Duets

There are at least five tracks where only two men play

1. Le Clochard where Akkerman plays acoustic guiitar and van Leer is on Mellotron.

2. Delitae Musicae where Akkerman is on lute and van Leer on recorder.

3. Holy Graal where only van Leer and Dumee are involved.

4. Focus 9. Just van Leer and Gootjes on the Completely Focussed version.

5. Focus 12. Again just van Leer and Gootjes and again on the Completely Focussed album.

Some of the tracks on Focus 1985 come into this category. 

Solo Tracks

Of the 200 tracks listed on this website so far, some 12 or so are solo efforts.

1. Moving Waves. Thijs van Leer sings and plays piano.

2. Britannia Live. On this unreleased track Jan Akkerman plays the lute.

3. Sonata for Flute (Live). Thijs van Leer. This is the first solo flute release.

4. Nature is our friend. Thijs van Leer. This is the second solo flute release.

5. Let us wander. Thijs van Leer. This is the third solo flute release.

6. Drum solo. Pierre van der Linden. This unreleased track can be found on Old Skin.

7. River Dance. Pierre van der Linden. This track from a solo album is on The Focus Family Album.

8. Spiritual Swung. Pierre van der Linden.  This track from the same solo album is also on The Focus Family Album.

9. Two part interventon. Menno Gootjes. Acoustic guitar solo.

10. Hazel. Menno Gootjes. Menno Gootjes. Acoustic guitar solo.

11. Song for Yaminah. Udo Pannekeet. Bass solo.

12. Anaya. Ydo Pannekeet. Bass solo with drum machine.

Sound effects

A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasise artistic or other content of films and music or other media. Here we are thinking mainly of a sound recorded and presented to make a specific storytelling or creative point. Such effects are found on some few Focus tracks.

1. Elspeth of Nottingham. The sounds of birds and cows can be heard towards the end of the track and this is the first example of such a thing on a Focus recording.

2. Ship of memories. This track closes with wind and seagull sounds.

3. Red sky at night. This track begins and ends with the sound of a wind machine that appears to go on throughout the track.

4. Blizu Tébe. Seagulls are again heard both at the beginning and the end.

5. Flower shower. This strange track includes the sound of a bathroom shower.

6. Aya-yuppie-hippie-hee. At the beginning of this track van Leer blows a clay bird whistle.

7. Nature is our friend. The sound of ducks in the water and then various birds in a wood are heard throughout this track.

8. Let us wander. This track has a similar but different set of nature sounds near water and in woods.

200 Tracks

According to our records, Focus have by now released 200 official recordings. That number is slightly misleading in that three tracks have been released twice - Clair-Obscur, Winnie and Victoria (shorter and longer versions).

So the exact number is 197.

There are

44 live tracks

We include four live albums (Rainbow, BBC, America and Rio), leaving 153 distinct studio tracks.

So 153 studio tracks.

20 or so re-recorded tracks

Sometimes tracks have been re-recorded, the obvious examples being the 9 tracks on Golden Oldies and 11 of the 12 tracks on Completely Focussed but also Birds come fly over and Eddy with different vocalists and two versions of Who's calling, leaving 130.

So about 130 fairly unique studio tracks.

First period - 49

There are 49 tracks from the first period, the Akkerman period - In and out (7) House of the King (1) Moving Waves (5) Focus 3 (9) Hamburger Concerto (6) and Mother Focus (12) plus the "Left overs album" Ship of Memories which featured 9 tracks.

That leaves 81.

Second period - 16

There are 16 tracks in what we might call the middle period, namely the albums Focus con Proby (9) and the album that Akkerman and van Leer did together in 1985 Focus.

That leaves 65.

Third period - 65

Those 65 are from the most recent period and include 10 on Focus 8, 5 on an obscure album dubbed 8.5/Old skin, 12 on Focus 9, 10 on Focus X, 11 on Focus 11, the track Focus 12 and 16 unique to the album Focus Family album.

Track by track 200 Focus 12 (Introspective Duet Between Menno & Me - A Well-Deserved Pause For Pierre & Udo!)

Archive number: 200

Title: Focus 12

Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc

Track number: 12

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 4:13

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Piano; Menno Gootjes – Guitars

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release: June 2021

Alternative recording: None

Notes: This new track is again perfored in a minimalist style with only two instrumentalists

Track by track 199 Focus 11 (Another wordless song)

Archive number: 186
Title: Focus 11 (Another wordless song)
Main Album: Focus 50 Comoletely Focussed Disc
Track number: 11
Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental
Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands
Length: 3:34
Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond
Engineer: Geert Scheigrond
Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings
Date of recording/release: June 2021
Alternative recording: Focus 11
Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band but with some changes of instrumentation..

Track by track 198 Focus 10 (Sophisticated)

Archive number: 185

Title: Focus 10 (Sophisiticated)

Main Album: Focus 50 Comoletely Focussed Disc

Track number: 10

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 3:15

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release: June 2021

Alternative recording: Focus X

Notes: This swinging jazz number is shorter than the original but similar otherwise.

Track by track 197 Focus 9 (Classic Dream)

Archive number: 184

Title: Focus 9 (Classic Dream)

Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc

Track number: 9

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 4:25

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Piano; Menno Gootjes – Guitars

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release: June 2021

Alternative recording: Focus 9/New Skin

Notes: This minimalisitc version of the track drops the bass and drums and the flute.

Track by track 196 Focus 8 (Rondo)

Archive number: 183

Title: Focus 8 (Rondo)

Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc

Track number: 8

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 5:50

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release: June 2021

Alternative recording: Focus 8

Notes: A much improved version of the track, chiefly due to the drums of Pierre van der Linden, which starts the track off and closes it.

Track by track 195 Focus 7 (Inner Joy)

Archive number: 182

Title: Focus 7 (Inner Joy)

Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc

Track number: 7

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 5:18

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release:  June 2021

Alternative recording: Focus 9 and the live albums Focus Live in America and Live at Trading Boundaries (van Leer solo)

Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band. Some nice violined guitar at the close.

Track by track 194 Focus 6 (Thinking and Drinking)

Archive number: 194

Title: Focus 6 (Thinking and Drinking)

Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc

Track number: 6

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 3:40

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release:  June 2021

Alternative recording: None

Notes: This rare track often threatens tot turn into one of the other tracks in the series but is ts own beast.

Track by track 193 Focus 5 (Impressionistic ...)

Archive number: 180
Title: Focus 5 (Impressionistic ...)
Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc
Track number: 5
Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental
Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands
Length: 3:54
Composer: Thijs van Leer
Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums
Producer: Geert Scheigrond
Engineer: Geert Scheigrond
Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings
Date of recording/release: June 2021
Alternative recording: Ship of Memories
Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band. No flute this time.

Track by track 192 Focus 4 (Rock Ballad)

Archive number: 179

Title: Focus 4 (Rock Ballad)

Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc

Track number: 4

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 4:30

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Piano, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release: June 2021

Alternative recording: Mother Focus

Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band but no Hammond organ or synthesiser.

Track by track 191 Focus 3 (Song without words)

Archive number: 178
Title: Focus 3 (Song without words)
Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc
Track number: 3
Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental
Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands
Length: 3:42
Composer: Thijs van Leer
Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums
Producer: Geert Scheigrond
Engineer: Geert Scheigrond
Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings
Date of recording/release: June 2021
Alternative recording: It was first on the third album. Van Leer and Akkerman have nice versions on solo albums.
Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original with full band.

Track by track 190 Focus 2 (Mini-opera)

Archive number: 177

Title: Focus 2 (Mini-opera)

Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc?

Track number: 2

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 4:39

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release: June 2021

Alternative recording: It was first on the second album. Van Leer and Akkerman have nice versions on solo albums.

Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original with full band. Some nice double tracked flute early on.

Track by track 189 Focus 1 (Statement)

Archive number: 176

Title: Focus 1 (Statement)

Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc

Track number: 1

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 3:34

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release:  June 2021

Alternative recording: In and Out of Focus, Golden Oldies, etc

Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band. There is no vocal.

Track by Track 176--188 Focus Live in Rio

Archive number: 176-188

Titles disc 1: Focus 1, House of the King, Eruption, Sylvia, Song for Eva, All hens on deck,

Titles disc 2: Le Tango, P's March, Focus 5, Harem Scarem, Hocus Pocus, Focus 3, Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!

Main Album: Focus 50 Live Rio (Two disc audio and single disc Blu Ray)

Track numbers: 1-12

Genre: Live Progressive Rock Instrumentals

Venue: Teatro Municipal João Caetano, Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Length: c 01.59.27

Composers: Thijs van Leer, Jan Akkerman, 

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, melodica, flute, vocals, whistling; Menno Gootjes– Guitars; Udo Pannekeet - Bass; Pierre van der Linden - Drums

Producer: Geert Scheijgrond

Engineer: Geert Scheijgrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Records

Date of recording/release: September 14 2017.June 2021

Alternative version: These tracks are found on various Focus albums

Notes: This is a fairly complete recording with at least some of the introduction to songs incuded

Track by track 175 Focus 11

Archive number: 175

Title: Focus 11

Main Album: Focus 11

Track number: 11

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 6:11

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release: November 2018

Alternative recording: Focus 50 Album Complelely Focussed

Notes: This stand out track is in several parts. We begin with with a beautiful guitar led slow melody that takes us to 1:15. Something more brisk then breaks in, introdiced by the piano but led by the guitar, flute and piano. This goes on until 1:47, ending on a long drawn out note that is succeeded by a further part based around a very catchy 10 note tune on guitar. At 3:07 there is a flute led bridge as far as 3:31 when the catchy melody comes back in. This meanders on until 4:38. From there to 5:41 we have a guitar led tune, again very catchy and ending on a long drawn out note. The final section is a repeat of the second brisk element from before again featuring piano and flute. The track ends with a flourish on solo flute.

Track by track 174 Final Analysis

Archive number: 174

Title: Final analysis

Main Album: Focus 11

Track number: 10

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands

Length: 3:51

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Geert Scheigrond

Engineer: Geert Scheigrond

Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings

Date of recording/release: November 2018

Alternative recording: None

Notes The track begins with 35 seconds of rhythmic drums and rhythm guitar work as it builds up an atmosphere (slightly reminiscent of the track Birth). A screaming guitar then comes in as the geat continues. At 54 seconds things skow slightly as the piano leads for a short while. A clear but slightly dissonant guitar leads briefly after that. The chugging beat continues then until at 1:31 the guitar leads again with a series of descending lines. The piano can still be heard behind it. At 3:13 the beat we began with resumes until 3:22 and again 3:32 when the piano motif is heard briefly twice more. The tracl=k then fades.

Track by track 173 Mare Nostrum

Archive number: 173

Title: Mare Nostrum
Main Album: Focus Family 11
Track number: 9

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental
Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands
Length: 5:08
Composer: Udo Pannekeet
Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums
Producer: Geert Scheigrond
Engineer: Geert Scheigrond
Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings
Date of recording/release: November 2018
Alternative recording: None

Notes: The whole band begin together with a laconic guitar-led melody slightly changing arouf the one minute mark. At about 1:53 the drums energetically lead into a jauntier section. The guitar work  grows increasingly more energetic. At around 4:32 it slows before quickly closing with drums and the whole band.

Mare Nostrum is the Latin for "Our Sea" and was a Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea. In the decades following the 1861 unification of Italy, Italian nationalists and Italian fascists who saw Italy as the successor state to the Roman Empire attempted to revive the term.