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{{Short description|Dutch musician}}
{{BLP refimprove|date=September 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
'''Thijs van Leer''' (born 31 March 1948, [[Amsterdam]], [[Netherlands]]) is a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[musician]], [[singer]] and [[composer]], best known for heading the Dutch [[progressive rock]] [[musical ensemble|band]], [[Focus (band)|Focus]], as primary vocalist, [[Hammond organ]] player, and [[flute|flautist]].
{{family name hatnote|van Leer|Leer|lang=Dutch}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Thijs van Leer
| image = Thijs van Leer 2014 (14136035756).jpg
| alt =
| caption = van Leer in 2014
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1948|03|31}}
| birth_place = [[Amsterdam]], Netherlands
| death_date =
| death_place =
| origin = Amsterdam, Netherlands
| instrument = {{Flatlist|
* Flute
* keyboards
* vocals}}
| genre = {{Flatlist|
* [[Progressive rock]]
* [[jazz rock]]
* [[Classical rock|classical rock]]
}}
| years_active = 1967–present
| label = {{Flatlist|
* [[Sire Records]]
* [[EMI]]
* [[Sony Music Entertainment|CBS]]
* [[Ariola Records|Ariola]]}}
| associated_acts = {{Flatlist|
* Trio Thijs van Leer
* [[Focus (band)|Focus]]
* Conxi
* Pedal Point
* Van Leer}}
}}


'''Thijs van Leer''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈtɛis fɑn ˈleːr}} {{respell|TAYSS|_|fan|_|LAIR}}; born 31 March 1948) is a Dutch singer and keyboardist, best known as the founding member of the rock band [[Focus (band)|Focus]] as its primary vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist. Born and raised in [[Amsterdam]] among a musical family, van Leer took up the piano and flute as a child and pursued them at university and music academies.
[[Image:Thijsvanleer.jpg|250px|right]]
==Biography==
Van Leer went on to release many [[solo (music)|solo]] [[album]]s which were also [[european classical music|classical music]] and [[jazz]] based.


From 1967 to 1969, van Leer was backing vocalist and musician in a theatre cabaret act headed by [[Ramses Shaffy]]; recorded singles as a solo artist; and produced, arranged, and conducted music for [[Bojoura]]. He formed Trio Thijs van Leer, a three-piece rock band which evolved into Focus in late 1969 following the addition of guitarist [[Jan Akkerman]]. Focus achieved international success following the release of ''[[Focus II|Moving Waves]]'' (1971) and its lead single, "[[Hocus Pocus (song)|Hocus Pocus]]", which features van Leer's yodelling and whistling. After several albums with various line-ups, van Leer disbanded Focus in 1978; he reformed the band in 2002.
His main [[musical instrument|instruments]] are [[flute]] and different types of [[organ (music)|organ]]s. He also [[singer|sings]], [[yodel]]s and [[whistling|whistle]]s.


Van Leer achieved success as a solo artist in the Netherlands. He has collaborated with various artists, and continues to release albums and perform in various capacities. In 2008, van Leer was made a Knight of the [[Order of Orange-Nassau]] for special services to music.
Van Leer received his first flute at the age of eleven from his father, a classical flautist. He studied History of Art at [[Amsterdam University]]; after when he began studying flute and composition at the Amsterdam Conservatorium. He received a degree for flute from Geneva Conservatoire and also studied [[piano]], [[orchestration]] (with [[Rogier van Otterloo]]) and organ (with Anthon van der Horst).


== Early life ==
While still at school, van Leer led a jazz group on piano. He went on to play the flute and sing with the Shaffy cabaret group. In 1969 he joined Martijn Dresden (bass) and Hans Cleuver (drums) to form a [[trio (music)|trio]] that [[cover version|covered]] songs by [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]] and backed other Dutch musicians, as well as playing their own material. Later in the year guitarist [[Jan Akkerman]] joined, completing the initial line-up of Focus. They released several albums in the early 1970s.
Van Leer was born on 31 March 1948 in [[Amsterdam]].<ref name=1973tourbook>{{cite book|title=M.A.M Present: Focus in Concert [UK Tour Programme]|date=1973|author=Anon.|page=2|url=http://www.focuscollection.com/listings/pdf/tourprogramme_73.pdf}}</ref> His father Ed, a Jewish refugee from the Netherlands, was a classically trained flautist and businessman;{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=9}}<ref name=herald2012>{{cite web|url=http://www.heralddeparis.com/interview-thijs-van-leer-comes-full-focus/|title=INTERVIEW: Thijs Van Leer comes into focus|first=Alan Carlos|last=Hernandez|date=12 November 2012|work=Herald de Paris|access-date=8 March 2017}}</ref> his mother Mary was a singer and involved in the [[Sufism|Sufi Movement]].{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=24}}<ref name=herald2012/> Van Leer began playing the piano at age three, taught by his mother,{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=9}} and later received lessons from famed pianists Maria Stroo (later Marja Bon) and [[Gerard Hengeveld]].<ref name=introspectionsleeve>{{cite AV media notes|title=Introspection|id=S64589|publisher=CBS Records|date=1972|author=Anon.|url=http://www.focuscollection.com/listings/l0442.html}}</ref> When he was six, van Leer wrote his first composition "Uncle Willy", a tribute to family friend and keyboard teacher Willy Buard who helped pay for his father's flute studies at the [[Conservatoire de Musique de Genève]] in [[Geneva]].{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=9}} At eleven, van Leer was given a flute by his father who began teaching his son two years later<ref name=1974tourbook>{{cite book|title=M.A.M Presents: Focus [UK Tour Programme]|date=1974|first=Chris|last=Welch|page=7|url=http://www.focuscollection.com/listings/pdf/tourprogramme_74.pdf}}</ref> after he discovered van Leer wished to instead pursue jazz music after he discovered the genre particularly through [[Miles Davis]] albums.<ref name=introspectionsleeve/><ref name=30august1997>{{cite web|url=http://www.mpq.com.br/focus/interviw.htm|title=EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THIJS VAN LEER FOR EXPOSE MAGAZINE|first=Mark|last=Deren|date=30 August 1997|publisher=Focus Tribute Homepage|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref> He said, "I suppose I wanted to reject what I was brought up on. But then I thought the combination of jazz and classical music could be used in rock."<ref name=1974tourbook/> With his parents and two brothers, eldest Frank and youngest Maarten,{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=10}} who played the bassoon and piano and flute, respectively, the family would often play music at home together.<ref name=1974tourbook/> Van Leer also took up painting, modelling, and performing in plays.<ref name=1974tourbook/>


Van Leer attended [[Hilversum]] Grammar School where he learned English, French, German, Latin and Ancient Greek. His father was the conductor of the school orchestra, for which van Leer played the harpsichord.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=10}} He joined the Raoul Angenot Quintet, and at eighteen, won an award at inter-school contests for playing ''[[Andante in C for Flute and Orchestra (Mozart)|Andante in C Major]]'' by Mozart on flute, singing an original love poem to "[[Stella by Starlight]]" by [[Victor Young]], a drama improvisation featuring his own poetry, and an original piano composition titled "Nooit Zal Ik Vergeten (De Nachten Samen met Jou)" ("Never Shall I Forget (The Nights Together with You)".<ref name=2002interview>{{cite web|url=http://www.mpq.com.br/focus/neurotika/interview01.htm|title=Thijs van Leer Interview - 08/Nov/2002|first=Rodrigo|last=Mantovani|date=8 November 2002|access-date=6 March 2017}}</ref> He then joined the Bob de Lat Quartet, who once came fifth in the annual Hilversum jazz contest.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=11}} After graduating, van Leer did not feel confident enough to attend a music school, so he studied art history at [[Amsterdam University]] which he found "very dry".<ref name=1974tourbook/> He then learned harmony and counterpoint at the [[Conservatorium van Amsterdam]], but disliked the lessons and left early.<ref name=introspectionsleeve/><ref name=1974tourbook/> This was followed by a degree in the flute and composition at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève.<ref name=1973tourbook/> Van Leer also received tutoring on the piano, orchestration and arrangement with composer and conductor [[Rogier van Otterloo]], and organ with Anthon van der Horst.<ref name=1973tourbook/> During his time studying, van Leer participated in plays including those by [[William Shakespeare]] and [[John Webster]].<ref name=vanleershaffy>{{cite web|url=http://www.shaffy.nl/thijsvanleer.html|title=Thijs van Leer: "Noblesse oblige"|first=Sylvester|last=Hoogmoed|date=November 2005|publisher=Shaffy.nl|access-date=2 March 2017|language=Dutch}}</ref> Van Leer has cited [[Steve Winwood]], [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]], [[Brian Wilson]], and [[The Beach Boys]] as musical influences who helped inspired him to pursue rock music,<ref name=1974tourbook/> with [[Béla Bartók]] and [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] among his favourite composers.<ref name=1973tourbook/>
Van Leer headed Focus through several line-up changes, and by 1977 he was the only remaining original member. The group disbanded in 1978. In 1985, van Leer briefly reunited with Akkerman to make Focus 1985. In 2002, van Leer created a new Focus line-up, which has since released the albums ''Focus 8'' and ''Focus 9 / New Skin''. A [[United Kingdom|British]] [[concert tour|tour]] was undertaken in spring 2006.

== Career ==
=== With Ramses Shaffy ===
Around 1967, van Leer recorded "Nooit Zal Ik Vergeten" which [[Phonogram Records]] released as a [[7-inch single]] which received little attention.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=11}} In December 1967, during his first year at Amsterdam University, van Leer, unhappy with the course, landed a leading role in the Webster play ''[[The Duchess of Malfi]]''.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=12}} At one rehearsal, he learned from radio and television presenter [[Willem Duys]] that singer and actor [[Ramses Shaffy]] was in the process of hiring a final member to his four-piece backing band and vocal group for his upcoming theatre act, ''Shaffy Chantant''.<ref name=introspectionsleeve/><ref name=vanleershaffy/> Van Leer had seen Shaffy's performances before and enjoyed the singing and jazz-oriented songs. After he called Shaffy and insisted he was suitable for the part, van Leer got an audition within the hour and secretly took his mother's car to get there. Had the audition failed, van Leer later said he would have pursued an acting career.<ref name=herald2012/> With a performance of "Nooit Zal Ik Vergeten" at the piano, Shaffy was impressed and added van Leer to the cast which included singer [[Liesbeth List]] and pianist [[Louis van Dijk]].<ref name=vanleershaffy/> ''Shaffy Chantant'' ran for almost one year from February 1968 for six nights a week, and van Leer was paid 114 [[Dutch guilder|guilders]] a week. A recording of the act was released in 1968 by [[Philips Records]];{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=12}}<ref name=shaffychantantesleeve>{{cite AV media notes|title=Ramses Shaffy – Shaffy Chantate|id=844 073 PY|publisher=Philips Records|date=1968|url=https://www.discogs.com/Ramses-Shaffy-Liesbeth-List-Trio-Louis-van-Dijk-Shaffy-Chantate/release/3452224}}</ref> van Leer learned from Shaffy years later that the track "Jij Bent Nu Daarbinnen" ("You Are Now Within") was about him.<ref name=vanleershaffy/>

In 1968, during his time with Shaffy, van Leer recorded his second solo single on Philips, "Zolang de Wereld Nog Draait" ("As Long As the World Still Turns"), a Dutch-language version of "[[Les Bicyclettes de Belsize]]" by [[Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)|Engelbert Humperdinck]]. This landed him an invitation from drummer Hans Cleuver in September 1968 to play the flute with bassist Martijn Dresden and himself on ''Jazz and Poetry'', a program on the Catholic radio station [[Katholieke Radio Omroep|KRO]]. For several months they performed on the station with van Leer on the piano, organ, and the addition of "strange" vocals.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=13, 14}} Van Leer stayed with Shaffy for his next play ''Shaffy Verkeerd'', which opened in January 1969 and featured singer [[Anneke Grönloh]] and performances of "[[MacArthur Park (song)|MacArthur Park]]" by [[Jimmy Webb]] and "[[I Shall Be Released]]" by [[Bob Dylan]], two songs that influenced van Leer as it "Opened my eyes to the use of lyrics. Before that I only really concentrated on instrumental music".{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=15}} Van Leer's final show with Shaffy was ''Sunset Sunkiss'', which received an album release in 1969 on the Philips label with Cleuver and Dresden in the band.<ref name=kisssleeve>{{cite AV media notes|title=Ramses Shaffy – Sunset Sunkiss|id=849 024 PY|publisher=Philips Records|date=1969|url=https://www.discogs.com/Ramses-Shaffy-Sunset-Sunkiss/release/2407327}}</ref> This was followed by several performances from the group at some large venues, including shows at the [[Holland Festival]] backed by the [[Metropole Orkest|Metropole Orchestra]], the [[Carré Theatre]], and the [[Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre|RAI Centre]].<ref name=vanleershaffy/><ref name=introspectionsleeve/>

=== Focus and collaborations ===
[[Image:Thijs van Leer 1971.jpg|thumb|upright|van Leer in November 1971]]
After van Leer left Shaffy's theatre group in mid-1969, he formed a three-piece rock band with Cleuver and Dresden, playing local gigs with a set of covers by [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]] and their own material<ref name=1974tourbook/> under the early names of Trio Thijs van Leer and Thijs van Leer and the Rebaptised.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=15}}<ref name=herald2012/> They also recorded several radio and television commercials.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=15}} In November 1969 they were joined by guitarist [[Jan Akkerman]], who had performed with the three on ''Sunset Sunkiss'',{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=20}} and settled on the name [[Focus (band)|Focus]], thus completing the first line-up of the band.<ref name=herald2012/> From December 1969 to June 1970, the four were members of the pit band for the Dutch performance of the rock musical ''[[Hair (musical)|Hair]]''.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=22, 34}}

Focus released their first album, ''[[Focus Plays Focus]]'', better known as its international title ''In and Out of Focus'', in August 1970.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=21}} Van Leer became a prominent figure in the group, writing the majority of their songs and singing English lyrics. After a line-up change, the band released ''[[Moving Waves]]'' (1971) that included their international hit single "[[Hocus Pocus (song)|Hocus Pocus]]" which featured van Leer's distinct vocals,<ref name=2007interview>{{cite web|url=https://theozymandiasprogject.wordpress.com/2015/10/28/go-focus-yourself-the-thijs-van-leer-interview/|date=25 October 2015|title=Go Focus Yourself... The THIJS VAN LEER Interview [November 2007]|publisher=The Ozymandias Progject|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref> yodelling, whistling, and [[scat singing]]. His influence from the Sufi movement through his mother is displayed in "Moving Waves", a piano and vocal composition he wrote when he was sixteen and quotes a teaching from its creator, [[Inayat Khan]].{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=20}}{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=23}}{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=50}} The album closes with "Eruption", a 22-minute track that is "based on a musical idea" by van Leer who gained inspiration from the operas ''[[Orfeo ed Euridice]]'' by [[Christoph Willibald Gluck]] and ''[[L'Orfeo]]'' by [[Claudio Monteverdi]], combining rock, jazz and classical influences.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=51}} ''[[Focus 3]]'' (1972) includes the band's second hit single "[[Sylvia (Focus song)|Sylvia]]" and includes van Leer's organ and operatic vocals. Van Leer's classical background is evident on the van Leer/Akkerman penned title track on ''[[Hamburger Concerto]]'' from 1974, based on ''[[Variations on a Theme by Haydn]]'' by [[Johannes Brahms]]. The miniature "Delitiae Musicae" equally belongs to Monteverdi.

In 1969, van Leer played the flute on ''Love Me or Leave Me'' (1969) by Dutch singer Rita Hovink.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Love Me or Leave Me|id=800 004 NY|publisher=Decca Records|date=1969|url=https://www.discogs.com/Rita-Hovink-Love-Me-Or-Leave-Me/release/2983388}}</ref> The following year, van Leer wrote, arranged and conducted music for singer [[Bojoura]] for her third album, ''The Beauty of Bojoura'' (1970). She had previously worked with van Leer's trio with Shaffy, singing a cover of "Frank Mills" from ''Hair''.<ref name=bojourasleeve>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Beauty Of Bojoura|id=S 64199|publisher=CBS Records|date=1970|author=Anon.|url=https://www.discogs.com/Bojoura-The-Beauty-Of-Bojoura/release/3310846}}</ref> Robin Lent used van Leer to play piano and flute on ''Scarecrow's Journey'' (1971),<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Scarecrow's Journey|id=6437002|publisher=Nepentha Records|date=1971|url=https://www.discogs.com/Robin-Lent-Scarecrows-Journey/release/3250062}}</ref> and arranged and played the flute on the Dutch cast production album of ''[[Oh! Calcutta!]]'' (1971).<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Oh! Calcutta!|id=CAL 99-1007|publisher=
Calcutta Records|date=1971|url=https://www.discogs.com/Calcutta-Cast-Oh-Calcutta-Dutch-Cast/release/4281422}}</ref>

Van Leer headed Focus through several line-up changes, and by early 1976 he was the only remaining original member; the group disbanded in 1978.

In 2002, van Leer reformed Focus which has since released the albums ''[[Focus 8]]'', ''[[Focus 9 / New Skin]]'', "Live In Europe", ''[[Focus X]],'', ''[[Golden Oldies (album)|Golden Oldies]]'', ''[[Focus 8.5 / Beyond the Horizon]]'', ''[[The Focus Family Album]]'', ''[[Focus 11]]'' and ''[[Focus 50]]''.

=== Solo career and other projects ===
[[File:Thijs van Leerurl2.jpg|thumb|van Leer circa 1970s]]
In mid-1972, after securing a solo recording deal with CBS Records, van Leer released his first solo album, ''[[Introspection (Thijs van Leer album)|Introspection]]''. It features a selection of classical pieces by Bach and [[Gabriel Faure]], Focus songs, and original compositions arranged for flute and orchestra by van Otterloo, and [[soprano]] vocals by Letty de Jong.<ref name=introspectionsleeve/> ''Introspection'' was a commercial success in the Netherlands, reaching number one for three weeks in early 1973 and earning a gold certification.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Thijs+van+Leer&titel=Introspection&cat=a|title=THIJS VAN LEER - INTROSPECTION|publisher=DutchCharts.nl|language=Dutch|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref> In late 1975, van Leer released ''Introspection 2'' which spent one week at number one in the Netherlands during a 19-week stay in the top 10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Thijs+van+Leer&titel=Introspection+2&cat=a|title=THIJS VAN LEER - INTROSPECTION 2|publisher=DutchCharts.nl|language=Dutch|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref> Van Leer continued the album series with ''Introspection 3'', in 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Thijs+van+Leer&titel=Introspection+3&cat=a|title=THIJS VAN LEER - INTROSPECTION 3|publisher=DutchCharts.nl|language=Dutch|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref>

After Focus split in 1978, van Leer continued with his solo career and took part in various projects. He formed the rock band Conxi, featuring Dutch and Senegalese musicians, and a rock group Van Leer with an American singer.<ref name=august1997/><ref name=2003interview>{{cite web|url=http://www.getreadytorock.com/10questions/thijs_van_leer.htm|title=10 Questions With... Thijs van Leer (Focus)|date=2003|first=Jason|last=Ritchie|publisher=Get Ready to Rock|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref>

In the early 1980s, van Leer worked and toured with Spanish singer [[Miguel Ríos]] playing keyboards and flute on his albums ''Extraños en el escaparate'' (1981), ''Rock & Ríos'' (1982) and ''El rock de una noche de verano'' (1983).<ref>[http://www.mpq.com.br/focus/solos/solos1.htm Thijs van Leer Discography]</ref>

In 1981, van Leer formed the multi-national band Pedal Point with musicians Tato Gomez and {{ill|Mario Argandoña|es}} from Chile and Paul Shigihara from Japan. They recorded a double album, ''Dona Nobis Pacem'', based on a composition van Leer had written that he later cited as "one of the most important compositions of mine", and a high point of his career in an artistic sense.<ref name=august1997>{{cite web|url=http://www.mpq.com.br/focus/intervi2.htm|title=Thijs van Leer interviewed by Martin Hudson|first=Martin|last=Hudson|date=August 1997|publisher=Focus Tribute Homepage|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref>

In 1985, van Leer reunited with Akkerman and together recorded ''[[Focus: Jan Akkerman & Thijs van Leer]]'' (1985).

Van Leer was one of the artists who recorded the song ''Shalom from Holland'' (written by [[Simon Hammelburg]] and Ron Klipstein) as a token of solidarity to the Israeli people, threatened by missiles from Iraq, during the first Gulf War in 1991.


He also appeared as a guest musician on the album, ''[[Into the Electric Castle]]'', by [[Arjen Anthony Lucassen]]'s musical project [[Ayreon]].
He also appeared as a guest musician on the album, ''[[Into the Electric Castle]]'', by [[Arjen Anthony Lucassen]]'s musical project [[Ayreon]].


In 2008 Explore Multimedia released van Leer's first solo album in nearly a decade, ''The Home Concert''. The album featured [[sound recording and reproduction|recordings]] made in his living room as he played material for ''Focus 9''. The album is exclusively available via the [[internet]],<ref>[http://www.explore-multimedia.co.uk Explore Multimedia]</ref> and at concerts.
In 2008, Explore Multimedia released van Leer's first solo album in almost a decade, ''The Home Concert''. The album features recordings made in his living room as he played material for ''Focus 9''. The album is exclusively available online.<ref>[http://www.explore-multimedia.co.uk Explore Multimedia]. Explore Multimedia.</ref>

On 13 September 2008, van Leer was made a Knight of the [[Order of Orange-Nassau]] for "special services to music."

In 2010, van Leer performed at a concert with [[Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno]] to celebrate 40 years of imaginative music<ref>{{YouTube|LU2Es_W_Z28|Prog Exhibition – Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno/Thijs van Leer (Focus)}} (7 November 2010).</ref>


==Discography==
==Discography==
{{See also|Focus discography}}
===Focus===
*''[[In and Out of Focus]]'' (January 1971)
*''[[Moving Waves]]'' (October 1971)
*''[[Focus III]]'' (November 1972)
*''[[At the Rainbow]]'' (October 1973)
*''[[Hamburger Concerto]]'' (May 1974)
*''[[Mother Focus]]'' (October 1975)
*''Ship of Memories'' (September 1977)
*''Focus con Proby'' (January 1978)
*''Focus'' (August 1985)
*''Focus 8'' (January 2003)
*''Focus Masters From The Vaults'' Classic Rock Productions CRP1112 (2004)
*''Live at the BBC 1976'' (May 2004)
*''Focus 9 / New Skin'' (September 2006)


===Solo artist===
'''Solo albums'''
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
*1972 ''[[Introspection (Thijs van Leer album)|Introspection]]''
*''[[Introspection (Thijs van Leer album)|Introspection]]'' (1972)
*1975 ''O My Love''
*''O My Love'' (1975)
*1976 ''Introspection 2''
*''Introspection 2'' (1975)
*1977 ''Nice to Have Met You''
*''Musica per la Notte di Natale'' (1976)
*1978 ''Introspection''
*1980 ''Introspection 4''
*''Introspection 3'' (1977)
*''Nice to Have Met You'' (1978) - Recorded in 1977.
*1981 ''Reflections''
*''Introspection 4'' (1979)
*1986 ''Renaissance''
*''Collage'' (1980)
*1987 ''[[I Hate Myself (For Loving You)]]''
*''Pedal Point: Dona Nobis Pacem''' (1981)
*1992 ''Introspection 92'' (Posthumous tribute to Rogier van Otterloo)
*''Reflections'' (1981)
*1994 ''Musical Melody''
*''Focus (Jan Akkerman & Thijs van Leer album)'' (1985) - Recorded in 1984.
*1996 ''Bolero'' (CD version of the ''Reflections'' album with two extra tracks)
*''Renaissance'' (1986)
*1996 ''Summertime''
*''[[I Hate Myself (For Loving You)]]'' (1987)
*1997 ''Instrumental Hymns''
*''Introspection '92'' (1992)
*1999 ''The Glorious Album''
*''Musical Melody'' (1994)
*1999 ''Bach For A New Age''
*''Bolero'' (1996; CD version of the ''Reflections'' with two extra tracks)
*2000 ''12 Mooiste Liederen'' (re-release of ''The Glorious Album'' under the name of Jan Mulder, piano)
*''Summertime'' (1996)
*2006 ''Etudes Sans Gêne'' ([[limited edition]] [[DVD]])
*''Joy to the World'' (1996)<ref name=joy1996>{{cite AV media notes|title=Thijs van Leer & Family – Joy to the World|id=27 07 101|publisher=Mega Sound|date=1996|author=Anon.|url=http://www.focuscollection.com/listings/l0094.html}}</ref>
*2008 ''The Home Concert''
*''Instrumental Hymns'' (1997)
*''The Glorious Album'' (1999; reissued in 2000 as ''12 Mooiste Liederen (12 Most Beautiful Songs)'')
*''Bach for a New Age'' (1999)
*''Etudes Sans Gêne'' (2006; limited edition DVD) - Recorded in 2001.
*''The Home Concert'' (2008) - Recorded in 2005.
*''Sir Thijs van Leer: Live at Trading Boundaries'' (2015) - Recorded in 2014.
{{div col end}}


===Thomas Blug Band===
;with Thomas Blug Band
*2005 ''Guitar From The Heart/Live'' (DVD)
*''Guitar From The Heart/Live'' (2005; DVD)
*2005 ''Guitar From The Heart - Live in Raalte, NL''
*''Guitar From The Heart – Live in Raalte, NL'' (2005)
*2009 ''Soul & Pepper''
*''Soul & Pepper'' (2009)


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

;Sources
*{{cite book|last=Johnson|first=Peet|title=Hocus Pocus: The Life & Journey of Rock's Dutch Masters|year=2013|publisher=Thorpe-Bowker|isbn=978-0-646-57754-8}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.focustheband.com/ Official Focus website]
*[http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/8267/solos1.htm Thijs Van Leer discography]
*[http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/eruptions Yahoo Focus group]


* {{Official website|https://www.thijsvanleer.com/}}
{{Ayreon guest musicians}}
* {{discogs artist|Thijs van Leer}}
* {{IMDb name|0887370}}
* Discography: http://www.mpq.com.br/focus/solos/solos1.htm

{{Focus}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Leer, Thijs van}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leer, Thijs van}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Amsterdam]]
[[Category:Jewish rock musicians]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève]]
[[Category:Dutch people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Dutch flautists]]
[[Category:Dutch flautists]]
[[Category:Dutch musicians]]
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Latest revision as of 14:37, 9 December 2024

In this Dutch name, the surname is van Leer, not Leer.
Thijs van Leer
van Leer in 2014
Background information
Born (1948-03-31) 31 March 1948 (age 76)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
OriginAmsterdam, Netherlands
Genres
Instruments
  • Flute
  • keyboards
  • vocals
Years active1967–present
Labels

Thijs van Leer (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈtɛis fɑn ˈleːr] TAYSS fan LAIR; born 31 March 1948) is a Dutch singer and keyboardist, best known as the founding member of the rock band Focus as its primary vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist. Born and raised in Amsterdam among a musical family, van Leer took up the piano and flute as a child and pursued them at university and music academies.

From 1967 to 1969, van Leer was backing vocalist and musician in a theatre cabaret act headed by Ramses Shaffy; recorded singles as a solo artist; and produced, arranged, and conducted music for Bojoura. He formed Trio Thijs van Leer, a three-piece rock band which evolved into Focus in late 1969 following the addition of guitarist Jan Akkerman. Focus achieved international success following the release of Moving Waves (1971) and its lead single, "Hocus Pocus", which features van Leer's yodelling and whistling. After several albums with various line-ups, van Leer disbanded Focus in 1978; he reformed the band in 2002.

Van Leer achieved success as a solo artist in the Netherlands. He has collaborated with various artists, and continues to release albums and perform in various capacities. In 2008, van Leer was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau for special services to music.

Early life

[edit]

Van Leer was born on 31 March 1948 in Amsterdam.[1] His father Ed, a Jewish refugee from the Netherlands, was a classically trained flautist and businessman;[2][3] his mother Mary was a singer and involved in the Sufi Movement.[4][3] Van Leer began playing the piano at age three, taught by his mother,[2] and later received lessons from famed pianists Maria Stroo (later Marja Bon) and Gerard Hengeveld.[5] When he was six, van Leer wrote his first composition "Uncle Willy", a tribute to family friend and keyboard teacher Willy Buard who helped pay for his father's flute studies at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève in Geneva.[2] At eleven, van Leer was given a flute by his father who began teaching his son two years later[6] after he discovered van Leer wished to instead pursue jazz music after he discovered the genre particularly through Miles Davis albums.[5][7] He said, "I suppose I wanted to reject what I was brought up on. But then I thought the combination of jazz and classical music could be used in rock."[6] With his parents and two brothers, eldest Frank and youngest Maarten,[8] who played the bassoon and piano and flute, respectively, the family would often play music at home together.[6] Van Leer also took up painting, modelling, and performing in plays.[6]

Van Leer attended Hilversum Grammar School where he learned English, French, German, Latin and Ancient Greek. His father was the conductor of the school orchestra, for which van Leer played the harpsichord.[8] He joined the Raoul Angenot Quintet, and at eighteen, won an award at inter-school contests for playing Andante in C Major by Mozart on flute, singing an original love poem to "Stella by Starlight" by Victor Young, a drama improvisation featuring his own poetry, and an original piano composition titled "Nooit Zal Ik Vergeten (De Nachten Samen met Jou)" ("Never Shall I Forget (The Nights Together with You)".[9] He then joined the Bob de Lat Quartet, who once came fifth in the annual Hilversum jazz contest.[10] After graduating, van Leer did not feel confident enough to attend a music school, so he studied art history at Amsterdam University which he found "very dry".[6] He then learned harmony and counterpoint at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, but disliked the lessons and left early.[5][6] This was followed by a degree in the flute and composition at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève.[1] Van Leer also received tutoring on the piano, orchestration and arrangement with composer and conductor Rogier van Otterloo, and organ with Anthon van der Horst.[1] During his time studying, van Leer participated in plays including those by William Shakespeare and John Webster.[11] Van Leer has cited Steve Winwood, Traffic, Brian Wilson, and The Beach Boys as musical influences who helped inspired him to pursue rock music,[6] with Béla Bartók and Johann Sebastian Bach among his favourite composers.[1]

Career

[edit]

With Ramses Shaffy

[edit]

Around 1967, van Leer recorded "Nooit Zal Ik Vergeten" which Phonogram Records released as a 7-inch single which received little attention.[10] In December 1967, during his first year at Amsterdam University, van Leer, unhappy with the course, landed a leading role in the Webster play The Duchess of Malfi.[12] At one rehearsal, he learned from radio and television presenter Willem Duys that singer and actor Ramses Shaffy was in the process of hiring a final member to his four-piece backing band and vocal group for his upcoming theatre act, Shaffy Chantant.[5][11] Van Leer had seen Shaffy's performances before and enjoyed the singing and jazz-oriented songs. After he called Shaffy and insisted he was suitable for the part, van Leer got an audition within the hour and secretly took his mother's car to get there. Had the audition failed, van Leer later said he would have pursued an acting career.[3] With a performance of "Nooit Zal Ik Vergeten" at the piano, Shaffy was impressed and added van Leer to the cast which included singer Liesbeth List and pianist Louis van Dijk.[11] Shaffy Chantant ran for almost one year from February 1968 for six nights a week, and van Leer was paid 114 guilders a week. A recording of the act was released in 1968 by Philips Records;[12][13] van Leer learned from Shaffy years later that the track "Jij Bent Nu Daarbinnen" ("You Are Now Within") was about him.[11]

In 1968, during his time with Shaffy, van Leer recorded his second solo single on Philips, "Zolang de Wereld Nog Draait" ("As Long As the World Still Turns"), a Dutch-language version of "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" by Engelbert Humperdinck. This landed him an invitation from drummer Hans Cleuver in September 1968 to play the flute with bassist Martijn Dresden and himself on Jazz and Poetry, a program on the Catholic radio station KRO. For several months they performed on the station with van Leer on the piano, organ, and the addition of "strange" vocals.[14] Van Leer stayed with Shaffy for his next play Shaffy Verkeerd, which opened in January 1969 and featured singer Anneke Grönloh and performances of "MacArthur Park" by Jimmy Webb and "I Shall Be Released" by Bob Dylan, two songs that influenced van Leer as it "Opened my eyes to the use of lyrics. Before that I only really concentrated on instrumental music".[15] Van Leer's final show with Shaffy was Sunset Sunkiss, which received an album release in 1969 on the Philips label with Cleuver and Dresden in the band.[16] This was followed by several performances from the group at some large venues, including shows at the Holland Festival backed by the Metropole Orchestra, the Carré Theatre, and the RAI Centre.[11][5]

Focus and collaborations

[edit]
van Leer in November 1971

After van Leer left Shaffy's theatre group in mid-1969, he formed a three-piece rock band with Cleuver and Dresden, playing local gigs with a set of covers by Traffic and their own material[6] under the early names of Trio Thijs van Leer and Thijs van Leer and the Rebaptised.[15][3] They also recorded several radio and television commercials.[15] In November 1969 they were joined by guitarist Jan Akkerman, who had performed with the three on Sunset Sunkiss,[17] and settled on the name Focus, thus completing the first line-up of the band.[3] From December 1969 to June 1970, the four were members of the pit band for the Dutch performance of the rock musical Hair.[18]

Focus released their first album, Focus Plays Focus, better known as its international title In and Out of Focus, in August 1970.[19] Van Leer became a prominent figure in the group, writing the majority of their songs and singing English lyrics. After a line-up change, the band released Moving Waves (1971) that included their international hit single "Hocus Pocus" which featured van Leer's distinct vocals,[20] yodelling, whistling, and scat singing. His influence from the Sufi movement through his mother is displayed in "Moving Waves", a piano and vocal composition he wrote when he was sixteen and quotes a teaching from its creator, Inayat Khan.[17][21][22] The album closes with "Eruption", a 22-minute track that is "based on a musical idea" by van Leer who gained inspiration from the operas Orfeo ed Euridice by Christoph Willibald Gluck and L'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, combining rock, jazz and classical influences.[23] Focus 3 (1972) includes the band's second hit single "Sylvia" and includes van Leer's organ and operatic vocals. Van Leer's classical background is evident on the van Leer/Akkerman penned title track on Hamburger Concerto from 1974, based on Variations on a Theme by Haydn by Johannes Brahms. The miniature "Delitiae Musicae" equally belongs to Monteverdi.

In 1969, van Leer played the flute on Love Me or Leave Me (1969) by Dutch singer Rita Hovink.[24] The following year, van Leer wrote, arranged and conducted music for singer Bojoura for her third album, The Beauty of Bojoura (1970). She had previously worked with van Leer's trio with Shaffy, singing a cover of "Frank Mills" from Hair.[25] Robin Lent used van Leer to play piano and flute on Scarecrow's Journey (1971),[26] and arranged and played the flute on the Dutch cast production album of Oh! Calcutta! (1971).[27]

Van Leer headed Focus through several line-up changes, and by early 1976 he was the only remaining original member; the group disbanded in 1978.

In 2002, van Leer reformed Focus which has since released the albums Focus 8, Focus 9 / New Skin, "Live In Europe", Focus X,, Golden Oldies, Focus 8.5 / Beyond the Horizon, The Focus Family Album, Focus 11 and Focus 50.

Solo career and other projects

[edit]
van Leer circa 1970s

In mid-1972, after securing a solo recording deal with CBS Records, van Leer released his first solo album, Introspection. It features a selection of classical pieces by Bach and Gabriel Faure, Focus songs, and original compositions arranged for flute and orchestra by van Otterloo, and soprano vocals by Letty de Jong.[5] Introspection was a commercial success in the Netherlands, reaching number one for three weeks in early 1973 and earning a gold certification.[28] In late 1975, van Leer released Introspection 2 which spent one week at number one in the Netherlands during a 19-week stay in the top 10.[29] Van Leer continued the album series with Introspection 3, in 1977.[30]

After Focus split in 1978, van Leer continued with his solo career and took part in various projects. He formed the rock band Conxi, featuring Dutch and Senegalese musicians, and a rock group Van Leer with an American singer.[31][32]

In the early 1980s, van Leer worked and toured with Spanish singer Miguel Ríos playing keyboards and flute on his albums Extraños en el escaparate (1981), Rock & Ríos (1982) and El rock de una noche de verano (1983).[33]

In 1981, van Leer formed the multi-national band Pedal Point with musicians Tato Gomez and Mario Argandoña [es] from Chile and Paul Shigihara from Japan. They recorded a double album, Dona Nobis Pacem, based on a composition van Leer had written that he later cited as "one of the most important compositions of mine", and a high point of his career in an artistic sense.[31]

In 1985, van Leer reunited with Akkerman and together recorded Focus: Jan Akkerman & Thijs van Leer (1985).

Van Leer was one of the artists who recorded the song Shalom from Holland (written by Simon Hammelburg and Ron Klipstein) as a token of solidarity to the Israeli people, threatened by missiles from Iraq, during the first Gulf War in 1991.

He also appeared as a guest musician on the album, Into the Electric Castle, by Arjen Anthony Lucassen's musical project Ayreon.

In 2008, Explore Multimedia released van Leer's first solo album in almost a decade, The Home Concert. The album features recordings made in his living room as he played material for Focus 9. The album is exclusively available online.[34]

On 13 September 2008, van Leer was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau for "special services to music."

In 2010, van Leer performed at a concert with Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno to celebrate 40 years of imaginative music[35]

Discography

[edit]
See also: Focus discography

Solo albums

  • Introspection (1972)
  • O My Love (1975)
  • Introspection 2 (1975)
  • Musica per la Notte di Natale (1976)
  • Introspection 3 (1977)
  • Nice to Have Met You (1978) - Recorded in 1977.
  • Introspection 4 (1979)
  • Collage (1980)
  • Pedal Point: Dona Nobis Pacem' (1981)
  • Reflections (1981)
  • Focus (Jan Akkerman & Thijs van Leer album) (1985) - Recorded in 1984.
  • Renaissance (1986)
  • I Hate Myself (For Loving You) (1987)
  • Introspection '92 (1992)
  • Musical Melody (1994)
  • Bolero (1996; CD version of the Reflections with two extra tracks)
  • Summertime (1996)
  • Joy to the World (1996)[36]
  • Instrumental Hymns (1997)
  • The Glorious Album (1999; reissued in 2000 as 12 Mooiste Liederen (12 Most Beautiful Songs))
  • Bach for a New Age (1999)
  • Etudes Sans Gêne (2006; limited edition DVD) - Recorded in 2001.
  • The Home Concert (2008) - Recorded in 2005.
  • Sir Thijs van Leer: Live at Trading Boundaries (2015) - Recorded in 2014.
with Thomas Blug Band
  • Guitar From The Heart/Live (2005; DVD)
  • Guitar From The Heart – Live in Raalte, NL (2005)
  • Soul & Pepper (2009)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Anon. (1973). M.A.M Present: Focus in Concert [UK Tour Programme] (PDF). p. 2.
  2. ^ a b c Johnson 2013, p. 9.
  3. ^ a b c d e Hernandez, Alan Carlos (12 November 2012). "INTERVIEW: Thijs Van Leer comes into focus". Herald de Paris. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  4. ^ Johnson 2013, p. 24.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Anon. (1972). Introspection (Media notes). CBS Records. S64589.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Welch, Chris (1974). M.A.M Presents: Focus [UK Tour Programme] (PDF). p. 7.
  7. ^ Deren, Mark (30 August 1997). "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THIJS VAN LEER FOR EXPOSE MAGAZINE". Focus Tribute Homepage. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  8. ^ a b Johnson 2013, p. 10.
  9. ^ Mantovani, Rodrigo (8 November 2002). "Thijs van Leer Interview - 08/Nov/2002". Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  10. ^ a b Johnson 2013, p. 11.
  11. ^ a b c d e Hoogmoed, Sylvester (November 2005). "Thijs van Leer: "Noblesse oblige"" (in Dutch). Shaffy.nl. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  12. ^ a b Johnson 2013, p. 12.
  13. ^ Ramses Shaffy – Shaffy Chantate (Media notes). Philips Records. 1968. 844 073 PY.
  14. ^ Johnson 2013, p. 13, 14.
  15. ^ a b c Johnson 2013, p. 15.
  16. ^ Ramses Shaffy – Sunset Sunkiss (Media notes). Philips Records. 1969. 849 024 PY.
  17. ^ a b Johnson 2013, p. 20.
  18. ^ Johnson 2013, p. 22, 34.
  19. ^ Johnson 2013, p. 21.
  20. ^ "Go Focus Yourself... The THIJS VAN LEER Interview [November 2007]". The Ozymandias Progject. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  21. ^ Johnson 2013, p. 23.
  22. ^ Johnson 2013, p. 50.
  23. ^ Johnson 2013, p. 51.
  24. ^ Love Me or Leave Me (Media notes). Decca Records. 1969. 800 004 NY.
  25. ^ Anon. (1970). The Beauty Of Bojoura (Media notes). CBS Records. S 64199.
  26. ^ Scarecrow's Journey (Media notes). Nepentha Records. 1971. 6437002.
  27. ^ Oh! Calcutta! (Media notes). Calcutta Records. 1971. CAL 99-1007.
  28. ^ "THIJS VAN LEER - INTROSPECTION" (in Dutch). DutchCharts.nl. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  29. ^ "THIJS VAN LEER - INTROSPECTION 2" (in Dutch). DutchCharts.nl. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  30. ^ "THIJS VAN LEER - INTROSPECTION 3" (in Dutch). DutchCharts.nl. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  31. ^ a b Hudson, Martin (August 1997). "Thijs van Leer interviewed by Martin Hudson". Focus Tribute Homepage. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  32. ^ Ritchie, Jason (2003). "10 Questions With... Thijs van Leer (Focus)". Get Ready to Rock. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  33. ^ Thijs van Leer Discography
  34. ^ Explore Multimedia. Explore Multimedia.
  35. ^ Prog Exhibition – Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno/Thijs van Leer (Focus) on YouTube (7 November 2010).
  36. ^ Anon. (1996). Thijs van Leer & Family – Joy to the World (Media notes). Mega Sound. 27 07 101.
Sources
  • Johnson, Peet (2013). Hocus Pocus: The Life & Journey of Rock's Dutch Masters. Thorpe-Bowker. ISBN 978-0-646-57754-8.
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