House of the King at Setlist fm

House of the King by Focus

Facts

Total Plays - 125 times by 4 Artists
From the release - In and Out of Focus (Album)
First Played in Concert - May 31, 1971 by Focus at Pinkpop Festival 1971
Most Recently Played - September 23, 2019 by Focus at CLUB CITTA', Kawasaki, Japan

Detailed Statistics by Artist

House of the King stats

Focus Drugi način John Wesley Harding La nuova Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno

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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

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Hocus Pocus at Setlist fm

Hocus Pocus by Focus

Facts

Total Plays - 324 times by 37 Artists
From the release - Focus II (Album)
First Played in Concert - May 31, 1971 by Focus at Pinkpop Festival 1971
Most Recently Played - September 23, 2019 by Focus at CLUB CITTA', Kawasaki, Japan

Detailed Statistics by Artist

Hocus Pocus stats

Focus Gary Hoey Jan Akkerman Ginger Wildheart TR3 Steve Vai They Might Be Giants Nuno Bettencourt Zakk Wylde Yngwie J. Malmsteen Marillion Pacific Panic Don Airey Future Sight The Vandals Tosin Abasi A Couple Anancies Foo Fighters Generation Axe moe. Zon Anthrax Cult Hero D'AccorD Eläkeläiset First Generation of Number Nine Michael Girard Manowar Max Webster Ningen Isu Raging Slab Brendon Small Stallion Twister Thelonious Monster Transatlantic Ugly Kid Joe WildSide

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Focus Covers

Focus have been relatively free of covers by other artists, partly perhaps because of the demanding nature of their music. Apart from those mentioned in the entries on Hocus Pocus, Sylvia and House of the King there are very few indeed.

Quite early on Toots Thielemans did a version of Love remembered (Focus 3) available on his Silver collection and other compilations. Akkerman himself also later reworked the track with Claus Ogerman. There is a version of Focus 1 by The Lavender Hill Orchestra on an album called Pure relaxation. I believe there was a Danish band that covered much of the Hamburger Concerto material. The band was called Peaches and this is on their 1996 album.

PS (Thanks Kell Nordli - see his comment) In 1985 German guitar duo Les Deux Amis released Les Deux Amis Plays Focus Classics covering 15 Focus songs on classical guitar. Ansgar Krause (b 1965) and Thomas Müller (b 1958) studied under Prof Tadashi Sasaki at Academies in Cologne and Aachen. Teachers themselves, since 1971 they have played together as a duo.

They cover Love remembered- Sylvia- Focus III (inc P's March)- No hang ups- Anonymus (inc Answer, Orfeus, Euridice, House of the king, Tommy)- Soft vanilla- Le Clochard (Bread)- Focus IV (inc Janis)- La Cathedrale de Strasbourg (inc Focus I)- Focus II- Elspeth of Nottingham- Bennie Helder- Brother- Happy nightmare (variations).

A demo CD A little bit of an album from UK band The Trafns (2006) also include covers of Tommy and Le Clochard.

Orion from Focus con Proby was covered by drummer Steve Smith on Vital Information (1984). Smith played drums on Focus con Proby. The song is written by Eef Albers, who also plays guitar on both versions.

In 2018 a band called Texel produced an album ion the Focus style called Zeeming into Focus.

House of the King Versions

The third great Focus track is House of the King. It too is available in several versions by the band or by Akkerman or van Leer and has been covered once or twice too.

1. The original track on In and Out also issued on the original Focus 3 and as a single (1971) [The track was played live at the Rainbow concert but not issued on CD]

2. Jan Akkerman's version on Tabernakel also issued as a single (1974)

3. The live version featuring Philip Catherine on Live at the BBC (1976)

4. The acoustic version by Thijs van Leer and others on Joy to the World (1996) and Hommage aan Rogier van Otterloo (1998) The reformed Focus can also be heard on at least two live recordings

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

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

Also check out the very eastern version on

7. Jan Akkerman Band Live in Concert (2007)

Covers have been done by some rather obscure bands Cafe Noir, Gruppo Autonomo Suonatori and Flairck.

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)

Hocus Pocus Versions

Hocus Pocus in no doubt Focus's best known song (although people often know the song but not who did it). Various versions are available.

There are at least 14 versions by Focus or by Akkerman or van Leer playing solo. These are

1. The original opening track on Moving Waves (1972)
2. The edit from that for the original single, now on The Best of Focus (1972)
3. The fast version or US single available now on Ship of Memories (1973)

Various live versions by the early band are around including
4. The live version for TOGWT on Masters from the vaults DVD (1973)
5. The live version on At the Rainbow (1973)
6. The live reprise on At the Rainbow (1973)
7. The live version featuring Philip Catherine on Live at the BBC (1976)
Then there is

8. Thijs van Leer Nice to have met you (1977)
In the late nineties Akkerman began to play it again live (without the yodels) in different forms.

9. Jan Akkerman 10,000 Clowns on a rainy day (1997)
10. Jan Akkerman Live at the Priory (1998)
11. Jan Akkerman Live at Alexander's (1999)

The reformed Focus can also be heard on at least two live recordings
12. Focus (with Jan Dumee) Live in America (2003)
13. Focus (with Jan Dumee) Live in South America (2004)

14. It is also on Golden Oldies (2014)

Also note this rather funky version

14. Jan Akkerman Fromage a trois (2006)

A number of covers have also appeared. The title Hocus Pocus is used for several songs but these are all covers of the Focus number

1. The Vandals a punk band appear to have been first on When in Rome do as the Vandals 1984
2. In 1987 an orchestral version was done by The  Metropole Orkest conducted by Rogier van Otterloo

3. Fourth Estate a progressive band were next on Dustbuster Demos 1988
4. Gerdesits Ference a Hungarian tenor vocalist and rock singer covered it on the album Os-Metal in 1989.
5 Michael Fath covered it (without yodels) on the album Song Tapestries in 1990.
6. Spies who surf did a surf rock version on a compilation album 20 Explosive Dynamic Super Smash Hit Explosions! 1991
7. Gary Hoey had a big hit with it. It first appeared on his Animal Instinct 1993 [live versions can be heard on his Hocus Pocus Live 1998. Also check out Wake up call 2003]
8. Vanessa-Mae the violin playing oriental prodigy on Storm 1997
9. Helloween the Swedish or German heavy metal band on Metal Jukebox 1999
10. The Paul Green School of Music on the Rock School Soundtrack 2005
11. Iron Maiden had a version out on one of their Different world packages 2006
12. Marillion covered it on a special album called Friends 2007. 

Some versions are great, some not so hot. Often one finds new aspects of the song being explored. The heavy metal one is obvious, the eastern feel (that Vanessa-Mae really goes for) less so but the classical dimension you might not have noticed until you hear the opening to Gary Hoey's live Hocus Pocus (Insanity Mix). Akkerman's different renditions over the years have shown quite some variation. The current Focus line up have turned the song into a showcase for the undoubted talents of Pierre van der Linden.

PS Kell Nordli has kindly pointed out that the Metropole Orkest orchestral version (arranged by Henk Meutgeert) is featured on a double LP 'Made in Holland' (1987).