Track by track 27 Focus 2 (Live)

Archive number: 27

Title: Focus 2 (Live)

Main Album: Focus at the Rainbow

Track number: 3

Genre: Live Progressive Jazz 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: 04' 36”

Composer: Thijs van Leer

Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitar (Gibson Les Paul Custom); Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; 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 Moving Waves

Notes: The piece opens with an unfamiliar organ solo which eventually turns, to the crowd's delight, into the familiar strains of Focus 2 (00:00-00:41). The organ is joined by 'Violined' guitar (00:42) then drums (00:52) and bass. As in the original, the band then plays and the high soaring guitar of 00:52-01:15 is followed by the jazz break (01:16-01:39) with only drums heard at 01:24-01:28. In 01:29-02:40 the sequence is repeated (Jazz [01:29-01:38], high soaring part [01:39-02:03], Jazz [02:04-02:40 including just drums at 02:10-02:15]). As in the original, a second movement follows (02:16-04:15). This slowly builds, beginning with 'James Bond' guitar and some harmonics. The whole comes to a satisfying climax and then a diminuendo. Finally, we have the sound of the audience and van Leer saying “That we played for you was called Focus 3 and Answers Questions Questions Answers and Focus 2”.