9CD+2DVD compilation ‘Focus – 50 Years: Anthology 1970-1976’ to be released Κυκλοφορεί η συλλογή ‘Focus – 50 Years: Anthology 1970-1976’

Red Bullet Productions will release a new boxset available from November 13, 2020 titled Focus – 50 Years: Anthology 1970-1976, consisting of 9 CDs and 2 DVDs with remasters and never before released material, such as the Focus At The Rainbow concert film from 1973.

This box set contains the complete work of Focus as released between 1970 and 1976, the years in which the band featured 4 of the most talented musicians originating from the Netherlands during the 70s: guitarist Jan Akkerman, keyboard player Thijs van Leer, bass player Bert Ruiter and drummer Pierre van der Linden. 50 Years: Anthology 1970-1976 is curated by Focus / Jan Akkerman archivist Wouter Bessels and includes long anticipated new remasters of their first seven albums, plus single tracks, alternate mixes, demos, raw studio mixes and previously unreleased live recordings.

In addition, two DVDs contain 4+ hours audiovisual material from the archives of worldwide tv broadcasting companies, plus the first official and long anticipated release of the 1973 Focus At The Rainbow concert movie, carefully remastered from the original 16 mm film.

Content:

– First seven albums (released between 1970 and 1976) 24-bit remastered from the original tapes

– B-sides, single mixes and previously unreleased bonus tracks

– CD featuring the first official release of BBC In Concert 1973; in stereo from the BBC archive tapes

– CD featuring 80 minutes of previously unreleased Focus concert recordings from 1971-1975

– 2 DVDs featuring the complete Focus At the Rainbow concert film from 1973 restored and remastered from the original 16 mm film, two BBC ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ broadcasts from 1972 and BBC In Concert from 1974, plus rare footage from Focus live in Dublin 1973, various clips, the ‘Goud van Oud’ reunion from 1990 and the ‘Focus 2 Classic Albums’ documentary from 1997

– 80-page booklet with band history, liner notes and various memorabilia

TRACKLISTING

• Previously unreleased
  ** Previously unreleased on cd

CD1 – FOCUS PLAYS FOCUS / IN AND OUT OF FOCUS
Original release: 1970

1. Focus (instrumental) 9.46
2. Why Dream 3.56
3. Happy Nightmare (Mescaline) 3.56
4. Anonymus 7.01
5. Black Beauty 3.05
6. Sugar Island 3.02
7. Focus (vocal) 2.43

BONUS TRACKS

8. House Of The King 2.23
9. Eruption (Live Lanx 1970) 37.31 *

CD2 – FOCUS II / MOVING WAVES
Original release: 1971

1. Hocus Pocus 6.41
2. Le Clochard (Bread) 1.59
3. Janis 3.06
4. Moving Waves 2.41
5. Focus II 4.03
6. Eruption (Orfeus – Answer – Orfeus – Answer – Pupilla – Tommy – Pupilla – Answer – The Bridge – Euridice – Dayglow – Endless Road – Answer – Orfeus – Euridice) 23.07

BONUS TRACKS

7. Hocus Pocus (single version) 3.27 **
8. Tommy (single version) 3.25
9. Focus I (Live Texel 1971) 14.11 *

CD3 – FOCUS 3
Original release: 1972

1. Round Goes The Gossip… 5.16
2. Love Remembered 2.48
3. Sylvia 3.32
4. Carnival Fugue 6.07
5. Focus III 6.05
6. Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! 14.03
7. Anonymus II (Part 1) 19.33 **
8. Anonymus II (Conclusion) 7.34 **
9. Elspeth Of Nottingham 3.13

BONUS TRACKS

10. Sylvia (single version) 3.32 **
11. Love Remembered (single version) 2.49 **
12. Hocus Pocus (US single version) 3.25

CD4 – AT THE RAINBOW
Original release: 1973

1. Focus III 3.52
2. Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! 11.26
3. Focus II 4.24
4. Eruption (Orfeus – Answer – Orfeus – Answer – Pupilla – Tommy – Pupilla) 8.40
5. Hocus Pocus 8.27
6. Sylvia 2.47
7. Hocus Pocus – reprise 2.48

BONUS TRACKS

8. P’s March (original mix – single version) 3.27 *
9. Ship Of Memories (original mix) 4.40 *
10. P’s March (original mix – full version) 4.03 *

CD5 – HAMBURGER CONCERTO
Original release: 1974

1. Delitiæ Musicæ 1.13
2. Harem Scarem 5.50
3. La Cathédrale de Strasbourg 4.57
4. Birth 7.45
5. Hamburger Concerto (Starter – Rare – Medium I – Medium II – Well Done – One For The Road) 20.23

BONUS TRACKS

6. Early Birth 2.56
7. Harem Scarem (single version) 3.08 **
8. Birth (alternate mix) 7.43 **
9. Harem Scarem (alternate mix) 5.51 **

CD6 – MOTHER FOCUS
Original release: 1975

1. Mother Focus 3.05
2. I Need A Bathroom 3.04
3. Bennie Helder 3.33
4. Soft Vanilla 3.04
5. Hard Vanilla 2.35
6. Tropic Bird 2.45
7. Focus IV 3.57
8. Someone’s Crying… What! 3.19
9. All Together… Oh That! 3.41
10. No Hang Ups 2.56
11. My Sweetheart 3.38
12. Father Bach 1.33

BONUS TRACKS

13. Focus IV (rough mix) 4.02 *
14. Bennie Helder (rough mix) 3.45 *
15. Vanilla (rough mix) 5.42 *
16. Mother Focus (rough mix) 3.02 *
17. All Together… Oh That! (rough mix) 3.42 *
18. My Sweetheart (rough mix) 3.46 *
19. Someone’s Crying… What! (rough mix) 3.18 *
20. Studio 55 Jam 6.56 *

CD7 – SHIP OF MEMORIES
Original release: 1976

1. P’s March 4.48
2. Can’t Believe My Eyes 5.22
3. Focus V 3.02
4. Out Of Vesuvius 5.51
5. Glider 4.40
6. Red Sky At Night 5.52
7. Spoke The Lord Creator 2.33
8. Crackers 2.42
9. Ship Of Memories 1.47

BONUS TRACKS

10. Elektrisch Levenslicht (Neerlands Hoop in Bange Dagen) 3.09
11. The Shrine Of God (Ramses Shaffy with group Focus) 3.39
12. Watch The Ugly People (Ramses Shaffy with group Focus) 2.19
13. House Of The King (rough mix version 1) 2.27 *
14. House Of The King (rough mix version 2) 2.26 *
15. Focus III (unreleased single version) 4.37 *
16. Hocus Pocus (US single version – takes 14-17) 7.12 *
17. Glider (single version) 3.28 **
18. P’s March (single version) 4.07 **
19. O Avondrood 5.10 **
20. Crackers (vocal version) 2.31 **

CD8 – FOCUS BBC 1973

1. Focus III 3.54 *
2. Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! 12.09 *
3. Focus II 5.06 *
4. Anonymus II 23.30 *
5. Focus I 4.27 *
6. Hocus Pocus 7.38 *
7. Sylvia – Hocus Pocus (reprise) 5.52 *

Produced and recorded by BBC Radio 1 In Concert, Paris Theatre, London, 17th January 1973.

CD9 – LIVE 1971 – 1975

1. Eruption (Live Rotterdam 1971) 46.37 *
2. Birth 11.38 *
3. Improvisation #1 8.35 *
4. House Of The King 3.02 *
5. Improvisation #2 6.23 *
6. Hocus Pocus 3.20 *

Track 1: Recorded by AVRO radio at the Newport Jazz Festival, Grote Zaal, De Doelen, Rotterdam, 29th October 1971. Track 2: Recorded at the Festival Hall, Osaka, 2nd July 1974. Track 3-6: Recorded at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, 21st June 1975.

DVD1 – FOCUS SIGHT & SOUND VOL. 1

1. BBC The Old Grey Whistle Test (May 1972) 24.26 *
2. BBC The Old Grey Whistle Test (December 1972) 16.01 *
3. Focus At The Rainbow (May 1973) 47.28 *
4. BBC In Concert (April 1974) 36.18 *

DVD2 – FOCUS SIGHT & SOUND VOL. 2

1. NOS Van Gewest Tot Gewest (July 1970) 1.54 *
2. NOS Uit De Kunst (June 1972) 3.51 *
3. RTE The Music Makers: Focus at the Stadium (November 1973) 48.00 *
4. VARA Nederpopzien (December 1973) 34.22 *
5. AVRO Toppop: Harem Scarem (May 1974) 3.01 *
6. AVRO Toppop: O Avondrood (June 1976) 4.51 *
7. Veronica Goud van Oud (April 1990) 16.44 *
8. NCRV Classic Albums: Moving Waves (June 1997) 50.02 *

Τιμώντας τους Focus, η Red Bullet Productions θα κυκλοφορήσει ένα νέο boxset που θα διατίθεται από τις 13 Νοεμβρίου 2020 με τίτλο Focus – 50 Years: Anthology 1970-1976, αποτελούμενο από 9 CD και 2 DVD με remasters ακυκλοφόρητο υλικό, όπως το φιλμ από το Focus At The Rainbow το 1973.

Το boxset περιέχει όλους τους δίσκους των Focus as released μεταξύ 1970 και 1976, όταν στην μπάντα συμμετείχαν μερικοί από τους πιο ταλαντούχους Ολλανδούς μουσικούς στα 70s: τον κιθαρίστα Jan Akkerman, τον κημπορντίστα Thijs van Leer, τον μπασίστα Bert Ruiter και τον ντράμερ Pierre van der Linden. Το 50 Years: Anthology 1970-1976 προλογίζει ο χρονογράφος των Focus / Jan Akkerman Wouter Bessels και περιλαμβάνει νέα remasters των πρώτων επτά δίσκων τους, εναλλακτικές μίξεις, demos, αρχικές μίξεις και ακυκλοφόρητο συναυλιακό υλικό.

Επίσης, τα 2 DVD περιέχουν 4+ ώρες οπτικοακουστικού υλικού από τα αρχεία συν την ταινία της από την συναυλία του Focus At The Rainbow το 1973, remastered από το γνήσιο φιλμ 16 mm.

Περιεχόμενα:

– Τα πρώτα επτά albums (μεταξύ 1970 και 1976) 24-bit remastered

– B-sides, single mixes και ακυκλοφόρητα bonus tracks

– CD με την πρώτη επίσημη κυκλοφορία του BBC In Concert 1973

– CD με 80 λεπτά ακυκλοφόρητου συναυλιακού υλικού των Focus περιόδου 1971-1975

– 2 DVD με ολόκληρη τη συναυλία του Focus At the Rainbow το 1973, δύο BBC ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ εκπομπές του 1972 και BBC In Concert του 1974, συν σπάνιο υλικό από το Focus live in Dublin 1973, διάφορα clips, το ‘Goud van Oud’ reunion του 1990 και το ‘Focus 2 Classic Albums’ ντοκιμαντέρ του 1997

– 80-σέλιδο booklet με την ιστορία της μπάντας

TRACKLISTING

• Ακυκλοφόρητο υλικό
  ** Ακυκλοφόρητο υλικό σε cd

CD1 – FOCUS PLAYS FOCUS / IN AND OUT OF FOCUS
Original release: 1970

1. Focus (instrumental) 9.46
2. Why Dream 3.56
3. Happy Nightmare (Mescaline) 3.56
4. Anonymus 7.01
5. Black Beauty 3.05
6. Sugar Island 3.02
7. Focus (vocal) 2.43

BONUS TRACKS

8. House Of The King 2.23
9. Eruption (Live Lanx 1970) 37.31 *

CD2 – FOCUS II / MOVING WAVES
Original release: 1971

1. Hocus Pocus 6.41
2. Le Clochard (Bread) 1.59
3. Janis 3.06
4. Moving Waves 2.41
5. Focus II 4.03
6. Eruption (Orfeus – Answer – Orfeus – Answer – Pupilla – Tommy – Pupilla – Answer – The Bridge – Euridice – Dayglow – Endless Road – Answer – Orfeus – Euridice) 23.07

BONUS TRACKS

7. Hocus Pocus (single version) 3.27 **
8. Tommy (single version) 3.25
9. Focus I (Live Texel 1971) 14.11 *

CD3 – FOCUS 3
Original release: 1972

1. Round Goes The Gossip… 5.16
2. Love Remembered 2.48
3. Sylvia 3.32
4. Carnival Fugue 6.07
5. Focus III 6.05
6. Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! 14.03
7. Anonymus II (Part 1) 19.33 **
8. Anonymus II (Conclusion) 7.34 **
9. Elspeth Of Nottingham 3.13

BONUS TRACKS

10. Sylvia (single version) 3.32 **
11. Love Remembered (single version) 2.49 **
12. Hocus Pocus (US single version) 3.25

CD4 – AT THE RAINBOW
Original release: 1973

1. Focus III 3.52
2. Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! 11.26
3. Focus II 4.24
4. Eruption (Orfeus – Answer – Orfeus – Answer – Pupilla – Tommy – Pupilla) 8.40
5. Hocus Pocus 8.27
6. Sylvia 2.47
7. Hocus Pocus – reprise 2.48

BONUS TRACKS

8. P’s March (original mix – single version) 3.27 *
9. Ship Of Memories (original mix) 4.40 *
10. P’s March (original mix – full version) 4.03 *

CD5 – HAMBURGER CONCERTO
Original release: 1974

1. Delitiæ Musicæ 1.13
2. Harem Scarem 5.50
3. La Cathédrale de Strasbourg 4.57
4. Birth 7.45
5. Hamburger Concerto (Starter – Rare – Medium I – Medium II – Well Done – One For The Road) 20.23

BONUS TRACKS

6. Early Birth 2.56
7. Harem Scarem (single version) 3.08 **
8. Birth (alternate mix) 7.43 **
9. Harem Scarem (alternate mix) 5.51 **

CD6 – MOTHER FOCUS
Original release: 1975

1. Mother Focus 3.05
2. I Need A Bathroom 3.04
3. Bennie Helder 3.33
4. Soft Vanilla 3.04
5. Hard Vanilla 2.35
6. Tropic Bird 2.45
7. Focus IV 3.57
8. Someone’s Crying… What! 3.19
9. All Together… Oh That! 3.41
10. No Hang Ups 2.56
11. My Sweetheart 3.38
12. Father Bach 1.33

BONUS TRACKS

13. Focus IV (rough mix) 4.02 *
14. Bennie Helder (rough mix) 3.45 *
15. Vanilla (rough mix) 5.42 *
16. Mother Focus (rough mix) 3.02 *
17. All Together… Oh That! (rough mix) 3.42 *
18. My Sweetheart (rough mix) 3.46 *
19. Someone’s Crying… What! (rough mix) 3.18 *
20. Studio 55 Jam 6.56 *

CD7 – SHIP OF MEMORIES
Original release: 1976

1. P’s March 4.48
2. Can’t Believe My Eyes 5.22
3. Focus V 3.02
4. Out Of Vesuvius 5.51
5. Glider 4.40
6. Red Sky At Night 5.52
7. Spoke The Lord Creator 2.33
8. Crackers 2.42
9. Ship Of Memories 1.47

BONUS TRACKS

10. Elektrisch Levenslicht (Neerlands Hoop in Bange Dagen) 3.09
11. The Shrine Of God (Ramses Shaffy with group Focus) 3.39
12. Watch The Ugly People (Ramses Shaffy with group Focus) 2.19
13. House Of The King (rough mix version 1) 2.27 *
14. House Of The King (rough mix version 2) 2.26 *
15. Focus III (unreleased single version) 4.37 *
16. Hocus Pocus (US single version – takes 14-17) 7.12 *
17. Glider (single version) 3.28 **
18. P’s March (single version) 4.07 **
19. O Avondrood 5.10 **
20. Crackers (vocal version) 2.31 **

CD8 – FOCUS BBC 1973

1. Focus III 3.54 *
2. Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! 12.09 *
3. Focus II 5.06 *
4. Anonymus II 23.30 *
5. Focus I 4.27 *
6. Hocus Pocus 7.38 *
7. Sylvia – Hocus Pocus (reprise) 5.52 *

Produced and recorded by BBC Radio 1 In Concert, Paris Theatre, London, 17th January 1973.

CD9 – LIVE 1971 – 1975

1. Eruption (Live Rotterdam 1971) 46.37 *
2. Birth 11.38 *
3. Improvisation #1 8.35 *
4. House Of The King 3.02 *
5. Improvisation #2 6.23 *
6. Hocus Pocus 3.20 *

Track 1: Recorded by AVRO radio at the Newport Jazz Festival, Grote Zaal, De Doelen, Rotterdam, 29th October 1971. Track 2: Recorded at the Festival Hall, Osaka, 2nd July 1974. Track 3-6: Recorded at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, 21st June 1975.

DVD1 – FOCUS SIGHT & SOUND VOL. 1

1. BBC The Old Grey Whistle Test (May 1972) 24.26 *
2. BBC The Old Grey Whistle Test (December 1972) 16.01 *
3. Focus At The Rainbow (May 1973) 47.28 *
4. BBC In Concert (April 1974) 36.18 *

DVD2 – FOCUS SIGHT & SOUND VOL. 2

1. NOS Van Gewest Tot Gewest (July 1970) 1.54 *
2. NOS Uit De Kunst (June 1972) 3.51 *
3. RTE The Music Makers: Focus at the Stadium (November 1973) 48.00 *
4. VARA Nederpopzien (December 1973) 34.22 *
5. AVRO Toppop: Harem Scarem (May 1974) 3.01 *
6. AVRO Toppop: O Avondrood (June 1976) 4.51 *
7. Veronica Goud van Oud (April 1990) 16.44 *
8. NCRV Classic Albums: Moving Waves (June 1997) 50.02 *