Focus (band)

Focus are a Dutch progressive rock band formed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 1969 by Thijs van Leer. The band have undergone numerous formations in its history. Since 2011 it has comprised van Leer on vocals, keyboards, and flute, Pierre van der Linden on drums, Bobby Jacobs on bass, and Menno Gootjes on guitar.

Formed of members of the pit band for the Dutch production of the rock musical Hair, Focus gained popularity following the success of Focus II (1971) which contained the hit single "Hocus Pocus". Their success continued with Focus 3 (1972) and Hamburger Concerto (1974). Following their break up in 1978, Focus reunited in 1985, 1990, and 1999 before reforming in 2002. They continue to tour and release albums.

In 2010, "Hocus Pocus" was used as the theme for Nike's 2010 World Cup commercial Write The Future which renewed interest in the band.

History

1969–72: Formation, debut album, and Focus II

At the release of their first album Focus Plays Focus (re-released with a different track sequence as In and Out of Focus) (1970), Focus comprised keyboardist and flutist Thijs van Leer, guitarist Jan Akkerman, bassist Martijn Dresden, and drummer Hans Cleuver. The album was little noticed outside the Netherlands, where a small but avid fan base developed. In the United Kingdom the single "House of the King" initially garnered attention as a Jethro Tull sound-alike. Akkerman left the group to form another band with Pierre van der Linden, a drummer he had previously performed with in Johnny and the Cellar Rockers, The Hunters, and Brainbox. Van Leer made the difficult decision of leaving behind his bandmates Cleuver and Dresden to join Akkerman's new group which, after enlisting bassist Cyril Havermans, retained the name of Focus.

Focus…

Bernard Edwards, Jr., better known as Focus..., is an Atlanta-based record producer who first rose to fame when signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. Since then he has produced tracks for Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Jadakiss, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé Knowles, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Bishop Lamont, Tony Yayo, Stat Quo, Outlawz, The Game, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, Mac Dre, Ice Cube, Anderson Paak, Jon Connor, Joe, Marsha Ambrosius , Slum Village amongst many others.

Biography

Focus... is the son of the late Bernard Edwards, co-founder of disco and R&B band Chic. He was born in Manhattan, New York, and raised in the Tri-State Region. Edwards, Jr credits his father with his love for the production side of music, which he developed from an early age, attending numerous studio sessions with his father.

Focus...'s production talents were first recognized by Dr. Dre when an artist Edwards, Jr had produced, Daks, greatly impressed the Aftermath label head. signed Focus... so that the two could then continue working together.

Focus (Holly Starr album)

Focus is the second studio album from the Christian singer-songwriter Holly Starr. The album released on October 2, 2012 via Save the City Records. The producers on the album were Chuck Butler, David Garcia and Christopher Stevens. The album received critical acclamation from music critics, yet it did not get much commercial success because it failed to chart.

Background

The album released on October 2, 2012 by Save the City Records, and the producers on the album were Chuck Butler, David Garcia and Christopher Stevens. This was the second studio album from the songstress Holly Starr.

Critical reception

Focus garnered critical acclaim from eight music critics. Robert Ham of Allmusic rated the album four stars, calling it a "pleasant surprise" because it kept up with contemporary musical trends. At Cross Rhythms, Matthew Cordle rated the album a perfect ten, noting how the album comes "with a cleaner, tighter, more stripped-back sound, less electric and more acoustic" than its predecessor, and it is "Impeccably produced, this is a thoroughly modern pop sound conveying a thoroughly ancient message." Christian Music Zine's Joshua Andre rated the album four-and-three-fourths, saying that this is a "brilliant" release on which "Holly's poignant lyrics and well-crafted pop melodies and ballads is sure to propel her soon, if not already, into the same league and caliber of songwriting as Nichole Nordeman and Jason Ingram." Grace Thorson of CM Addict rated the album four-and-a-half stars, affirming that the release is "well-rounded".

The churches of Christ (non-institutional)

The label "non-institutional" refers to a distinct fellowship within the Churches of Christ who do not agree with the support of para-church organizations (colleges, orphans' homes, organized mission efforts, etc.) by local congregations. They contend that the New Testament includes no authority for churches' support of such institutions. Instead they feel that it is a responsibility and duty of the individual to assist those in need. These local churches became separated from "mainline" (pro-institutional) churches of Christ because of these viewpoints, developing into a distinct segment of congregations by the 1960s. Whether a congregation supports the "sponsoring church" custom is one way to distinguish between the "non-institutional" and "mainstream" congregations. The congregations that advocate financial support or the pooling of resources for the benefit of other entities or organized external evangelical efforts are sometimes called "sponsoring churches" and identified as "mainstream."