I doubt that many would agree with me, but i truly think this is one of the best live performances by any band ever! Not even kidding! Despite the obviously silly, whimsical nature of the song, the musicianship is incredible!
Aside from the craziness...the singer has incredible range and the guitarist is way before his time as a shredder....I have loved this stuff since it came out but never saw the band live...GREAT STUFF
FOR SHURE YOU HAVE WRIGHT! THIS IS CRAZY FANTASTIC!! MY GOD,THAT WAS YEAR 1973!!! WHAT TO SAY,ONLY FANTASTIC BAND,AND PERSONS ALL TOGETHER,THEY MAKE IT,WITH SPECIAL WHISTLE,OF THE MAIN CRAZY MAN FROM THE BAND!! SIMPLY FANTASTIC!!!!
Joe DeVito in an interview they said it started with Akkerman playing a random guitar riff that everybody liked, then they moved on to adding the drums and then he started yodeling!
THisis the performance that inspired pink floyd to record "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict"
This song came out when I was in High School, "Who's still listening to this song in July 18, 2021" ? I'm 65 Yrs old and perhaps will still be listening while I'm still standing. This is the 1st I've seen a live video of this band. Guys if you are still around and performing out there, Keep Rockin !!!
I was only one year old when this came out and the first time I heard this was last fucking night and just from hearing this one song I would have to wholeheartedly agree with you Sir! I bought their Greatest Hits CD on Amazon immediately following my first ever helping of this delicious song! And YES...I am one of those people who STILL buys CD's. And YES...I know that Greatest Hits albums are usually not the best albums to start with if you're looking to get a true feel for a band's sound having never heard the band before...but like I said ...didn't know they existed 24 hours ago so I didn't know where else to start but with their Greatest Hits or Best Of or whatever the album I bought last night is called...idk...I'm high on Methamphetamine at the moment lol
this is, hands down, my favourite ever youtube clip. A bunch of lads having a laugh, at themselves, at progrock, but doing it with really outrageous talent. From a guitar player's point of view, Akkerman is off the scale here, its not just the technique and speed, its the ridiculous, outrageous jazz licks - one after another. Mindblowing.
It's just professional courtesy for whoever is backstage waiting to get built up! These are all minutes sucked away from playing time and usually the reason gigs go over time or start late so often. A bass player I jammed with always said "go about a gig like you would go about robbing a bank. Get in, do your thing, and get out as quick as you can." As a matter of fact we will usually take some time rehearsing building up and disassembling drum kits and guitar amps together, so we'd be able to help each other out and have your time on stage go smooth and quick. Those 5 minutes you just took waving to the crowd like a doofus could have been spent making music!
He was voted best guitarist in music, one of the years in early 70's.He is an amazing talent at least 10 years ahead of his time. Those solos are all improvised.Never plays the same twice.
Oh God, how good is this stuff??? Revisiting in 2021, aged 67 and I love it as much as I did waaaaaay back then. Pierre Van der Linden is a master of the drums.
@@leowalding hey, 65 here and I still remember hearing this on FM radio all the time in Southern California. I was into everything from CCR to Gentle Giant but this version made my night. You just don't find much that is on this level anymore. Imagination, raw and real.
Congratulations 👏🎉! They are both criminally underrated, exemplary musicians and not to mention absolute titans of composition. You are going to be in for a very enjoyable time with them!
@@pit2ryan3 Everything about this performance is 100% live. This is not a show from nowadays where cheap dance moves, instagram and 'sexy looks' are more important than actual talent. This is rock from the early seventies. Back then musicians actually had to perform live on stage. Can you imagine...
His name is Jan Akkerman. In 1973 he was voted Best Guitarist in the World by readers of the UK magazine Melody Maker. As a session musician, he's been working with Alan Price, Herman Brood, Peter Banks, Jack Bruce, Charlie Byrd, Phil Collins, Paco de Lucía, Ice-T, and B.B. King.
Music was the best in the 60s and 70s. What happened to ROCK &ROLL. it's all manure now. Country rock ? Rap music ? Rap isn't music, some beat machine. Rock and even MOTOWN.
@@robertsimmons6098 Rap is music, the reason rock and metal arent on the scene anymore is because it stopped evolving; while you can hear a clear progression in rap as it moves through the 80s to even now
@@robertsimmons6098 rap is absolutely music. Do you think all these sounds just appeared together at once spontaneously? ruclips.net/video/FrEdbKwivCI/видео.html
It's true considering how much drugs they're on they play incredibly tight and they're all super talented. The guitar and drums are on another dimension in more than one way ;D
So many people "focus" on the keyboardist/vocalist's antics, glossing over the fact that every one of these guys were fantastic musicians. This was thrash before there was such a thing.
I am amazed by the sweeping arpeggios the guitarist is ripping out. Remember, this is the early 70's. Some might think that was a bit sloppy, but I would challenge ANY guitar player to cover that. And I'm sure some could....but not many. I'd like to hear Joe Bonamassa play it.
The guitarist, I always forget his name, has often been revered as the forerunner of all the modern technical progressive metal guitarists. If I remember correctly, even Brian May of Queen named him as one of his influences. His later shows when he grew old and the techniques matured with him has absolutely masterful guitar playing that's tasteful and heavily technical.
@@DuxJerome yes, searched him up. He's also a great classical player and lute player. If there was a battle of the greats, the only people who will be able to face him are probably Al Di Meola and Chet Atkins/Tommy Immanuel. Jan Akkerman is a wizard beyond comprehension.
@@maninthecrowd5076 Jan Akkerman was in top of his game during this performance. A true legend of progressive rock guitar...and from Holland like one Eddie Van Halen.
1973 wurde Akkerman von der britischen Zeitschrift Melody Maker zum weltbesten Gitarristen gewählt....or....in 1973 Jan was voted by Melody Maker "Best guitar player of the world!)
And those of us sitting around the TV watching this live as it happened turned to each other when it was over and said in one great voice: WTF did we just see??? We'd heard it on the radio before this, of course, but this performance is still seared in to my brain some 40-odd years later.
dude, thats one of the greatest things I have ever seen and I didnt know it existed until just now. of course I am high as a kite too but it's still awfully cool.
OMG! This is what you get in the seventies when putting the best Dutch musician and composer (Thijs van Leer) together in a band with the worlds best guitar player (Jan Akkerman). True magicians!
Pierre Van Der Linden! saw him play with Focus last year in the U.K ...and He had 2 kick ass drum solos in the Set. They still Rock like Fuck.🎹🎶🎵🎸🎶🎵🥁🎶🎵🎤🎶🎵😍
The story is that they only had these four or so minutes to play their almost seven minute song, so instead of cutting anything they just played it faster... And it was awesome!
I have an 8-track where they have two versions of this song, the regular version and the fast version. You can tell they're really playing at double speed and not just sped up on tape. Incredible musicianship all around!
I didn't even search for a yodeling song, and somehow wound up here anyway. But yeah, cool. I've heard this before, and can't wait to share it with my friends, next time we have a party. :D
My understanding is that for the Midnight Special here, they were asked, as many groups were at the time, to cut down the song. It's actually about 6 minutes long if I remember someone saying. So instead of clipping it, they ripped it at 125% throttle. That is psychotically, epically awesome.
Actually many bands play their songs faster live, very common amongst rock band, atleast to my own experience. With that said, this was really good, very entertaining, and pure fun to see and hear :) Never heard this song before!
Impressive back in the 70s. Even more impressive is that this is live,and not the band miming to the recording. Even MORE impressive is that they actually SPED UP the tempo. Dutch Masters, indeed.
Studio: "We want to put you in. How long is your song?" Focus: "Almost seven minutes" Studio: "Oh, well we only have about four so I guess we can't..." Focus: "No problem, we got this"
I have been disconnected from all things internet for around 4 weeks now. First video i have watched today and the silliness has NEVER felt so AWWWWWEEEEEEEEEESOME!
Please note this is also back in the day when bands would actually play their own music and instruments on stage without a click track, without fill tracks, without 10 hidden musicians behind the scenes playing filler tracks, no samples, no nothing - just talent, skill, and the ability to crank it up to 11 when needed (or about 14, in this case)
Actually, the opposite is true. On tv appearances, bands rarely ever played their own music back then. Now bands actually do often play their own instruments on tv. If you're referring to artists, they're not bands and often not even musicians. Their art is illusion.
@@jonathanking8800 It's odd. These days many bands don't barely play their own instruments live at all. Because of the multimedia nature of many shows now, much of the show is pre-programmed, with backing tracks, filler material, and even many main parts of the shows playing to sync up with lighting, video, and special effects. Back in the 70s shows like Midnight Special, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, and a few others had the bands on actually playing live - real concerts. Similar in nature but not scale in the UK is the JoolsHolland shows, which often have 3 or 4 different artists all playing live during the show. Lip sync is a terrible, terrible thing!
there's actually a really deep and touching message within the lyrics of this song. You just need to smoke/do what these guys did in order to understand 💀
I never thought this song could be played very well live. Well I was wrong, not only did they do it but atleast 5x the original speed! This was the birth of thrash metal 💀
This is one very high energy band and there still no existing cover bands that can duplicate this band. Focus is a Dutch progressive rock band formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer. The band has undergone numerous formations in its history.
Of all the weird bands that can do this, They Might Be Giants somehow can rock way harder live than on the record. Probably helps that they are barely even a rock band but clearly love playing like one
I at one time had their vinyl LP album Moving Waves which I believe contained the LP (studio?) version of Hocus Pocus. Alone at home during the day I would turn the volume on my parent's stereo WAY up & listen to this song (and others). Neighbor Dad would ask my Dad later What the Hell is that kid listening to over there? This was out in the countryside in a rural area along a rural road. Neighbor's house was about 500 yards away across the road!
Hey Simon Cowell (and others who dont judge but dont sing or play)...dont ever say again that a Flute or whistling can't be freaking awesome!! Akkerman and Van Leer and band were excellent musicians. This was originally a jam session and became one of the biggest songs on the 70s and still beloved today. It makes me soo happy. 😃😂❤
this song has just changed my life lol its got it all man! sick drum solos, ron burgandy jazz flute, whistling, yodelling...what more could you ask for!
Thijs Van Leer is so close to crazy that it's scary but he pulls it off so well that I can't but admire the guy. He is Focus, the other members do their part but Thijs is the engine. I'm so glad I discovered Focus some 35+ years ago and regret that I've never seen them live.
Back in the day..mid-1970's....high school soccer team...we would crank this tune on the bus before the game to give us an adrenaline rush....boosted our spirits as we rushed onto the pitch....
@@Ash_Hudson *sighs* Look, I respect your opinion. But have you seen more Focus songs and videos? Bonham is an awesome drummer but overhyped imo. Pierre is definitely better *technically* but Bonham also have some areas that are better than Pierre. Overall, Pierre is better in my humble opinion
@@yunarukami14 There's a lot more I feel you're not considering, but I'm willing to be proven wrong although I highly doubt anything will change my opinion on Bonham. Recommend me some shows or videos that you feel demonstrate Pierre's drumming best, and I'll check them out and get back to you.
listened to this song many times over the years,finaly thought about fantomas/mike pattons correlation with this....yep..hit the nail on the head jack burton!!
Yodelling prog troll operatic speed metal... with psychoflute. And a whistling solo. That's my kind of wedding band.
Ritchie Bear 😂😂😂😂🙌🏻
You summed up that perfectly nice
LOL!
You win all of the internet.
Troll?
Me: "This can't get any crazier!"
*dude busts out the flute*
This dude is the shit.
That's Jan Akkerman, the leader of the band :D
Camera doesn't show it but I'm sure he pulls that float right out of his ass completely spontaneous.
@@Bram25 Akkerman is the dude on the guitar, the singer's name is Thijs van Leer.
@@alexanderohman1707 Flute is laying on top of the keyboard
Focus did a little Cocus before they played this rendition of Hocus Pocus.
I laughed out loud when I read this....holy cow.... Too funny
Now that's funny. I have been to Holland many times in Dutch bands can be very interesting
probly took a couple tokus
A LITTLE ???
😂
I doubt that many would agree with me, but i truly think this is one of the best live performances by any band ever! Not even kidding! Despite the obviously silly, whimsical nature of the song, the musicianship is incredible!
I agree, every band member is a master of his craft. Incredible performance indeed!
@Woody Last Name
Yep! You never know sometimes!
The guitarist was shredding on this one; really impressive.
Very Original...Great musicians...Eight miles High...😀
I agree iron maiden are the best in the universe, that' s all ; but it' s very good sound
"You gotta play your 7 minute song in 4.5 minutes. You gotta cut something out."
"No we don't, we just play faster."
if you can play it slowly you can play it quickly :D :D :D
@@absurddive or so cocaine would have us believe
This is way better than the original 7 minute haha
@@shady1630 i am debating whether i can afford the time to learn this version
No they cut a few line of nose candy before playing.
Aside from the craziness...the singer has incredible range and the guitarist is way before his time as a shredder....I have loved this stuff since it came out but never saw the band live...GREAT STUFF
Magnificent from start to .....I don't want it to ever "FINISH".
I’d say he was pretty on par with his time in terms of shredding. Blackmore, Zappa, Iommi, and Page did similar stuff before him.
Almost a hetfield vibe to the guitar.
The song is crazy as hell but the whole band got great talent!
Alan Holdsworth was in soft machine around the same time
I’ve listened to this song for decades and never even imagined a video like this!!!
It's amazing how perfect this yodel is, and he does live, with no pitch correction! That's some musician here!
Agreed ! You,ll never see a band like this again !
Yah, it used to be that musicians made music -- all by themselves!
FOR SHURE YOU HAVE WRIGHT! THIS IS CRAZY FANTASTIC!! MY GOD,THAT WAS YEAR 1973!!! WHAT TO SAY,ONLY FANTASTIC BAND,AND PERSONS ALL TOGETHER,THEY MAKE IT,WITH SPECIAL WHISTLE,OF THE MAIN CRAZY MAN FROM THE BAND!! SIMPLY FANTASTIC!!!!
You had to be able to play in those days...Digital has fucked up music.
I have a strong feeling they're not playing live
I love the idea of him coming to band practice and saying, "Guys, here's what i have in mind for the vocals"
hahahaha and the rest of the guys including management thinking...."in the name of everything holy....what the F***!!!!" hilarious!
I doubt Thijs explained much... just "take it down and I'll do my shit"
Looking through comments and see Joe DeVito. Never thought it was possible to recognize someone in the RUclips comments section.
Joe DeVito in an interview they said it started with Akkerman playing a random guitar riff that everybody liked, then they moved on to adding the drums and then he started yodeling!
They are Dutch, lyrics are a challenge if you wish to go international.
I went ahead and liked everyones comment so you could get a notification to come back and watch it again... definitely worth the rewatch 🫡👍
a true hero
"musically they are one of the most together groups"
*Crazed leprechaun noises ensue*
Together and exciting. You gotta be together to sputter what seems like gibberish and make it sound this good
Fucking gold!
And angry flute playing is thrust apon us.
Comment of the year!!!!😂
THisis the performance that inspired pink floyd to record "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict"
Standing ovation is right. That was awesome.
1973 clearly produced some of the finest nose candy ever snorted.
1971
@@1kevinjay In the video description above it says:
*_(Hocus Pocus 1973)_*
And some gud tongue candy
White Christmas
Woww... sweep picking in 1973 ( 0:33 )
Man about whistled that front tooth straight out of his head!
Mark Dominic HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Ha ha haaaaa! YES! I was actually worried for a second, when he revealed that disturbingly-offset piece of chicklet...
I havent laughed so hard in a long time.
Funniest comment I've ever read. You put in words, what we were all thinking
Fox mulder I needed that laugh.
Rock used to have flute playing, yodeling and more cow bell back in the day.
Yodeling and flutes weren't in every song, tho. Not even cowbells were, sadly.
I still think it needs more cowbell
@@kaydgaming what is the thing with the cowbell? Idk the meme
@@italozanoti7180 ruclips.net/video/cVsQLlk-T0s/видео.html
@@hughsizzle tnks bro
This song came out when I was in High School, "Who's still listening to this song in July 18, 2021" ? I'm 65 Yrs old and perhaps will still be listening while I'm still standing. This is the 1st I've seen a live video of this band. Guys if you are still around and performing out there, Keep Rockin !!!
They are great 😁👍
laugh all you want, this is an unbelievably great band. top shelf musicianship
I was only one year old when this came out and the first time I heard this was last fucking night and just from hearing this one song I would have to wholeheartedly agree with you Sir! I bought their Greatest Hits CD on Amazon immediately following my first ever helping of this delicious song! And YES...I am one of those people who STILL buys CD's. And YES...I know that Greatest Hits albums are usually not the best albums to start with if you're looking to get a true feel for a band's sound having never heard the band before...but like I said ...didn't know they existed 24 hours ago so I didn't know where else to start but with their Greatest Hits or Best Of or whatever the album I bought last night is called...idk...I'm high on Methamphetamine at the moment lol
I am laughing, but I also agree:)
Not laughing, cranking it up!!!
this is, hands down, my favourite ever youtube clip. A bunch of lads having a laugh, at themselves, at progrock, but doing it with really outrageous talent. From a guitar player's point of view, Akkerman is off the scale here, its not just the technique and speed, its the ridiculous, outrageous jazz licks - one after another. Mindblowing.
Self aware prog is the best kind of prog.
I'm amazed at how fast he is, it really stands out.
I like how Jan Akkerman immediately begins packin' up as soon as the show is over. Crowd goes nuts and he's just worrying about his cables.
Haha I didn't even notice that. He was probably running on pure adrenaline from playing like that.
If you notice on other vids he does the same thing lol
It's just professional courtesy for whoever is backstage waiting to get built up! These are all minutes sucked away from playing time and usually the reason gigs go over time or start late so often. A bass player I jammed with always said "go about a gig like you would go about robbing a bank. Get in, do your thing, and get out as quick as you can." As a matter of fact we will usually take some time rehearsing building up and disassembling drum kits and guitar amps together, so we'd be able to help each other out and have your time on stage go smooth and quick. Those 5 minutes you just took waving to the crowd like a doofus could have been spent making music!
dammit he's got to be some where 5 minutes ago
The song is 7 minutes or so. They were told to shorten it to fit their allotted time. They refused and just played the song at double speed. Awesome!
And I thought people were joking about the energetic pace. 🤯 most awesome indeed!
That is a genius
Haha I thought you were joking at first but now I found the longer original. That's talent to just be able to speedrun one's song.
That kind of makes the lead yodeler's expressions make sense and be even more epic.
and I always wondered about this curious "extended version" which sounded so lame after I first listened to this one.. (around a 1000 times)
That guitarist is WAY ahead of his time, holy shit
Jan Akkerman was doing shit Eddie Van Halen "invented" 10 years before EVH invented it lmao.
He was voted best guitarist in music, one of the years in early 70's.He is an amazing talent at least 10 years ahead of his time. Those solos are all improvised.Never plays the same twice.
Y’all better put some RESPEKT on Terry Kath.
Check Soft Machine with Allan Holdsworth. Jan Akkerman also has a great solo album
Facundo Cuevas Guitar oh Allan Holdsworth is my guitar god. Him with Soft Machine was AMAZING
Oh God, how good is this stuff??? Revisiting in 2021, aged 67 and I love it as much as I did waaaaaay back then. Pierre Van der Linden is a master of the drums.
Yes my father(hippie) born in 1956 told me exactly the same he said Focus was the top band of the 70s
I am only 66 and I too, love this.
@@leowalding hey, 65 here and I still remember hearing this on FM radio all the time in Southern California. I was into everything from CCR to Gentle Giant but this version made my night. You just don't find much that is on this level anymore. Imagination, raw and real.
"Our song is almost 7 minutes long"
"4 minutes or bye bye"
"Fiiiiine!"
*and they play it at 250bpm*
How am I the second person to like this comment? It speaks such profound truths.
I thought it was an exaggeration, but it really IS 250 bpm, isn't it??
@@anthonybranch4712 Nearest whole I counted was 257 BPM 😮
Play it at 2x speed😜😂😅🤣
It's 2023 and I never knew about focus in all my 27 years of living BUT IM SO HAPPY TO HAVE LEARNED IT NOW!!!
Congratulations 👏🎉!
They are both criminally underrated, exemplary musicians and not to mention absolute titans of composition.
You are going to be in for a very enjoyable time with them!
I'm 49 and I'm just learning about them. I LOVE IT!!!!
When you have 4 minutes to play a 7 minute song lol
Literally
Thank you that's FreeKing Awwsome Funnny. God Bless You
AKA: the tentative birth of speed metal.
Well that is hilarious! I did think they kept playing faster Especially at the end of the song!!!
I wish they had recorded at this tempo for the album
Don't see many pub bands covering this number.
pho2 somewhere in Vegas
pho2 lol who the hell could possibly cover this guy
Well you gotta be able to piss pure lightning first
Mr. Tuba the band is great and the wildman rocks
pho2 watch for Boston based ban Space Junk is Forever covering this, minus the flute bit, and, tbf, the whistling.. Ace.
They asked the singer, "Are you tenor, baritone, bass or basso profundo?" He replied, "Yes."
and soprano!
@@sibyl999 - I guess you mean countertenor...
gearsofwar - Not all the vocal part is live here, though...
@@pit2ryan3 Everything about this performance is 100% live. This is not a show from nowadays where cheap dance moves, instagram and 'sexy looks' are more important than actual talent. This is rock from the early seventies. Back then musicians actually had to perform live on stage. Can you imagine...
@@hansolo2121 - Though at 2:19 the vocal part seems enhanced somehow...
The guitarist has such a clean technique.
Amazing...
His name is Jan Akkerman. In 1973 he was voted Best Guitarist in the World by readers of the UK magazine Melody Maker. As a session musician, he's been working with Alan Price, Herman Brood, Peter Banks, Jack Bruce, Charlie Byrd, Phil Collins, Paco de Lucía, Ice-T, and B.B. King.
Jan Akkerman is one of the most underappreciated guitarists ever recorded.
Amazing.
Legalize that, whatever it is!
lol we'd advance 50 years of tech overnight if it were lol
I don't think scientists would use it any more than they already do, but family reunions would surely become way more interesting
@@THEmaggspie How do you think we got this technologically advanced? LSD, coke, and methamphetamines.
@@drivinsouth651 lmao.....you might be on to something there lol
The dutch are light years ahead of drug legalization.
The Band is playing like their Tour Bus is double parked.
Heideggerr1 😂😂😂 Nice one.
Heideggerr1
...and on fire.
They gotta get back to finish that mountain of coke they've been working on all day
Lol
That might have been the funniest thing I've read all week 😂😂😂
At a time when nobody ever played for real on tv, these guys did. Much respect.
They played for real on TV more back then, then they ever did. Nobody has played live on TVA since the 70s.
@@metalmacabre9991 how come?
Love how they’re just standing around all chill while playing 95 miles per hour
Ikr xD
Drugs🤪✌🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😅😅
@@leannezobole2997 Musicianship!
Lmfaaaoooo
I'm thinking that if you're playing at that speed, ALL you can do is stand there while you're trying to keep it together, man!
I loved this when I was 15, still do at 61.
Azara Moon
I loved it too man, im 59 and still rocking!
I'm 17 and this is as good as it gets
Azara Moon me too,
No I'm 60
Same here....62 in January 2019. Wow! thought getting old happened to other people.
Im 41 and my musical preferences are the eighties punk and new wave. But that stuff is simply... amazing!
That yodeler/whistler... holy crap. What a range.
i like to call it yodlescating
It's actually called "hard-jodel" xD
+sandman scruffy Yeah man! That's what I've called it too, didn't know someone else thought of that.
That's Thijs van Leer.
Everything he said really connected with me on a personal level. Lyrically very superb. This man should be a poet.
As goofy as this song may be it 100% takes real talent to Play something like this!
and so much better than bohemian rhapsody
@easy rider Kerry King can't play arpeggios, nor can be play that fast lmao
drummer is popping the fuck off
It's not goofy though maen. Rock on!!🤟🏾
Kerry king is a shite guitarist hahahaha
Producer: We can’t let you play Hocus Pocus. You only get 4 minutes 30 seconds.
Focus: Hold my coke.
Music was the best in the 60s and 70s. What happened to ROCK &ROLL. it's all manure now. Country rock ? Rap music ? Rap isn't music, some beat machine. Rock and even MOTOWN.
@@robertsimmons6098 Rap is music, the reason rock and metal arent on the scene anymore is because it stopped evolving; while you can hear a clear progression in rap as it moves through the 80s to even now
Hocus Pocus was played 30% faster than Focus normally played it!
@@robertsimmons6098 "Music was the best in the 60s and 70s. What happened to ROCK &ROLL"
well ...TOOL happened.
@@robertsimmons6098 rap is absolutely music. Do you think all these sounds just appeared together at once spontaneously? ruclips.net/video/FrEdbKwivCI/видео.html
Don't let the ridiculous (and impressive) vocal distract you from the fact that guitar player is the goddamn truth.
& don't even let the ridiculous comments distract u from the song
Jan Akkerman,the friesian beast.
Absolutely
Jan Akkerman, one of the original shredmasters
It's true considering how much drugs they're on they play incredibly tight and they're all super talented. The guitar and drums are on another dimension in more than one way ;D
I saw this band in 73 at a speedway outside Nashville, Tn. Strange song indeed but a rocker none the less.
It's a crime that this band didn't get in the hall of fame. True talent.
Have you listened to their new album? It has some great songs.
Are you nuts ????
Screw talent. Do you have any idea how much practice it takes to become a professional musician.
You've got to be kidding.
Grand Funk Rail Road and others!
This song kicks ass, but the comment section has me in tears lol.but I love this song so much
So much yes 🤘
I can't second that enough!!!! SO great. Both...
So many people "focus" on the keyboardist/vocalist's antics, glossing over the fact that every one of these guys were fantastic musicians. This was thrash before there was such a thing.
sski Jan Akkerman
Fukin A, well said!!!
hes also a floutist
I said speed metal but yeah first time watching the video.
agreed, especially the drummer and guitarist
I am amazed by the sweeping arpeggios the guitarist is ripping out. Remember, this is the early 70's. Some might think that was a bit sloppy, but I would challenge ANY guitar player to cover that.
And I'm sure some could....but not many.
I'd like to hear Joe Bonamassa play it.
The guitarist, I always forget his name, has often been revered as the forerunner of all the modern technical progressive metal guitarists. If I remember correctly, even Brian May of Queen named him as one of his influences. His later shows when he grew old and the techniques matured with him has absolutely masterful guitar playing that's tasteful and heavily technical.
@@maninthecrowd5076 Its Jan Akkerman
@@DuxJerome yes, searched him up. He's also a great classical player and lute player. If there was a battle of the greats, the only people who will be able to face him are probably Al Di Meola and Chet Atkins/Tommy Immanuel.
Jan Akkerman is a wizard beyond comprehension.
@@maninthecrowd5076 Jan Akkerman was in top of his game during this performance. A true legend of progressive rock guitar...and from Holland like one Eddie Van Halen.
The sweep blew me away too!!
That guitarist was shredding like there's no tomorrow ...... remember listening on the radio in the 70s
Look up Russian Spy and I by the Hunters. He was in that band too and does a bang up job!!!!!
The name is Jan Akkerman.
@@danielg335 Yep.Thanks
1973 wurde Akkerman von der britischen Zeitschrift Melody Maker zum weltbesten Gitarristen gewählt....or....in 1973 Jan was voted by Melody Maker "Best guitar player of the world!)
Jan Akkerman one of the greatest ever!
And those of us sitting around the TV watching this live as it happened turned to each other when it was over and said in one great voice: WTF did we just see??? We'd heard it on the radio before this, of course, but this performance is still seared in to my brain some 40-odd years later.
dude, thats one of the greatest things I have ever seen and I didnt know it existed until just now. of course I am high as a kite too but it's still awfully cool.
OMG! This is what you get in the seventies when putting the best Dutch musician and composer (Thijs van Leer) together in a band with the worlds best guitar player (Jan Akkerman). True magicians!
Jan can Jam.
" the worlds best guitar player". Yawn. As rational and objective people are aware, this potential contenders for this title number at least two dozen
@@michaelstevenson470 not by me (would be Jimmi Page), but by some magazine in 1973
A nutty as this singer is you gotta give him props for his incredible voice range. He could go seamlessly high and then super low. Not easy !
Is anyone else amazed by this drummer???
Pierre Van Der Linden! saw him play with Focus last year in the U.K ...and He had 2 kick ass drum solos in the Set. They still Rock like Fuck.🎹🎶🎵🎸🎶🎵🥁🎶🎵🎤🎶🎵😍
roy cobb I am!!
Yeah I saw Focus in the UK last year too and they blew me away totally.
Incredible drummer, how the hell he keeps it all together I dont know. Pure talent. But the rest of the band are also off the scale.
Shitchyeahhhhhhh
The drummer is amazing!
Yes!
"We're getting paid time-and-a-half for this gig?"
"No, you're playing at time-and-a-half."
"Got it."
Lol love it!
This song is more about cocaine than Eric Clapton's song Cocaine
J.J. Cale (r.i.p) Cocaine
@@123viveleheavy9 r.i.p j.j. cale, one of the best. after midnight
This song IS cocaine.
😂😂😂😂
Snorlax is blocking the way*
Speedrunners: 3:01
I get it ^^ fucking good
Lol yes
Lautaro Montoya that’s amazingly funny
Hahaha
A Pokemon reference in a 70s acid rock video. Amazing.
I F**KIN' LOVE these guys !! The singer looks like he just might EXPLODE at any given second !! LOL !! And at the end ... THE CROWD GOES WILD !!
The story is that they only had these four or so minutes to play their almost seven minute song, so instead of cutting anything they just played it faster... And it was awesome!
sᴏʟɪᴛᴜᴅᴇ ɪɴ ᴍᴜsɪᴄ
Punk Rock mega-Fast version,,,,, So Good!!!
sᴏʟɪᴛᴜᴅᴇ ɪɴ ᴍᴜsɪᴄ sounds like a Mitch Hedberg joke.
"guys we only got about 4 minutes to play our song what we do? I know let's just play faster."
In this interview they mentioned they also did this on tours. Play it way faster than on record. And yes it seems to be better than the actual record.
cocaine is a helluva drug. gigety!
I have an 8-track where they have two versions of this song, the regular version and the fast version. You can tell they're really playing at double speed and not just sped up on tape. Incredible musicianship all around!
One of the most underrated and underappreciated bands of all time !
Yup!!!!!!!!!!!! Along with other bands like Cheap Trick
No they wasn't, they enjoyed great success
@@philipcounsell4709in the modern age they are very much under appreciated.
It's like high energy thrash polka/free form jazz/metal/thrashcore!!! And kicking it live and at double speed!!! Just plain off the hook!!
I'm glad 'that song with the yodeling' was a fruitful search.
LoL The same
XCAltoona That is exactly what I just did!!! Lol
lol i was looking for something else and googled "yodeling metal"....still got here and it's awesome :D
same here! 70's rock song with yodle, found it immediately, such a great piece XD
I didn't even search for a yodeling song, and somehow wound up here anyway. But yeah, cool. I've heard this before, and can't wait to share it with my friends, next time we have a party. :D
My understanding is that for the Midnight Special here, they were asked, as many groups were at the time, to cut down the song. It's actually about 6 minutes long if I remember someone saying. So instead of clipping it, they ripped it at 125% throttle. That is psychotically, epically awesome.
And the original was fast enough...RESPECT!!!
Actually many bands play their songs faster live, very common amongst rock band, atleast to my own experience.
With that said, this was really good, very entertaining, and pure fun to see and hear :)
Never heard this song before!
How would the yodeling sound at that speed?
This year 1973, Jan Akkerman was proclaimed the best gitarist in the world.
Band: so what drugs are we taking tonight?
Singer: Yes
🤣😂🤣😂
Laughing to death
_An open question implying one of multiple answers._
*AFFIRMITIVE*
you couldnt do this if you were TOO fucked up!!
Well, they are from Amsterdam Holland
I am sat, slack jawed in awe of the amount of passion and talent I am witnessing
Host: “is he having a stroke, on every drug known to man, or mentally unstable?”
Entire band in unison: “yes”
Prod: do it half time
Focus: challenge accepted
Heavy metal is born!
After watching this I know the saying is 100% true ..... there's a fine line between Genius and Insanity!!! that was crazy good!!
Impressive back in the 70s. Even more impressive is that this is live,and not the band miming to the recording. Even MORE impressive is that they actually SPED UP the tempo. Dutch Masters, indeed.
Felipe Cardoza.
Studio: "We want to put you in. How long is your song?"
Focus: "Almost seven minutes"
Studio: "Oh, well we only have about four so I guess we can't..."
Focus: "No problem, we got this"
If you play it on 0,75 speed it is kind of normal
Hold my beer would've worked!. LOL
@@Thron2111 I'd rather play the studio version at 1.25x speed!
I have been disconnected from all things internet for around 4 weeks now. First video i have watched today and the silliness has NEVER felt so AWWWWWEEEEEEEEEESOME!
Please note this is also back in the day when bands would actually play their own music and instruments on stage without a click track, without fill tracks, without 10 hidden musicians behind the scenes playing filler tracks, no samples, no nothing - just talent, skill, and the ability to crank it up to 11 when needed (or about 14, in this case)
At *least* 14.
Actually, the opposite is true. On tv appearances, bands rarely ever played their own music back then. Now bands actually do often play their own instruments on tv.
If you're referring to artists, they're not bands and often not even musicians. Their art is illusion.
@@jonathanking8800 It's odd. These days many bands don't barely play their own instruments live at all. Because of the multimedia nature of many shows now, much of the show is pre-programmed, with backing tracks, filler material, and even many main parts of the shows playing to sync up with lighting, video, and special effects. Back in the 70s shows like Midnight Special, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, and a few others had the bands on actually playing live - real concerts. Similar in nature but not scale in the UK is the JoolsHolland shows, which often have 3 or 4 different artists all playing live during the show. Lip sync is a terrible, terrible thing!
@@jonathanking8800 Has left the Chat.
@@marcusthesecond9352 Probably went to fiddle with some kids.
That guitar tone is f-ing amazing.
and moreover he fuckin kills it
Whoa.. I still have this album. My friends thought I was nuts, they clearly didn't appreciate it. Awe, the good ol' days.
The whole album was amazing!
@@flowerdalejewel Isn't it!
Yeah the songs are so nice and I have this album to and I love those old school songs a lot
This is a wild adventure of a song, and there’s no words.
there's actually a really deep and touching message within the lyrics of this song.
You just need to smoke/do what these guys did in order to understand 💀
I never thought this song could be played very well live. Well I was wrong, not only did they do it but atleast 5x the original speed! This was the birth of thrash metal 💀
haha true
Goddamn this version is way better than the studio one
True!
It has so much raw energy live that it's crazy! They kill it live!
"So, guys, I've got this flute..."
"What the hell, throw it in!"
Just seeing how much FUN he is having making those sounds is joyful. 🤣🤘
This is one very high energy band and there still no existing cover bands that can duplicate this band. Focus is a Dutch progressive rock band formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer. The band has undergone numerous formations in its history.
You know you’re a talented band if you can make a live performance of a song more crazy and bombastic than the studio version.
Of all the weird bands that can do this, They Might Be Giants somehow can rock way harder live than on the record. Probably helps that they are barely even a rock band but clearly love playing like one
At 3:34, Toots Thielemans would be SO proud!
I love the studio version though
I at one time had their vinyl LP album Moving Waves which I believe contained the LP (studio?) version of Hocus Pocus. Alone at home during the day I would turn the volume on my parent's stereo WAY up & listen to this song (and others). Neighbor Dad would ask my Dad later What the Hell is that kid listening to over there? This was out in the countryside in a rural area along a rural road. Neighbor's house was about 500 yards away across the road!
And then several years later, get your music put on the trolls world tour.
(Insert band name) - we are the greatest band ever
Focus - hold my acid
Led Zeppelin IS the best band ever!
Pink Floyd the best band history of Rock !!!
Led Zeppelin is good but not the best
@@marcusviniciusdottlinger9626 ...nope.
Beatles.
@@R.M.MacFru Never!
Hey Simon Cowell (and others who dont judge but dont sing or play)...dont ever say again that a Flute or whistling can't be freaking awesome!! Akkerman and Van Leer and band were excellent musicians. This was originally a jam session and became one of the biggest songs on the 70s and still beloved today. It makes me soo happy. 😃😂❤
1:39 my maths teacher explaining algebra to me in 1982
I played that at 2x speed and it was so much better
I had the same experience in the 80's, I took algebra three times and still have no idea what they are talking about.
this song has just changed my life lol its got it all man! sick drum solos, ron burgandy jazz flute, whistling, yodelling...what more could you ask for!
@po18guy or a cheeky harmonica to finish off lol
Tubular Bells!
This was actually a big hit single in America in 1973, reaching #9 on the Billboard charts.
When his face starts twitchin', that's when you know it's gonna be bitchin'.
NPC's face when you're skipping his dialogue lines: 0:25
hahaha
Nice intro button, dude.
trve
AWESOME!
haha, this comment wins!
00:50 So far, nothing out of the ordinary.
1:00 Oh.
1:12 Oooooooooooh.
2:33 What
3:01 WHY
3:47 At this moment, I'm immortal.
Hilarious Valentine the 3:01 one got me out of nowhere lmao
Hilarious Valentine 3:53 I have ascended from this feeble plane of existence to God-hood.
PRETENTIOUS
So funny ..... so true !
I saw these guys as the opening act for Yes at Winterland around the time of this video. Great show all around.
Thijs Van Leer is so close to crazy that it's scary but he pulls it off so well that I can't but admire the guy.
He is Focus, the other members do their part but Thijs is the engine.
I'm so glad I discovered Focus some 35+ years ago and regret that I've never seen them live.
Still a chance, pre covid Thijs van leer was still touring.
I'll give Thijs Van Leer a 10/10 for the facial gymnastics-Vintage Rock is the best, I was there.
There's never been a more confused crowd at a live music performance.
Sick Saturday Night Wrist profile picture
haha.....they were like wtf?
Every damn member of this band was exceptional and brilliant! Loved this band!
Absolutely stunning musicianship. And so freaking fun! Coolcoolcool
Yeah it’s so cool Heather, I like listening to music alot
Back in the day..mid-1970's....high school soccer team...we would crank this tune on the bus before the game to give us an adrenaline rush....boosted our spirits as we rushed onto the pitch....
holy crap, I thought the studio version was nuts. This is ubermental insane.
v0idation That's why we love it!
I love the standing ovation. They sure deserved it.
It's incredible how tight they are at warp freaking speed. Amazing!
If anyone wonders why Generation-X turned out a bit weird then realize that these are our parents.
this is one of those you tube videos i just have to keep coming back to to read the hysterical comments lol makes my day every time lol
my neighbor loved this song so much he invited the police over to come and listen.
Pierre, one of the best drumers ever had. He was underrated and deserves much more fame .
Better than Bonham imo
@@yunarukami14 LOL no
@@Ash_Hudson *sighs* Look, I respect your opinion. But have you seen more Focus songs and videos? Bonham is an awesome drummer but overhyped imo. Pierre is definitely better *technically* but Bonham also have some areas that are better than Pierre. Overall, Pierre is better in my humble opinion
@@yunarukami14 There's a lot more I feel you're not considering, but I'm willing to be proven wrong although I highly doubt anything will change my opinion on Bonham. Recommend me some shows or videos that you feel demonstrate Pierre's drumming best, and I'll check them out and get back to you.
@@Ash_Hudson Alright, bet.
I’ve watched this hundreds of times and still blows me away!!!
This is the only group Mike Patton's parents would let him listen to growing up
Lol.... How many people would even get this comment.... Well done
listened to this song many times over the years,finaly thought about fantomas/mike pattons correlation with this....yep..hit the nail on the head jack burton!!
@@jamesspencer9836 i did..CHEERS...yes great comment
good one! gave me a good chuckle
MP, lol I called his mom,,, we had a nice chat... she said it was a staple in every vinyl crate west of the Mississippi👍