[29][1] Its success was helped by the release of "Hocus Pocus" as a single, released in the Netherlands in July 1971 which peaked at number 12[30] and exposed the band to a new audience. "[47] In Hocus Pocus in Focus: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Disney's Halloween Classic, author Aaron Wallace identifies several potential approaches for a sequel, but notes that the project's biggest challenge is the Walt Disney Studios' interest in tentpole projects that promise very high box office returns. Max, in an effort to impress Allison, invites her to show him the Sanderson house to convince him that the witches were real. [21], With the new line-up secured, Stein convinced English producer Mike Vernon to witness the band perform in the Netherlands in late 1970. Even though he didn't score the film, Horner came back to write the theme for Sarah (sung by Sarah Jessica Parker, more commonly known as "Come Little Children") which is featured in Intrada's Complete Edition of the score. Vernon was not so impressed with their first album, but enjoyed them as a live act: "I couldn't stop talking or thinking about them! Escaping, Max steals Winifred's spellbook on advice from Binx. [27] This marked the first time in a decade that a band had two concurrent songs without lyrics in the UK top 40. [11], The film was released to VHS in North America on September 9, 1994[12] and later to DVD on June 4, 2002. The film follows a villainous comedic trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night. Nine of the cast and crew gathered for the screening, and hundreds of D23 members attended. 18 in Canada during the spring and summer of that year. [57], In 1975, the band gathered at Morgan Studios, Brussels to rehearse and record Mother Focus. The new release contains special features, including deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes retrospective.[17]. [26], Released in October 1971, Moving Waves became the band's international breakthrough, reaching number 2 in the UK,[27] number 4 in the Netherlands,[19] and number 8 in the US. Thijs van Leer, Jan Akkerman, Martijn Dresden and Hans Cleuver originally formed Focus in November 1969. [78] Following the concert, van Leer was keen to formally restart Focus with Akkerman, though the latter felt different though he was happy to reunite with van der Linden. He was required to pay what he owed to the group during his tenure which amounted to roughly £10,000, using his earnings from royalties to pay much of it. They received a renewed interest after Nike used "Hocus Pocus" in its 2010 World Cup commercial Write The Future. Balijon claimed Jacobs cut corners and pushed for the strongest tracks to be completed quickly to save production costs, which "unintentionally increased the animosity between Jan and Thijs". Principal photography began on October 12, 1992. Their debut album Focus Plays Focus (1970) gained little attention, but their follow-up album Moving Waves (1971), and its lead single "Hocus Pocus", earned the band international recognition. The sequel focuses on Max and Allison's daughter, Poppy, who grew up hearing the family story of the first film and parents who avoid Halloween as much as possible. They then settled on the name Focus for the new band; Akkerman later said, "Focus is a Latin word that is the same in many languages. The film's working title was Disney's Halloween House, it was much darker and scarier, and its protagonists were all 12-year-olds. In 2004, van der Linden replaced Smaak on drums and in July 2006, Niels van der Steenhoven replaced Dumée on the guitar. The band released their tenth studio album Focus X, featuring cover art by Roger Dean, in November 2012. It reached No. [4] This was followed by an exhaustive 31-date UK tour in 36 days that included their return appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test on 12 December which caused a surge in interest for their records;[38] host Bob Harris said the show was inundated with calls and letters about the band and Polydor's record plant printed nothing but Focus for ten days in order to meet demand. [70] After a handful of gigs in the Netherlands, which concluded with a show in Terneuzen in August 1978 with James on the drums, van Leer ended Focus. As the end credits begin, the exhausted partygoers, including Max and Dani's parents, Dave and Jenny, are freed from the now-broken spell and return home, oblivious to their enchantment. [31] This was followed by Havermans' departure in September 1971, having handed in his notice in late June. Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris. [52] They began their first tour of Japan and Australia in June,[53] followed by an appearance at the Reading Festival in August and the start of their fourth North American tour in September. [44] In November 2015, Midler stated in a Facebook Q&A that "after all these years and all the fan demand, I do believe I can stand and firmly say an unequivocal no" in response to a question about a sequel. [41] Upon their return, they toured the UK once more which included two sold out shows at the Rainbow Theatre, London in May 1973 which aired on BBC television.[4][5]. The other thing I like about this album is the triple fold cover and artwork, and copies in good condition fetch good money on ebay. "I Put a Spell on You" – written by Jay Hawkins; performed by Joe Malone, Chants and Incantations – conceived and written by Brock Walsh, This page was last edited on 26 September 2020, at 06:38. [53], In October 2019, a sequel was announced to be in development as a Disney+ exclusive film, with a screenplay written by Jen D'Angelo. The song was sampled for J. Cole's 2010 single "Blow Up". In May 2010, Nike included "Hocus Pocus" as the main theme in its 2010 FIFA World Cup commercial, Write the Future. Vernon recalled Akkerman's reluctance to take part in the sessions which to him, "led to the final dissolving of the Akkerman/van Leer partnership". [4][74][77], In 1988, EMI acquired the rights to the band's back catalogue and reissued their albums on compact disc for the first time. [11][4] Their weekly earnings from gigs, plus their earnings from Hair, had reached 400 guilders though Akkerman recalled the group failed to appreciate its value and were quick to spend it. [41][42] A representative for Destination Salem also reported a huge uptick in tourism for the 25th anniversary year, stating: "There’s always been a ‘Hocus Pocus’ component to the visitors to Salem, especially in October. I fitted in. Merlin produces a feast from his hat; Lo, the Poor Indian sees this and covets the hat. The band went on to receive a Billboard Trendsetter Award for their success after notching up two gold albums, combining sales of one million copies sold in the US, and one gold single. [36], On September 15, 2015, the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular was introduced at the Magic Kingdom as a part of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. [31] A special called the "Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash" was filmed at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and features interviews with members of the cast, including Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, as well as a costume contest hosted by Sharon and Kelly Osbourne. "Bette Midler slams upcoming Hocus Pocus TV remake: 'It's going to be cheap! However, van Leer and Ruiter did not share the same enthusiasm over van der Linden's return. [5] Their first live gig as Focus followed at the Bird's Club in Rembrandtplein,[4][3] and they soon secured a weekly residency playing two shows a night on two days. [69][4] Proby interpreted the jazz-rock influenced songs as he felt, attempting "to meet them half-way between jazz and rock". Stream GratuitSequel to the Disney's famous cult classic ' Hocus Pocus '. [4] Van Leer said he wished to write "happy" music and move from "our European minor chords". [22][24] It showcased the band exploring progressive rock with jazz fusion and classical music elements with extended pieces and lengthy solos. The open spellbook reveals the location of the group, and the witches track them down and kidnap Dani and Binx, and get the book back. [13] Following the film's release on the latter format, it has continued to show strong annual sales, raking in more than $1 million in DVD sales each October. N/A. [14][2][15][16] Prior to signing Focus, Sire founder Seymour Stein had flown to the Netherlands to see the band perform: "Without a doubt they were the most original band I had ever heard". [58] Akkerman had grown tired of playing the same songs on stage, "It felt like I was in a straitjacket. [61] The album went to number 15 in the Netherlands and 23 in the UK, and received mostly negative reviews from critics. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1973 Vinyl release of Hocus Pocus on Discogs. [58] After Catherine agreed to step in, the group rehearsed for fifty hours without sleep;[58] van Leer spent the evening prior the first gig mapping out the guitar parts on paper which Catherine followed on stage. [20] He thought the pair struggled to incorporate their own identity or musicianship into the music. [12], In 1970, Focus reached contact with Hubert Terheggen, director of Radio-Tele-Music Belgium-Holland, a music publishing division of Radio Luxembourg, through connections with Dresden's father. [11] Other locations included Old Burial Hill in Marblehead, where Max is accosted by Ice and Jay, the Old Town Hall in Salem, where the town Halloween party takes place, and Phipps Elementary School, where the witches are trapped in a kiln. [62] After Kemper left when recording was complete, Akkerman wished van der Linden to return, thinking he was responsible "for at least 40%" of the band's success and said he "wouldn't leave Focus" with him on the drums. He was replaced by Akkerman's younger brother, the 19-year-old Jacob "Cocky" Akkerman, before the rift was sorted and van der Linden resumed on the drums at its conclusion. It is a collection of re-recorded versions of Focus songs. (Dutch 1969-1978, 2001-Present) In 1973, Focus were at their peak! Stream GratuitMerlin and Second Banana are thrown off a train. 48. Van Leer felt insecure about the tour at first and expressed the lack of courage from the group when they compared themselves to other popular UK rock acts. The townsfolk, led by Binx's father, capture the witches. [67] Recording took place in December 1977 at EMI Studios in Haarlem, Amsterdam with van Leer, Ruiter, Albers, and a returning Catherine, who was contractually required to perform. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1973 Vinyl release of Hocus Pocus on Discogs. [4], In 1990, the former line-up of van Leer, Akkerman, van der Linden, and Ruiter reunited for the first time since 1975. [28], Over the years, through various outlets such as strong DVD sales and annual record-breaking showings on Freeform's 13 Nights of Halloween, the film has achieved cult status. "Hocus Pocus" is a song by the Dutch rock band Focus, written by keyboardist, flautist and vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman. [78][4] It came about when producer Frans Meijer asked Akkerman to perform a gig with the group, and the fact that the guitarist's manager had not seen the band play in the 1970s, so "it was swatting two flies with one hit". [4] A single version of "Harem Scarem" was released but did not chart in the UK. He tries to convince dad that he's not too young, even if he has an imaginary best friend to help him solve his problems. [34] In the following month they were voted Brightest Hope by readers of Melody Maker and Best New Talent by readers of New Musical Express. The exterior for Max and Dani's house is a private residence on Ocean Avenue in Salem. "Hocus Pocus 2" was included in GuitarFreaks & DrumMania V5 Rock to Infinity and was also used in the 2014 remake of Robocop during a live-fire test with Robocop against a large number of robot drones and the character Mattox. The witches attack and Winifred attempts to suck out the soul from Dani with the single vial of potion she retrieved from her cauldron. They have sold one million RIAA-certified albums in the United States.[1]. When performing live, Focus would play "Hocus Pocus" even faster.[3]. With the witches gone, Max, Dani, and Allison say goodbye to Billy Butcherson as he returns the grave and gets to sleep. [4] Vernon later called this period as "probably the worst ten days I've ever spent in a studio". I dunno. [71][4], In mid-1983, both of Akkerman's managers came up with the idea of the guitarist reuniting with van Leer to record new music, to which Akkerman agreed. Since December 2016, it has comprised van Leer, drummer Pierre van der Linden, guitarist Menno Gootjes, and bassist Udo Pannekeet. During a scene where Chris tries to sell a CD player for pizza, the song can be heard playing in the background while Chris and Sid are about to get kicked out of a music shop, the music plays as they end up making their way to a tip where they end up selling the CD player. Focus are a Dutch progressive rock band formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer. Wallace also analyzes Walt Disney World's Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular as part of the movie's legacy and includes "the largest collection of Hocus Pocus fun facts and trivia ever assembled," complete with extensive endnote citations.