50 Years Anthology 1970-1976: Limited Edition 9CD + DVD Box Set

This box set contains the complete works 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. In the period 1970-1976, Focus was the first continental European rock group to reach a worldwide audience meanwhile touring extensively in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Japan. The band scored two worldwide hit singles, sold several million albums and was the first Dutch rock group claiming Melody Makers Brightest Hope award for 1972. One year later, Focus hit the US Billboard charts with two singles and two albums simultaneously.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 audio visual 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.CD1 FOCUS PLAYS FOCUS / IN AND OUT OF FOCUSOriginal 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
5. Sugar Island 3.02
6. Focus (vocal) 2.43

BONUS TRACKS

1. House Of The King 2.23
2. 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 **
7. Tommy (single version) 3.25
8. 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! 4.03
7. Anonymus II (Part 1) 19.33 **
8. Anonymus II (Conclusion) 7.34 **
9. Elspeth Of Nottingham 3.13

BONUS TRACKS

1. Sylvia (single version) 3.32 **
2. Love Remembered (single version) 2.49 **
3. 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

1. March (original mix single version) 3.27 *
2. Ship Of Memories (original mix) 4.40
3. Ps March (original mix full version) 4.03 *

CD5 HAMBURGER CONCERTO Original release: 1974

1. Deliti Music 1.13
2. Harem Scarem 5.50
3. La Cathdrale 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

1. Early Birth 2.56
2. Harem Scarem (single version) 3.08 **
3. Birth (alternate mix) 7.43 **
4. Harem Scarem (alternate mix) 5.51 **

CD5 HAMBURGER CONCERTO – Original release: 1974

1. Deliti Music 1.13
2. Harem Scarem 5.50
3. La Cathdrale 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

1. Early Birth 2.56
2. Harem Scarem (single version) 3.08 **
3. Birth (alternate mix) 7.43 **
4. 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. Someones 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

1. Focus IV (rough mix) 4.02 *
2. Bennie Helder (rough mix) 3.45 *
3. Vanilla (rough mix) 5.42 *
4. Mother Focus (rough mix) 3.02 *
5. All Together Oh That! (rough mix) 3.42 *
6. My Sweetheart (rough mix) 3.46 *
7. Someones Crying What! (rough mix) 3.18 *
8. Studio 55 Jam 6.56 *

CD7 SHIP OF MEMORIES – Original release: 1976

1. Ps March 4.48
2. Cant 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 reator 2.33
8. Crackers 2.42

9. Ship Of Memories 1.47

BONUS TRACKS

1. Elektrisch Levenslicht (Neerlands Hoop in Bange Dagen) 3.09
2. The Shrine Of God (Ramses Shaffy with group Focus) 3.39
3. Watch The Ugly People (Ramses Shaffy with group Focus) 2.19
4. House Of The King (rough mix version 1) 2.27 *
5. House Of The King (rough mix version 2) 2.26 *
6. Focus III (unreleased single version) 4.37 *
7. Hocus Pocus (US single version takes 14-17) 7.12 *
8. Glider (single version) 3.28 **
9. Ps March (single version) 4.07 **
10. O Avondrood 5.10 **
11. 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 *