The guys in Focus were jamming in a small BBC studio in the heart of Television Centre, rehearsing for their first appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test. It was 12th December 1972 The atmosphere was great, very light-hearted and enjoyable as the band rehearsed its set.
They decided to play 'Sylvia', 'Anonymous II' and 'Hocus Pocus', with a seasonal slant. Instead of following the usual pattern of the vocal breaks, Thijs launched into a mock-serious yodelling version of 'we wish you a merry Christmas...' building up to that top falsetto with a heart-rending 'and a happy new yeeeeeaaaaarrr...', tailing off into Jan's million miles an hour guitar playing. The performance was an absolute sensation. People had never seen anything quite like them before.
Whistle test had been on air for just over a year when, the bang first appeared. Although we knew that we had a loyal following, there were no recent viewing figures available and we were guessing that the audience for the show was probably fairly small. It was Focus who made us realize that we'd guessed wrong.
click here to see where to watch or .
Ready to Watch Old Grey Whistle Test, Season 2, Episode 2?