Sylvia at the Proms

I notice that on July 18 next there is a promenade concert at the Royal Albert Hall on the thme of prog rock and including a four miute orchestral version of Sylvia. It will be telvised and on the radio. More here. This is not the first time Focus have enjoyed the classical treatment. See here for example.

Track by track 140 Sylvia GO

Archive number: 140

Title: Sylvia GO
Main Album: Golden Oldies
Track number: 5
Genre: Progressive rock Instrumental
Studio: WedgeView Studios, Verlaat, The Netherlands
Length: 5:29
Composer: Thijs van Leer
Musicians: Thijs van Leer - Piano, Hammond organ, Menno Gootjes - Guitars, Bobby Jacobs - Bass, Pierre van der Linden - Drums
Producer: Bobby Jacobs
Engineer: Budy Mokoginta and Bram Boll
Label: Focus Music Ltd
Date of recording/release: 2014 CD also produced in vinyl format
Notes: Includes the reggae style introduction that has developed in live versions over more recent years

Sylvia at Setlist fm

Sylvia by Focus

Facts

Total Plays - 156 times by 10 Artists
From the release - Focus 3 (Album)
First Played in Concert - November 12, 1971 by Focus at Club Zodiac, Amstelveen, Netherlands
Most Recently Played - September 23, 2019 by Focus at CLUB CITTA', Kawasaki, Japan

Detailed Statistics by Artist

Sylvia stats Focus The Breakfast Jan Akkerman De Boertjes van Buuten The Progs Don Airey Ryo Okumoto Progtributes Transatlantic Ginger Wildheart

See here

Sylvia

Focus live @ Jazz Cafe 2010

These clips show Focus at a recent gig in the Jazz Cafe, London. This was the last gig of the tour. Unusually, the guitarist is Menno Gootjes, the regular guitarist having had to drop out. Here we have House of the King followed by bit of flute and scat from Thijs, a little Cathedrale and the repeated Sylvia finale. Thanks guys! Menno has subsequently become the regular guitarist.

Track by track 91 Sylvia (Live FLIA)

Archive number: 91

Title: Sylvia (Live)

Main Album: Focus Live In America

Track number: 5

Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental

Venue: Patriots Theater, 1 Memorial Drive, Trenton, New Jersey, USA

Length: 04' 33”

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Voice; Jan Dumee – Gibson Marauder Guitar; Bobby Jacobs - Bass; Bert Smaak - Drums

Producer: Gavin Bott/Bob Carruthers

Engineer: Mike Potter (Orion Sound) Mix (Total audio)

Label: Classical Rock Legends Limited

Date of recording/release: October 2002 (part of a two day Uriah Heep led classic rock legend festival that also featured Nektar, Mostly Autumn and Asia). Released on DVD and CD (edited) in 2003.

Alternative version: Written way back for Sylvia Alberts, the track was first on the album Focus 3.

Notes: On the DVD van Leer says before this track, “We'd like to play for you a short version of number Focus 3 and then specially for you it's a song called Brother.” Not a bad stab, this effort reprises what is essentially the Rainbow version. Dumee provides the high voice parts alongside van Leer's lower ones. The piece actually closes at 03:38 and band introductions from van Leer follow. These reveal this to be an afternoon performance. He calls himself "your organ player" with no reference to his flute here. He then introduces the next track for which see that track.

Focus fades

The fade is used by Focus quite sparingly, except on Mother Focus, where nearly half the tracks fade. It is usually adopted where a live piece has no obvious ending. Tracks using a fade include these

1. Why dream (In and out)

2. Round goes the gossip, Carnival fugue and Sylvia (Focus 3)

3. The US or fast version of Hocus Pocus

4. Early Birth

5. Red sky at night

6. Bennie Helder, My Sweetheart, All together ... Oh that!, Hard Vanilla and No Hang Ups (Mother Focus) 7. Nightflight and Wingless (Focus Con Proby)

8. Le Tango, Who's calling and Beethoven's Revenge (Focus 1985)

9. Fretless love, Hurkey Turkey, De ti O de mi (Focus 8)

10. Father Bacchus, Hoeratio and Crossroads (Focus X)

11. Five fourth (Focus Family Album)

Eponymous Titles

Some 15 Focus tracks refer to individuals real or imaginary.

Orfeus and Euridice are, of course, from Greek mythology as is Orion. Venus is from Roman mythology (as in Ode to Venus on Focus 9).

Nobody seems to know who Bennie Helder is. No doubt, like Elspeth of Nottingham, he is imagined. (Turns oout it was the name Thijs used fr himself as a boy).

Le Clochard (meaning tramp in French) could be included here and may be Anonymus.

Sylvia, of course, is Sylvia Alberts; Tommy, Tom Barlage; Pim, Thijs's grandson (not Pim Jacobs as I had guessed); Eddy, Thijs's father; Janis, Janis Joplin.

Tokyo Rose was the composite name given to a number of Japanese broadcasters of propaganda in World War II.

Father Bach refers to the composer J S Bach.

One should also mention Judy, as in Ole Judy on the 1985 album.

As of 2024 we can add Bela (probably Bela Bartok) and (David) Bowie plus Nura and Gaia.

Track by track 31 Sylvia (Live)

Archive number: 31

Title: Sylvia (Live)

Main Album: Focus at the Rainbow

Track number: 6

Genre: Live Progressive Rock Instrumental

Venue: Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park, 232 Seven Sisters Road, N4 3NX (recorded using Pye Studios Mobile Unit and edited from the two performances)

Length: 2' 47”

Composer: Thijs van Leer, Jan Akkerman

Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitar (Gibson Les Paul Custom); Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Voice; Bert Ruiter - Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Mike Vernon

Engineer: Phil Dunne

Label: LP – Polydor, Sire CD – EMI-Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet, JVC Victor Date of recording/release: May 4, 5 1973/October 1973 (May 4 concert televised UK July 1973) CD 1988, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006

Alternative version: The original of this is on Focus 3

Notes: A shortened version of the original, this live version is slightly quicker in tempo. Akkerman's guitar begins it with very fast chopped guitar chords and some bass accompaniment (00:00-00:14). Some sort of hum is heard early on. The organ comes in at 00:14, then drums (00:17) and at 00:35 we break into the lead theme. At 00:51 the chopped chords return to be followed once again by the guitar-led theme (00:58-01:14). At 01:15-01:18 there is a brief bridge that features again at 01:51-02:02 where it is repeated three times accompanied (unlike the original) both times by van Leer's vibrato voice. In 01:16-01:50 we revisit the main theme. The track plays out (02:03-02:47) with the ritartando from 02:36. The next track immediately follows.

Sylvia Versions

Another great Focus song is Sylvia. Again not to be confused with other songs of the same title. About nine versions of Focus by the band or by Akkerman or van Leer are around. These are

1. The original track on Focus 3 also issued as a single (1973)

2. The live version for TOGWT on Masters from the vaults DVD (1973)

3. The live version on At the Rainbow (1973)

Also

4. An acoustic version by Thijs van Leer and others on Summertime (1996) and Hommage aan Rogier Van Otterloo (1998)

5. Sylvia and Sylvia's grandmother Jan Akkerman 10,000 Clowns on a rainy day (1997)

6. Sylvia's grandmother Jan Akkerman Live at Alexander's (1999)

The reformed Focus can also be heard on at least two live recordings

7. Focus (with Jan Dumee) Live in America (2003)

8. Focus (with Jan Dumee) Live in South America (2004)

There is a version featuring van Leer and Menno Gootjes on

9. Live at Trading boundaries

There have been few covers, although the following mostly obscure bands have produced versions.

10. Project D on synthesizers (1990)

11. Hank Marvin/The Shadows (1992)

12. Dream Circle (1995)

13. Razor (2002)

Track by track 16 Sylvia

Archive number: 16

Title: Sylvia

Main Album: Focus 3 (also a single in 1972 and 1973)

Track number: 3

Genre: Jazz Rock Instrumental

Studio: Olympic Studios 'B', 117 Church Road, Barnes, London SW13 9HL

Length: 03' 24"

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitars (Gibson Les Paul Customs?); Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Voice; Bert Ruiter - Bass; Pierre Van Der Linden – Drums

Producer: Mike Vernon

Engineer: George Chkiantz

Label: LP – Imperial, Polydor, Sire CD – Capitol, EMI-Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet, JVC Victor

Date of recording/release: July 1972/November 1972, 1975 CD - 1988, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2004

Alternative version: A live version appears on the Rainbow album. Van Leer has done acoustic versions (Hommage aan Rogier van Otterloo, etc). Akkerman likes to do what he calls Sylvia's grandmother emphasising his own contribution to the original hit. There have been some covers.

Notes: Apparently this was always intended as a single and so was probably recorded before the other material for Focus 3. One of Focus's most famous tracks, still played on the radio today, it was originally written by van Leer in the late sixties for Sylvia Alberts, when both were working as backing singers for Ramses Shaffy and Liesbeth List. The original piece used a lyric by Linda van Dijk, beginning "I thought I could do everything on my own, I was always stripping the town alone" (!). Alberts did not like the track and so it was shelved until being dusted down and used by Focus in its instrumental form. The Focus track begins with that famous jazz riff on guitars, reminiscent of the work of David T Walker, Louis Shelton and Don Peake on the 1969 Jackson 5 hit I want you back. The ambience is enhanced by heavy reverb from the one channel acting as a sort of drone against the chopped chords. (This is not found on live versions, of course). The organ and bass join in (00:09) then drums (00:15). The whole opening section lasts until 00:24, when the guitar leads the band into the main theme (00:25-00:42). The chopped chords then return (00:43-00:50) to be followed once again by the guitar-led theme (00:51-01:47). At 01:09-01:12 there is a brief bridge that features again at 01:48-02:00 where it is repeated three times, accompanied by van Leer's vibrato voice. In 02:01-02:45 we visit the main theme once again (note the distinctive variation around 02:18). This leads to a false ritartando ending when the chopped chords break in for the last time (02:46-02:54) again joined first by organ and bass (02:55-03:01) then drums (03:02-03:24) before the fade.