Track by track 24 Hocus Pocus 2

Archive number: 24
Title: Hocus Pocus 2 (US Single)
Main Album: Ship of Memories (first released as a single in the US, it is also on Masters of Rock 1974, Dutch Masters 1975, Best of Focus 1993, etc)
Track number: 10
Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental
Studio: Chipping Norton Recording Studio, 26-32 New Street, Chipping Norton, Oxon, OX7 5LJ?
Length: 03' 22”
Composer: Jan Akkerman, Thijs van Leer
Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitar (Gibson Les Paul Customs?); Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Flute; Bert Ruiter - Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums
Producer: Mike Vernon
Engineer: ?
Label: Single – Sire LP – Imperial, Polydor, Sire CD – EMI-Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet, JVC Victor
Date of recording/release: Single, April 1973. Ship of Memories – LP 1974, 1976, CD – 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006
Notes: Also known as the fast version, this remake was designed for the US market at the request of the record company head. It eventually reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 staying in the charts for around 19 weeks. This practically live version begins with a new bass riff accompanied by the band (00:00-00:07) before breaking into a more familiar guitar-led riff (00:08-00:23) and the even more familiar classic theme (00:24-00:45). At 00:46 the drums come in alone, followed by the yodel and a sort of scream. The band then come back in with the main theme (01:09-01:25) to be followed by the strange voice with yodel sequence (01:26-01:43). The band come in again (01:44-01:54) to be followed by the drums, yodel, scream sequence (01:55-00:00) this time with a low voice (02:13-02:16) high voice (02:17-02:20) contrast before a mad guitar-led frenzy (02:21-02:43). The final drum break follows (02:44-02:48) before closing with the bass riff from the beginning, this time featuring lead guitar licks before fading from 03:12.