Focus’s Hocus Pocus is among the many most eccentric hit songs of all time, its unforgettable combination of high-intensity rock, polka beats and yodelling (sure, yodelling) mirroring the lunatic nature of the band that created it.
In 1970, optimistic evaluations of progressive rock band Focus’s debut album In And Out Of Focus had didn’t translate into gross sales. Such was the apathy that the Dutch group self-released a single known as Home Of The King.
A yr later, on the second time of asking, and with a brand new rhythm part of bassist Cyril Havermans (who left after the album was recorded, to get replaced by Bert Ruiter) and drummer Pierre van der Linden, the band wanted to provide you with one thing spectacular.
The benchmark music that they craved emerged whereas guitarist Jan Akkerman and keyboard wizard/singer Thijs van Leer goofed round throughout a rehearsal session.
“Shortly earlier than leaving for England to document the second album, we had been enjoying at a fort, when the guitarist out of the blue performed that riff,” van Leer recollects of the delivery of their breakthrough music. “Then utterly spontaneously Pierre threw in a two-bar drum solo and I began yodelling. It got here from nowhere; a bit of pure improvisation, impressed by the enjoyable of enjoying collectively.”
Much more odd than having yodelling on a rock monitor is the truth that till that day van Leer had by no means yodelled earlier than. Why did he decide such a pivotal second to begin? “I nonetheless suppose it got here from heaven,” he says.
Like many composers of hits, van Leer knew immediately that he and Akkerman had created one thing of lasting worth.
“Though I wasn’t conscious that it would develop into a rock’n’roll basic, I had a sense in my backbone that it will make historical past,” he says. “With out boasting, it was one thing that I simply knew.”
Hocus Pocus was recorded partly in London in April/Might 1971. The band had been impressed that Polydor Data had paired them with Mike Vernon, who had produced Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall.
Other than the addition of a manic flute solo, a flourish of accordion and a few scat vocal ad-libs, the monitor was put down in simply a few takes, and in nearly precisely the identical kind because it had emerged on the fort.
With no lyrics per se, it was van Leer who proposed giving it a title that rhymed with the band’s title. “We even thought-about calling it Crocus for a short time,” he confides with a smile.
Focus actually discovered their toes with their second album Transferring Waves (on which Hocus Pocus was the opening monitor), which later prompted eventual long-term producer Mike Vernon to watch: “You surprise if it’s the identical band [as the debut]”.
However it was the choice to make Hocus Pocus a single by slashing three minutes from its authentic six-and-a-half that ultimately established Focus as stars on either side of the Atlantic. Hocus Pocus reached No.20 within the UK on its second launch, a yr after its authentic 1972 launch, and No.9 within the US greater than an additional yr later.
As demonstrated by Focus’s 1973 album Reside At The Rainbow, Hocus Pocus was barely elongated when carried out reside, however the band resisted the temptation to make it the centrepiece of their present. Nowadays it not often lasts for longer than 10 minutes.
“The Transferring Waves album did have Eruption, a music that took up a complete facet of vinyl and which we nonetheless play reside, however even at its longest Hocus Pocus was extra like a single,” explains van Leer.
“One other factor that separated us from so many bands was that we play loudly and quietly,” he provides. “We dared to be susceptible.”
In addition to resurfacing in the course of the finish credit of Steve Coogan’s cult TV comedy Saxondale, Hocus Pocus has been lined by a number of rock bands together with Iron Maiden, Helloween and Marillion.
“These different variations made me proud, however I don’t like all of them,” admits van Leer. He does, nonetheless, reward probably the most uncommon rendition of all. “[Classical violinist] Vanessa Mae’s is the very best of all,” he says. “She despatched the music up brilliantly.”
Focus proceed to tour and document. And van Leer concedes that Hocus Pocus nonetheless overshadows their each transfer. “The music deserves its place in rock historical past, and naturally we proceed to embrace it,” he concludes.
Initially printed in Basic Rock problem 113 (November 2007)
