Focus (I) by Dutch group Focus

I barely know this Dutch group, probably only heard a song or two, so I'd like your opinion.
Lately there has been some discussion on how to list the song Focus by Focus.
In October last year I sent a message to user EliasFocusFan telling he had to use sources for his edits.

He calls himself an expert on Focus (which may be correct). Afterwards he put an article on his blog pretending I undid all his justified edits. Justified they weren't at the time, he just stated he was correct.

About the song Focus he claims the song was originally called Focus without the number 1 and that lead singer Thijs Van Leer introduces the song with number one included after other songs were released with number 2 to 11.

So actually Focus 1 is a cover or just the renaming of Focus without any number and thus the original title and song.

I think I'm correct that the song Focus without any number should be used on setlist.fm as being the original song.

Earlier this week user Imaginos mingled in the discussion pretending Elias is rewriting history (which I think is correct)
@EliasFocusFan, I really find it quite astonishing that some people believe that it is acceptable to rewrite history AFTER an event has been documented and verified, however it is a minor point in this case so I'm not going to argue about it. What is more intriguing is your info note “including Anonymous”. Perhaps you can provide evidence to support this. I understand you did not attend the concert.
as an answer to @Imaginos
Thanks for correcting a few things there I forgot to fix myself. But “Focus 1″, is actually called “Focus 1″. The only time the song was titled “Focus” was in 1970, when there was no other songs called “Focus”, but in 1971 when “Focus 2″ came out, “Focus” officially became “Focus 1″, and that's officially the title, since 1971 – releases and re-releases of “Focus Plays Focus” / “In And Out Of Focus” still lists it as “Focus”, but on set lists on Focus concerts from 1971-present, it has always been introduced, and called “Focus 1″. That's the facts. When I see set lists says “Focus”, I almost get an OCD-like symptom, and I just have to correct it, because “Focus” IS wrong! IT'S FOCUS 1! Thijs van Leer himself says “Focus 1″, so it's “Focus 1″. Taking the 1970 release as source is just completely wrong, because it it “Focus 1″. Period. blog article
These comments are listed on this setlist

The discussion continued and may end up in a war between those two. I got in contact with Imaginos telling him we will discuss about it internaly. On the one hand EliasFocusFan claims to be an expert and pretends some songs are always performed in a certain way but on the other hand he's asking for recordings of shows.

Here's some excepts from the blog
About «Focus 1
The title of the song is «Focus 1» NOT «Focus», from 1971 and onwards, the song has always been titled «Focus 1», and that’s the correct title.

About Focus I / Anonymous:

About Le Tango

About Birds Come Fly Over

About «Focus 3 / Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!»!

Any opinions?

Hi, I'm pretty sure TvL introduced it as Focus I at HRH ProgXI in Sheffield.

The question is not about how the song is introduced now.

It kind of is though, isn't it? Isn't the real question here what it's called and recognised by – by both fans and the artist themselves? The question isn't really about the original, if it were then it could be answered straight away. The question is how it should be called on setlist.fm to cause the least confusion.

So Focus I is technically a cover of Focus and should be listed as Focus without any number here.

Is it? From the description here I thought that it's exactly the same song.

Having said that…the title of the track on the the album says: “Focus” and not “Focus 1″. About the other issue (Anonymus or Anonymous): the title of this track on the album says: “Anonymus” and not “Anonymous”.
My suggestion: use these correct titles in a Focus setlist.

So Focus I is technically a cover of Focus

I used the word 'technically' to distinguish it's not really a cover but a renaming of the same song by a band member and to make clear that, in my humble opinion, Focus without any number should be used on here.

I remember a discussion about the song I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am by Herman's Hermits which for some people should be listed as I'm Henry the VIII

On musicbrainz it's listed in 10 different ways and 7 more ways
So moderator Syl76 choose the original version

Bendobrin is correct that some users correct only one version of a song which sometimes exists already over 100 times because they attended that concert. What they don't see is it messes up the statistics.

Bq. @Bendobrin. I'm not an expert and haven't heard the songs Focus 2 – 11 but I believe they're completely different than Focus or Focus 1

On a completely other subject there is no film called Rocky I, it remained Rocky without any number even after I don't know how many other sequels were released.

@dirkvandamme @doktor-tone @teejaycee13 @michi @peebee1955 @bendobrin

Hello. Sorry for my very late reply. I have been very busy lately.

I'm an above average avid fan, and a HUGE Focus fan, and I know about Focus very well. and have been a huge supporter and fan for years, and been examined, studied, researched and investigated Focus for years. Music, facts and history. I became a Focus fan at the age of 13, and now I’m 27. I play, listen, think about Focus EVERY SINGLE DAY, I really do. You can ask me about anything about Focus, and I can answer on anything. I am an expert, and that’s no lie.
(If you’re wondering about anything about Focus, just ask me). 

When I see people writing incorrect info or facts about Focus, I get mad.  (It’s almost like getting a “OCD attack”, like people who have to have everything clean. I have to get Focus facts correctly).  When I hear people write or talk sh*t about Focus, I get offended and upset. And I am getting frustrated right now. 

How else do I have to have sources? It’s simply not correct. Discogs and my blog post isn’t enough??

Bootlegs refers the song as «Focus 1», official re-recordings refers it as «Focus 1», the official biography book refers the song as «Focus 1», and even the composer himself (Thijs van Leer) refers the song as «Focus 1», and all the huge fans around the world refers to it as «Focus 1».

The only place that is referring the song as «Focus» is the 1970 «In And Out Of Focus» / «Focus Plays Focus» debut album. Nothing else. After the debut album, the song has, up to date, been titled «Focus 1». I’m not rewriting history, the composer, Thijs van Leer himself is doing so. He is the composer, he says it is called «Focus 1» on concerts, etc. 

Why record labels didn’t rename the song to «Focus 1» in re-releases of the 1970 debut album I think is very, very strange! It should have been retitled on re-releases to the new title it became in 1971.


Near the end of «Focus 1», on every concert since 2007-08, a snippet of «Anonymus» is performed. According to @Imaginos it wasn’t performed like that on that single perticular concert. I do not believe that, because it has been done like that for years. Even the re-recording on the studio album «Golden Oldies» from 2014 has «Focus 1» with «Anonymus», and just like that has the song been performed live since 2007. If «Anonymus» wasn’t performed that particular single night, I need proof for that, because I don’t believe it. If there is no proof for it, such as video or audio recordings, I am determined that it was performed as it used to do for several years. If there’s proof, then I’ll apologize and admit I was wrong. But until then, I'm determined that the song have been performed as Focus always does and have done for years (some songs for 20 years, or longer).

There’s two recent versions of «Focus 1»:
It’s on the album «Golden Oldies» from 2014, and on the album «Focus50: Completely Focussed» from 2021.
The 2014 recording has «Anonymus», and the 2021 version has not. The only version of «Focus 1» without «Anonymus» is the version from the album «Completely Focussed». That version ends abrupt, unexpected and strange.

Listen to both versions of «Focus 1»; the «Golden Oldies» (2014) version and the «Completely Focussed» (2020, released in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic) version, and tell me which of these versions was performed live that night. I am pretty sure (100%) that it was the «Golden Oldies» version that was performed, as usual. 

I was recently on a concert in Hjørring, Denmark on 22. april. Thijs van Leer said himself that the song’s name is «Focus 1». And as encore at the end of the show, Thijs said they were going to play «Focus 3», and that’s all he said. But «Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!» was featured after it, but “uncredited”, and not introduced, but it was performed as well. And at the end of «Focus 1», there was «Anonymus» (aka «Anonymous») – as always!

I do not mean to be rude or to start a war, but incorrect information about Focus drives me crazy!! Things should be correct, and things must be correct. There’s a reason I’ve fixed what I’ve fixed on setlist.fm. Why does it have to be the hard way?