“Hocus Pocus” was an AM and FM radio hit for Dutch prog-rockers, Focus, straddling the line between avant garde and just plain silly. Focus, you might say, were one of the few prog-rock bands that didn’t take themselves so seriously. How could they with a signature tune like this one? Although it was released in 1971 on their album Moving Waves, it didn’t really become a hit until 1973 when they re-recorded a faster version for release as a single. Of course, it’s unlikely that any song which could be described as “heavy metal yodeling” would ever get radio play in the first place, let alone become an absolute worldwide smash, but that’s what happened.

“Hocus Pocus” takes the form of a rondo, meaning a central motif (in this case the guitar riff) keeps returning as drum, flute, accordion and guitar solos each, in turn, take the spotlight. The lyrics are just gibberish. It might be the most elaborate hit single, either before or since Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

When Focus would perform “Hocus Pocus” live, the group would play the tune even faster, with each member of the band taking an extended solo. I admit to being the proud owner of not only the original album, Moving Waves, but also their live album, Focus at the Rainbow, which includes an eight minute-long version of the song. Many people know the tune because it was used in a Nike commercial shown repeatedly during the World Cup in 2010.

Here Focus seen are performing their smash on The Midnight Special in 1973: