Focus - Hocus Pocus (Live at Midnight Special 1973)

[@Leviticus_Prime]

The reason they were playing so fast is because they only have 3 or 4 minutes to do the song on midnight special. The song is usually 7 or 8 minutes long depending on how many solos and other things they do. So this guy was literally yodeling in double time because he refused to edit the song to make it shorter and wanted to get every note of the song in in less time. So the music and vocals were all done in double time to make it fit within the time frame. One of the best live performances in midnight special history.

[@DizzyEyes94]

Focus, finding out right before the show that they only have 4 minutes to play the song in full: "HOW MUCH COCAINE DO WE HAVE?"

[@tmjcbs]

Nice story, but most if not all of the other live versions are about this fast. They must simply have discovered that it works way better a lot faster.

[@walrtbstudios5430]

@@tmjcbs Indeed, almost every live version of this particular band’s material is taken at breakneck speed. There’s a video out there somewhere of them getting through a (somewhat truncated) version of ‘Anonymus’ in about nine minutes…

[@ethansmith9065]

@@DizzyEyes94 judging by the way Jan was poppin and jukin, the answer was all of it.

[@timeno1763]

😆😂🤣

[@johnnpicante6120]

Totally insane. Oh how I miss the 70's.

[@keithjackson1265]

So, we've got a 3 minute slot to play a 7 minute song? No problem.....

[@brucep9729]

That's exactly what I said!

[@onazram1]

Same here...

[@daniellaubach7544]

Yeah I agree!

[@alri933]

Que buena banda de heavy metal!!! Suena raro pero está buenísima. No la conocía. Parece Led Zeppelin!!!

[@daniellaubach7544]

The studio audience gave them a standing ovation after the performance! Great classic rock from the 70's!

[@JamesAllmond]

this is the ONLY standing ovation on the entire run of the Midnight Special!

[@ericgendell8874]

I remember hearing this song on the transistor radio I carried around when I was 12 years old and how the guitar playing sent me into out of body experiences of alternate realities, paroxysyms of bliss and elation long before I took any drugs. The experience was so magically transcendent and seemed so far out of reach, but was one of the experiences that inspired me to play guitar, followed by the Beatles, Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix in succession. Through the years my musical tastes and influences have grown exponentially to include musical traditions way outside the cultural mainstream, but I will never outgrow my early inspirations because great music ges well because it is timeless. More than a half century later and my appreciation of the song has actually grown, because as a kid, I focused almost exclusively on the guitar and the yodelling actually annoyed me. Now I love everything about the performance, especially the yodelling, whistling and flute playing, but every musician in the band is brilliant which is why they played together. BTW, that was a young Oprah Winfrey.

[@cronistamundano8189]

I was going to ask if that was Oprah, thank you!

[@CarsofMetal77]

I cannot frickin' believe that "yodeling metal" never caught on.

[@danielsweet858]

Wonder why? 🎃

[@rexsexson5349]

Scat metal??

[@danielsweet858]

@@rexsexson5349 you nailed it! 😀

[@jansverrebraathen1235]

@@danielsweet858 0:41 KI met Jan Akkerman in Oslo when Iwent to Music Highschool 3:32 3:40

[@jansverrebraathen1235]

The next time I met him was at the Larvik Guitar Festival 1982. He played there with his Band. As always he was very friendly,and I asked for his autograph. He said yeah,and I wrote on a piece of paper: thanks for all the inspiration during all thes years. He wrote: thank you very dutch, jan akkerman.I have got it framed in my workshop.

[@jabroni19]

Thanks for bringing me here Jim Cornette and Brian Last.

[@davidranney8723]

I'm not a musician, but this song has to be so much fun to play. It's so crazy over the top manic.

[@gregholman2431]

It is sheerly wild and it is sheer madness, really. It is also zany.

[@martinespinosaalvarado]

Escucha a Jethro tull band

[@jpht1964]

Especially on Speed…

[@sparkimoto]

It absolutely is, although a bit difficult for me. On guitar.

[@jefferyroy2566]

I was in a strictly amateur band at the time. When our group saw this, we realized it was not something we could ever cover, even at the original 12/4 time signature (that could be wrong). I was the vocalist and could hit most of the lo-dee-do notes, but never learned to whistle with my teeth. We thought of slowing down into a blues in F#, but the band broke up because the bassist and I wouldn't cover any Eagles shit. Hats off to The Dude for making our case to the public 25 years later.

[@DjNikGnashers]

Literally one of the most astounding musical performances in history.

[@John_1077]

Checking this out after Jim Cornette mentioned it. Not sure wtf that was but I enjoyed it anyway.

[@willalthoff2544]

Anyone find a clip of Brian talking about this yet?!😂

[@KevinJohnson-jc9ju]

it's how I feel after this covid19 bs

[@wolandbegemotazazello]

Dutch prog rock band Focus appeared on The Midnight Special on 5 October 1973 where they performed “Sylvia”, “House of the King” “Focus III” (the last song they did and which plays over the end credits of that evening’s show), and their hit “Hocus Pocus”. According to comments on the official and unofficial videos of “Hocus Pocus" on KZbin Focus was told they only had approximately five minutes to do the song, a song that clocked in at 6:42 on the album version on Moving Waves/Focus II. Focus, according to these posters, decided against trimming the song and instead played it at a faster speed. There may be some truth to the myth, rumour, or gossip that Focus was told they had less than five minutes to do the song and so speeded it up and speeded it up they clearly did during their performance of “Hocus Pocus" on The Midnight Special that evening. However, now that The Midnight Special has released the full version of their live performance of the show on KZbin it is clear that the full live version lasted 6:02 sans the Gladys Knight intro and outro on the unofficial video compared to 4:38 for the unofficial video copied from the VH1 rebroadcast of the show and put up on KZbin. One can and should hypothesise about the time discrepancy here. It is possible that The Midnight Special edited down the 6:02 performance for the initial broadcast because of NBC broadcast time constraints. It is also possible that VH1 edited the performance down due to time constraints when they broadcast the show later (how much later I don’t know as I can find no information on the later VH1 broadcasts). What I do recall is that in the initial broadcasts of The Midnight Special on the show routinely ran for an hour and six, seven or eight minutes without commercial interruptions. And while I watched the show that night I can’t quite remember everything or much of anything about the performance of "Hocus Pocus” that night other than the live performance was different from the studio version, that my ears had to adjust to the different speed of the song compared to the studio version, and that I was impressed with the musicianship of the band, which was not a surprise to me since I already had a copy of Focus II/Moving Waves in my album collection that I listened to repeatedly at the time. What I do know now, thanks to the complete official video of “Hocus Pocus” The Midnight Special put up on KZbin, is that the section that includes Thijs van Leer repeating his yodel for about a minute was edited out of the VH! unofficial version that is also up on KZbin at the moment. Another poster he or she who runs the Unofficial Focus Band Video Archive, claims that another section, one like the first van Leer yodel we hear on The Midnight Special official video, was also edited out of the outtake as well. The performance of “Hocus Pocus” on The Midnight Special that night is even more complicated and complex than the question of whether that specific performance of “Hocus Pocus” was whittled down because of NBC time constraints and did Focus speed up the song for that reason. By the way, Focus could have performed the US single version that lasted for 3:18 instead though by and large at that time most bands did not like the shortened versions mandated by record company suits because they wanted hits and most singles did not last during the era more than 2 to 4 minutes during the era. During the performance of “Sylvia”, for instance, Focus went into another somewhat different and much shorter performance of “Hocus Pocus” at the 3:30 mark, a brief performance that is even more speeded up than the 6:02 one. a performance that lasts until the 4:42 mark and includes some spontaneous interpolations. Additionally, Focus’s performance of “Hocus Pocus” in the long version and in the version on “Sylvia” was not the first time the band speeded up the song. Focus, for example, also speeded up their performance of “Hocus Pocus” on the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test in 1972 and varied the performance relative to the studio version of the song just as they did later on The Midnight Special performances. This suggests that Focus at least on occasion if not often sped up their performance of the song in live performances. But then bands weary of playing the same hit songs again and again in live performance did like to vary them in live performance to keep them interesting at the time. Anyway, isn’t it fascinating how myths get started and persist even in the face of empirical evidence to the contrary? The “outtake” clearly shows that Focus played for six and a half minutes on The Midnight Special that October evening.

[@krokodyl1927]

Damn! I need to catch my breath after listening to this.

[@chesterlane3032]

This is indeed the rarest footage of the group playing live on TV back in the 70's when they were popular with this song

[@robdagnallschannel]

Thijs Van Leer is truly an icon in Dutch music, a musicians musician in every sense of the word....from rock to classical.....no ones better!!!

[@bloodeagle6458]

Thanks cornie

[@jean-pierrejipi5720]

Jan Akkerman "best guitarist in the world " (Melody Maker :1973 ) 👍

[@owainglyndwr6777]

Fantastic performance. The great Dutch band Focus. Outstanding musicianship.

[@tedstone5934]

Modern bands take a listen. THIS is how you ROCK.

[@AudiophileTubes]

The MOST ORIGINAL song EVER!

[@bd0g5]

These guys are crazy talented

[@ericwobschall8410]

Yeah but they were super formulaic with the 800 bpm tempo and yodeling.

[@kampira1]

Gitarist is Jan Akkerman. In the seventies he was mentioned to be the worlds best gitarist in that period!

[@simontaylor2319]

Jan Akerman, great guitarist who has really developed his guitar playing since then, sep on the lute

[@eddieboggs8306]

The keyboard player and drummer are still performing wit new lead guitar and bass players . Never too old to Rock N Roll!

[@keythdanielsen9315]

Never "too" old to learn the difference between too and to, either.

[@eddieboggs8306]

@@keythdanielsen9315 Type o.

[@keythdanielsen9315]

@@eddieboggs8306Type O blood type?

[@eddieboggs8306]

Type error. You must be so lonley.

[@keythdanielsen9315]

@@eddieboggs8306 And yet, I'm not. Btw, it's lonely. Your communication skills are astounding. Hopefully, you're not the intelligent one among your friends.

[@Ozzy318]

Thanks Corny

[@johncuriel9980]

Just now we found out that Bert Ruiter is no longer with us. We will miss you Bert. Thank you for all your music. We wish Jerney all the strength with this loss. R.I.P 24-03-2022 Nederlands

[@joeytill1]

Howdy Corny!!

[@KCAlden]

This is one of the best rock and roll songs of all time; performed in double time -- Bravo!! 👍

[@susankirkland3852]

Wow........I remember this.....and yet I didn't remember just how amazing!!

[@rockngpa5094]

Midnight Special was an awesome Saturday night free tv rock , blues , funk concerts every weekend and I guarantee you I was stone out of my grape B4 I got home to catch this show ... Then B4 midnight special thee early days of SN with John Belushi , Chevy Chase , Steve Martin , etc etc came on before Midnight special .. What an experience in my you life .. Saturday Night Special had Wolfman Jack as host of show. Watching some of live bands who were famous or just starting out played Awesome guitar riffs , bass riffs , drum riffs as your watching on your television 📺 free.. them were the days...

[@katdeville]

Such a multi-talented vocalist, not to mention his range. Woof.

[@dhunter1133]

Supposedly, the legend goes that Focus was asked to edit the original 6:42 track to fit within 5 minutes. Instead, they decided to play it insanely up-tempo. The classic "hold my beer moment."

[@Fordham1969]

Thing is though, they didn't just play the studio version faster here. They changed the arrangement quite a bit here from the studio version.

[@dhunter1133]

@@Fordham1969 - Other than Boston, who goes out of their way to ensure that their live performances sound the same as the recorded material because Tom Scholz is a perfectionist, does ANY band play live the same arrangement as their studio version?

[@Fordham1969]

​@@dhunter1133 I wasn't suggesting that they should play it exactly like the studio version. In your original comment you wrote that rather than cut out any of the 6:42 of the original arrangement, they instead played it much faster to get it all in the allotted time. I'm saying that in addition to playing it faster, they also cut a fair amount out of that original arrangement. For example, 1:45 til 2:37 of the original record is cut from this version.

[@dhunter1133]

@@Fordham1969 - Okay, I stand corrected then. Clearly the legend is a lie.

[@Fordham1969]

​@@dhunter1133 Well it still might be partly true, they might have done a bit of cutting but also played it much faster in order to get as much of the song in as they could.

[@jansverrebraathen1235]

When I met Jan Akkerman the second time,at the Larvik Guitar Festival, he played there with his Band. I went up to him, and he recogmized me at once, and invited me to his table, were he sat having lunch with his band. I asked for his autogr aph.and he said yes. I wrote on a piece of paper: Thank You for all inspiration during all these years. he wrote: Thank You very Dutch. Jan Akkerman.❤

[@theexblondes625]

Jan Akkerman is ten years ahead of his time here. Did we hear sweep picking going on too? No pedals probably either. This band was insane top of their game all of them!

[@ericwobschall8410]

Does it get any better than having Gladys Knight call you one the most "together and exciting groups going"? I notice that some of the other performers that night were her and the Pips, B.B. King and Earth Wind a Fire. All on that same night. Did these audiences realize how good they had it? Every time I see this performance, and laugh because I honestly think they could have cranked up the tempo and transposed up a whole step.

[@richrogers299]

While I'm a rocker at heart--blues, classic rock and metal--I love that back in the 1970s, the radio stations weren't so splintered by genre/style. You could have Blue Oyster Cult followed by Billy Joel, then Styx, then the Village People all in the same set. It was wonderful mix.

[@johnned4848]

Have to wonder how it worked to be in the studio audience. Could you select a particular show with the artists announced. Or just sign up and hope you got a show with artists you liked. We're there even tickets? Just show up, first come, first served?

[@rifelaw]

No. We didn't.

[@steven2212]

Absolutely astonishing. Could any current band take their most popular hit and double time it, and make it sound this good? No.

[@hellpoome]

It's a 6-minute song, but Midnight Special PD said, "The time given to you is 4 minutes," so the members sang it at super speed, and the result is this video. At 4:21, Jan Ackerman shows their anger by pulling the plug and throwing it.

[@masterdanthrax]

This version is edited - there is a vid on here with two more verses, and yes it’s the same performance

[@victorformosa228]

Saw Focus live in the early seventies, they were awesome.

[@robw4266]

a 182 BPM song sped up to 254 BPM... brilliant! Thijs on speed :)

[@mnd1955]

Saw them at Reading in 1972. I was 16 and Jan Akkerman was brilliant. What a band.

[@harryw9598]

yes , uncle jan was born in the same country as eddie van halen. true.

[@steviedee8921]

Saw Focus at Reading 1974....head-lining act on the Sunday... awesome

[@andrewpetik2034]

I keep coming back to this. EPIC!! It was on my KZbin feed for months and the thumbnail freaked me out, so I never watched it. Oh my goodness!! This is a group of very talented people!!

[@trewinlaws1953]

I first saw focus supporting Arthur Brown at Maidstone college dance on their first tour they blew Arthur Brown off the stage most of the crowd retired to the bar when Arthur Brown came on. Focus returned as headliners the next year and there was the largest attendance ever for a college dance That night

[@dennisjohndreher7258]

Focus in concert 1973. One of the greatest albums ever

[@larschristensen9367]

Yes!! Live at the Rainbow is also my favorite live album.

[@torybrown7730]

To me this is true musicianship. Taking a song that is 7 or 8 minutes long, speeding it up & making it last 4 to 4:30 minutes. In my eyes that's true musicianship on making that work PERFECTLY. Focus are AMAZING!!

[@mevenstien]

A total testament to their skill as musicians!🙂l

[@sherigentry4955]

Was 9 when this came out. Still trips me out 😂

[@HarryGuit]

This you can only do, if you are sober. When you are on music, what else do you need?

[@sherigentry4955]

I was 9 obviously I was sober !

[@metube2824]

I was 11, and this song got a lot of air time.Crazy Good.....

[@borntobewild9056]

Saw this group in Germany in 72 or 73 in Hamburg (I think)....the guitarist broke a couple strings during this song but never let up and you couldn't tell....amazing!

[@fredgien]

Jan Akkerman was considered the best guitarist in the world at that time….understandable imho!

[@markcar915]

Jan Akkerman was top shelf!

[@doninmichigan]

The guy is a freggin beast all right, he blew everybody's shit away back in the day.

[@rickjason215]

Is he ever on one of those stupid lists? No one was close at that time. His technique was incredible.

[@lanenordgren7641]

Jan, Blackmore and Ulrich Roth were my favorites at that time. Also noteworthy certainly Jeff Beck. Ackerman just amazing in all the departments.

[@lanenordgren7641]

@@rickjason215 probably. Back in the day. In my opinion he's in a class by himself.

[@DavidLewis-bw3xq]

Probably one of the best pop songs of the twentieth century

[@josephlemko3027]

I saw Focus live at Central Park in 1973. They were truly unbelievable. It was a shame that true popularity faded too soon.

[@arthurblackhistoric]

WOW!! What a face-melting performance!! I saw them live in Brisbane in 1975 and they were outtasight that night too!

[@truthtyperii7727]

Welcome Cult of Cornette!

[@MrTurboparker]

Absolutely outstanding live performance!

[@manugrandest1683]

Morceau incroyable. Encore aujourd'hui en admiration devant une telle folie et virtuosité. A masterpiece.

[@voiceshow9]

Jan Akkerman...oh my God. And Thijs is out of this world.

[@robinduanem833]

Omg yes wow 1973 dude was on fire

[@duncanturner7049]

Time limits, so they went faster. Excellent job

[@marianvandenhoek3766]

From Holland the Netherlands 🎶🌷

[@teruhama6155]

awesome ! Thanks

[@川井ヒカル]

Powerful guitar sound！

[@djrossetto3992]

One of best unrated guitarist.

[@remcoradstaak82]

duh .. jan akkerman!!!!!

[@HarryGuit]

... and playing!

[@HarryGuit]

@@djrossetto3992 In 1974 he w a s rated best guitar player beating Santana, Clapton, Page etc.

[@clemguitar63]

@@djrossetto3992 Guitarist Jan Akkerman was voted the world's best guitarist in the Melody Maker poll of 1973. By 1977 he had left the group, and whereas Focus had formulated their own unique stylistic mix of rock, folk and jazz, on this album Akkerman gravitated towards jazz fusion.

[@williamcmaylo6597]

I saw Focus at the Utica War Memorial Auditorium in Utica, NY. A fantastic performance. Jan Akkermann played humbly and phenomenally.

[@devamp8671]

You gotta be on some shit that's on some shit to come up with that shit...Love it

[@aurelnegrea7617]

Excellent job. Natural no tricks.

[@terencefynan8611]

How many dutch bands went under the radar, these and golden hearing that's all I know

[@heimomoilanen9654]

EARTH & FIRE, SHOCKING BLUE both with gorgeous female lead singers!

[@stevenevans5106]

Golden Earring Dutch legends.

[@carelhoebert9030]

Try Solution beautiful

[@heikkiaho6605]

2:04 those licks are just insane

[@SuperPassionflower]

All musicians sublime in their own field, and oh this Hocus Pocus and its frantic pace is historic! So grateful I grew up in that era, with music and musicians like this, either Dutch and across the borders!

[@tedstone5934]

"You want it faster? You got it!"

[@billboyer8897]

The album had two versions of this song -- the standard one, and the short / fast U.S. airplay version. This video is similar to the U.S. version -- which I *never* heard on the radio though, the album rock stations *always* played the standard version.

[@rkede1879]

Incredible talent on display!

[@brucep9729]

That drummer is one bad dude!

[@jamesian-allen8725]

He’s got serious chops.

[@cesarretamoso8904]

Estos hiolandese la rompen ..tocan como los dioses los escuche a los 20 años y mis 70 la siguen rompiendo .por siempre focus 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@ingefranz2013]

Si. Tambien otros holandeses. Muy cómico

[@perevilaseca5696]

YO PIENSO IGUAL K TU,SALUDOS DESDE CATALUNYA,UN ABRAZO😁😀🙄🎸🕸️🕷️

[@HansenPodcast]

Amazing

[@tomv4408]

I loved this song, surprised it made it onto AM radio. Thijs van Leer is a real character.

[@LeonardoRodrigues-wy7ds]

Amazing. The band is very good

[@jozsefnemeth2973]

Against the contemporary different opinions of generations: they were musicians. Good musicians...😃🎸👏

[@alexhall6375]

Stunning musicianship … simply stunning

[@bigtexmacgonigle444]

Rarely standing ovations on Midnight Special...Focus got a well-deserved one.😂😂😂

[@kayholmes7920]

Wow... I've not seen this before! First gig ever was Focus in 1972. Still amazing after all these years.

[@NandoLL510]

Jim Cornette turned me on to this Coke Dreams Craziness lol

[@aukebouman1624]

Thats what happens if you have to cut down your act a few secs for going on stage, from 7min to this, and i think its fucking awesome!

[@NLBOYW]

Wow, now I know how the muppet show was invented. Always been a great admirer of Jan’s work.

[@danakase6352]

I scrolled further down the comments and someone did say Gladys Knight cuz that makes sense she was awesome too. Yeah this song always trips me out it was incredible it's hilarious it is brilliant which was the norm in those days

[@fabianluna3414]

Es y seguirá siendo una super Rolla, un ícono de los 70s y un grupo referente no nada más del rock progresivo, sino del rock universal. Los saludo desde Guanajuato capital.

[@lgndnhswnmnd]

Thanks for this post1 Grateful for KZbin!

[@duncanturner7049]

One of my favorite songs

[@edgardtorres6162]

Amazing group of the seventies 👍

[@Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

Golden earing and Focus are Epic early heavy rockers.

[@jefflitt1282]

I always cranked it when it came on the FM. But this was glorious!

[@dianekoralja2154]

I was a kid, but I got into Focus!!!!! I love their unique sound. Still a fan! 🎵🎶

[@Lichfeldian--Suttonian]

After watching this, watch others watching this and get their reception! That is entertainment in itself!

[@bobbihamm3558]

First time I’ve ever heard the whole song before. Pretty cool.

[@joshuajohnson2216]

Crazy drum fill during the break. Killer🤩

[@geraldcarpentier7440]

Standing Ovation, damn right,..

[@sugartbube]

I'm here because of Jim Cornette and Brian Last

[@洋一五十嵐-l7s]

アットザレインボーや、次のマザーフォーカスは、名盤である。ヤンアッカーマンのギターの早弾きは　圧巻だ! by 65歳のジイジ!

[@jappychap2003]

Sheer madness. Is there any other rock/pop track that comes anywhere near this?

[@josel.martinez7210]

NO! Total lunacy! I love it!

[@patbarr1351]

Maybe "Harem Scarem" from their 1974 LP.

[@yemooda]

Maybe Gentle Giant comes near

[@linpiao111]

I want two of those....

[@joaocapelo3206]

Este gajo, se calhar, tem futuro 🙄😁 abraço Cláudio, estive a ouvir esta tua antiga música 🤗

[@threeseventytwo]

Hola if Jim Cornette sent you here 🤣

[@danielgillan6950]

The reason I just got here!

[@seanhumphries238]

If I had a genie, going back to see this live would be one of my wishes

[@johnned4848]

Pretty rare you see a band get a standing ovation on The Midnight Special

[@Skorpio420]

I heard/read this was possibly the only standing ovation given on The Midnight Special.

[@johnned4848]

@@Skorpio420 they earned it. Unbelievable performance

[@williamsomerville-tu9nf]

effing what my generation what a time to be young. 71 now.

[@ManuelGomez-eh9sg]

Que linda música los sigos desde año. Un abrazo desde Chile.

[@johnlooijer3817]

best guitarplayer in seventies

[@germandosveces]

Saludos, ¡la de amigos "patas" que nos reuníamos con esta música...'70..