Focus (Band)
Focus is a Dutch progressive rock band. Your dominant members were the organist and flutist Thijs van Leer and guitarist guitarist Jan Akkerman.
Band History
Thijs van Leer founded Focus in 1969 together with Martin Dresden ( bass) and Hans Cleuver (drums). Together with Jan Akkerman they took in 1970 to their first LP In and Out of Focus and the single House of the King.
With Pierre van der Linden, the guitarist Jan Akkerman knew of his previous group Brainbox, on drums and Cyril Havermans on electric bass brought the album Moving Waves and the hit single Hocus Pocus 1971, the international recognition.
Another great international success was the single Sylvia from the published 1972 double album Focus III. On bass is now played Bert Ruiter.
In 1973, the live album Live at the Rainbow. Pierre van der Linden left the group because he did not want to go with a commercial style. With drummer Collin Allen ( ex - Stone the Crows, ex - John Mayall ) was 1974, the Hamburger Concerto LP recorded.
During the recording of Mother Focus, 1975, Allen was replaced by David Kemper. 1976 also left the band guitarist Jan Akkerman. He was replaced by Philip Catherine and then Eef Albers. This year, Ship of Memories came out, containing unreleased recordings, and in 1977 with PJ Proby Focus con Proby.
Thijs van Leer and Jan Akkerman played together every now and again, and again in 1985 brought an album under the name Focus out.
1988 Focus albums were re-released on CD.
In 2002, Thijs van Leer again a Focus lineup together and went on tour ( among other times again with Pierre van der Linden and Bert Smaak on drums, also follow Jan Dumee (guitar), Bobby Jacobs ( bass) ). This is documented together with old footage to DVD.
Since January 2011 ( * 1974 ) is a guitarist Menno Gootjes the band; he took over from Niels van der Steen Hoven, who had played for almost five years in the band. Currently there are next to Thijs van Leer still drummer Pierre van der Linden and bassist Bobby Jacobs.
Closely associated with the success of Focus is the music producer Mike Vernon, who managed the group since 1970.
Music style
What makes the music of Focus is that the instrumental pieces predominate, especially on the most successful albums. Singing is often used purely instrumentally, such as yodeling by Thijs van Leer on Hocus Pocus. Typical of the progressive rock are the long - suites like or symphonic concept pieces. On most albums can be found as a kind of ongoing issue the melodious piece Focus.
Although the musicians their pieces often represented as jokes or banal ideas in interviews, it is clear that the music of Focus both in terms of virtuosity (for example, in 1973 guitarist Jan Akkerman from the Melody Maker as the world's best guitarist named ) as well as a composer took place at a very high level. The rock music of Focus has been enriched with a variety of styles. The origin of jazz and classical training of musicians is, in many denominations of days. The music is full of clichés, quotes and arrangements of classical composers such as Joseph Haydn, Johannes Brahms and Bartók. One finds allusions to the Gregorian chant, folk music and baroque music to radio or Far Eastern music.
Trivia
The company Nike used in 2010 before the song Hocus Pocus from the album Moving Waves for an advertising campaign and during the Football World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Also Hocus Pocus is heard Ghostfacers the third season of the TV series Supernatural in the episode. The song Hocus Pocus is also published in the 2014 film RoboCop used.
Discography
Albums
Singles
- House of the King
- Hocus Pocus
- Sylvia
- Harem Scarem
- Anonymous