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Focus‎
Focus. Left to Right: Bobby Jacobs, Thijs van Leer, Niels van der Steenhoven & Pierre van der Linden
Focus. Left to Right: Bobby Jacobs, Thijs van Leer, Niels van der Steenhoven & Pierre van der Linden
Background information
Origin The Netherlands
Genre(s) Progressive rock
Years active 1969 — present
Label(s) Sire Records
Website focustheband.com
Members
Thijs van Leer - Hammond-organ, flute and vocals
Niels van der Steenhoven - guitar
Bobby Jacobs - bass guitar
Pierre van der Linden - drums
Former members
Jan Akkerman (guitar)
Jan Dumée (guitar)
Martin Dresden (bass guitar)
Cyril Havermans (bass guitar)
Bert Ruiter (bass guitar)
Hans Cleuver (drums)
Colin Allen (drums)
Bert Smaak (drums)


Focus is a Dutch progressive rock band. Thijs Van Leer (born 31 March 1948 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch Musician, Singer and Composer, best known for heading Pierre van der Linden, born February 19, 1946 in the Netherlands, is a jazz drummer in the vein of his childhood hero Buddy Rich. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Sire Records Company is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros Thijs Van Leer (born 31 March 1948 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch Musician, Singer and Composer, best known for heading Pierre van der Linden, born February 19, 1946 in the Netherlands, is a jazz drummer in the vein of his childhood hero Buddy Rich. Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch Guitarist. Jan Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist constantly experimenting with new equipment and Jan Dumée (born April 6, 1965) is a Dutch rock / Jazz guitar player, Composer and Record producer. Cyril Havermans is a Dutch musician best known for being in the Progressive rock band Focus. Bert Ruiter (born 26 November 1946, Amsterdam) is a Dutch Bass guitarist, Record producer, and Composer. Colin Allen (born May 1938 Bournemouth, Dorset (now in Hampshire, England) is a Drummer and Songwriter. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved It was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969. The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each A flautist, flutist, or flute player is a Musician who plays the Flute. Thijs Van Leer (born 31 March 1948 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch Musician, Singer and Composer, best known for heading Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It is most famous for the song "Hocus Pocus". " Hocus Pocus " is a 1971 song from Moving Waves, the second album by Dutch rock group Focus.

Contents

History

The 1970s

1970: At the release of their first album In and Out of Focus, Focus comprised keyboardist and flautist Thijs van Leer, guitarist Jan Akkerman, bass guitarist Martin Dresden, and drummer Hans Cleuver. In and Out of Focus is the 1970 debut album by the Dutch band Focus The album was initially recorded in 1969 in Amsterdam the Netherlands and subsequently Thijs Van Leer (born 31 March 1948 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch Musician, Singer and Composer, best known for heading Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch Guitarist. Jan Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist constantly experimenting with new equipment and The album was little noticed outside of 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. Cyril Havermans is a Dutch musician best known for being in the Progressive rock band Focus. Pierre van der Linden, born February 19, 1946 in the Netherlands, is a jazz drummer in the vein of his childhood hero Buddy Rich. Brainbox was a Dutch rock group from the late 1960s/early 1970s When Cleuver and Dresden left Focus shortly after, Van Leer joined Akkerman, Van der Linden, and Havermans as the new lineup of Focus.

1971: The group released Moving Waves, which brought the band international acclaim and a hit on both sides of the Atlantic with the radio edit of the rock rondo Hocus Pocus. Moving Waves is the 1971 second album by the Dutch band Focus. " Hocus Pocus " is a 1971 song from Moving Waves, the second album by Dutch rock group Focus. 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, whistling, nonsensical vocals, falsetto singing, and yodeling. The term falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false refers to the Vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the Modal voice register and Yodeling (or yodelling, jodeling) is a form of Singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the This album established Thijs van Leer and Akkerman as composers who could appeal to progressive-rock album listeners (a large audience in the early 1970s) and radio single buyers.

Shortly before the band went on tour to support the album, Havermans quit and was replaced by Bert Ruiter. Bert Ruiter (born 26 November 1946, Amsterdam) is a Dutch Bass guitarist, Record producer, and Composer. He released a solo album, Cyril, in 1973, on which he was backed by all three of his former bandmates from Focus.

1972: The Focus III double album was released. Focus III is a double - album by Progressive rock band Focus, which 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 Moving Waves and the material did not support the length of a double album. However, the album contained the Van Leer-penned "Sylvia" which become a major hit in many markets outside the U. S. and was in the charts for several weeks in Great Britain. After two hits in a row, demands to continue producing hit singles began both inside and outside the ranks of the band and its producers.

In late 1973, the Focus "At the Rainbow" album was released, which showcases the energy and virtuosity Focus routinely displayed in their live concerts. At the Rainbow is a 1973 live album by the band Focus. A studio album was initially slated for release however it was shelved due to disagreements within the

1974: Van der Linden was replaced by ex-Stone the Crows drummer Colin Allen before the Focus recorded the Hamburger Concerto album. Stone The Crows was a band formed in Glasgow in late 1969 History The band was formed after Maggie Bell was introduced to Les Harvey by Colin Allen (born May 1938 Bournemouth, Dorset (now in Hampshire, England) is a Drummer and Songwriter. Hamburger Concerto, is a 1974 studio album by the band Focus. It was felt by the producers and some in the group that Allen's more mainstream rock drumming style would make Focus more accessible to a wider audience. 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. However, Hamburger Concerto is still considered by many to be their masterpiece, despite the New Musical Express review which qualified the hamburger as being "overdone".

1975: The album Mother Focus, featuring new drummer David Kemper, was released to mostly negative reviews. Mother Focus is a 1975 studio album by the band Focus. The album marks a departure from the Progressive rock style that dominated the band's prior work David Kemper (born David Law Kemper in Chicago, 1947/8 is a Drummer. Critics and longtime fans were puzzled by the sudden turn to short pop songs and a light jazz-fusion style in several tracks, while the lack of a potential single soured the music industry's opinion on the band's ability to capture a wider audience. The quality of the compositions were still high, but the career of Focus was hampered by changing tastes in the audience away from the progressive music that was in vogue when the band started and the lack of a clear stylistic direction.

1976: Frustrated with group's lack of direction and the constraints of working with its commercial ambitions, Jan Akkerman left on the eve of a sell-out UK tour. His last minute replacement was Belgian jazz-fusion guitarist Philip Catherine. Philip Catherine (born 27 October 1942) is a Belgian Jazz Guitarist. The group's 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. Sire Records Company is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros Ship of Memories is a 1976 album by the band Focus featuring previously unreleased material The liner notes were written by Mike Vernon who was the group's producer at the time, and claim that Akkerman's lack of interest in the project was the reason the sessions fell through. Mike Vernon is a British record producer He has produced albums for a leading British blues artists and groups during the late 1960s working with the Bluesbreakers Ship of Memories was released largely due to the effort of Mike Vernon and without the active involvement of the band. The title track is a Van der Linden composition.

1978: American singer P. J. Proby and guitarist Eef Albers joined Philip Catherine and the rest of Focus to record Focus con Proby. P J Proby (born James Marcus Smith, 6 November 1938, Houston, Texas, United States) is a Singer, Focus Con Proby is Focus ' 7th studio album and was released in January 1978 The album received dismal reviews and a lack of interest from all but hardcore fans, and after a short tour the band decided to call it a day.

The 1980s

1985: Van Leer and Akkerman reunited for a joint project which resulted in the commercially unsuccessful album "Focus". Even though it is officially not a product of the band Focus, most tracks recall the "lite jazz" sound of the "Mother Focus" album. With tepid marketing support and a short record production run, many of Focus' longtime fans around the world were unaware that the album was released or were unable to find a copy. As a result, sales of the album were predictably abysmal.

The 1990s

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

1993: Van Leer and Akkerman shared the stage and performed Focus compositions at the North Sea Jazz Festival. The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in The Netherlands.

1999: Van Leer attempts to reform Focus with original drummer Hans Cleuver, bassist Bert Ruiter, and new guitarist Menno Gootjes. They performed several live dates in Holland, but internal wrangling over material intended for a CD release effectively split up the group.

The 2000s

Cover of New Skin
Cover of New Skin

2001: Thijs van Leer re-formed Focus as himself, stepson Bobby Jacobs on bass, guitarist Jan Dumée, and drummer Ruben van Roon (all are former members of the band CONXI). Jan Dumée (born April 6, 1965) is a Dutch rock / Jazz guitar player, Composer and Record producer. Van Roon was soon after replaced by Bert Smaak. The result was the well-received Focus 8 album and world tour. Jan Dumée's guitar playing on Focus 8 is reminiscent of Akkerman's, and both guitarists have expressed their high regard for each other's work.

2004: Pierre van der Linden replaces Bert Smaak on drums.

June 2006: A new album (Focus 9 / New Skin) is recorded, but due to 'musical differences', guitarist Jan Dumée is dismissed from the band.

July 2006: Niels van der Steenhoven joins the group and the Focus 9 / New Skin CD is re-recorded. Jan Dumée forms his own group On The Rocks together with British singer John Lawton (ex-Uriah Heep and Lucifer's Friend). On The Rocks (OTR is an international rock band formed by British Dutch and Brazilian musicians with different musical backgrounds leading to a unique style John Lawton (born July 11, 1946 in Halifax, England) is a Rock and roll and Blues Vocalist best known for his Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in December 1969 when record producer Gerry Bron invited keyboardist Ken Hensley (previously Lucifer's Friend was a 1970s German Hard rock and Progressive rock band who often incorporated elements of Jazz and Pop music.

September 2006: The band released the album Focus 9 / New Skin under the Red Bullet label. This label now owns the entire back catalogue of Focus. The return of van der Linden's distinctive jazz-influenced drumming style strongly moves the band closer to its classic 1970's sound. This has been hailed as a huge boost for the Focus comeback and suggests interesting future musical directions for the band.

Music

Focus remains one of the most well-known and influential rock bands from the Netherlands. They successfully fuse inspired jazz, rock, and blues improvisation, classical musical structures, and accessible pop melodies into a powerful and instantly recognizable sound.

Van Leer's tongue-in-cheek musical references include the reworking of motifs from an early Monteverdi opera in the extended piece "Eruption" on the Moving Waves album, the contrapuntal passage in the middle section of "Carnival Fugue" on the Focus 3 album, the Renaissance-era harmonic progressions in "Anonymous II" (also on Focus 3), and the quote of the first chorale of J.S. Bach's oratorio St. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" Matthew's Passion in the track "Father Bach" on "Mother Focus".

Akkerman's "House of the King" (from the "In and Out of Focus" album) is 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. Dr Magnus Alfred Pyke ( Paddington, London, England 29 December, 1908 &ndash 19 October, 1992) was a David J Bellamy OBE (born 18 January 1933) is an English Botanist, Author, broadcaster, and environmental It is also the theme song to the BBC show Saxondale. Saxondale is a British television Situation comedy programme starring and co-written (with Neil Maclennan) by Steve Coogan.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Charting singles:

Non-charting singles:


Books

See also

External links

In and Out of Focus The Music of Jan Akkerman and Focus is the biography of Jan Akkerman. Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch Guitarist. Jan Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist constantly experimenting with new equipment and Thijs Van Leer (born 31 March 1948 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch Musician, Singer and Composer, best known for heading Jan Dumée (born April 6, 1965) is a Dutch rock / Jazz guitar player, Composer and Record producer.
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