How many bands you see these days yodeling like that while playing the flute and whistling through his teeth, songs of our youth, such pure raw talent we grew up in
Here's the deal- The studio version was an 8 minute song. Midnight Special told them they have 5 minutes to play, and to cut the last 3 minutes off. No! The band just sped the song up by 30% to fit the whole song in!. Check out the studio version, great as well. 30% slower.... lol
Even better, check the "Live at the Rainbow" version. Thijs van Leer prolongs the yodelling for almost one minute (I wonder how he breathed, if at all!), then introduces the band members singing in crazy tones, and saves his own name for last, making the "Leer" part another crazy yodel. The best version IMO!
I agree. I have personally introduced several people over the last many years and witness the confusion and happiness it brings. Most people either want to hear it again and many would call later asking for the name and band.
Focus was a primarily instrumental jazz-rock fusion band, Thijs Van Leer was the yodeler, flautist, keyboardist, whistler...Extremely talented musician. You might want to check out the time he sat in with Uriah Heep in an acoustic set.
Stunning dutch band Jan Akkerman is an amazing guitarist, Lute and mandolin player, Thijs Van Leer is an amazing vocalist, multi instrumentalist, just a great band with many influences
Just a few days ago, I saw a youtube video of a very recent (post-covid) performance. Although there has been changes in the group lineup (Akkerman isn't in it for example) the group still tours and performs. Thijs van Leer can't go as high anymore though. But who can blame him, he's 73 - and other than range, his energy seems to remain strong, he's obviously still enjoying making music. Other have mentioned how this particular performance is unusual and sped up compared to the studio version. But it is very cool, and reactions to it are always fun to watch. The studio version, although not quite as spectacular, is also great.
Possibly my favorite song ever. This song always, always, always brings joy. Smile, wide eyes, drop jaw, love seeing reactions to this great group. Thanks!
To me, this song is about testing the boundaries of your instruments. The keyboardist’s other instrument is his head. So much technique, in various ways
I always thought that Geddy Lee from RUSH was the most talented front man by singing, playing bass & keyboards - but this guy sings, yodels, whistles, plays the flute & keyboards !!!
This was a touch of a stunt, their response on being given far too short a time to play their music wasn't to chop parts out, it was to play it much faster, and keyed up in frequency compared to the original.
Harri, this is important to know. That is also why you NEED to hear the studio version. It is much better, as you can HEAR the actual guitar work which is phenomenal, and if you liked the keyboardist/flautist, yodeler and whistler, you really like him when he has time to do everything.
BTW, the guitarist is Jan Akkerman. He's a national institution in The Netherlands, and deservedly so. One of the best guitarists the world has ever known. In recent years he's more into an acoustic line of work, but he's always brilliant.
Everytime I watch this I start cracking up everything he pauses it and asks, "What the hell is this"?. I was laughing so hard that my German Shepherd looked up at me and thought that I was crazy.
Following in the footsteps of another Dutch band that crossed over, Shocking Blue (the #1 hit "Venus" from 1970) these guys took their eccentric track to #9 in the states and #20 in the UK in 1973.
When we were kids, we ALL sang along with this song and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. That being said… we only did it alone we sucked. It was a GIANT feel good song.
I saw Focus in concert and this song was done slower but still in a crazy way. Focus III album had just been released and they played incredible versions of their best known songs. Jan Akkerman stole the show. To this day I still love listening to Answers/Questions - Questions/Answers. I suggest setting Hocus Pocus off to one side and watching some of the other Focus songs here on TH-cam.
Man, in 1973, none of us who saw that were expecting it...that is double speed from what was on the radio...and every bit as weird, but so damn likeable...and they did not miss a note or beat...and as someone else noted, the only standing ovation on Midnight Special...
Thijs pronounced, t jus, is a genius! The lunatic of rock! One of the few truly original songs. It's never played by anyone because no one else can do it. It also helps to have Martijn, Hans and Jan playing with you all great musicians. Jan Akkerman is a guitar God. There also Dutch not exactly known for producing rock stars.
Good Reaction harri. :) I saw them perform this in Croydon in 1973 and this was a 4-minute time slot allocated for a 7-minute song that put them on the map. They had 1 or 2 other hits like "Sylvia" an instrumental but my favourite is "Love Remembered " because if you play it in the dark, without pausing, in isolation at night you are transported to a desert of your choice. :)
This was a real novelty when it came out. In this video they had a very limitec time, 4 minutes, to do the song. Instead of cutting lines they just played faster. Great talent and skill. Thanks for the memory, Hari.
This is actually faster than the album version. They only allowed bands on Midnight Special to play for about 3 minutes or so. So instead of lopping a chunk off, they decided to play it faster.
The put out a live recording in August 2021, 48 years later. With the same keyboard player/vocalist and drummer, at an outdoor concert in the Netherlands.
They literally played that song at twice the speed of the original just to fit it into the allotted time given on that show (MIDNIGHT SPECIAL) to get a full appreciation you really should hear the original which is slower and more meticulously played. But give them credit; they accomplished their goal and earned every bit of that standing ovation.
This song would spin people out when they hear and see it for the first time. They are brilliant musicians with what is a truly unique song. Thijs van Leer is a multi instrumentalist and Jan Akkerman is an extremely highly regarded lead guitarist in the music industry. It is an acquired taste.
I love watching people react to that !! I saw them live on stage at the St-Denis theater in Montreal ! back in the 70s ! that memory IS priceless and unforgetable !
I like your honest reaction! It is baffling. I wish the camera would have shown Gladys Knight's reaction. This is one of the most fun songs for which to watch reactions..
- "What was that??!!" - It was/is EPIC! AMAZING! AMUSING! HUMOROUS! ENTERTAINING! - And, OVERFLOWING WITH TALENT! - And, it's perfect just as it is. I couldn't love it any more :)
This is insane. Vocal theatrics is the correct response. He is definitely very good at yodeling to theatrical rock but then he takes it a step further and adds jethro Tull like flutes and then adds yet even another layer with the whistling 😗
Progressive rock is the genre I most often see it described. I first heard the studio version of this song on the radio in the spring of 1973 as an 8 year old and even the slower tempo studio version got me hyped. It was different but even as a kid I loved it! I only discovered this live version several years ago and was blown away and yet still thinking, "What the heck did I just watch?!!" So unique and entertaining. I've always wondered if they had "substance help" with speeding up this performance or are they just that amazing and talented? My respect goes out to Focus for being amazing, "outside of the box" musicians!
The band members at the time could perhaps speak two words of English between the four of them. They've never been into lyrical music but the music they make is mostly instrumental and quite technical. The guitarist is Jan Akkerman and Brian May once said that Jan was his idol.
They were playing the song Double time so they can get it in before the commercial.😂😂 Midnight Special always had great performances but this was one of the best.
Bands like Yes and Deep Purple were inspired a lot by Focus. Cant remember if it was Jan Akkerman or Thijs van Leer who mentioned all members of those 2 bands were once sitting front row at a concert of Focus. That well known was this band back in the 70s. Well known in this genre that is. Together with the Golden Earring , Focus put the Netherlands of the map of the world of international rock music
Focus was/is a Dutch progrockband (from the Netherlands). The singer/performer is Thijs van Leer and I've met him a few times. The original song was 8 minutes I believe and for this show they had to sped it up to get it all done in 3 minutes haha 😂 Americans and their 'time is money' 😛
This is not the full live version. There is at least one vocal section missing. The flute section was also missing. This started out as a warmup for the vocals and the band. It was never meant to be recorded or performed. However, things happen.
The guys of Focus have said they like to bring humour into their music. Not jokes... humour, like actually making music funny. Or making funny music. I think they succeeded well. :)
Thijs van Leer looks like the last kind of guy you'd ever wanna meet in a dark alley/backstreet 😂 Some years later he was performing at the legendary Montreaux Jazz Festival as part of a all-star band. First time you here this it makes you think like wt.... is this but then after hearing two or three times you like it!
Apparently the band was told they only had a certain amount of time to perform before the next commercial. So instead of shortening the song they upped the tempo considerably from the studio version of the song. It made for an interesting performance to say the least.
I always thought that Geddy Lee from RUSH was the most talented front man by singing, playing bass & keyboards - but this guy sings, yodels, whistles, plays the flute & keyboards !!!
This was obviously written for fun, but the point of it is that the voice is an instrument, you don't need words to enjoy a vocal performance, or a song for that matter. Music is about telling a story, but that story does not always require words, its about creating sounds you can feel.
They are a Dutch Prog Rock band. Singer Thijs Van Leer was great on the yodels! The band formed in 1969 in Amsterdam. We used to listen to this song for fun, and shock value! 😁 but as you say, they were excellent musicians and no matter how fast the beat, they all kept up. Loved it!
I hadn't paid attention to the vocalization when Thijs playing the flute. Ian Anderson of course is also famous for his self-taught style, which includes quite a bit of vocalizing. Since this is not common in classical flute playing (I could be wrong), I'm wondering if the two can be connected. Did one influence the other?
Van Leer and Anderson are almost exactly the same age. Van Leer had a classical music education from a young age and Anderson taught himself to play the flute a few months before he recorded the first Jethro Tull album in 1968, so it's doubtful they had much influence on each other. I suspect the vocalization comes from the sheer effort that goes into playing flute at that pace.
Focus are Dutch. They are brilliant. Jan Akkerman on guitar - really hot. Thijs van Leer on organ flute and vocals. So original. the drummer here is pierre van der linden he was good but they changed him for Colin Alan. And they had a couple of different bass players too. They are primarily an instrumental band they don't do much singing. La Cathedral de Srasbourg is the only track I can think of where they sing. In the music papers of the day they were listed under jazz rock, as that was the sort of sound they made mostly. Hocus Pocus isn't typical really. Another big hit of theirs was called Sylvia. It's more tuneful, less wild. Akkerman's piece of resistance is a guitar solo called Tommy. It's enough to melt your ears, really smooth. Try and play some more of their stuff, they are a top 10 band.
Here is a link to the performance of this song, which I mentioned in a previous comment, at a concert in August! 2021! Just a couple of months ago! Pierre van der Linden on drums! (no Akkerman though.) Although the speed is "normal", Thijs van Leer sure still knows how to yodel. I think this song is so great because it has a structure that just begs for cool variations, jams and improvisation. I don't think I've seen two identical performances of it here on TH-cam.
This was an era of progressive rock where great musicians experimented with all kinds of ideas. Fussion bands mixing jazz, rock or any idea goes.....just to see if it works.
The only standing ovation ever given on The Midnight Special. And a well deserved one.
Caused they ripped it!
That's absolutely right!!
How many bands you see these days yodeling like that while playing the flute and whistling through his teeth, songs of our youth, such pure raw talent we grew up in
Here's the deal- The studio version was an 8 minute song. Midnight Special told them they have 5 minutes to play, and to cut the last 3 minutes off. No! The band just sped the song up by 30% to fit the whole song in!. Check out the studio version, great as well. 30% slower.... lol
^this^
@@IllumeEltanin one chorus extra in the full version and longer intro
Wow, I didn't know that, that's really cool!
Even better, check the "Live at the Rainbow" version. Thijs van Leer prolongs the yodelling for almost one minute (I wonder how he breathed, if at all!), then introduces the band members singing in crazy tones, and saves his own name for last, making the "Leer" part another crazy yodel. The best version IMO!
They don’t write love songs like this anymore 😳
🤣
OK! This time I did pee my pants!! LOL!!
😁😲🌬️🦷🤯
LMAO 🤣🤣🤣🥱🤣🥱
That's Prog rock for you... Try" Sylvia " by Focus.. no theatrics. Just gorgeous instrumental melody.. a love song with no lyrics . 💖
I love seeing people's minds blown when they see this for the first time.
That's the best part..hahahah
:ayeup!:
I used to sing it in the shower.
I agree. I have personally introduced several people over the last many years and witness the confusion and happiness it brings. Most people either want to hear it again and many would call later asking for the name and band.
"What the hell is this?" Happens in every review, haha.
I almost spilled my coffee laughing so hard when he asked that question. My German Shepherd looked at me like i was crazy.
Focus was a primarily instrumental jazz-rock fusion band, Thijs Van Leer was the yodeler, flautist, keyboardist, whistler...Extremely talented musician. You might want to check out the time he sat in with Uriah Heep in an acoustic set.
Still is! If you search you can find a video for the past twelve months or so.
Edgar Winter-Frankenstein, same year
'Just because they can' is one of the greatest descriptions of Focus i've ever heard.
Stunning dutch band Jan Akkerman is an amazing guitarist, Lute and mandolin player, Thijs Van Leer is an amazing vocalist, multi instrumentalist, just a great band with many influences
Just a few days ago, I saw a youtube video of a very recent (post-covid) performance. Although there has been changes in the group lineup (Akkerman isn't in it for example) the group still tours and performs. Thijs van Leer can't go as high anymore though. But who can blame him, he's 73 - and other than range, his energy seems to remain strong, he's obviously still enjoying making music. Other have mentioned how this particular performance is unusual and sped up compared to the studio version. But it is very cool, and reactions to it are always fun to watch. The studio version, although not quite as spectacular, is also great.
@@lhpl Jan Akkerman is allso stil playing,lissen to the number “Streetwalker on YT ,amazing
Possibly my favorite song ever. This song always, always, always brings joy. Smile, wide eyes, drop jaw, love seeing reactions to this great group. Thanks!
I remember us laughing so much at this performance, they are playing it at about double speed to fit it into the time slot. It was amazing. Enjoy
I had the same reaction when it first aired. I couldn't believe what I was seeing/hearing. I was use to the radio version.
I prefer the double speed.....LOL
I never get sick of seeing people react to this mad masterpiece!!!😁😁😁👍👍👍👍
To me, this song is about testing the boundaries of your instruments. The keyboardist’s other instrument is his head. So much technique, in various ways
A standing ovation on the Midnight Special was rare. Good stuff!
Come on folks, the lead guitarist is absolutely tearing it up in this. Great song all around.
I always thought that Geddy Lee from RUSH was the most talented front man by singing, playing bass & keyboards - but this guy sings, yodels, whistles, plays the flute & keyboards !!!
If you listen to the recorded version, the whistling is even more astounding. They were a Prog Rock band. This was 1973.
As super talented as they were,each lineup on bass & drums were uber-tight.
This was a touch of a stunt, their response on being given far too short a time to play their music wasn't to chop parts out, it was to play it much faster, and keyed up in frequency compared to the original.
Harri, this is important to know. That is also why you NEED to hear the studio version. It is much better, as you can HEAR the actual guitar work which is phenomenal, and if you liked the keyboardist/flautist, yodeler and whistler, you really like him when he has time to do everything.
BTW, the guitarist is Jan Akkerman. He's a national institution in The Netherlands, and deservedly so. One of the best guitarists the world has ever known. In recent years he's more into an acoustic line of work, but he's always brilliant.
I had a similar reaction… but now I cannot stop listening!! And it’s always in my head!!
Everytime I watch this I start cracking up everything he pauses it and asks, "What the hell is this"?. I was laughing so hard that my German Shepherd looked up at me and thought that I was crazy.
Your reaction is priceless!!!!!
Following in the footsteps of another Dutch band that crossed over, Shocking Blue (the #1 hit "Venus" from 1970) these guys took their eccentric track to #9 in the states and #20 in the UK in 1973.
This song was a big hit. But, I never saw what they looked like and certainly never saw a live performance. I absolutely love it. 🌺✌️
This song and Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" were very popular radio prog.-rock novelty songs which made it a great time to grow up in America.
When we were kids, we ALL sang along with this song and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. That being said…
we only did it alone
we sucked.
It was a GIANT feel good song.
The term I always heard for this when I was a kid was "Acid Rock." Progressive, experimental, hard core. An amazing song anyway.
With a surname like Anderson.. you must know your stuff.?! 👍🏻👏🏻
Well, that's *one way* to play a 7-minute song in a 4-minute TV segment.
I saw Focus in concert and this song was done slower but still in a crazy way. Focus III album had just been released and they played incredible versions of their best known songs. Jan Akkerman stole the show. To this day I still love listening to Answers/Questions - Questions/Answers. I suggest setting Hocus Pocus off to one side and watching some of the other Focus songs here on TH-cam.
Man, in 1973, none of us who saw that were expecting it...that is double speed from what was on the radio...and every bit as weird, but so damn likeable...and they did not miss a note or beat...and as someone else noted, the only standing ovation on Midnight Special...
Thijs pronounced, t jus, is a genius! The lunatic of rock! One of the few truly original songs. It's never played by anyone because no one else can do it. It also helps to have Martijn, Hans and Jan playing with you all great musicians. Jan Akkerman is a guitar God. There also Dutch not exactly known for producing rock stars.
The name Thijs is more like ‘Tice’, and the drummer here is actually Pierre van der Linden……
Iron maiden coveren it
Good Reaction harri. :)
I saw them perform this in Croydon in 1973 and this was a 4-minute time slot allocated for a 7-minute song that put them on the map.
They had 1 or 2 other hits like "Sylvia" an instrumental but my favourite is "Love Remembered " because if you play it in the dark, without pausing, in isolation at night you are transported to a desert of your choice. :)
This was a real novelty when it came out. In this video they had a very limitec time, 4 minutes, to do the song. Instead of cutting lines they just played faster. Great talent and skill. Thanks for the memory, Hari.
This is actually faster than the album version. They only allowed bands on Midnight Special to play for about 3 minutes or so. So instead of lopping a chunk off, they decided to play it faster.
The put out a live recording in August 2021, 48 years later. With the same keyboard player/vocalist and drummer, at an outdoor concert in the Netherlands.
They literally played that song at twice the speed of the original just to fit it into the allotted time given on that show (MIDNIGHT SPECIAL) to get a full appreciation you really should hear the original which is slower and more meticulously played. But give them credit; they accomplished their goal and earned every bit of that standing ovation.
This song would spin people out when they hear and see it for the first time. They are brilliant musicians with what is a truly unique song. Thijs van Leer is a multi instrumentalist and Jan Akkerman is an extremely highly regarded lead guitarist in the music industry. It is an acquired taste.
I love watching people react to that !! I saw them live on stage at the St-Denis theater in Montreal ! back in the 70s ! that memory IS priceless and unforgetable !
Hi Harry, He is yodeling 👍Very unusual, but fun and he's quite good at it!!!👌👍🤪🤣😂🤣👍👌✌😁
“What the hell is this?”
😂😂😂👍🤘🏻🔥🎧
I like your honest reaction! It is baffling. I wish the camera would have shown Gladys Knight's reaction. This is one of the most fun songs for which to watch reactions..
I couldn't stop laughing when he asked "What The Hell Is This"?. I almost spilled my coffee.
What the hell is this???
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Love you, man.
Greetings from the Netherlands
A super high level instrumental band. For a couple years they were on top of the world.
- "What was that??!!"
- It was/is EPIC! AMAZING! AMUSING! HUMOROUS! ENTERTAINING!
- And, OVERFLOWING WITH TALENT!
- And, it's perfect just as it is. I couldn't love it any more :)
Good Jam on Live TV. It was great I watched it live as a kid.
Brutal Guitar in different secuence/tones... increidible and fantastic bass lines... and superb voice.... with a crazy drum... everything TOP TOP TOP
This is insane. Vocal theatrics is the correct response. He is definitely very good at yodeling to theatrical rock but then he takes it a step further and adds jethro Tull like flutes and then adds yet even another layer with the whistling 😗
Van Leer's amazing vocal acrobatics steal the show but Ackerman's guitar is just brilliant. He was, and still is, one of the all time greats.
The band has an 8 minute song? You only have 4 minutes... That's ok we will play it twice as fast )
Just look at it like we did back in the day...just fun!💙
Talented musicians special and unique.
Focus back then was very loved. This track played on the radio everywhere
That guitarist is Jan Akkerman. He was my first producer and a real asshole but the best musician i ever seen....
Progressive rock is the genre I most often see it described.
I first heard the studio version of this song on the radio in the spring of 1973 as an 8 year old and even the slower tempo studio version got me hyped. It was different but even as a kid I loved it! I only discovered this live version several years ago and was blown away and yet still thinking, "What the heck did I just watch?!!" So unique and entertaining. I've always wondered if they had "substance help" with speeding up this performance or are they just that amazing and talented?
My respect goes out to Focus for being amazing, "outside of the box" musicians!
The band members at the time could perhaps speak two words of English between the four of them. They've never been into lyrical music but the music they make is mostly instrumental and quite technical.
The guitarist is Jan Akkerman and Brian May once said that Jan was his idol.
Harri, if you saw them do this live they would blow your brains out, extremely loud and heavy , and yes he can sing well
Because they can. This made it to the radio and was popular at the time. That's why they were on the Midnight Special. Yeah. Peace
Jethro Tull and Frank Zappa were those types of band as well . Brilliant musical minds.
Great song. Much talent here.
In the opening of the song what he was doing is called Yodeling. I some Europeon countries this is a form of singing.
Wild song.
They were playing the song Double time so they can get it in before the commercial.😂😂
Midnight Special always had great performances but this was one of the best.
That "vocal theatrics" is called yodeling.
Bands like Yes and Deep Purple were inspired a lot by Focus. Cant remember if it was Jan Akkerman or Thijs van Leer who mentioned all members of those 2 bands were once sitting front row at a concert of Focus. That well known was this band back in the 70s. Well known in this genre that is. Together with the Golden Earring , Focus put the Netherlands of the map of the world of international rock music
Focus was/is a Dutch progrockband (from the Netherlands). The singer/performer is Thijs van Leer and I've met him a few times. The original song was 8 minutes I believe and for this show they had to sped it up to get it all done in 3 minutes haha 😂 Americans and their 'time is money' 😛
love reactions to this harris look of bemusements priceless
This is not the full live version. There is at least one vocal section missing. The flute section was also missing. This started out as a warmup for the vocals and the band. It was never meant to be recorded or performed. However, things happen.
It's Hocus Pocus....for real!!! Fun.
The guys of Focus have said they like to bring humour into their music. Not jokes... humour, like actually making music funny. Or making funny music. I think they succeeded well. :)
Thijs van Leer looks like the last kind of guy you'd ever wanna meet in a dark alley/backstreet 😂 Some years later he was performing at the legendary Montreaux Jazz Festival as part of a all-star band. First time you here this it makes you think like wt.... is this but then after hearing two or three times you like it!
Jan Akkerman sweep-picking (in 1973! Long before Yngwie et al), Pierre van der Linden in beast mode on drums … what a band
He likely "stole" the sweep picking from Chet Atkins like everyone else. It is hard to do right. Here, it is done to a very high level. Great stuff!!!
Acid ,cannabis and heroine do the trick.
Focus was a thing in the Netherlands,back in those foggy times.
Greetz from Amsterdam.
They had to speed the song up to fit in the 4-minute time slot.
What's to understand. Do a 4 way window pane and a handful of white cross. Call me when you're ready.
The guitarist ( Jan Akkerman) is a guitar/Lute master, Playing; Jazz, rock and medieval Lute...worth checking out.
Apparently the band was told they only had a certain amount of time to perform before the next commercial. So instead of shortening the song they upped the tempo considerably from the studio version of the song. It made for an interesting performance to say the least.
Just watch a movie Baby Driver to see how perfectly the song was used by director Edgar Wright. Brilliant movie accompanied by fantastic soundtrack
The genre is/was ' Progressive ' rock . Several bands. popular in Northern Europe centered around Amsterdam. 70s.
I always thought that Geddy Lee from RUSH was the most talented front man by singing, playing bass & keyboards - but this guy sings, yodels, whistles, plays the flute & keyboards !!!
It's Progressive Rock! They did all sorts of amazing instrumentals. They are Dutch.
I appreciate how difficult the yodeling/gibberish/flute/whistling/keys are…i don’t think these guys took themselves seriously…it’s a fun video.
This was obviously written for fun, but the point of it is that the voice is an instrument, you don't need words to enjoy a vocal performance, or a song for that matter. Music is about telling a story, but that story does not always require words, its about creating sounds you can feel.
They are a Dutch Prog Rock band. Singer Thijs Van Leer was great on the yodels! The band formed in 1969 in Amsterdam. We used to listen to this song for fun, and shock value! 😁 but as you say, they were excellent musicians and no matter how fast the beat, they all kept up. Loved it!
After a while on this channel I purposefully searched for this song
Harri..have a listen to the 8 minutes studio version,,you will see what the song is ,,
Notice, each time the yodeler is about to start, the drummer looks over his shoulder.
I hadn't paid attention to the vocalization when Thijs playing the flute. Ian Anderson of course is also famous for his self-taught style, which includes quite a bit of vocalizing. Since this is not common in classical flute playing (I could be wrong), I'm wondering if the two can be connected. Did one influence the other?
Van Leer and Anderson are almost exactly the same age. Van Leer had a classical music education from a young age and Anderson taught himself to play the flute a few months before he recorded the first Jethro Tull album in 1968, so it's doubtful they had much influence on each other. I suspect the vocalization comes from the sheer effort that goes into playing flute at that pace.
Hocus Pocus just a novelty tune, they have superb albums. Jan Akkermam the guitar player is awesome! The tune "Sylvia" will blow you away!
Focus are Dutch. They are brilliant. Jan Akkerman on guitar - really hot. Thijs van Leer on organ flute and vocals. So original. the drummer here is pierre van der linden he was good but they changed him for Colin Alan. And they had a couple of different bass players too.
They are primarily an instrumental band they don't do much singing. La Cathedral de Srasbourg is the only track I can think of where they sing. In the music papers of the day they were listed under jazz rock, as that was the sort of sound they made mostly. Hocus Pocus isn't typical really. Another big hit of theirs was called Sylvia. It's more tuneful, less wild. Akkerman's piece of resistance is a guitar solo called Tommy. It's enough to melt your ears, really smooth.
Try and play some more of their stuff, they are a top 10 band.
Here is a link to the performance of this song, which I mentioned in a previous comment, at a concert in August! 2021! Just a couple of months ago! Pierre van der Linden on drums! (no Akkerman though.) Although the speed is "normal", Thijs van Leer sure still knows how to yodel. I think this song is so great because it has a structure that just begs for cool variations, jams and improvisation. I don't think I've seen two identical performances of it here on TH-cam.
This was an era of progressive rock where great musicians experimented with all kinds of ideas. Fussion bands mixing jazz, rock or any idea goes.....just to see if it works.
Back in the day television audiences were warned not to make noise during a performance, or they would be immediately dragged out
The weird vocals were what appealed to us back in 1973 - we were that stoned.
Just love this. From a time the Low Countries were still a bit crazy. Great times, great times.
AWESOME JUST AWESOME
If you dance to this you will end up in the ER!
Was waiting on your reaction !!!! There it is!!! Someone gave you the SPEEDUP version!!! Smile!!!
And thus, speed metal was invented...
Fantastic Stuff. 'Nuff Said.
One of those perfect videos to react to.
Exceptionnel !!!
Jan Ackerman is an all time great guitarist
Because its brilliant