Focus – Sylvia

“Sylvia” – Single by Focus from the album Focus 3
Released: April 1972 (NL), January 1973 (UK)
Recorded: 1972
Progressive rock, baroque rock
Length 3:32
Songwriter: Thijs van Leer
Producer: Mike Vernon

This guitar/organ instrumental, written by band leader Thijs Van Leer, was the follow up single to the silly “Hocus Pocus,” but whereas the former reached #9 in the US Billboard Chart, “Sylvia” entered the chart at #94 week ending July 28, 1973 and peaked only at #89.
Although this song didn’t do well in the United States, it was a big hit in many countries including the UK. Running to 3 minutes 31 seconds, it was released on Polydor backed by “Love Remembered.”

Van Leer actually wrote “Sylvia” before Focus was formed, and originally it had words. Previously he was with the backing group for the famous Dutch cabaret performers Ramses Shaffy and Liesbeth List. This was made up of two girls and two men. During the evening they would each perform solo. Van Leer didn’t like the song performed by fellow member Sylvia Alberts, so he composed a song for her with words by Linda Van Dijck. It had the long winded title “I Thought I Could Do Everything On My Own, I Was Always Stripping The Town Alone,” but when he played Sylvia the song, “she didn’t like it at all,” so it went “on the shelf.” Years later he dusted it down, and in his words “it became a world hit.”

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Focus - Sylvia (Old Grey Whistle Test, December 1972)

Focus - Sylvia (Old Grey Whistle Test, December 1972)02:48

Focus - Sylvia (Live at Top Of The Pops, UK / Live at TopPop, NL - 1972)03:48

Personnel
Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, vocals
Jan Akkerman – electric guitar
Bert Ruiter – bass guitar
Pierre van der Linden – drums

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