Cyril Havermans
Encyclopedia
Cyril Havermans is a Dutch
musician, best known for being in the progressive rock
band, Focus
.
(Thijs van Leer
, Martijn Dresden, and Hans Cleuver) as his backing band.
His tenure as bassist with the progressive rock
band Focus
lasted from late 1970 until September, 1971 during which time he played many live concerts with the group and recorded Focus II (aka "Moving Waves"). In 1971 this LP won the Edison award, the Dutch equivalent to the Grammy, for best album of the year. According to Melody Maker
magazine, it reached #2 in the UK charts in 1973, and spawned "Hocus Pocus", a top ten hit single in the US, UK, and many other territories worldwide. Aside from Cyriel's plaintive, wordless wailing on "Pupillae" from the Focus II LP's sidelong "Eruption" suite, his vocal talents found no other outlet on this mostly instrumental album.
He left the band to pursue a solo career playing melodic, acoustic guitar music with English lyrics. At this time Cyril dropped the 'e' from his first name. An eponymous album
was released in 1973 with musical support from his old Focus
bandmates Jan Akkerman
, Thijs van Leer
, and Pierre van der Linden
. A second album, Mind Wave
, followed in 1974, and Cyril's group was sometimes featured as an opening act for Focus
' European concerts in 1975. He was a guest musician on Lucifer's "Margriet" album, released in 1977.
In 2007 Cyril sang and played bass guitar with ex-Brainbox
members Kaz Lux and Rudy de Queljoe at the Blues and Roots Festival in Oosterhout
, Netherlands
.
Solo Work
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
musician, best known for being in the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band, Focus
Focus (band)
Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
.
Life
Cyril Havermans was bassist and vocalist for a number of Dutch pop bands in the 1960s: Peter and the Beats (1965–66), The Heralds (1966–67), Spacial Concept (1967–68), and Big Wheel (1968–1969). In 1969 he began to perform as Cyriel Havermans in live concerts in the Netherlands with members of the nascent FocusFocus (band)
Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
(Thijs van Leer
Thijs van Leer
Thijs Van Leer is a Dutch musician, singer and composer, best known for heading the Dutch progressive rock band, Focus, as primary vocalist, Hammond organ player, and flautist. He also yodels and whistles...
, Martijn Dresden, and Hans Cleuver) as his backing band.
His tenure as bassist with the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Focus
Focus (band)
Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
lasted from late 1970 until September, 1971 during which time he played many live concerts with the group and recorded Focus II (aka "Moving Waves"). In 1971 this LP won the Edison award, the Dutch equivalent to the Grammy, for best album of the year. According to Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
magazine, it reached #2 in the UK charts in 1973, and spawned "Hocus Pocus", a top ten hit single in the US, UK, and many other territories worldwide. Aside from Cyriel's plaintive, wordless wailing on "Pupillae" from the Focus II LP's sidelong "Eruption" suite, his vocal talents found no other outlet on this mostly instrumental album.
He left the band to pursue a solo career playing melodic, acoustic guitar music with English lyrics. At this time Cyril dropped the 'e' from his first name. An eponymous album
Cyril (album)
Cyril is the first solo album by Dutch singer-songwriter Cyril Havermans. It was recorded in 1973 after Havermans left Dutch progressive rock band Focus. The parting was amicable and came about partly as a result of Havermans' desire to include more vocal content...
was released in 1973 with musical support from his old Focus
Focus (band)
Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
bandmates Jan Akkerman
Jan Akkerman
Jan Akkerman is a Dutch guitarist. Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist, constantly experimenting with new equipment and guitars. Akkerman's distinctive guitar sound is characterised by his pioneering use of volume swells which produce a smooth, fluty, sustained tone, and other complex techniques...
, Thijs van Leer
Thijs van Leer
Thijs Van Leer is a Dutch musician, singer and composer, best known for heading the Dutch progressive rock band, Focus, as primary vocalist, Hammond organ player, and flautist. He also yodels and whistles...
, and Pierre van der Linden
Pierre van der Linden
Pierre van der Linden, born 19 February 1946 in the Netherlands, is a jazz drummer whose style was influenced by his childhood hero Buddy Rich....
. A second album, Mind Wave
Mind Wave
-Track listing:All songs written by Cyril Havermansside 1#"Mind Wave "#"Can't Go Back There"#"There's a Woman"#"Consultation Song"#"Blue Eyed Lady"side 2#"Blue Boy"#"Fools Got You Running"#"Try to Use My Wings"#"My Time Your Dream"...
, followed in 1974, and Cyril's group was sometimes featured as an opening act for Focus
Focus (band)
Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
' European concerts in 1975. He was a guest musician on Lucifer's "Margriet" album, released in 1977.
In 2007 Cyril sang and played bass guitar with ex-Brainbox
Brainbox
Brainbox is a Dutch rock group from the late 1960s/early 1970s. It was founded in Amsterdam by guitarist Jan Akkerman, drummer Pierre van der Linden and singer Kazimir Lux . Their debut single was "Down Man", which established their progressive blues sound...
members Kaz Lux and Rudy de Queljoe at the Blues and Roots Festival in Oosterhout
Oosterhout
Oosterhout is a municipality and a city in the South of the Netherlands. At June, 2008, the city population was 54,015.-History:Oosterhout is mentioned for the first time in 1277, although archaeological excavations showed the existence of human settlements in the area in prehistoric times. The...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Discography
Focus- Focus II (aka "Moving Waves") (1971)
Solo Work
- CyrilCyril (album)Cyril is the first solo album by Dutch singer-songwriter Cyril Havermans. It was recorded in 1973 after Havermans left Dutch progressive rock band Focus. The parting was amicable and came about partly as a result of Havermans' desire to include more vocal content...
(1973) - Mind WaveMind Wave-Track listing:All songs written by Cyril Havermansside 1#"Mind Wave "#"Can't Go Back There"#"There's a Woman"#"Consultation Song"#"Blue Eyed Lady"side 2#"Blue Boy"#"Fools Got You Running"#"Try to Use My Wings"#"My Time Your Dream"...
(1974)