Upon its release in November 1972, the album went to number one in the Netherlands for one week,[19] number 6 in the UK,[27] and number 35 in the US. ", "Sarah Jessica Parker on 'Hocus Pocus 2': "I Would Love That, http://www.aaronwallaceonline.com/book/hocus-pocus-book-thinking-fan-disney/, "Joe Dante And Mick Garris Talk 'Gremlins,' 'Hocus Pocus' Sequel And 'Nightmare Cinema, "Disney Channel working on 'Hocus Pocus' remake". Steve Voboril as Elijah - Thackery's friend from 1693 who witnessed the conjures of the Sanderson sisters. Max, in an effort to impress Allison, invites her to show him the Sanderson house to convince him that the witches were real. Akkerman's "House of the King" was originally a Dutch single release, before being included on the UK album In and Out of Focus,[15] which featured tracks from 'Focus Play Focus" in a different playing sequence plus "House of the King" (the track is not on the band's Dutch debut[87]). The film stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, with Omri Katz, Thora Birch, and Vinessa Shaw in supporting roles. After van Leer signed a deal with EMI in April 1976 to record a new Focus album, work did not begin until late 1977 when the band faced potential legal action if they did not release something. [15] On September 4, 2012, the film was released on Blu-ray. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1973 Vinyl release of Hocus Pocus on Discogs. The new release contains special features, including deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes retrospective.[17]. It reached No. They have sold one million RIAA-certified albums in the United States.[1]. The witches pursue them to a cemetery, where Winifred raises her unfaithful lover Billy Butcherson as a zombie to chase them on foot. Originally the band were to perform "Hocus Pocus" with Akkerman, but the guitarist declined the offer made by the network, stating he reunited with Focus for Meijer and his manager. Shortly before a tour of France in July 1971, van der Linden temporarily left the band after he found out van Leer and Akkerman would get paid more than himself. It is a collection of re-recorded versions of Focus songs. It doesn't rock harder than the studio albums, apart from maybe 'Hocus Pocus'; it ain't theatrical because there are next to no vocals; it ain't showing off any more than van Leer and Akkerman already were in the studio. A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century. After the addition of Akkerman to van Leer's rock trio in late 1969, the band named themselves Focus and were the pit band for the Dutch production of the rock musical Hair. In early May 1973, Focus returned to Olympic Studios at Vernon's request and recorded a new cut of "Hocus Pocus" titled "Hocus Pocus II", released exclusively for the American market. It will be available on CD at each venue, followed by a full release on 25 January 2019.[83][84]. The albums Focus 8 (2002), Focus 9 / New Skin (2006) and Focus X (2012) were well received, and Focus continue to perform worldwide. The film ends with Winnie's spellbook opening its eye, revealing it is still alive and the witches could possibly return again. They try to rescue Susie from the witch and are aided by a couple of bickering wizards, Hocus and Pocus. Their success continued with Focus 3 (1972) and Hamburger Concerto (1974), the former containing their second hit single, "Sylvia". Akkerman changed his sound, moving from a Gretsch White Falcon to a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Custom which enabled him to "'sing' on the guitar" to compensate for the group's weak vocals. "[34] On October 19, 2013, D23 held a special screening of Hocus Pocus at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, to honor the 20th anniversary of the film. In 2002, van Leer reformed Focus with a new line-up. Van Leer claimed it was the band's "First proper work. The same version, not a re-recording, was included on the 1973 double vinyl release of Focus 3 (but was omitted from the CD version of that album), and later became the title themes of the BBC children's television shows "Encounter France" and "Merry-go-Round", both 1979,[88] then Don't Ask Me, a science-based British TV show of the 1970s that made household names of Magnus Pyke and David Bellamy. Unless they're Bette Midler fans. Stream GratuitA girl named Susie goes to an amusement park and are greeted by a couple of costumed tour guides, The Banana Splits who take her on a tour of the park. [68] Following the release of Focus con Proby in February 1978, which ignored the UK market, the album received negative reviews. The film follows a villainous comedic trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night. [21] The situation reached Terheggen, who asked Yde de Jong to become Focus's manager if he could reunite the band. [36], On September 15, 2015, the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular was introduced at the Magic Kingdom as a part of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. [67][69] In the search for a suitable lead vocalist de Jong, a friend of American singer P. J. Proby, rang his Netherlands-based manager and invited him to the studio, thinking his vocals would replace Akkerman's lyrical playing.