Looking at the music of Dutch rock band Focus, started in the late sixties by Thijs van Leer (b /31/03/48) with Jan Akkerman (b 24/12/46). Van Leer still performs and records under the name today (official site here). Akkerman's site here.

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20080306

Track by track 37 Focus 5

Archive number: 37
Title: Focus 5
Main Album: Ship of Memories. Also a single in 1975 b/w P's March.
Track number: 3
Genre: Jazz Rock Instrumental
Studio: Chipping Norton Recording Studio, 26-32 New Street, Chipping Norton, Oxon, OX7 5LJ
Length: 2' 57”
Composer: Thijs van Leer
Musicians: Jan Akkerman - Electric guitars; Thijs van Leer – Mellotrons, Flute; Bert Ruiter – Bass; Pierre Van Der Linden – Drums
Producer: Mike Vernon
Engineer: Barry Hammond and Dave Grinsted
Label: LP – EMI, Harvest, Sire CD – EMI-Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet, JVC
Date of recording/release: Final weeks of May 1973. Not released until 1977 (LP). CD – 1988, 1993, 2001, 2006.
Notes: This fourth salvaged track is a slow, subtle, laid back 'Focus' number and is beautiful. It is chiefly led by a double tracked lounge jazz electric guitar, though there is an alto flute passage in the middle at 01:37-02:06. Classically composed it is really jazz rock. Apparently the basic track was laid down first and it was only days later that, late one night, Akkerman finally added the guitars. Although composed and recorded prior to Focus IV it gets the name Focus V as it was only published after Focus IV had been released. Van Leer has a classical version on Introspection 3. Comparisons have been drawn with Akkerman's Javeh (Tabernakel) and Beyond the Loneliest Sea performed with Peter Banks (Two Sides of Peter Banks).

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