STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - FOCUS - MAKING WAVES

[maggot]

Good morning record enthusiasts and welcome back to the Friday edition of Stuck In The Vinyl Again . Today we celebrate the 75th Birthday of Dutch vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist, Thijs van Leer. Happy Birthday Thijs ! With him in mind, we spotlight the group's sophomore release, Making Waves. The LP was released October 1971 on the Imperial label and produced by Mike Vernon. It peaked at #15 in Australia, #8 on the Billboard 200, #6 in Canada, #4 in the Netherlands, and #2 in the UK. The album's lead track, "Hocus Pocus", an instrumental, save the scatting and yodeling, was released as a single and reached #20 in the UK, #18 in Canada, #15 in Australia, #9 in the Netherlands and on the Hot 100, and #4 on the Cash Box. The second side of the disc is a 22 minute, 15 part piece called "Eruption", based on the tale of Orpheus and Euridice from the opera Euridice by Italian composer Jacopo Peri. Part of this piece, called "Tommy" was re - sequenced and also released as a single (#18 Netherlands).

1. "Hocus Pocus" Thijs van Leer, Jan Akkerman 6:42

2. "Le Clochard (Bread)" Akkerman 2:01

3. "Janis" Akkerman, van Leer 3:09

4. "Moving Waves" van Leer, Inayat Khan 2:42

5. "Focus II" van Leer 4:00

Side two

6. "Eruption"

"Orfeus" (van Leer)
"Answer" (van Leer)
"Orfeus" (van Leer)
"Answer" (van Leer)
"Pupilla" (van Leer)
"Tommy" (Tom Barlage)
"Pupilla" (van Leer)
"Answer" (van Leer)
"The Bridge" (Akkerman)
"Euridice" (van Leer, Eelko Nobel)
"Dayglow" (van Leer)
"Endless Road" (Pierre van der Linden)
"Answer" (van Leer)
"Orfeus" (van Leer)
"Euridice" (van Leer, Nobel)"

22:35

Focus

Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Mellotron, Harmonium, vocals (including yodeling, scat singing, whistling), soprano flute, alto flute, piano

Jan Akkerman – acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar

Cyril Havermans – bass guitar, vocals on "Eruption"

Pierre van der Linden – drums, percussion

Production

Mike Vernon – producer
Jerry Boys – engineer
Dennis Kloeth – sleeve design (original pressing)
Janos Barendsen – cover photograph