HOUSE OF THE KING / O AVONDROOD

This single was released to promote a Focus complilation album in March 1976 on the Polydor ( UK ) label. Side one's House Of The King needs really no introduction. A short catchy folky flut- led track that became Focus' second best known piece next to the dazzling Hocus Pocus. It has also appeared in single format twice previously along with Black Beauty and Sylvia as B sides..

Of interest to collectors here is the flip side which was a vocal track entitled O Avondrood ( O Evening Glow ) which featured Dutch vocals . The same moody instrumental track that became Red Sky At Night where a moog sythesizer is subsituted for the bass guitar of Bert Rueiter.This version sans vocals appears on the 1976 Ship Of Memories "outake" album. This version features the overdubbed vocals o0f both Thijs van Leer and Jan Akkerman eloquently evoking the beauty of a setting sun. So unless you're a fanatical collector I would skip over the bother of trying to locate a copy of this relic. The lyrics were actually taken from a peom by contemporary Dutch poet Jules Deelder and was written for a various artists 2 LP set entitled Zingje Moers Taal celebrating Dutch literature in the spring of 1976.

Hard core collectors or fans only for this one.