Hocus Pocus (song)
"Hocus Pocus" is a song by the Dutch rock band Focus, written by keyboardist, flutist, and vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman. It was recorded and released in 1971 as the opening track of their second studio album Moving Waves. An edited version was released as a single (with "Janis" as the B-side) on the Imperial, Polydor and Blue Horizon labels in Europe in 1971, but failed to chart outside of the Netherlands(NL#09).
| "Hocus Pocus" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Focus | |
| from the album Focus II | |
| B-side | "Janis" |
| Released | July 1971 (Europe) February 1973 (US, Canada) |
| Recorded | 1971; re-recorded 1972 |
| Genre |
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| Length | 6:42 (album version) 3:18 (single edit) 3:25 (re-recording: "Hocus Pocus 2", "Hocus Pocus II") |
| Label | Imperial Records (NL) Polydor (DE, UK) Blue Horizon (UK) Sire Records (US, CA) |
| Songwriter(s) | Thijs van Leer, Jan Akkerman |
| Producer(s) | Mike Vernon |
| Official audio | |
| "Hocus Pocus" on YouTube | |
A faster re-recording of the song (titled "Hocus Pocus 2" or "Hocus Pocus II" in some markets) was released in Europe in 1972. Buoyed by a live performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test in December 1972 and a subsequent barnstorming British club tour, this version rose to No. 20 on the UK charts in late January 1973. "Hocus Pocus" was also released as a single on the Sire Records label in the United States and Canada in 1973. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 the weeks of June 2 and 9 in the US and No. 18 in Canada during the spring and summer of that year.
The song was given new life when it became the musical signature of the Nike Write the Future advertising campaign, shown during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That year the single re-entered the UK charts at No. 57 and on the Dutch charts at No. 48.
In 1999 the song was covered by German Heavy Metal band Helloween and released on their Metal Jukebox album.