Hocus Pocus - Music
Hocus Pocus by Focus
Focus
Artist Biography For Focus
There Is More Than One Artist With This Name.
1 A Dutch Progressive Rock Band Founded In 1969.
2 An American Rapper And Hip-Hop Producer.
3 Bigband From Valašska Czech Republic.
4 A Hip-Hop Artist From The Sunshine Coast In Australia. 1 Focus Is A Dutch Progressive Rock Band Founded By Classically Trained Organist/flautist Thijs Van Leer In 1969 Along With Guitarist Jan Akkerman. They Are One Of The Most Well-Known And Influential Rock Bands From The Netherlands. They Successfully Fuse Inspired Jazz Rock And Blues Improvisation Classical Musical Structures And Accessible Pop Melodies Into A Powerful And Instantly Recognizable Sound. Akkerman's Technical Mastery Of The Guitar And The Often Unpredictable Brilliance Of His Improvisations Were The Perfect Counterpoint To Van Leer's Extensive Knowledge Of Musical Styles And Disciplined Approach To Composition. Van Leer's Tongue-In-Cheek Musical References Include The Reworking Of Motifs From An Early Monteverdi Opera In The Extended Piece "Eruption" On The Moving Waves Album The Contrapuntal Passage In The Middle Section Of "Carnival Fugue" On The Focus 3 Album The Renaissance-Era Harmonic Progressions In "Anonymous II" Also On Focus 3 And The Quote From The First Chorale Of J.S. Bach's Oratorio St. Matthew's Passion In The Track "Father Bach" On "Mother Focus". Focus Are Possibly Best Known For Their "Hocus Pocus" A Top 40 Hit From The Moving Waves LP Which Included Inspired Bits Of Yodeling Believe It And Explosive Guitar Work. The Works Of Both Composers Display An Impeccable Melodic Sense More Often Found In Pop Songs And Broadway Showtunes Than In Progressive Rock Compositions. It Is To The Regret Of Many Rock Fans That Thijs Van Leer And Jan Akkerman Were Unable To Continue Their Collaboration As Together They Were More Than The Sum Of Their Formidable Parts. Akkerman's "House Of The King" From The "In And Out Of Focus" Album Is The Title Theme Of 'Don't Ask Me' A Science-Based British TV Show Of The 1970s That Made Household Names Of Dr. Magnus Pyke And Professor David Bellamy. It Is Also The Title Theme Of Steve Coogan's BBC2 Sitcom Saxondale. It Is Often Mistaken For A Jethro Tull Song. ********************************************************************************************************* 2 There Is Also An American Rapper And Hip-Hop Producer Called Focus. His Civil Name Is Bernard Edwards Jr. He Has Produced Tracks For The Game Tony Yayo Stat Quo Bishop Lamont Dr. Dre Jennifer Lopez And Beyoncé Among Others. In 2003 He Founded The Label A.Fam Entertainment Inc. See Http //www.Myspace.Com/Icouldntthinkofabettername And Http //www.Myspace.Com/noimaginationorcreativity. ********************************************************************************************************* 3 Focus Is A Big Band Jazz Ensemble From Valašska Czech Republic. ********************************************************************************************************* 4 Focus Is Also The Name Of An Upcoming Hip-Hop Artist From The Sunshine Coast In Australia. Check Out Http //www.Myspace.Com/alsocouldnotthinkofabettername For More.
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Hocus Pocus
Focus - Moving Waves
"Hocus Pocus" Is A 1971 Song From Moving Waves The Second Album By Dutch Rock Group Focus. It Was Written By Guitarist Jan Akkerman And Flautist/keyboardist Thijs Van Leer. It Was Also Released As A Single With Janis As A B-Side For The UK And Hocus Pocus II For The US. There Are No Lyrics To The Song. It Takes The Form Of A Rondo Consisting Of Alternation Between A Powerful Rock Chord Riff And Varied Solo "verses" In The Original All Performed By Thijs Van Leer Which Include Yodeling Organ Playing Accordion Gibberish Lyrics Flute Riffs And Whistling. Focus Recorded A Special Faster Radio Version Which Became A Hit Song. When Performing Live The Group Would Play The Song Even Faster. Hocus Pocus Reached #20 In The UK And #9 In The US During The Spring Of 1973. The Final Bars Of The Song Are Used As The Outro Music On The Second Series Of The BBC TV Sitcom Saxondale. The Song Is Featured In The Movie The Stoned Age And Was Used In A 2008 McDonald's Commercial Featuring The Web Site Line Rider.
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Music Tags for Focus:
Biography - Focus
There Is More Than One Artist With This Name.
1 A Dutch Progressive Rock Band Founded In 1969.
2 An American Rapper And Hip-Hop Producer.
3 Bigband From Valašska Czech Republic.
4 A Hip-Hop Artist From The Sunshine Coast In Australia. 1 Focus Is A Dutch Progressive Rock Band Founded By Classically Trained Organist/flautist Thijs Van Leer In 1969 Along With Guitarist Jan Akkerman. They Are One Of The Most Well-Known And Influential Rock Bands From The Netherlands. They Successfully Fuse Inspired Jazz Rock And Blues Improvisation Classical Musical Structures And Accessible Pop Melodies Into A Powerful And Instantly Recognizable Sound. Akkerman's Technical Mastery Of The Guitar And The Often Unpredictable Brilliance Of His Improvisations Were The Perfect Counterpoint To Van Leer's Extensive Knowledge Of Musical Styles And Disciplined Approach To Composition. Van Leer's Tongue-In-Cheek Musical References Include The Reworking Of Motifs From An Early Monteverdi Opera In The Extended Piece "Eruption" On The Moving Waves Album The Contrapuntal Passage In The Middle Section Of "Carnival Fugue" On The Focus 3 Album The Renaissance-Era Harmonic Progressions In "Anonymous II" Also On Focus 3 And The Quote From The First Chorale Of J.S. Bach's Oratorio St. Matthew's Passion In The Track "Father Bach" On "Mother Focus". Focus Are Possibly Best Known For Their "Hocus Pocus" A Top 40 Hit From The Moving Waves LP Which Included Inspired Bits Of Yodeling Believe It And Explosive Guitar Work. The Works Of Both Composers Display An Impeccable Melodic Sense More Often Found In Pop Songs And Broadway Showtunes Than In Progressive Rock Compositions. It Is To The Regret Of Many Rock Fans That Thijs Van Leer And Jan Akkerman Were Unable To Continue Their Collaboration As Together They Were More Than The Sum Of Their Formidable Parts. Akkerman's "House Of The King" From The "In And Out Of Focus" Album Is The Title Theme Of 'Don't Ask Me' A Science-Based British TV Show Of The 1970s That Made Household Names Of Dr. Magnus Pyke And Professor David Bellamy. It Is Also The Title Theme Of Steve Coogan's BBC2 Sitcom Saxondale. It Is Often Mistaken For A Jethro Tull Song. ********************************************************************************************************* 2 There Is Also An American Rapper And Hip-Hop Producer Called Focus. His Civil Name Is Bernard Edwards Jr. He Has Produced Tracks For The Game Tony Yayo Stat Quo Bishop Lamont Dr. Dre Jennifer Lopez And Beyoncé Among Others. In 2003 He Founded The Label A.Fam Entertainment Inc. See Http //www.Myspace.Com/Icouldntthinkofabettername And Http //www.Myspace.Com/noimaginationorcreativity. ********************************************************************************************************* 3 Focus Is A Big Band Jazz Ensemble From Valašska Czech Republic. ********************************************************************************************************* 4 Focus Is Also The Name Of An Upcoming Hip-Hop Artist From The Sunshine Coast In Australia. Check Out Http //www.Myspace.Com/alsocouldnotthinkofabettername For More. read less
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1 A Dutch Progressive Rock Band Founded In 1969.
2 An American Rapper And Hip-Hop Producer.
3 Bigband From Valašska Czech Republic.
4 A Hip-Hop Artist From The Sunshine Coast In Australia. 1 Focus Is A Dutch Progressive Rock Band Founded By Classically Trained Organist/flautist Thijs Van Leer In 1969 Along With Guitarist Jan Akkerman. They Are One Of The Most Well-Known And Influential Rock Bands From The Netherlands. They Successfully Fuse Inspired Jazz Rock And Blues Improvisation Classical Musical Structures And Accessible Pop Melodies Into A Powerful And Instantly Recognizable Sound. Akkerman's Technical Mastery Of The Guitar And The Often Unpredictable Brilliance Of His Improvisations Were The Perfect Counterpoint To Van Leer's Extensive Knowledge Of Musical Styles And Disciplined Approach To Composition. Van Leer's Tongue-In-Cheek Musical References Include The Reworking Of Motifs From An Early Monteverdi Opera In The Extended Piece "Eruption" On The Moving Waves Album The Contrapuntal Passage In The Middle Section Of "Carnival Fugue" On The Focus 3 Album The Renaissance-Era Harmonic Progressions In "Anonymous II" Also On Focus 3 And The Quote From The First Chorale Of J.S. Bach's Oratorio St. Matthew's Passion In The Track "Father Bach" On "Mother Focus". Focus Are Possibly Best Known For Their "Hocus Pocus" A Top 40 Hit From The Moving Waves LP Which Included Inspired Bits Of Yodeling Believe It And Explosive Guitar Work. The Works Of Both Composers Display An Impeccable Melodic Sense More Often Found In Pop Songs And Broadway Showtunes Than In Progressive Rock Compositions. It Is To The Regret Of Many Rock Fans That Thijs Van Leer And Jan Akkerman Were Unable To Continue Their Collaboration As Together They Were More Than The Sum Of Their Formidable Parts. Akkerman's "House Of The King" From The "In And Out Of Focus" Album Is The Title Theme Of 'Don't Ask Me' A Science-Based British TV Show Of The 1970s That Made Household Names Of Dr. Magnus Pyke And Professor David Bellamy. It Is Also The Title Theme Of Steve Coogan's BBC2 Sitcom Saxondale. It Is Often Mistaken For A Jethro Tull Song. ********************************************************************************************************* 2 There Is Also An American Rapper And Hip-Hop Producer Called Focus. His Civil Name Is Bernard Edwards Jr. He Has Produced Tracks For The Game Tony Yayo Stat Quo Bishop Lamont Dr. Dre Jennifer Lopez And Beyoncé Among Others. In 2003 He Founded The Label A.Fam Entertainment Inc. See Http //www.Myspace.Com/Icouldntthinkofabettername And Http //www.Myspace.Com/noimaginationorcreativity. ********************************************************************************************************* 3 Focus Is A Big Band Jazz Ensemble From Valašska Czech Republic. ********************************************************************************************************* 4 Focus Is Also The Name Of An Upcoming Hip-Hop Artist From The Sunshine Coast In Australia. Check Out Http //www.Myspace.Com/alsocouldnotthinkofabettername For More. read less
16 Similar Artists To Focus - Frogtoon Music
Renaissance Caravan Triumvirat Gentle Giant Camel Emerson, Lake & Palmer Van Der Graaf Generator Yes Steve Hackett Rick Wakeman Jethro Tull Nektar Premiata Forneria Marconi Beggars Opera Curved Air Wishbone Ash.
"Hocus Pocus" is a 1971 song from Moving Waves, the second album by Dutch rock group Focus. It was written by guitarist Jan Akkerman and flautist/keyboardist Thijs van Leer. It was also released as a single with Janis as a B-side for the UK and Hocus Pocus II for the US.
There are no lyrics to the song. It takes the form of a rondo, consisting of alternation between a powerful rock chord riff and varied solo "verses" (in the original all performed by Thijs van Leer) which include yodeling, organ playing, accordion, gibberish lyrics, flute riffs and whistling. Focus recorded a special, faster radio version, which became a hit song. When performing live, the group would play the song even faster.
Hocus Pocus reached #20 in the UK and #9 in the US during the spring of 1973.
The final bars of the song are used as the outro music on the second series of the BBC TV sitcom Saxondale.
The song is featured in the movie The Stoned Age, and was used in a 2008 McDonald's commercial featuring the web site Line Rider. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.