One thing about The Midnight Special. Almost no one every got a standing ovations. Some of the greatest musicians of the era received simple applause. What Focus did was so absurd, crunching a 9 minute song into 4 minutes was insane. And the audience understood that and appreciated it.
This was the only complete standing ovation in the history of the show "Midnight Special"'s entire run, and they had some awesome music. That says something powerful. :)
Glad you finally got around to this one! Jan Akkerman was way ahead of his time, sweep picking in 1973. This version of the song is considerably faster than the album version, supposedly because they were given something like 3 minutes of air time for what was originally a 6ish minute song. Rather than leave anything out, they just kicked the tempo into overdrive and went for it. This particular take is an extended cut (from a rehearsal, maybe?), and not the cut that aired. The original cut from the broadcast is available on RUclips, with an introduction by Gladys Knight.
I'm glad too! This was wild. I'm excited to dive into whatever else they have in store. I know this was a fun song for them so it's not the norm. But I'm down for whatever by them because this intrigued me to no end lol
I've never seen this version before. As you said, this must be a rehearsal take. It's better than the live air showing that I've seen numerous times. Jan is smoking those leads. Cool beans!!!
This live version is so crazily fast it seems almost impossible. Thijs van Leer was, and still is amazing, I saw him do their other famous track Sylvia with Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Roine Stolt and Pete Trewavas of Transatalantic a few years back it was incredible. This version of this is off the charts. Jan Akkerman shreds that axe to within an inch of its life. Most Prog Rock fans love this song and this band. This was a great choice man, can't believe you never heard this before, great reaction. Check out Focus's other great track Sylvia.
Yeah bro the only way I knew about them was from another band who idolized them. Never actually listened. And now I'm glad I did finally! This was awesome :)
Like Focus, I live in the Netherlands. The nice thing about that is that I regularly saw Focus perform in small venues in the 70s and 80s. After the concert, the men would come into the hall to have a beer with you and chat a bit. By the way, I visited guitarist Jan Akkerman less than a month ago during such a performance.
I literally saw them in concert LAST WEEK!...(19/11/23), however, the only original members are frontman, organist, flautist, and vocalist Thijs van Leer, and drummer Pierre van der Linden. This was in Sale, Greater Manchester, England. The last time I actually saw Focus was , I think, in 1973(ish), I have seen them at least twice (and maybe three times, ...you know it was the seventies, long time ago). This (song???) is not representative of the bulk of their material, most of their music is actually quite serious, progressive, quasi-classical stuff. Hocus Pocus is their crazy song, and the version you have reacted to is from a tv show in America, and they were only allowed a 3 to 4 minute spot, and the song is apparently a 7 minute song! but Focus were not prepared to compromise, and essentially speeded it up to fit that timescale!
Thijs van Leer (organ and yodelling) plays flute on several songs in the Ayreon live show Electric Castle And Other Tales, although he looks completely different now.
Drummer Pierre van der Linden actually recorded a solo album "Drum Poetry". Not easy listening for non-drummers, I guess, but for Focus fans who are completist record collectors... 😂 I'm looking forward to seeing Focus live for the first time in Nov 2024 after being a fan for nearly fifty years! Thijs & Pierre still form half of the band.
When I heard the song back then, the next day, I bought their album, first in a row. Which I still have on vinyl. It's protected stored. This was a genius song. Thijs Van Leer (vocalist) has a background in classical music. The drummer has a background in Jazz, you can see that very clear, how he's holding his sticks. And the guitar man, Jan Ackerman, he is on many records as a session player. He was very embarrassed to play these kinds of songs. But in the day, one of the best in the world. Not many artists got a stand ovation in the Midnight Special.
Oh man I wish I could say i was. I had a .. minor mental breakdown today? And had to go to the doctors to get an ekg and chest xray done. And they said I'm fine. But I have never been this stressed out before in my life I think and I'm like getting severe bouts of anxiety and fear randomly. And I'm just getting over this virus and I'm just not good man... I'll be ok eventually but I'm just not good in the moment. Thank you so much for the kind words 🙏
Think in small steps, dont ask too much of yourself. Most of the anxiety is in the head. I have dealt panic attacks and it's bad, really no fun. ❤️ Take care and listen to your body
Superb tune, I once played the studio album version at a younger friends birthday bash. He was astounded, so were most of the younger people there who had never heard ANYTHING like it before. Another Focus tune to react to is "Sylvia".
Hey bud, glad to hear you're on the mend. First time to your channel. So many people that do reactions, F it up. The way you keep yourself large and the vid small in the screen is on point. I guess people don't realize that you're trying to watch the persons facial reaction. Your physical set up is perfect. It's real easy to appreciate your reaction. This made me subscribe. Cheers.
Pierre Van Der Linden is one of the most under rated drummers, and often missed behind Jan Akkerman and Thijs Van Leer. ? I believe Thijs Van Leer has released a number of Highly acclaimed "Serious" flute albums in the Netherland. Maybe His daughter will pop a comment in confirmation.
Indeed he has.. Introspection is a "must have " my mother had it on Vinyl, when i grew up, and she played it often, later i found a CD of Introspection in a CD Shop, and i bought it immediately.. it has become my Musical Companion on long car trips..
I saw them Live in the 70's. Though this was what put them on the Hits map the bulk of their amazing music during their peak was pure Prog melodic genius. They produced several exquisite albums packed with gorgeous emotional epics and songs. Must dig deeper to get the full essence of FOCUS.
Akkerman could shred so effortlessly and he was the go to for a lot of guitarists. Let's not look passed the bass playing in this song, shredding as well.
They refused to cut the song on the Midnight Special so they played the song in double time, these guys are great. They are still together rocking it out in their 70's though the vocals have come down a notch but that's to be expected. Great Rhyme "Hocus Pocus" by Focus.
Focus 3 is a must have album, In and Out Of and Moving Waves are the best introduction of Focus. Hamburger Concerto was when ex Stone The Crows Colin Allen joined. Pierre joined Trace with Rick Van Der Linden (not related) after, then Ian Mosley later of Renaissance and Marillion replaced Pierre!!!
You got a version with the FULL performance....NICE.....all of them were good....catch a few of those triple kicks?......ohhhh yurrrr!....no Amanita muscaria here...👉🏻 ive been able to drum to the 7 minute studio version....35 year drummer here....
As BoardGameBill mentioned, the song is sped up considerably from the way it was written - the funny faces and a few errors by singer/organist/flautist Thijs van Leer are because of this difference, which made it hard to sufficiently support his vocals. I believe that this version was the original recording, and the aired version was cut even further before broadcast - the reason that I think this is that both versions have what appear to be the same funny faces and errors 🙂 The band members at this time were: Thijs van Leer (pronounced to rhyme with "rice") on vocals, organ, and flute Jan Akkerman on guitar Pierre van der Linden on drums Bert Ruiter on bass This song was a bit of an oddity for the band - a bit of a show-off of some of Thijs' less-used skills. For a better feel for the band's normal sound, look up songs like "Sylvia" or "Eruption" (the song I always think of when someone is talking about Eddie van Halen's solo of the same name).
Eruption and Sylvia are coming next everyone hyped those two up! Thank you for all the info. These guys seem fascinating. Akkerman and the drummer were in complete control and it was beautiful.
Have you tried Dimash? You might like his Queen cover of ''Show Must Go On', 2017 in China. He didn't really speak english yet, but he could sing it! Cheers from LA
The band wrote this song as a parody of the new trend in music, heavy metal. They despised the genre and wrote this to make fun of it. The guitar player came to hate the fact that this song would be their legacy, when much of their catalog of music was much better. This performance is unique. They were told shortly before performing, that they'd have to cut some parts for time. They refused and instead played an already fast song, even faster. You can sense the frustration in this performance. Sort of a big FU to the TV show. Rich the Ancient Metal Beast
So they are remembered for the one song they wouldn't want to be remembered by... damn that's a bummer! But I'm not gonna just stop here I'm gonna keep going for sure. I know a favorite of mine, Cynic, are huge fans of Focus.
Nonsense. Heavy metal wasn't even thought up in 1972 when this was first written. Yes, there was Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Cream, Deep Purple, Free, Uriah Heap, Who ... in England ... and Hendrix, Iron Butterfly, Grand Funk, Blue Oyster Cult, MC5, Blue Cheer, in the US -- but all that was just *hard rock*, NOTHING LIKE heavy metal, you doofus. Punk didn't start till 75, and then heavy metal after that. Wiki and most people NOT EVEN ALIVE BACK THEN have seriously misnamed heavy metal. Not one of those bands ever called themselves "metal".
Someone else mentioned the studio version as well so I will definitely check it out on my own time. I enjoyed the back and forth between the drummer and Akkerman (sp?). It was nuts lol
Agree. This live thing is a bit of a joke and I think it's disappointing that most reactors go for this. The original studio version is a cleverly constructed piece that I never tire of listening to.
Nice reaction L33. Seen Focus several times in the early 70's in smaller venues in The Netherlands. Some amazing musicians. Jan Akkerman was a phenomenal guitarist and Thijs van Leer a superb flutist. He still performs with Ayreon. A song over 6 minutes which they did some three minutes. Weren't alowed any longer at the show.
The studio version is much slower. The reason why this live performance is so fast is due to the “midnight special “ TV show time constraints! If an artist went beyond the limited time frame, the network would fade out the performance! Great job fitting this song in!
Hi, I'm glad that you got around to Focus who are a Dutch classical/jazz/rock band. They first came to the UK in August 1972 and appeared at the Reading Festival- I was there and the crowd went crazy for them immediately. In December that year they appeared on a UK music TV programme called The Old Grey Whistle Test, after which demand for their music went mad. This single Hocus Pocus came from the album Moving Waves issued by the Polydor label and following this appearance on TV Polydor turned all their production over to this album to keep up with demand. For me their best album is Focus 3 from which came the single Sylvia. I have seen the band in recent years and they are still fantastic although Jan has left. I think that this show is from 1973 when Jan changed his black Les Paul for this sunburst one. Love your reactions- but going to recommend the German band Amon Duul II, who sing in English. Try side two from the album Yeti, which starts with Archangels Thunderbird, then Cerberus, The Return Of Ruebezahl, Eye-Shaking King and finishes with Pale gallery. Good luck.
Great Reaction, Bro! You chose the "Extended" Version, which has the part Between the Flute & Whistle. Please React to the Album Version, it's Slower and Longer!
I cut my teeth on this. Check out some old Mothers, Beefheart (especially Bat Chain Puller), Captain Beyond, Leaf Hound and the plethora of bands in my youth. Keep rocking'!
"Hamburger Concerto live": world class progressive rock of the Dutch lowlands. In the music industry at the time Jan Akkerman was considered to be the most innovative and scilled axeman of the world.
Focus was some of the greatest band in 1973 . Focus are from Nederlands. I saw them in Denmark 1974. Singer and organist is klassisk on fllyte. The guitarist Jan Akkerman was one of the best at that time in the world.
At least where I grew up, this was actually a big hit on the AM Top 40 radio station. The instrumentals kicked ass, and the yodeling (and scat singing?) was funny as hell. I always thought the scat singing sounded like Popeye mumbling in the old 20's and 30's movie cartoons.
Thijs van Leer was really showing off here. Focus still performs. I went to their show last Friday. Musically still strong. Thijs is still yodeling, but he doesn't do the high notes anymore. Pierre van der Linden is still the drummer. Unfortunately the bass player Bert Ruiter passed away a year ago and the lead guitarist Jan Akkerman left the band. But the replacement musicians are good as well.
Just saw that you're a drummer. You should check out Chad Smith doing 30 seconds to mars on Drumeo. Ridiculously good/talented. I think you might like it.
Should have done the studio version first...this IMHO is a touch too quick. Anyway, Jan Akkerman voted best guitarist in the 1973 Melody Maker poll. Both Thijs Van Leer (organist, flautist. yodeller and whistler) and Jan Akkerman were University graduates in music. You need to hear "Eruption" off their 2nd album "Moving Waves", "Anonymous 2" from "Focus 3" and "Birth" and "Hamburger Concerto" from the album "Hamburger Concerto" to really appreciate this brilliant Dutch band.
i was listening to their discography last year because i loved Hocus pocus and i realised that i hadnt heard many songs at all from them (kinda makes sense since theyre not the most well known band and a lot of their songs are instrumentals and many of them similar with one another) and i was suprised that there werent songs that i didnt like, and i found quite a few amazing songs, but definetely the best of the bunch is Hamburger Concerto for me its a long one but you should definetely check it out, but if you want to check a shorter song first Harem Scarem is another amazing song
Not sure if anyone's mention this but the studio version is a LOT slower, but it's much quicker for the drummer in the fills sections. Here he's just doing them cut time, but in the slower version he's going doubletime and he has play them out MUCH faster and it's way more impressive sounding. There'd be no way he could do those same studio fills at this tempo. I never liked it at this speed as it loses the groove, but it's better for the guitarist who is ripping.
Drummer ... This Hocus Pocus by Focus harks back to the early 1970s. One thing that became important especially in live performances was the drum solo. If you Google for most important drum solos in rock music then this generally doesn't go back before 1969 (e.g. Moby Dick with John Bonham). But, in 1968 you had a band called "Iron Butterfly" that did a piece called "In a gadda da vida"with a long drum solo in it. This also is the pivotal period where acid rock and heavy metal are being defined. IMO Note that "hocus pocus" was a magical formula and has a centuries old etymology going back to another pseudo Latin magical formula.
The original song is way slower than this, they had to play the song in a limited time and were told to shorten it down. They refused and simply played the song faster.
One thing about The Midnight Special. Almost no one every got a standing ovations. Some of the greatest musicians of the era received simple applause. What Focus did was so absurd, crunching a 9 minute song into 4 minutes was insane. And the audience understood that and appreciated it.
it was a one time thing ... nobody has ever gone there again .... not the playing but the crazy
This was the only complete standing ovation in the history of the show "Midnight Special"'s entire run, and they had some awesome music. That says something powerful. :)
They just NAILED it...The hit EVERYTHING they aimed at......
Glad you finally got around to this one! Jan Akkerman was way ahead of his time, sweep picking in 1973. This version of the song is considerably faster than the album version, supposedly because they were given something like 3 minutes of air time for what was originally a 6ish minute song. Rather than leave anything out, they just kicked the tempo into overdrive and went for it. This particular take is an extended cut (from a rehearsal, maybe?), and not the cut that aired. The original cut from the broadcast is available on RUclips, with an introduction by Gladys Knight.
I'm glad too! This was wild. I'm excited to dive into whatever else they have in store. I know this was a fun song for them so it's not the norm. But I'm down for whatever by them because this intrigued me to no end lol
Yep, Jan Akkerman. 💯
Jam Akkerman was savage. He later played with Pacific De Lucia, FFS. You have to be a God level guitarist to get that call
I've never seen this version before. As you said, this must be a rehearsal take. It's better than the live air showing that I've seen numerous times. Jan is smoking those leads. Cool beans!!!
He was killing it out there. I found a new guitarist to watch out for
Seeing the reactors' faces when the guy starts yodeling is always funny. LOL
Check out the live version of "Frankenstein" by The Edgar Winters Group. 1973
Man I miss the 70's!
This live version is so crazily fast it seems almost impossible. Thijs van Leer was, and still is amazing, I saw him do their other famous track Sylvia with Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Roine Stolt and Pete Trewavas of Transatalantic a few years back it was incredible. This version of this is off the charts. Jan Akkerman shreds that axe to within an inch of its life. Most Prog Rock fans love this song and this band. This was a great choice man, can't believe you never heard this before, great reaction. Check out Focus's other great track Sylvia.
Yeah bro the only way I knew about them was from another band who idolized them. Never actually listened. And now I'm glad I did finally! This was awesome :)
Don't you mean PETE Trewavas? (He is also in Marillion.)
@@angharaddenby3389 Yes Pete! Trewavas from Marillion. My mistake.
Like Focus, I live in the Netherlands. The nice thing about that is that I regularly saw Focus perform in small venues in the 70s and 80s. After the concert, the men would come into the hall to have a beer with you and chat a bit. By the way, I visited guitarist Jan Akkerman less than a month ago during such a performance.
Ohh and by the way.......Just play the album Focus at the Rainbow to get a good idea of their genius
Sweet I'll add it to the list thank you bro! I hope to hear a lot more of them. This really intrigued me. And the drummer was nuts!
Sweet I'll add it to the list thank you bro! I hope to hear a lot more of them. This really intrigued me. And the drummer was nuts!
Their concert 1970s was the loudest band I ever went to. Epic!!!
Focus, one of the essential greats of 70's progressive bands. Hamburger Concerto is my favorite album.
Was crazy brilliance back in the day......Still brilliant today🎸
Yeah this was flat out awesome. I can't wait to listen to eruption next!
This is their Circus number. They have so much great Music. The albums Focus 3 and Hamburger Concerto are just superb from start to finish.
Awesome I'm gonna check all those out eventually for sure. This song sold me on them even though it's a joke song apparently haha
I literally saw them in concert LAST WEEK!...(19/11/23), however, the only original members are frontman, organist, flautist, and vocalist Thijs van Leer, and drummer Pierre van der Linden. This was in Sale, Greater Manchester, England. The last time I actually saw Focus was , I think, in 1973(ish), I have seen them at least twice (and maybe three times, ...you know it was the seventies, long time ago). This (song???) is not representative of the bulk of their material, most of their music is actually quite serious, progressive, quasi-classical stuff. Hocus Pocus is their crazy song, and the version you have reacted to is from a tv show in America, and they were only allowed a 3 to 4 minute spot, and the song is apparently a 7 minute song! but Focus were not prepared to compromise, and essentially speeded it up to fit that timescale!
Thijs van Leer (organ and yodelling) plays flute on several songs in the Ayreon live show Electric Castle And Other Tales, although he looks completely different now.
L33 REACTIONS YOU ROCK 🤟 THANKS FOR PLAYING FOCUS AWESOME MAN AND SONG TAKE CARE BRO MUCH LOVE FROM NEW YORK 💯❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
Drummer Pierre van der Linden actually recorded a solo album "Drum Poetry". Not easy listening for non-drummers, I guess, but for Focus fans who are completist record collectors... 😂
I'm looking forward to seeing Focus live for the first time in Nov 2024 after being a fan for nearly fifty years! Thijs & Pierre still form half of the band.
Despite its goofiness….these musicians are 🔥 And those vocals…👀
So glad you're ok❤. This song is extraordinary and massive FUN 😅
When I heard the song back then, the next day, I bought their album, first in a row. Which I still have on vinyl. It's protected stored. This was a genius song. Thijs Van Leer (vocalist) has a background in classical music. The drummer has a background in Jazz, you can see that very clear, how he's holding his sticks. And the guitar man, Jan Ackerman, he is on many records as a session player. He was very embarrassed to play these kinds of songs. But in the day, one of the best in the world. Not many artists got a stand ovation in the Midnight Special.
Double timed this rendition to cater for time constraints this is awesome this verz
and it is a form of singing
I hope you’re feeling better ❤
Oh man I wish I could say i was. I had a
.. minor mental breakdown today? And had to go to the doctors to get an ekg and chest xray done. And they said I'm fine. But I have never been this stressed out before in my life I think and I'm like getting severe bouts of anxiety and fear randomly. And I'm just getting over this virus and I'm just not good man... I'll be ok eventually but I'm just not good in the moment. Thank you so much for the kind words 🙏
Think in small steps, dont ask too much of yourself. Most of the anxiety is in the head. I have dealt panic attacks and it's bad, really no fun. ❤️ Take care and listen to your body
Saw them do this live in 1974, sandwiched between tge opener, Mike Quatro and the headliner, Aerosmith. Glad you're feeling better, Lee! 🤘
Superb tune, I once played the studio album version at a younger friends birthday bash. He was astounded, so were most of the younger people there who had never heard ANYTHING like it before. Another Focus tune to react to is "Sylvia".
As a drummer you need to see the long version of this with the full length drum solo.
Hey bud, glad to hear you're on the mend. First time to your channel. So many people that do reactions, F it up. The way you keep yourself large and the vid small in the screen is on point. I guess people don't realize that you're trying to watch the persons facial reaction. Your physical set up is perfect. It's real easy to appreciate your reaction. This made me subscribe. Cheers.
I've listened to the studio version plenty times. It's a fun song.
I'm gonna check out the studio. Everyone keeps mentioning it! 😊
My dad loves the flute player, Thijs van Leer.
Pierre Van Der Linden is one of the most under rated drummers, and often missed behind Jan Akkerman and Thijs Van Leer. ?
I believe Thijs Van Leer has released a number of Highly acclaimed "Serious" flute albums in the Netherland.
Maybe His daughter will pop a comment in confirmation.
Indeed he has.. Introspection is a "must have " my mother had it on Vinyl, when i grew up, and she played it often, later i found a CD of Introspection in a CD Shop, and i bought it immediately.. it has become my Musical Companion on long car trips..
@@JanBinnendijk
Thank you for that confirmation. 😎👌
I saw them Live in the 70's. Though this was what put them on the Hits map the bulk of their amazing music during their peak was pure Prog melodic genius. They produced several exquisite albums packed with gorgeous emotional epics and songs. Must dig deeper to get the full essence of FOCUS.
Loved your face when Tjyjs started yodelling. Focus we’re such a huge influence in the years before prog took off.
Good to see your OK, but, you are not old, your young and have twice the life ahead of you that me and many others have.
Appreciate you .
Praying for you 🙏
I love watching the expression on people's faces when they're hit between the eyes with rock and roll YODELING!
Akkerman could shred so effortlessly and he was the go to for a lot of guitarists. Let's not look passed the bass playing in this song, shredding as well.
He was absolutely killing it here. He was playing off the drummer so damn well. They were having a blast it seemed like haha
The high tone with the flute was Jan on the guitar, you can see him smiling right after 😀@@L33Reacts
"Hocus Pocus" !!! Back in the day I only got to hear this on the radio. Now I get to see how crazy he looks.
They refused to cut the song on the Midnight Special so they played the song in double time, these guys are great. They are still together rocking it out in their 70's though the vocals have come down a notch but that's to be expected. Great Rhyme "Hocus Pocus" by Focus.
The drummer's name is Pierre van der Linden
Check out the Moving Waves album. This song opens the album. Fantastic Prog!! One of my top albums of all time
Focus 3 is a must have album, In and Out Of and Moving Waves are the best introduction of Focus. Hamburger Concerto was when ex Stone The Crows Colin Allen joined. Pierre joined Trace with Rick Van Der Linden (not related) after, then Ian Mosley later of Renaissance and Marillion replaced Pierre!!!
You got a version with the FULL performance....NICE.....all of them were good....catch a few of those triple kicks?......ohhhh yurrrr!....no Amanita muscaria here...👉🏻 ive been able to drum to the 7 minute studio version....35 year drummer here....
That's not crazy, that's Dutch.
Check out Sylvia, one of the most beautiful rock instrumentals ever. Akkerman could play anything; one of my all time guitar heroes.
I'll add it to the list thank you Donald! Sounds awesome haha
One of the best life performances ever.
As BoardGameBill mentioned, the song is sped up considerably from the way it was written - the funny faces and a few errors by singer/organist/flautist Thijs van Leer are because of this difference, which made it hard to sufficiently support his vocals. I believe that this version was the original recording, and the aired version was cut even further before broadcast - the reason that I think this is that both versions have what appear to be the same funny faces and errors 🙂
The band members at this time were:
Thijs van Leer (pronounced to rhyme with "rice") on vocals, organ, and flute
Jan Akkerman on guitar
Pierre van der Linden on drums
Bert Ruiter on bass
This song was a bit of an oddity for the band - a bit of a show-off of some of Thijs' less-used skills. For a better feel for the band's normal sound, look up songs like "Sylvia" or "Eruption" (the song I always think of when someone is talking about Eddie van Halen's solo of the same name).
Eruption and Sylvia are coming next everyone hyped those two up! Thank you for all the info. These guys seem fascinating. Akkerman and the drummer were in complete control and it was beautiful.
Have you tried Dimash? You might like his Queen cover of ''Show Must Go On', 2017 in China. He didn't really speak english yet, but he could sing it! Cheers from LA
Peak Prog. Utterly bonkers.
The band wrote this song as a parody of the new trend in music, heavy metal. They despised the genre and wrote this to make fun of it. The guitar player came to hate the fact that this song would be their legacy, when much of their catalog of music was much better.
This performance is unique. They were told shortly before performing, that they'd have to cut some parts for time. They refused and instead played an already fast song, even faster. You can sense the frustration in this performance. Sort of a big FU to the TV show.
Rich the Ancient Metal Beast
So they are remembered for the one song they wouldn't want to be remembered by... damn that's a bummer! But I'm not gonna just stop here I'm gonna keep going for sure. I know a favorite of mine, Cynic, are huge fans of Focus.
And got a standing ovation for it from the crowd
i dont think thats true at all !!!@@L33Reacts
The only standing ovation ever on Midnight Special !!!@@tomfabozzi5353
Nonsense. Heavy metal wasn't even thought up in 1972 when this was first written. Yes, there was Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Cream, Deep Purple, Free, Uriah Heap, Who ... in England ... and Hendrix, Iron Butterfly, Grand Funk, Blue Oyster Cult, MC5, Blue Cheer, in the US -- but all that was just *hard rock*, NOTHING LIKE heavy metal, you doofus. Punk didn't start till 75, and then heavy metal after that. Wiki and most people NOT EVEN ALIVE BACK THEN have seriously misnamed heavy metal. Not one of those bands ever called themselves "metal".
I prefer the studio version to this live one, which I think is just too fast and, oddly enough, unfocused.
Someone else mentioned the studio version as well so I will definitely check it out on my own time. I enjoyed the back and forth between the drummer and Akkerman (sp?). It was nuts lol
Agree. This live thing is a bit of a joke and I think it's disappointing that most reactors go for this. The original studio version is a cleverly constructed piece that I never tire of listening to.
I remember the first time I ever heard this, I thought, "Man I got too high 😂😂 whew!
Nice reaction L33.
Seen Focus several times in the early 70's in smaller venues in The Netherlands.
Some amazing musicians.
Jan Akkerman was a phenomenal guitarist and Thijs van Leer a superb flutist.
He still performs with Ayreon.
A song over 6 minutes which they did some three minutes. Weren't alowed any longer at the show.
Jan is phenomenal, i mean : not was...😉
The studio version is much slower. The reason why this live performance is so fast is due to the “midnight special “ TV show time constraints! If an artist went beyond the limited time frame, the network would fade out the performance! Great job fitting this song in!
Eruption!! Epic song! Has to be the studio version...
Hi, I'm glad that you got around to Focus who are a Dutch classical/jazz/rock band. They first came to the UK in August 1972 and appeared at the Reading Festival- I was there and the crowd went crazy for them immediately. In December that year they appeared on a UK music TV programme called The Old Grey Whistle Test, after which demand for their music went mad. This single Hocus Pocus came from the album Moving Waves issued by the Polydor label and following this appearance on TV Polydor turned all their production over to this album to keep up with demand. For me their best album is Focus 3 from which came the single Sylvia. I have seen the band in recent years and they are still fantastic although Jan has left. I think that this show is from 1973 when Jan changed his black Les Paul for this sunburst one.
Love your reactions- but going to recommend the German band Amon Duul II, who sing in English. Try side two from the album Yeti, which starts with Archangels Thunderbird, then Cerberus, The Return Of Ruebezahl, Eye-Shaking King and finishes with Pale gallery. Good luck.
Focus is Timeless...Greatness! The screen shot of the Band should be Much Larger than yours, come on...
Great Reaction, Bro! You chose the "Extended" Version, which has the part Between the Flute & Whistle. Please React to the Album Version, it's Slower and Longer!
Great take....true about the colors back in the day .......
Jan Akkerman, the guitar player, was considered by many to be equally as good as or even better than Eric Clapton in those days.
He is a proper drummer like the lead guitarist best players in the world nme
I cut my teeth on this. Check out some old Mothers, Beefheart (especially Bat Chain Puller), Captain Beyond, Leaf Hound and the plethora of bands in my youth. Keep rocking'!
The British can be a bit snobby about rock guitarists (they've sort of earned that right) but Jan Akkerman was held in very high esteem over here.
He absolutely deserves to be highly regarded! He can frickin shred! 😁
If you were " almost dead" , this one will bring you back alive!!
"Hamburger Concerto live": world class progressive rock of the Dutch lowlands. In the music industry at the time Jan Akkerman was considered to be the most innovative and scilled axeman of the world.
Focus was some of the greatest band in 1973 . Focus are from Nederlands. I saw them in Denmark 1974. Singer and organist is klassisk on fllyte. The guitarist Jan Akkerman was one of the best at that time in the world.
Same drummer and Jan Akkerman in Brainbox Downman.
At least where I grew up, this was actually a big hit on the AM Top 40 radio station. The instrumentals kicked ass, and the yodeling (and scat singing?) was funny as hell. I always thought the scat singing sounded like Popeye mumbling in the old 20's and 30's movie cartoons.
There was SO MUCH real talent creativity in music during the late 60's and entire 70's before BIG MONEY infested and corrupted the industry.
Thijs van Leer was really showing off here. Focus still performs. I went to their show last Friday. Musically still strong. Thijs is still yodeling, but he doesn't do the high notes anymore. Pierre van der Linden is still the drummer. Unfortunately the bass player Bert Ruiter passed away a year ago and the lead guitarist Jan Akkerman left the band. But the replacement musicians are good as well.
Hamburger Concerto came out when I was getting married. Went down the aisle to a version of it.
Just saw that you're a drummer. You should check out Chad Smith doing 30 seconds to mars on Drumeo. Ridiculously good/talented. I think you might like it.
"Fuckin' Ian over here" LMAO! Brilliant haha
🤣🤣🤣 glad you enjoyed. That took me by surprise, I can't lie lol
Hope you and the family are doing well...
Should have done the studio version first...this IMHO is a touch too quick. Anyway, Jan Akkerman voted best guitarist in the 1973 Melody Maker poll. Both Thijs Van Leer (organist, flautist. yodeller and whistler) and Jan Akkerman were University graduates in music. You need to hear "Eruption" off their 2nd album "Moving Waves", "Anonymous 2" from "Focus 3" and "Birth" and "Hamburger Concerto" from the album "Hamburger Concerto" to really appreciate this brilliant Dutch band.
Agreed. I think this version only works when you know the original and you can appreciate the fun they're having. But... too crazy for me!
Check out John Weathers drumming with gentle Giant...
i was listening to their discography last year because i loved Hocus pocus and i realised that i hadnt heard many songs at all from them (kinda makes sense since theyre not the most well known band and a lot of their songs are instrumentals and many of them similar with one another) and i was suprised that there werent songs that i didnt like, and i found quite a few amazing songs, but definetely the best of the bunch is Hamburger Concerto for me its a long one but you should definetely check it out, but if you want to check a shorter song first Harem Scarem is another amazing song
Not sure if anyone's mention this but the studio version is a LOT slower, but it's much quicker for the drummer in the fills sections. Here he's just doing them cut time, but in the slower version he's going doubletime and he has play them out MUCH faster and it's way more impressive sounding. There'd be no way he could do those same studio fills at this tempo. I never liked it at this speed as it loses the groove, but it's better for the guitarist who is ripping.
Jethro Tull/Chicago.
1. I can’t disagree.
2. I’m impressed.
Thank you sir I thought it was a good one too 😊
He uses his voice as another instrument.
His lungs much be HUGE! Wonder how long he can actually hold his breath.
try some judas preist on the old grey whistle test,70s
I think they were short on there slot time so deliberately sped it up so not to get it cut
This is a re-edited version of the show.
"sick when you are old"?, hey, old ( ish) is when you were in your teens when this track hit the charts.
Instrumentally this song is out of this world. I would compare it to Frankenstein. by Edgar Winter.
It really is! Akkerman and the drummer were killing it!! I want to hear more :))
That was a lot of song for me. 😆I do like it. Jewel is a yodeler too. 🤣
I just wanted to look at Gladys....but the band caught my attention pretty quickly...
The drummer is doing homages to Sid Catlett
Check out Iron Butterfly “Inagadadavida”
I'll add it to the list thank you for the suggestion.
Drummer ... This Hocus Pocus by Focus harks back to the early 1970s. One thing that became important especially in live performances was the drum solo. If you Google for most important drum solos in rock music then this generally doesn't go back before 1969 (e.g. Moby Dick with John Bonham). But, in 1968 you had a band called "Iron Butterfly" that did a piece called "In a gadda da vida"with a long drum solo in it.
This also is the pivotal period where acid rock and heavy metal are being defined.
IMO
Note that "hocus pocus" was a magical formula and has a centuries old etymology going back to another pseudo Latin magical formula.
I'll check it out! Sounds like a blast. I've never heard of Iron butterfly to be honest.
You're watching all my favourite bands.
Dude you can thank all of the wonderful subscribers and patrons who have shown me the way... I am in their debt.
Back in the days... when they played instuments. And when drums didn't sound like dead cardboard boxes...
:P
Try " out of vesuvius" by Focus
By the way the drummer's name is Pierre Vanderlinden. Peace out😊
Yeah, the 1970s were pretty trippy. Listen t the studio version - That one part sounds like Popeye on Meth, or something.
I'll check it out just for your description alone 😆😆😆
Hey Lee! In this case the studio version is better. Later bro.🔈🔉🔊😎
Hey Jeff thanks for letting me know bro 🙏 I'll check it out:)
@@L33Reacts 👍😎
Ten uses of "LIKE" in the first 50 seconds is enough to make me switch off.
Like uh, buh bye ?
☮️💙💙💙🔥😎feel better!
Thank you so much! I appreciate it! I'm trying my best lol
The original song is way slower than this, they had to play the song in a limited time and were told to shorten it down. They refused and simply played the song faster.
It's called Yodeling.....😂
Classic song!!
Try Sylvia for Jan Ackerman at his best, enjoy 🎉
Thanks Simon I'll check it out. Thanks bro! 😊