Archive number: 14
Title: Focus 2
Main Album: Moving Waves (Focus 2 in Holland). Also a single in 1972.
Track number: 5
Genre: Progressive Rock/Jazz Instrumental
Studio: Sound Techniques Studio, 46a Old Church Street, Chelsea, London SW3 (and Morgan Studios, London)
Length: 4' 00”
Composer: Thijs van Leer
Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitars (Gibson Les Paul Customs), Bass; Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Piano, Mellotron, Voice; Cyriel Havermans - Bass; Pierre van der Linden - Drums
Producer: Mike Vernon
Engineer: Jerry Boys
Label: LP - Imperial, Blue Horizon CD – EMI Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet
Date of recording/release: April, May 1971/October 1971. CD - 1988, 1993, 2001
Title: Focus 2
Main Album: Moving Waves (Focus 2 in Holland). Also a single in 1972.
Track number: 5
Genre: Progressive Rock/Jazz Instrumental
Studio: Sound Techniques Studio, 46a Old Church Street, Chelsea, London SW3 (and Morgan Studios, London)
Length: 4' 00”
Composer: Thijs van Leer
Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitars (Gibson Les Paul Customs), Bass; Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Piano, Mellotron, Voice; Cyriel Havermans - Bass; Pierre van der Linden - Drums
Producer: Mike Vernon
Engineer: Jerry Boys
Label: LP - Imperial, Blue Horizon CD – EMI Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet
Date of recording/release: April, May 1971/October 1971. CD - 1988, 1993, 2001
Alternative version: There is a live version on the Rainbow album. Van Leer has a classical version on Introspection. All the Focus tracks were redone to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary.
Notes: Very much a studio effort, with subtle use of the mellotron to build atmosphere, this piece has two main parts. The first (00:00-02:28) has two repeated sections. The first of these (00:00-00:51) opens with slow organ, piano and guitar (00:00-00:12). The guitar is 'violined' (00:13-00:24) and around 00:25 bass and drums join in and the guitar soon begins to soar (from 00:39 where the mellotron also probably begins). A jazz break follows (00:52-01:22 - only drums are heard at 01:02-01:06). The guitar leads the band on until the original theme, briefly slow then soaring, returns (01:23-01:47) after which the jazz break is repeated (01:48-02:29 [with the brief drum break at 01:58-02:02]). A second movement follows. This slowly builds, using mellotron, piano, 'James Bond' guitar and some harmonics to heighten atmosphere. The whole builds to a satisfying crescendo that is finally rounded off by what sounds like van Leer's voice mixed with the effect from the tremolo arm of Akkerman's guitar.
Notes: Very much a studio effort, with subtle use of the mellotron to build atmosphere, this piece has two main parts. The first (00:00-02:28) has two repeated sections. The first of these (00:00-00:51) opens with slow organ, piano and guitar (00:00-00:12). The guitar is 'violined' (00:13-00:24) and around 00:25 bass and drums join in and the guitar soon begins to soar (from 00:39 where the mellotron also probably begins). A jazz break follows (00:52-01:22 - only drums are heard at 01:02-01:06). The guitar leads the band on until the original theme, briefly slow then soaring, returns (01:23-01:47) after which the jazz break is repeated (01:48-02:29 [with the brief drum break at 01:58-02:02]). A second movement follows. This slowly builds, using mellotron, piano, 'James Bond' guitar and some harmonics to heighten atmosphere. The whole builds to a satisfying crescendo that is finally rounded off by what sounds like van Leer's voice mixed with the effect from the tremolo arm of Akkerman's guitar.
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