Focus -

Focus is a Dutch rock band, known internationally for their 1972 yodeling hard-rock staple “Hocus Pocus” and the classic 1971–74 albums Moving Waves, Focus 3, and Hamburger Concerto. Between 1970 and 1977, they released seven studio albums and scored European hits with “House of the King,” “Sylvia,” and “Harem Scarem.” They launched the careers of two worldclass virtuosos: keyboardist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman.

Members: Thijs van Leer (keyboards, flute, vocals, Hammond organ), Martijn Dresden (bass, 1969-70), Hans Cleuver (drums, 1969-70), Jan Akkerman (guitar, 1969-76), Pierre van der Linden (drums, 1970-73, 1976, 2005-present), Cyril Havermans (bass, 1970-71), Bert Ruiter (bass, 1971-78), Colin Allen (drums, 1974-75), David Kemper (drums, 1975), Philip Catherine (guitar, 1976-78), Eef Albers (guitar, 1976-78), Steve Smith (drums, 1977-78), P.J. Proby (vocals, 1977-78)

Background

Focus emerged from the trio Thijs van Leer and the Rebaptised, formed in mid-1969 by keyboardist and reedist Leer with bassist Martijn Dresden and drummer Hans Cleuver.

Van Leer came from a family of musicians that sometimes played together at home. After studying harmony and counterpoint at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, he was hired for the backing band of singer/actor Ramses Shaffy’s theater act Shaffy Chantant. In 1967, van Leer cut the single “Nooit Zal Ik Vergeten” for Phonogram, followed by the 1968 release “Zolang de Wereld Nog Draait” (“As Long As the World Still Turns”) on Philips.

In November 1969, Rebaptised expanded to a four-piece with guitarist Jan Akkerman. Earlier that year, he cut a self-titled album with blues-psych rockers Brainbox, where he played vibraphone and guitar. With Akkerman, Rebaptised became Focus, a name chosen by van Leer because it meant the same thing in multiple languages.

By December, Focus secured work as the pit band for the Dutch production of Hair, as documented on the 1970 Polydor release Hair (Original Amsterdam Cast). Dresden’s father contacted Radio Tele Music director Hubert Terheggen, who booked them studio time as their acting producer.

In late June 1970, Focus and countrymen Ekseption made small-stage appearances at the Holland Pop Festival, a three-day event in Kralingen, Rotterdam, colloquially billed as the “Dutch Woodstock.” The main stage drew an estimated 100,000 attendees with sets by Supersister and assorted high-profile UK acts (Caravan, Family, Quintessence, Soft Machine, Stone the Crows, Third Ear Band) and American performers (Santana, The Byrds, The Flock, Jefferson Airplane, It’s a Beautiful Day).

Focus Plays Focus [In and Out of Focus]

Focus released their debut album, Focus Plays Focus, in September 1970 on Imperial Records.

The album bookends with versions of the Thijs van Leer’s “Focus” theme. He composed the lengthy instrumental and co-wrote the shorter vocal version with drummer Hans Cleuver, who also co-wrote “Why Dream” and “Black Beauty.”

Bassist Martijn Dresden contributed to two van Leer compositions aided by outside writers: “Happy Nightmare” (with lyrics by Amsterdam DJ Mike Hayes) and “Sugar Island” (co-credited to Jan Staal, a Dutch stage actor).

Side B opens with “Anonymous,” a group-written epic. The LP labels on original Dutch copies erroneously list this track on Side A. Subsequent Benelux pressings (orange-back, seven tracks) repeat the mistake.

Dresden doubles as trumpeter on Focus Plays Focus, which features van Leer on flute, Hammond organ, piano, electric piano, mellotron, harpsichord, and vibraphone. Concerto Amsterdam cellist Wouter Möller guests on “Happy Nightmare.”

Focus Plays Focus opens with “Focus,” a vocal-led piece that blends soft singing with extended Hammond organ passages and interjections of Jan Akkerman’s guitar. The instrumental interplay establishes the band’s dynamic, moving between gentle, floating sections and abrupt, expressive flourishes. “Black Beauty” introduces tighter melodic lines and alternating piano and guitar leads, balancing the 60s-inspired vocal approach with subtly layered instrumentation. “Sugar Island” weaves flute and guitar over rhythmic, syncopated patterns, featuring an intricate instrumental break that highlights contrasting textures.

“Anonymous” emphasizes improvisation, trading energy between piano, flute, bass, and guitar, punctuated by a standout bass solo and shifting rhythmic accents. “House of the King” delivers a concise, spirited arrangement, spotlighting rapid flute runs and supporting bass phrasing. “Happy Nightmare (Mescaline)” and “Why Dream?” return to vocal passages, with measured organ, baroque flourishes, and occasional jazz-inflected turns guiding the songs’ forward momentum. The album closes with an instrumental reprise of “Focus,” extending the theme into dramatic Hammond and guitar passages that build tension and release. Across the record, the band alternates between vocal and instrumental tracks, fluctuating tempos, and layered instrumental textures, demonstrating early Focus’s capacity for controlled improvisation, dynamic contrast, and adventurous interplay.

A1. “Focus” (9:45)
A2. “Why Dream” (3:57)
A3. “Happy Nightmare” (3:56)

B1. “Anonymus” (7:00)
B2. “Black Beauty” (3:05)
B3. “Sugar Island” (3:03)
B4. “Focus” (2:44)

Sessions took place in January 1970 at Sound Techniques, a facility in London’s Chelsea district used for recent recordings by Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull, Nick Drake, and the Incredible String Band. Staffer Jerry Boys engineered Focus Plays Focus in sequence with albums by Al Stewart, Argent, Fotheringay, Pentangle, Stray, and Vashti Bunyan.

Imperial lifted “Why Dream” (b/w “Happy Nightmare”) as the first Focus single (cat. 5C 006-24220). In December 1970, the song “Focus” became the b-side to Akkerman’s non-album “House of the King,” their second Imperial single (cat. 5C 006-24250).

A. “House of the King” (2:20)

In 1971, Focus Plays Focus appeared on Imperial (Europe) and Polydor (UK) as In and Out of Focus with the sides reversed and “House of the King” appended to the tracklist. The Imperial reissue featured a new cover with a spiraled group photo under long, flared title letters on a concrete background. UK copies sport a purple–pink dotted scheme.

In North America, Sire Records issued In and Out of Focus in May 1973 in a beige-framed sleeve after the band’s international breakthrough.

Between the album’s original Imperial release and 1971 reissue, Dresden and Cleuver cleared for a new rhythm section: bassist Cyril Havermans (ex-Big Wheel) and drummer Pierre van der Linden, Akkerman’s former Brainbox bandmate who also played with After Tea and the Tee-Set. Dresden and Cleuver played momentarily with Slight Ache, a singles-only act with future Spin guitarist Hans Hollestelle and Dutch media personality Patricia Paay.

On May 31, 1971, Focus played the second annual Pinkpop Festival at the Burgemeester Damen Sportpark in Geleen. The ’71 event also featured sets by Shocking Blue, Supersister, and the current iteration of Akkerman’s former band, Brainbox, plus the UK acts Forest, Hardin & York, and Fleetwood Mac .

On June 26, Focus appeared at the Amsterdamse Bos park for the Amsterdam Festival, an event headlined by Pink Floyd with sets by America and Pearls Before Swine. Additional summer festivals with Focus sets included Festival Six-Pop 71 (6/25: Wahlwiller; with Q ’65, Brainbox, Cuby & The Blizzards) and the Mid-Summer Pop Festival (July 10-11: Meerlo; with Livin’ Blues, CCC Inc., Cobra).

Focus II [Moving Waves]

Focus released their second album, Focus II, in October 1971 on Imperial. In the UK, the album appeared on Polydor and Blue Horizon as Moving Waves.

The album contains “Hocus Pocus,” a riff-driven yodeling rocker that broke them on US radio. Side B consists of “Eruption,” an instrumental symphonic-rock suite in fifteen parts.

Jan Akkerman composed “Le Clochard (Bread)” and co-wrote “Hocus Pocus” and “Janis” with Thijs van Leer, who composed the bulk of “Eruption” and the third iteration of the “Focus” theme. For the track “Moving Waves,” he lifted words from Indian Sufi poet Inayat Khan (1882–1927).

Focus II opens with “Hocus Pocus,” a six-minute explosion of energy where driving drums, assertive bass, and propulsive guitar underpin Thijs van Leer’s organ, flute, and rapid-fire yodeling, creating abrupt shifts between high-intensity passages and tight, accented interludes. “Le Clochard” follows as a two-minute acoustic guitar meditation, supported by distant Mellotron textures, providing a quiet, contemplative counterpoint. “Janis” continues the gentle tone with flute-led passages over understated percussion, the instrument lines weaving soft, contoured motifs around spacious bass and harmonic support. The title track, “Moving Waves,” introduces lyrics with restrained piano and organ, emphasizing a soft, measured pace and understated vocal phrasing. “Focus II” extends the instrumental series with precise, sometimes playful guitar work and shifting tempos, balancing lyricism with rhythmic variation.

Side B is comprised of “Eruption,” a fifteen-part suite that which flows through semi-independent sections that blend organ, piano, guitar, and flute. It cycles between intricate riffs, sudden stops, improvisational passages, and layered instrumental textures, incorporating baroque-inspired motifs alongside improvisational surges, drum solos, and dramatic dynamic shifts, delivering the album’s most ambitious and sustained display of the band’s technical and expressive range.

A1. “Hocus Pocus” (6:42)
A2. “Le Clochard (Bread)” (2:01)
A3. “Janis” (3:09)
A4. “Moving Waves” (2:42)
A5. “Focus II” (4:00)

B1. “Eruption” (22:35)

i. “Orfeus”
ii. “Answer”
iii. “Orfeus”
iv. “Answer”
v. “Pupilla”
vi. “Tommy” (Tom Barlage)
vii. “Pupilla”
viii. “Answer”
ix .”The Bridge” (Akkerman)
x. “Euridice” (van Leer, Eelko Nobel)
xi. “Dayglow”
xii. “Endless Road” (Pierre van der Linden)
xiii. “Answer”
xiv. “Orfeus”
xv. “Euridice” (van Leer, Nobel)

Sessions spanned April 13 to May 14, 1971, in London at Sound Techniques and Morgan Studios, where Focus recorded the album with Blue Horizon founder Mike Vernon, an early soundman for Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, David Bowie, and Ten Years After. Jerry Boys engineered Focus II in sequence with albums by Spirogyra, Storyteller, Unicorn, Peter Bardens, and the solo debut of ex-Zombies singer Colin Blunstone.

The original Dutch cover has warped pics of each member, diamond-partitioned inside an octagon by photographer Janos Barendsen, also responsible for 1970/71 cover visuals for Ahora Mazda, Solution, and the skull-enclosed photo of Brainbox on their Best of comp. The UK version (Moving Waves) shows a group photo superimposed on rippling purple/pink ocean waters, designed by Blue Horizon cover artist Terence Ibbott.

Imperial issued “Hocus Pocus” in June 1971 as an advance single (b/w “Janis”). It reached No. 9 on the Dutch singles chart. Polydor lifted “Hocus Pocus” alongside the album in the UK, where the song reached No. 20 on the singles chart. Focus II reached No. 4 on the Dutch Top 100 albums chart and (as Moving Waves) No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart.

In September 1971, Havermans cleared for Angelflight Railways bassist Bert Ruiter.

On October 29, Focus played De Doelen concert hall for the Rotterdam edition of the Newport Jazz Festival. Miles Davis appeared on the same day with a sextet that featured Gary Bartz, Keith Jarret, and Michael Henderson. The two subsequent days featured sets by Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Stitt, Thelonious Monk, and Dutch jazz-rockers the Chris Hinze Combination.

In February 1972, Blue Horizon lifted the “Tommy” sequence of “Eruption” as the third UK Focus single (b/w “Focus II”). In the Netherlands, “Tommy” appeared as the followup single to “Sylvia” (from the band’s third album) and peaked at No. 18 on the Dutch singles chart.

1972 Festival Appearances

In March, Focus did a six-date UK tour that included support slots with David Bowie (3/1: Bristol Uni), Status Quo (3/12: Barbarella’s, Birmingham), and Barclay James Harvest (3/19: Greyhound, Croydon).

Focus returned to the UK on May 28 for the Great Western Express Festival, a four-day event at Tupholme Manor Park in Bardney with sets by Atomic Rooster, Buddy Miles, Faces, Genesis, Heads, Hands and Feet, Humble Pie, Joe Cocker, Locomotiv GT, Nazareth, Rory Gallagher, Roxy Music, Sutherland Brothers, Vinegar Joe, and Wishbone Ash.

Focus appeared on day three (Sunday), which also featured the Average White Band, The Beach Boys, Lindisfarne, Slade, a new iteration of the Spencer Davis Group, and a comedy set by Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Great Western also hosted smaller acts in the “Giants of Tomorrow” tent, including Budgie, Byzantium, Capability Brown, Gnidrolog, Jade Warrior, Jonesy, Magic Carpet, Morgan, Patto, Skin Alley, and Walrus .

While in London, Focus performed “Hocus Pocus” and “Eruption” for the May 30 broadcast of The Old Grey Whistle Test. BBC cameras captured van Leer’s stacotto motions from the right-side of his organ, intercut with constant zoom-ins on Akkerman’s tactile fretwork.

On August 12, Focus appeared at Little John’s Farm in Reading, England, for the 11th National Jazz, Blues, Folk & Rock Festival, a three-day weekend event with sets by Curved Air, Gillian McPherson, Jackson Heights, Matching Mole, Stackridge, Steamhammer, String Driven Thing, and Roy Wood‘s Wizzard. Focus played the 3:00pm slot on day two (Saturday), which also featured the Edgar Broughton Band, Electric Light Orchestra, If, Jericho, Jonathan Kelley, Linda Lewis, and Man.

On September 30, Focus appeared as special guests at the Oval Cricket Ground in Kennington, England, for the Melody Maker Poll Winners Concert, which also featured Argent, Genesis (previewing Foxtrot), Wishbone Ash, unsigned Irish rockers Fudd, and headliners Emerson Lake & Palmer, that year’s winners of seven MM awards.

In the US and Canada, Sire released Focus II in December 1972 as Moving Waves with the UK cover art. In February 1973, “Hocus Pocus” became the second Focus single in the North America, where it reached No. 18 in Canada and No. 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (No. 4 Cashbox). This pushed Moving Waves to No. 6 on the Canadian Top Albums chart and No. 8 on the Billboard 200. In Australia, the album and single each peaked at No. 15 on the Kent Music Report.

Solo Work

Between the second and third Focus album, Jan Akkerman and Thijs van Leer each took time for solo projects.

Akkerman released his second solo album, Profile, on Harvest (UK, Europe) and Sire (US). Side A consists of “Fresh Air,” a seven-part suite with Jan on guitar and electric piano, backed by Bert Ruiter and Pierre van der Linden, who both appear on the Side B cuts “Blue Boy” and “Maybe Just a Dream.”

Thijs van Leer debuted as a solo artist with Introspection, a UK/European CBS classical release with solo flute renditions of the two “Focus” instrumentals, plus interpretations of French composer Gabriel Fauré (“Pavane, Op. 50”), and two each of Johann Sebastian Bach and contemporary Ducth composer Rogier Van Otterloo, the album’s arranger.

Focus 3

Focus released their third album, Focus 3, in November 1972 on Imperial (Netherlands), Polydor (UK, Germany), and Sire (North America).

Focus 3 is a double-album (70:25) comprised of eight new originals, including the lengthy jams “Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!” and the group-composed “Anonymus II,” the latter split between Side’s C and D of the original vinyl release.

Thijs van Leer composed Side A apart from Jan Akkerman’s “Love Remembered.” Side B contains the third of van Leer’s “Focus” instrumentals. Akkerman also contributed “Elspeth of Nottingham” and co-wrote “Answers? Questions!” with Bert Ruiter. “Sylvia” appeared as the sole single seven months ahead of the album’s Dutch release.

Akkerman doubles on lute, a plucked round-back instrument from the European Renaissance. Thijs van Leer plays Hammond, harpsichord, piano, piccolo, and alto flute.

Focus 3 opens with “Round Goes the Gossip,” a playful, rapid-tempo track that layers drum flurries with organ stabs and jittery guitar lines, punctuated by Thijs Van Leer’s eccentric vocalizations. “Love Remembered” contrasts sharply, centering on airy flute and acoustic guitar passages, supported by restrained percussion that accentuates its delicate, flowing contour. “Sylvia” maintains a sprightly pace, driven by interweaving guitar and organ motifs, with bursts of vocal yodeling adding rhythmic punctuation. “Carnival Fugue” begins with measured piano patterns before building through syncopated jazz phrasing and Baroque-inflected interplay between flute, organ, and guitar, eventually accelerating into fusion-inspired textures with playful tempo shifts.

The title track unfolds with a gentle, somber atmosphere, Jan Akkerman’s guitar and Van Leer’s organ shaping long, morphing lines that seamlessly transition into “Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!,” a sprawling, 14-minute journey of alternating brisk, organ-led passages and calmer flute-accented interludes, featuring extended guitar and organ improvisations. “Elspeth of Nottingham” provides a brief, medieval-flavored respite with delicate acoustic guitars and ethereal flutes, leading into the 26-minute “Anonymous Two,” which alternates high-energy, flute-driven runs and organ flurries with prolonged bass and drum solos, balancing structured motifs with extended free-form passages. Across its eight tracks, the album juxtaposes concise, lyrical instruments with sprawling, improvisational epics, emphasizing dynamic contrasts, shifting tempos, and meticulous instrumental interaction.

A1. “Round Goes the Gossip” (5:16)
A2. “Love Remembered” (2:49)
A3. “Sylvia” van Leer (3:32)
A4. “Carnival Fugue” (6:02)

B1. “Focus III” (6:07)
B2. “Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!” (14:03)

C. “Anonymus II (Part 1)” (19:28)

D1. “Anonymus II (Conclusion)” (7:30)
D2. “Elspeth of Nottingham” (3:25)
D3. “House of the King” (2:23) appears on the original vinyl release as side filler. The two ex-Focus members of the band’s 1970 lineup — bassist Martin Dresden and drummer Hans Cleuver — go uncredited on Focus 3.

Sessions occurred in July 1972 at Olympic “B” Studios in London’s southwest Barnes district, where Mike Vernon sang uncredited backing on “Round Goes the Gossip” and produced Focus 3 in sequence with Natural High, the second album by funk-psychsters Bloodstone. Olympic’s George Chkiantz (a onetime Small Faces and Soft Machine soundman) engineered Focus 3 amid work with Family, Khan, and Led Zeppelin.

Focus 3 appeared in a sepia gatefold with monochrome letter reveals (over van Leer’s face) by Polydor cover artist Hamish Grimes. North American copies appeared in a die-cut black gatefold with rainbow letters and photo frames. Sire designer Frank Marcelino employed similar die-cut frames on the cencored version of the 1972 debut by Mama Lion.

Imperial issued “Sylvia” as an advance single in April 1972 (b/w “Love Remembered”). In December, Polydor paired “Sylvia” with “House of the King” as the fourth Focus single in the UK, where it reached No. 4.

The subsequent CD version of Focus 3 (67:12) unifies “Anonymus II” (26:24) and omits “House of the King.”

Focus 3 reached No. 1 on the Dutch Top 100 Albums chart and No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart. It peaked at No. 20 in Norway and No. 35 on the Billboard 200 in the US, where “Sylvia” became their second and final single on the Billboard Hot 100.

Focus plugged the album’s UK release with a November 12, 1972, appearance at the Sundown in Edmonton, London, as part of a multi-act bill with Man, Phillip Goodhand-Tait, Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, and Flo & Eddie (billed as Phlorescent Leech & Eddie). The following night, Focus played the Birmingham Town Hall, supported by progressive Irish rockers Fruupp.

1973 Live Appearances

In January 1973, Focus embarked on a 23-date UK tour, supported on most dates by Harvey Andrews.

On February 24, Focus appeared at the Philipshalle in Dusseldorf, Germany, for Hot Rock Night 1973, which also featured sets by Golden Earring, Hawkwind, Home, Savoy Brown, Vinegar Joe, and Family (promoting Bandstand).

On March 4, Focus launched a five-week US tour at the New Orleans Warehouse, supporting Foghat. Subsequent dates included double-bills with Elephant’s Memory (3/6: University of Maryland), Mark-Almond (3/8: Kiel Opera House, St. Louis), Gentle Giant (3/12: State Theater, Youngstown), and Boz Scaggs (4/10: Ford Auditorium, Detroit).

In April, Focus played two nights at the Winterland in San Francisco, supporting Santana and Bobby Womack (4/6) and Yes (4/7). After triple-bills in Tuscon (4/8: McKale Memorial Center; with Frank Zappa) and Kansas City (4/11: Memorial Hall, Kansas City; with Blue Öyster Cult and Joe Walsh‘s Barnstorm), they opened for the Beach Boys on April 13 at the Tuscaloosa Memorial Coliseum.

On Saturday, April 28, Focus played the Rose d’Or Festival 1973 at the Maison des Congrès centre in Montreux, Switzerland. The six-day event also featured sets by Irish folksters Tír na nÓg, American soulsters Joe Simon and Millie Jackson, and actress/entertainer Joey Heatherton.

Focus did a May UK tour and a June–August swing through the US, where they double-billed with songwriter David Blue on July 7 at the Paramount Theater in Portland, Oregon. They twice interacted with Chick Corea on bills in Clarkston, Michigan (7/27: Pine Knob Theater) and with his band Return to Forever on August 1 at the Philly Spectrum.

On September 30, Focus appeared in Turnhout, Belgium, for a festival event with Banzai, Kayak, and Sandy Coast.

Meanwhile, Jan Akkerman released his third solo album, Tabernakel, half comprised of Baroque works performed with a large orchestra. Side B contains “Lammy,” a six-part suite co-written with American pianist/composer George Flynn.

Focus at the Rainbow

In October 1973, Focus released their first live album, Focus at the Rainbow, which features seven numbers (42:26 duration) from their May 5, 1973, show at London’s Rainbow Theatre.

Rainbow captures three songs from the recent Focus 3 (“Sylvia,” “Focus III,” “Answers? Questions!”) and three from Moving Waves: “Focus II,” “Eruption” (a seven-part excerpt), and “Hocus Pocus,” which they perform in elongated form and reprise as an encore.

A1. “Focus III” (3:52)
A2. “Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!” (11:29)
A3. “Focus II” (4:36)

B1. “Eruption (Excerpt)” (8:29)

i. Orfeus (1:33)
ii. Answer (1:25)
iii. Orfeus (1:22)
iv. Answer (0:20)
v. Pupilla (1:10)
vi. Tommy (Tom Barlage) (1:54)
vii. Pupilla (0:45)

B2. “Hocus Pocus” (8:30)
B3. “Sylvia” (2:47)
B4. “Hocus Pocus (Reprise)” (2:46)

Focus at the Rainbow reached No. 9 on the Dutch Top 100 Albums chart and peaked at No. 22 in Norway and No. 23 on the UK Albums Chart.

By the time Rainbow hit shelves, Pierre van der Linden cleared for English drummer Colin Allen, a onetime member of Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band and its pop-psych spinoff, Dantalian’s Chariot. He arrived fresh off his four-year stint with Stone the Crows.

Pierre joined Trace, a keyboard trio formed by Ekseption organist Rick van der Linden (no relation). They made the 1974/75 Philips titles Trace and Birds and the 1976 Vertigo album The White Ladies.

Hamburger Concerto

Focus released their fourth studio album, Hamburger Concerto, in April 1974 on Polydor (UK, Europe) and Atco (US). Jan Akkerman arranged the opening classical prelude and composed the lengthy “Birth.” Thijs van Leer wrote “La Cathédrale de Strasbourg” and “Harem Scarem,” a “Hocus Pocus”-like rocker released as a single.

Side B consists of the six-part title suite, a mix of original Akkerman/van Leer movements and lifted Brahms themes.

Van Leer utilizes recorder and accordion and adds Moog and ARP synthesizers to his ongoing keyboard arsenal (Hammond, mellotron, piano, harpsichord). He plays the pipe organ of St. Mary the Virgin, a parish church in Barnes. Bert Ruiter doubles on autoharp, triangles, and bells. Colin Allen plays multiple sundries (castanets, cabasa, gong, timpani, flexatone, cuica).

Hamburger Concerto opens with “Delicate Musicae,” a brief lute-and-flute piece that sets a Renaissance-tinged, airy mood. “Harem Scarem” shifts abruptly into a taut, uptempo rocker with piano motifs and flute interjections, punctuated by precise guitar flourishes and lively rhythmic accents. “La Cathédrale de Strasbourg” moves at a more restrained pace, layering dark piano chords, subtle organ washes, and occasional whistling over a lightly swinging rhythm, creating an expansive, contemplative atmosphere. “Birth” begins with a harpsichord intro before drums and organ enter, developing into mid-tempo passages where flute and guitar trade contoured lines and intertwining motifs, building to measured climaxes without overextension.

The twenty-minute title track, “Hamburger Concerto,” unfolds in structured sections, alternating soft, classical passages with gradual expansions into full band textures; organ, synthesizer, and flute weave through the arrangement, while precise guitar solos punctuate shifts from restrained mid-tempo segments to majestic, extended finales. The album closes with “Early Birth,” a brisk, flute-driven piece that revisits thematic material from “Birth” while accelerating with rhythmic drive and concise guitar interplay. Throughout, the album emphasizes controlled dynamics, rich instrumental layering, and carefully measured tempo variations rather than high-intensity displays.

A1. “Delitiæ Musicæ” (1:12) is based on a gaillarde from a namesake work by Flemish/Dutch composer Joachim van den Hove (1567–1620).
A2. “Harem Scarem” (5:51)
A3. “La Cathédrale de Strasbourg” (4:59)
A4. “Birth” (7:46)

B. “Hamburger Concerto” (20:20) is based on Variations on a Theme by Haydn by German romantic composer Johannes Brahms (1833–1897).

I. Starter (Traditional; arranged by van Leer)
II. Rare (Akkerman)
III. Medium I (van Leer, Akkerman)
IV. Medium II (Akkerman)
V. Well Done (van Leer)
VI. One for the Road (Akkerman)

Sessions spanned January through March 1974 at Olympic Sound with Vernon and engineer Bob Hall, a soundman on recent folk titles by Jonathan Kelly and Steve Ashley.

Hamburger Concerto appeared in a grayscale gatefold with monochrome inner pics, arranged and retouched by Wade Wood Associates, the visual firm behind recent Ross and Zzebra covers.

Polydor and Atco lifted “Harem Scarem” as the sole Hamburger single; backed with “Early Birth” (2:56), an edit of “Birth.” It reached No. 22 on the Dutch singles chart.

Hamburger Concerto reached No. 5 on the Dutch Top 100 Albums chart and went Top 20 in Australia (No. 14), Norway (No. 16), and the UK (No. 20). In the US, the album reached No. 66 on the Billboard 200.

Mother Focus

Focus released their fifth studio album, Mother Focus, in October 1975 on Polydor and Atco.

The album favors concise, rhythm-based instrumentals that shift between funk, lounge jazz, and light symphonic passages. Bassist Bert Ruiter supplied most of the material, marking a change in direction from the extended compositions of Hamburger Concerto.

The lineup featured Thijs van Leer (Hammond organ, electric piano, grand piano, Solina String Ensemble, flute, alto flute, saxophone, synthesizer, and voice), Jan Akkerman (guitar), Bert Ruiter (bass, vocals on “I Need a Bathroom”), and David Kemper (drums), with Colin Allen (drums on “No Hang Ups”).

Ruiter wrote five songs and co-wrote the title track with Akkerman and van Leer. Van Leer composed two, Akkerman three, and Paul Stoppelman contributed one. The closing number, “Father Bach,” adapts the opening bars of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.

“Mother Focus” sets a midtempo jazz rhythm colored by van Leer’s electric piano and short flute interjections. “I Need a Bathroom,” sung by Ruiter, maintains a playful funk pulse, while “Bennie Helder” recalls earlier Focus singles in its lyrical lead phrasing. Ruiter’s trio of “Vanilla” tracks explores the same theme in soft and hard variations before segueing into the tropical calm of “Tropic Bird.”

Side two opens with “Focus IV,” continuing the band’s titular series with flute and guitar interplay over light keyboard textures. Akkerman’s “Someone’s Crying…What!” and “All Together…Oh That!” alternate between atmospheric tones and country inflection, while Stoppelman’s “No Hang Ups” revives the group’s symphonic drive with organ layers and sustained guitar phrasing. “My Sweetheart” adds a disco-tinged pulse before van Leer’s short Bach interpretation closes the set.

A1. “Mother Focus” (3:03)
A2. “I Need a Bathroom” (3:02)
A3. “Bennie Helder” (3:31)
A4. “Soft Vanilla” (3:00)
A5. “Hard Vanilla” (2:35)
A6. “Tropic Bird” (2:42)

B1. “Focus IV” (3:55)
B2. “Someone’s Crying…What!” (3:18)
B3. “All Together…Oh That!” (3:40)
B4. “No Hang Ups” (2:54)
B5. “My Sweetheart” (3:35)
B6. “Father Bach” (1:30) — adaptation of St. Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach

Sessions occurred at Chipping Norton Studios in Oxfordshire with Focus producing and Eric Prestidge engineering.

Mother Focus features cover art by Rob Peters.

Polydor issued “Mother Focus” (b/w “I Need a Bathroom”) as the album’s single in Australia and Japan.

The album reached No. 17 on Norway’s VG-lista and No. 23 on the UK Albums Chart.

Ship of Memories

In 1976, a compilation of unreleased Focus material titled Ship of Memories appeared on Harvest (UK), Sire (North America), and EMI (abroad). It contains six tracks (“Glider,” “Ship of Memories,” and all of Side A) recorded in May 1973 for an aborted followup to Focus 3, plus two outtakes from the May 1975 Mother Focus sessions (“Red Sky at Night,” “Crackers”) and the unearthed 1970 track “Spoke the Lord Creator.”

The album covers a range of styles from baroque-inspired fanfare and jazz-rock improvisation to funk-inflected instrumentals and atmospheric sketches. Much of the material dates from transitional phases in Focus’s lineup, featuring performances by both founding and later members.

The core players are Thijs van Leer (Hammond organ, piano, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer, electric piano, drum machine, Moog bass synth, flute, and non-lexical vocals), Jan Akkerman (guitar, electric sitar), Bert Ruiter (bass), Pierre van der Linden (drums, harmonium), Martin Dresden (bass), Hans Cleuver (drums), and David Kemper (drums).

Van Leer wrote four tracks, Akkerman three, and drummer Pierre van der Linden one. Collaborative writing appears on “Out of Vesuvius” (van Leer, Akkerman, Ruiter, van der Linden). “Spoke the Lord Creator” predates In and Out of Focus and marks their first adaptation of Johannes Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Haydn.

The opening track, “P’s March,” alternates between a lively, medieval-styled theme and a darker midsection with Akkerman’s sustained phrasing. “Can’t Believe My Eyes” builds from a heavy modal riff into a tense, repetitive fusion sequence. “Focus V” continues the band’s titular series with flute and Mellotron set against a slow harmonic motion. “Out of Vesuvius” integrates brisk jazz interplay and ensemble exchanges that preview motifs later expanded on Hamburger Concerto.

Side two opens with “Glider,” a rhythmic prototype of “Mother Focus” with added percussion and electric sitar. “Red Sky at Night,” later reworked with poet Jules Deelder as “Avondrood,” unfolds with layered piano and flute passages that evoke a reflective tone. “Spoke the Lord Creator” merges church organ and light country phrasing, while “Crackers,” later redone by Akkerman on his 1976 solo album, takes a funk-jazz turn. The album ends with van der Linden’s brief “Ship of Memories,” a percussive miniature scored for drums and harmonium.

A1. “P’s March” (4:43)
A2. “Can’t Believe My Eyes” (5:17)
A3. “Focus V” (3:02)
A4. “Out of Vesuvius” (5:50)

B1. “Glider” (4:38)
B2. “Red Sky at Night” (5:50)
B3. “Spoke the Lord Creator” (2:32) — recorded January 26, 1970; their first rock adaptation of Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Haydn
B4. “Crackers” (2:42) — later re-recorded by Jan Akkerman for his 1976 solo album
B5. “Ship of Memories” (1:48) — instrumental for drums and harmonium

Sessions occurred across multiple periods and studios, produced by Hubert Terheggen and Mike Vernon.

Ship of Memories sports a granulated photo of the German WWII heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper with an Arado Ar 196 plane.

Polydor included a 1972 U.S. single version of “Hocus Pocus” (3:26) as a bonus track on some editions.

Though compiled posthumously from vault material, Ship of Memories provides a coherent overview of Focus’s stylistic evolution from baroque rock to jazz fusion and remains the last release to feature the classic van Leer–Akkerman partnership.

Focus con Proby

Focus released their fifth proper studio album, Focus con Proby, in late 1977 on EMI–Harvest. The title highlights the presence of sixties American–British beat vocalist P. J. Proby, who sings on five songs: “Wingless,” “Eddy,” “Brother,” “Tokyo Rose,” and “How Long.”

The album mixes fusion, symphonic rock, and soul-inflected vocal numbers with a heavy jazz-rock emphasis. It marks a transitional period for Focus, with Thijs van Leer and Bert Ruiter joined by new members Steve Smith (drums), Philip Catherine (guitar), and Eef Albers (guitar).

Van Leer (Hammond organ, piano, electric piano, Mellotron, synthesizer, flute) and Ruiter (bass) co-wrote four songs with his wife, Roselie, who submitted “Tokyo Rose.” Albers contributed two instrumentals (“Orion” and “Night Flight”), and Catherine composed “Sneezing Bull.” Proby supplied vocals on four tracks.

The instrumentals divide between smooth fusion and high-intensity interplay. “Orion,” “Night Flight,” and “Sneezing Bull” combine intricate time changes and percussive drive in a manner akin to Return to Forever and mid-period Camel, while “Maximum” stretches into an extended fusion showcase with alternating jazz, funk, and classical passages. The opening “Wingless” blends Proby’s theatrical delivery with Albers’s soaring guitar leads, and the closing “How Long” offers a slow, piano-based reflection. “Eddy” and “Brother” take a ballad approach, while “Tokyo Rose” merges narrative lyrics with flute and piano motifs that shift into a harder tempo.

A1. “Wingless” (5:35) – Roselie/Thijs
A2. “Orion” (4:08) – Albers
A3. “Night Flight” (3:40) – Albers
A4. “Eddy” (5:54) – Roselie/Thijs
A5. “Sneezing Bull” (4:27) – Catherine

B1. “Brother” (5:19) – Roselie/Thijs
B2. “Tokyo Rose” (5:08) – Roselie
B3. “Maximum” (8:40) – Ruiter/Thijs
B4. “How Long” (5:16) – Roselie/Thijs

Sessions occurred at Soundpush Studios in Blaricum with producer Yde de Jong and engineers Jan van Vrijaldenhoven and Mike Stavrou.

Focus con Proby features cover design by Jacques Heere.

“Wingless” appeared as the album’s single in select European markets.

Discography: