Hocus Pocus (song)

"Hocus Pocus" is a 1971 song from "Moving Waves", the second album by Dutch rock group Focus. It was written by guitarist Jan Akkerman and flautist/keyboardist Thijs van Leer. It was also released as a single with "Janis" as a B-side for the UK and "Hocus Pocus II" for the US.

There are no lyrics to the song. It takes the form of a rondo, consisting of alternation between a powerful rock chord riff and varied solo "verses" (in the original all performed by Thijs van Leer) which include yodeling, organ playing, accordion, gibberish lyrics, flute riffs and whistling. Focus recorded a special, faster radio version, which became a hit song. When performing live, the group would play the song even faster.

Hocus Pocus reached #20 in the UK and #9 in the US during the spring of 1973.

Cover Versions

* Power metal band Helloween included a cover of the song in their 1999 album "Metal Jukebox".
* Iron Maiden covered it for the European DVD version 2006 single Different World".
* Rock guitarist Gary Hoey released several instrumental renditions of this song on various albums, such as his 1993 release; "Animal Instinct".
* The pop/classical artist Vanessa-Mae did a cover with violin on her 1997 album "Storm".
* Punk band The Vandals also covered it on their second album, "When in Rome Do as the Vandals".
* British band Marillion covered it on their live album "Friends", released in 2007.
* British heavy metal band Diamond Head included a cover of this song in a medley at the end of their set from their 2000 live album "Live - In the Heat of the Night".During the Foo Fighters, Echos Silence Patience and Grace Tour in 2008 they performed a small cover during their performance of Stacked Actors

The final bars of the song are used as the outro music on the second series of the BBC TV sitcom Saxondale.Fact|date=March 2008

Several sections of Hocus Pocus, including the yodeling, falsetto, gibberish lyrics, and rock guitar riff sections, are used in McDonald's television commercials that explicitly point viewers to linerider.com.