible "for at least 40%" of the band's success and said he "wouldn't leave Focus" with him on the drums. However, van Leer and Ruiter did not share the same enthusiasm over van der Linden's return. Nevertheless, Focus returned to Australia and Japan in May and June 1975 for a series of sold out dates,[63][4] yet reviewers of the gigs noticed the lack of cohesiveness than before.[64] During the Scandinavian tour that followed, a gig at the Ullevi Stadium, Oslo during the Ragnarok Festival was met with Akkerman and van der Linden jamming with "little adherence to the repertoire" that was taken as a protest to playing the same material night after night. Matters turned for the worse after van Leer and Ruiter refused to have van der Linden re-record the drums for a single release of "Crackers", causing the drummer to quit a second time.[65] With van der Linden gone, Focus cancelled a proposed 34-date UK tour and brought back Kemper during subsequent rehearsals after a desperate plea from de Jong.[66][58] The "Crackers"/"O Avondrood" single was released in 1976; the latter track originally appeared on a Dutch compilation album.[4] The two appear in instrumental form on Ship of Memories.

In February 1976, two and a half days before the group's arrival to the UK for a tour, van Leer asked Akkerman to leave Focus over his disagreements with the music they were rehearsing and the decision not to have van der Linden return on the drums.[58] Akkerman had grown tired of playing the same songs on stage, "It felt like I was in a straitjacket. There was still a lot of improvisation but even this had become planned".[4] Van Leer said he wished to write "happy" music and move from "our European minor chords".[58] Rather than have the tour cancelled, van Leer decided to proceed, with Kemper having seven days to arrive from the US and learn the new material and Akkerman at home with illness. In the guitarist's absence, van Leer met Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine and the two played a jam session that van Leer enjoyed. Akkerman disliked a song that the group had rehearsed about him soon after, which led to van Leer asking him to leave the next day.[58] After Catherine agreed to step in, the group rehearsed for fifty hours without sleep;[58] van Leer spent the evening prior the first gig mapping out the guitar parts on paper which Catherine followed on stage.[4] Refunds were offered to concert goers as news of Akkerman's departure was not made public until after the tour had begun,[58] which ended in March 1976. A handful of scattered gigs were performed through 1976 and 1977 with American drummer Richard James on call out whenever they secured a booking.

After van Leer signed a deal with EMI in April 1976 to record a new Focus album, work did not begin until late 1977 when the band faced potential legal action if they did not release something.[67] Recording took place in December 1977 at EMI Studios in Haarlem, Amsterdam with van Leer, Ruiter, and a returning Catherine, who was contractually required to perform.[68] Also involved was Dutch guitarist Eef Albers. Van Leer turned to ideas that he had developed with his wife Roselie during Focus tours, but felt neither his or Ruiter's voices were strong enough to sing on.[67][69] In the search for a suitable lead vocalist de Jong, a friend of American singer P. J. Proby, rang his Netherlands-based manager and invited him to the studio, thinking his vocals would replace Akkerman's lyrical playing. Van Leer was sceptical as Proby was not familiar with the band and the singer was going through a period of heavy alcohol abuse. Upon Proby's arrival, Albers recalled: "He drank Four Roses whiskey the whole day, so much so that the nearest liquor store was soon sold out ... he always had the intention to run away".[69][4] Proby interpreted the jazz-rock influenced songs as he felt, attempting "to meet them half-way between jazz and rock".[68] James's drumming was unsuitable for the lighter material, so van Leer brought in future Journey drummer, American Steve Smith.[68] Following the release of Focus con Proby in February 1978, which ignored the UK market, the album received negative reviews. Cleuver, then van Leer's manager, later called it "simply shameful".[70] After a handful of gigs in the Netherlands, which concluded with a show in Terneuzen in August 1978 with James on the drums, van Leer ended Focus.[71][4]

1985−1999: Reunions

In mid-1983, both of Akkerman's managers came up with the idea of the guitarist reuniting with van Leer to record new music, to which Akkerman agreed. Van Leer immediately accepted the invitation, and went on to play the synthesiser on "Headbanger" on Akkerman's 1984 solo album From the Basement.[72] After this initial collaboration, one executive at Phonogram Records suggested the pair work with producer Trevor Horn to release an album of re-recorded Focus tracks, but it was dismissed. In the following 15 months, the two wrote, rehearsed, and recorded new music with several additional musicians with engineer Theo Balijob.[73] Their contract required the two to record as a duet, rather under the name Focus.[74] During the recording, producer Ruud Jacobs was brought in to supervise the project due to the length of time taken to put the tracks down. Balijon claimed Jacobs cut corners and pushed for the strongest tracks to be completed quickly to save production costs, which "unintentionally increased the animosity between Jan and Thijs".[73] In the 63 days they spent recording from April to May 1984, around 30 tracks were completed with several additional musicians.[4][74] Focus was released in March 1985 by Vertigo Records which reached number 33 in the Netherlands.[75][76] The pair followed the album with promotional videos and a local four-date tour.[4][74][77]

In 1988, EMI acquired the rights to the band's back catalogue and reissued their albums on compact disc for the first time.[4]

In 1990, the former line-up of van Leer, Akkerman, van der Linden, and Ruiter reunited for the first time since 1975. The four played a 40-minute set at the Americahal in Apeldoorn on 20 April that was broadcast as part of the Oud van Goud television special.[78][4] It came about when producer Frans Meijer asked Akkerman to perform a gig with the group, and the fact that the guitarist's manager had not seen the band play in the 1970s, so "it was swatting two flies with one hit".[78] The other three agreed at the opportunity, and they rehearsed for four hours in Wijchen several days prior to the concert. Ruiter said they "went very well"; van Leer said it was "fantastic".[78] Following the concert, van Leer was keen to formally restart Focus with Akkerman, though the latter felt different though he was happy to reunite with van der Linden.[79] On 17 May the group, minus Akkerman, mimed a performance of "House of the King" on the Service Salon television program on AVRO-TV. Originally the band were to perform "Hocus Pocus" with Akkerman, but the guitarist declined the offer made by the network, stating he reunited with Focus for Meijer and his manager. The appearance went ahead regardless.[79]

Van Leer and Akkerman shared the stage once more in 1993, performing Focus songs at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

In 1999, van Leer attempted to reform Focus with Cleuver, Ruiter, and Dutch guitarist Menno Gootjes. They performed several live dates in the Netherlands, but disagreements between van Leer and Ruiter over material intended for release effectively split up the group.

2001–present: Reformation, albums and touring

In 2001, van Leer was invited to a try out session by his stepson and bassist Bobby Jacobs, who was rehearsing with guitarist Jan Dumée and drummer Ruben van Roon, all former members of van Leer's side project Conxi. To van Leer's surprise, he found out the three had been rehearsing Focus songs from the 1970s era.[80] The sessions led to the group's decision to perform live as a Focus tribute band named Hocus Pocus "just for fun, nothing too serious".[81] After a couple of well received gigs in the Netherlands, the group resumed the Focus name and acquired Willem Hubers as their new manager and booking agent which led to several offers to perform worldwide.[80] Focus 8 was recorded between February and July 2002; van Roon left the band due to personal circumstances, and was replaced by drummer Bert Smaak. Released on Musea Records in late 2002, it received critical praise and was supported with a tour of North and South America and Europe.

In 2004, van der Linden replaced Smaak on drums and in July 2006, Niels van der Steenhoven replaced Dumée on the guitar. This line-up recorded Focus 9 / New Skin, the ninth Focus studio album released in September 2006 by the Dutch label Red Bullet Records, which currently owns the band's back catalogue.

In May 2010, Nike included "Hocus Pocus" as the main theme in its 2010 FIFA World Cup commercial, Write the Future. The advert aired on television worldwide which generated renewed interest in the band and led to "Hocus Pocus" entering the UK Singles Chart at number 57.

In 2011, Gootjes rejoined the band as a replacement to a departing 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 their tenth studio album Focus X, featuring cover art by Roger Dean, in November 2012.

On 14 April 2014, the band released their eleventh studio album Golden Oldies as a collection of re-recorded versions of Focus songs.

In 2016, the band released Focus 8.5 / Beyond the Horizon on their own label, In and Out of Focus Records. It is credited to "Focus and Friends featuring Marvio Ciribelli", and was recorded during gaps in their 2005 South American tour with Brazilian musicians.

In December 2016, Udo Pannekeet replaced Jacobs on bass. Focus performed at their second Cruise to the Edge event in February 2017. The line-up included Dumée on guitar after Gootjes was too ill to perform. From March to October 2017, Focus will tour Europe.

Music

Akkerman's "House of the King" was originally a Dutch single release, before being included on the UK album In and Out of Focus,[15] which featured tracks from 'Focus Play Focus" in a different playing sequence plus "House of the King" (the track is not on the band's Dutch debut[82]). The same version, not a re-recording, was included on the 1973 double vinyl release of Focus 3 (but was omitted from the CD version of that album), and later became the title themes of the BBC children's television shows "Encounter France: and "Merry-go-Round", both 1979,[83] then Don't Ask Me, a science-based British TV show of the 1970s that made household names of Magnus Pyke and David Bellamy. It is also the title theme of Steve Coogan's BBC 2 sitcom, Saxondale.

Personnel

Band members

Current members
Former members

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

References

  1. 1 2 "RIAA Search – Focus". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Focus (1973). In and Out of Focus [Reissue] (Media notes). Sire Records. SAS 7404.
  3. 1 2 3 Hernandez, Alan Carlos (12 November 2012). "INTERVIEW: Thijs Van Leer comes into focus". Herald de Paris. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Randall, David (May 1991). "Focus" (PDF). Record Collector (141): 102–107. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Mandell, Ellen (February 1973). "Focus' Dutch Treat – Live at the Rainbow" (PDF). Circus: 32, 41. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  6. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 21.
  7. 1 2 3 Johnson 2013, p. 22.
  8. 1 2 "Go Focus Yourself... The THIJS VAN LEER Interview". The Ozymandias Progject. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  9. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 33.
  10. ↑ Various Artists (1970). Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical – Original Amsterdam Cast (Media notes). Polydor Records. 2441 002.
  11. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 34.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Beckes, Hans (24 November 1973). "Het Grote Jan Akkerman Verhaal" (PDF). Veronica. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  13. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 35.
  14. ↑ "Radio Lux Exec Promotes Groups". 82 (39). 26 September 1970: 67. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  15. 1 2 "Focus (2) - In And Out Of Focus (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-07-02.
  16. ↑ In and Out of Focus: The Music of Jan Akkerman & focus at Google Books.
  17. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 42.
  18. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 26.
  19. 1 2 3 "Dutch Charts – Focus". Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  20. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 37.
  21. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 38.
  22. 1 2 3 Johnson 2013, p. 44.
  23. ↑ Vernon, Mike (1976). Mother Focus [UK Pressing] (Media notes). Harvest Records. SHSP 4068.
  24. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 45.
  25. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 47.
  26. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 51.
  27. 1 2 3 4 "Official Charts – Focus". Official Charts. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  28. 1 2 3 Johnson 2013, p. 59.
  29. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 55.
  30. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 58.
  31. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 57.
  32. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 62.
  33. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 63.
  34. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 64.
  35. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 66.
  36. ↑ Focus (1972). Focus 3 (Media notes). Polydor Records. 2659 016.
  37. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 81.
  38. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 76.
  39. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 78.
  40. ↑ Thompson, Dave. "Sylvia – Focus". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  41. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 83.
  42. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 84.
  43. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 89, 90.
  44. ↑ Cunningham 1999, p. 191.
  45. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 91.
  46. 1 2 3 "In And Out Of Focus... COLIN ALLEN Interviewed in December 2008". The Ozymandias Progject. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  47. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 101, 103.
  48. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 103.
  49. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 106.
  50. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 110.
  51. ↑ "focus - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  52. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 112.
  53. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 114.
  54. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 116.
  55. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 117.
  56. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 113.
  57. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 120.
  58. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sutcliffe, Phil (6 March 1976). "If You Look Like This...". Sounds. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  59. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 124.
  60. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 124, 132.
  61. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 125.
  62. ↑ Johnson 2013, pp. 133–135.
  63. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 136.
  64. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 137.
  65. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 139.
  66. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 140.
  67. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 167.
  68. 1 2 3 Johnson 2013, p. 193.
  69. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 192.
  70. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 201.
  71. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 204.
  72. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 205.
  73. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 206.
  74. 1 2 3 Johnson 2013, p. 207.
  75. ↑ "Dutch Charts – Jan Akkerman & Thijs van Leer". Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  76. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 215.
  77. ↑ Johnson 2013, p. 217.
  78. 1 2 3 Johnson 2013, p. 224.
  79. 1 2 Johnson 2013, p. 225.
  80. 1 2 "Go Focus Yourself... The THIJS VAN LEER Interview [November 2007]". The Ozymandias Progject. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  81. ↑ Focus (2002). Focus 8 [French Pressing] (Media notes). Musea Recordss. FGBG 4472 AR.
  82. ↑ "Focus (2) - Focus Plays Focus (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs.com. 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2017-07-02.
  83. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
Sources
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