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Focus (band)
Focus is a Dutch progressive rock band formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer, drummer Hans Cleuver, bassist Martijn Dresden, and guitarist Jan Akkerman. The band has 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. They have sold one million Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA-certified albums in the United States. After the addition of Akkerman to Van Leer's rock trio in late 1969, the band named themselves Focus and initially worked for a Dutch production of the rock musical ''Hair (musical), Hair''. Their debut album, ''Focus Plays Focus'' (1970), gained little attention but the follow-up, ''Focus II, Moving Waves'' (1971), and its lead single "Hocus Pocus (song), Hocus Pocus", earned the band international recognition. Their success continued with ''Focus 3'' (1972) and ''Hamburger Concerto'' (1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thijs Van Leer
Thijs van Leer (; born 31 March 1948) is a Dutch singer and keyboardist, best known as the founding member of the rock band Focus as its primary vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist. Born and raised in Amsterdam among a musical family, van Leer took up the piano and flute as a child and pursued them at university and music academies. From 1967 to 1969, van Leer was backing vocalist and musician in a theatre cabaret act headed by Ramses Shaffy; recorded singles as a solo artist; and produced, arranged, and conducted music for Bojoura. He formed Trio Thijs van Leer, a three-piece rock band which evolved into Focus in late 1969 following the addition of guitarist Jan Akkerman. Focus achieved international success following the release of '' Moving Waves'' (1971) and its lead single, " Hocus Pocus", which features van Leer's yodelling and whistling. After several albums with various line-ups, van Leer disbanded Focus in 1978; he reformed the band in 2002. Van Leer achieved succes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jan Akkerman
Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch guitarist. He first found international commercial success with the band Focus (band), Focus, which he co-founded with Thijs van Leer. After leaving Focus, he continued as a solo musician, adding jazz rock influences. Biography The son of a scrap iron trader, Akkerman was born in Amsterdam. He started playing the accordion before turning to the guitar. Around age ten he took guitar lessons and his first single, with the Friendship Sextet, was released in 1960, when he was thirteen years old. Akkerman won a scholarship to study at the Amsterdam Music Lyceum for five years, developing his composition and arranging skills. At fourteen he was in the rock band Johnny and his Cellar Rockers with his friend Pierre van der Linden. Both then joined The Hunters. After seeing a performance by classical guitarist Julian Bream, he became interested in renaissance music and the lute. He started the band Brainbox with Van der Linden, Kaz Lux, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Focus 8 ...
The discography of the progressive rock band Focus consists of 11 studio albums, 1 compilation album, 6 live albums, and 8 singles. Studio albums Compilation albums Live albums Singles References External links * {{Focus Discographies of Dutch artists Rock music group discographies Pop music group discographies Discography Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steve Smith (drummer)
Steven Bruce Smith (born August 21, 1954) is an American drummer best known as a member of the rock band Journey across three stints: 1978 to 1985, 1995 to 1998 and 2015 to 2020. ''Modern Drummer'' magazine readers have voted him the No. 1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row. In 2001, the publication named Smith one of the Top 25 Drummers of All Time, and in 2002 he was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey on April 7, 2017. Early life Smith received his first drum kit at age two and in 1963 he began taking formal lessons with local Boston area drum teacher Bill Flanagan, who played in big bands in the swing era. Smith got his first "real" drum set when he was 12 years old. On many nights, Steve could be heard practicing in a small shed in the back yard of his Harvard Street home. Smith performed in the usual school band program and garage bands while in his teens, including Clyde, a South Shore ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Kemper
David Law Kemper (born 1947/8 in Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...) is an American rock drummer who was a member of the Jerry Garcia Band (1983–1994) and Bob Dylan's band (1996–2001). He was with the Jerry Garcia Band from 1983 until January 1994, when he was suddenly dismissed for reasons still unknown to him. He went on to spend five years as Bob Dylan's drummer. Kemper joined Dutch progressive rock band Focus (band), Focus from 1975 to 1977, playing both on the ''Mother Focus'' album and tour. He has played with Mike Stinson, Elkie Brooks, Dennis Wilson (on the ''Bambu'' sessions) and Bernie Leadon. He played double drums with Jim Gordon (musician), Jim Gordon on Barry McGuire's "Don't Blame God" from his ''Lighten Up'' album in 1974. Also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colin Allen
Colin Eric Allen (born 9 May 1938) is an English blues drummer and songwriter. Career Allen spent the first ten years of his adult life working in aircraft engineering. He became interested in jazz at the age of 16 and two years later started playing drums. He studied drumming with local drummer Jack Horwood for two years and for a short period with Philly Joe Jones. Allen's first stage performance was in a skiffle contest at a cinema. He went on to play with jazz musicians in Bournemouth. During 1963 he became a member of Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, which included Andy Summers (later of The Police). For a few years ago he played occasionally at The Bull's Head, Barnes with the Big Roll Band when visiting London. Allen moved to London on 1 January 1964 with Andy Summers. Allen has worked with Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim, Solomon Burke, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Mick Taylor, Focus, Donovan, Stone The Crows, Georgie Fame ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phillip Catherine
Philip Catherine (born 27 October 1942) is a Belgian jazz rock guitarist. Biography Philip Catherine was born in London, England, to an English mother and Belgian father, and was raised in Brussels, Belgium. His grandfather was a violinist in the London Symphony Orchestra. Catherine started on guitar in his teens, and by seventeen he was performing professionally at local venues. He released his debut album, ''Stream'', in 1972. During the next few years, he studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and with Mick Goodrick and George Russell. In 1976, he and guitarist Larry Coryell recorded and toured as an acoustic duo. The same year, when Jan Akkerman abruptly left Focus, Catherine replaced him in the band. The following year, he recorded with Charles Mingus, who dubbed him "Young Django". In the early 1980s, he toured briefly with Benny Goodman. He was in trio with Didier Lockwood and Christian Escoudé, then in a trio with Chet Baker. During the 1990s, he recorded thr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sylvia (Focus Song)
"Sylvia" is a 1972 song by Dutch progressive rock band Focus. It was released on their 1972 album '' Focus 3''. As a single, it became the band's biggest international hit, reaching number 4 in the UK Singles Chart, after entering the charts there on 27 January 1973. and number 89 in the US Billboard chart in August. Background First released as a single in The Netherlands in April 1972, the song was subsequently included on the album '' Focus 3'' in November. On 12 December, the band recorded a session for the BBC's '' The Old Grey Whistle Test'', including "Sylvia" segueing into the yodeling of " Hocus Pocus". Aside from Thijs van Leer's short section of falsetto vocalising, the song is instrumental. In 1968, while in the four-piece backing band and vocal group ''Shaffy Chantant'' with lead singer Ramses Shaffy, Thijs composed the melody of the song with words by Linda Van Dijck for Sylvia Alberts to sing. It had the long winded title "''I Thought I Could Do Everythin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hamburger Concerto
''Hamburger Concerto'' is the fourth studio album by the Dutch progressive rock band Focus (band), Focus, released in May 1974. It peaked at No. 20 on the UK charts. The title track is based on ''Variations on a Theme by Haydn'' by Johannes Brahms. The composition also incorporates the first two verses of the Dutch Christmas carol ''O Kerstnacht, schoner dan de dagen'' at around 15 minutes, and the Third Quarter chime from the Westminster Quarters is quoted in the track's final seconds. The first track is based on a Gaillarde of Joachim van den Hove of his work Delitae Musicae. Track listing Vinyl release, 1974 CD release, 1988 Personnel ;Focus *Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Western concert flute, flute, piano, harpsichord, moog synthesizer, moog, ARP synthesizer, Recorder flute, recorder, mellotron, accordion, pipe organ, the organ of St.Mary the Virgin, Barnes, vocals *Jan Akkerman – guitars, lute, timpani, handclaps *Bert Ruiter – bass guitar, autoharp, triangles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Focus 3
''Focus 3'' is the third studio album by Dutch rock band Focus, released as a double album in November 1972 on Imperial Records. Recorded after touring in support of their previous album, '' Moving Waves'' (1971), the album saw the band write extended pieces and is their first with bassist Bert Ruiter in the group's line-up. ''Focus 3'' received a positive reception upon its release. It went to No. 1 in the Netherlands for one week and reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 35 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. " Sylvia" was released as the album's sole single, which reached No. 4 in the UK and No. 89 in the US. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling in excess of 500,000 copies. Production Recording By 1972, Focus had stabilised with a line-up of organist and vocalist Thijs van Leer, guitarist Jan Akkerman, drummer Pierre van der Linden, and bassist Bert Ruiter. In July 1972, after touring in supporting their previous album, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hocus Pocus (song)
"Hocus Pocus" is a song by the Dutch rock band Focus, written by keyboardist, flutist, and vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman. It was recorded and released in 1971 as the opening track of their second studio album '' Moving Waves''. An edited version was released as a single (with "Janis" as the B-side) on the Imperial, Polydor and Blue Horizon labels in Europe in 1971, but failed to chart outside of the Netherlands (NL ). Buoyed by a live performance on ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' in December 1972 and a subsequent British club tour, the song rose to on the UK singles chart in late January 1973. In the US and Canada, the song was released as a single on the Sire Records label in 1973. A different recording, a faster version of the song, entitled "Hocus Pocus 2" or "Hocus Pocus II", appeared on the B-side of the original single edit in these territories. It was not available outside the US until Sire Records in 1975 released the compilation album ''Dutch Mast ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Focus II
''Focus II'' (better known by its international title, ''Moving Waves'') is the second studio album by Dutch progressive rock band Focus, released in October 1971 on Imperial Records. Following the departure of original bassist Martin Dresden and drummer Hans Cleuver in 1970, the band recruited Cyril Havermans and Pierre van der Linden, respectively, and prepared material for a new album. Recording took place in London in April and May 1971 with Mike Vernon as producer. The album features "Hocus Pocus" a hard rock song featuring keyboardist Thijs van Leer's yodelling, scat singing, and whistling, and "Eruption", a 22-minute track inspired by the opera '' Euridice'' by Italian composer Jacopo Peri. The album was released to a mostly positive response and remains one of their most commercially successful albums, reaching No. 2 in the UK, No. 4 in the Netherlands, and No. 8 in the US. "Hocus Pocus" was released as a single in the Netherlands in July 1971, followed by its internation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
