Editing Focus (band) (section)

===1975–1978: ''Mother Focus'', ''Focus con Proby'', and disbanding===
In 1975, the band gathered at Morgan Studios, [[Brussels]] to rehearse and record ''[[Mother Focus]]''.<ref name=allen2008/> They reunited with Terheggen to oversee the project as executive producer, but the group found themselves without a collective direction; van Leer put its failure down to the band's recording contract which required them to produce one studio album each year, the pressures of touring had affected the songs,<ref name=recordcollector1991/> and a lack of overall interest from the band.<ref name=sounds1976/> In addition, Akkerman continued to record parts separately, showing no sign of an improvement in his relationship with van Leer.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=124}} Ruiter became a more prominent songwriter and contributed more ideas than he had on previous Focus albums; he and Allen, after recording "I Need a Bathroom", began to experiment with a [[drum machine]] to aid their ideas, but the drummer recalled Akkerman got angry, shouted at him, and tossed the machine across the room. Allen was fired the next day, not knowing who made the decision. He was required to pay what he owed to the group during his tenure which amounted to roughly £10,000, using his earnings from royalties to pay much of it. Despite the problems, he "will always remain proud to have been a member".<ref name=allen2008/> In May 1975, at the suggestion of their studio engineer, American drummer [[David Kemper]] was brought in to complete the rest of the album.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=124}}

Released in October 1975, ''Mother Focus'' saw Focus depart from their classical and jazz-influenced sound towards shorter, commercially accessible songs with [[Middle of the road (music)|middle of the road]] influences and little room for improvisation and jamming they were known for.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=124, 132}} Akkerman argued with van Leer and Ruiter over the group's change in musical direction, deeming it "typical American music".{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=125}} The album went to number 23 in the UK, and received mostly negative reviews from critics. During plans for their upcoming tour Akkerman refused to perform the album's music, thinking it was not strong enough. To solve the issue, he and van Leer returned to Morgan Studios and put down "Red Sky at Night" and "Avondrood", the latter featuring the two singing in Dutch.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|pp=133–135}} After Kemper left when recording was complete, Akkerman wished van der Linden to return, thinking he was responsible "for at least 40%" of the band's success and said he "wouldn't leave Focus" with him on the drums. However, van Leer and Ruiter did not share the same enthusiasm over van der Linden's return. Nevertheless, Focus returned to Australia and Japan in May and June 1975 for a series of sold out dates,{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=136}}<ref name=recordcollector1991/> yet reviewers of the gigs noticed the lack of cohesiveness than before.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=137}} During the Scandinavian tour that followed, a gig at the [[Ullevaal Stadion|Ullevaal Stadium]], Oslo during the Ragnarok Festival was met with Akkerman and van der Linden jamming with "little adherence to the repertoire" that was taken as a protest to playing the same material night after night. Matters turned for the worse after van Leer and Ruiter refused to have van der Linden re-record the drums for a single release of "Crackers", causing the drummer to quit a second time.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=139}} With van der Linden gone, Focus cancelled a proposed 34-date UK tour and brought back Kemper during subsequent rehearsals after a desperate plea from de Jong.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=140}}<ref name=sounds1976>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.ws/motherfocus/intervi4.htm|title=If You Look Like This...|work=Sounds|date=6 March 1976|first=Phil|last=Sutcliffe|access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref> The "House of the King"/"Avondrood" single was released in 1976; the latter track originally appeared on a Dutch compilation album.<ref name=recordcollector1991/> The two appear in instrumental form on ''Ship of Memories''.

[[File:Philip Catherine 1984 (249-66).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Phillip Catherine replaced Akkerman in 1976]]
In February 1976, two and a half days before the group's arrival to the UK for a tour, van Leer asked Akkerman to leave Focus over his disagreements with the music they were rehearsing and the decision not to have van der Linden return on the drums.<ref name=sounds1976/> Akkerman had grown tired of playing the same songs on stage, "It felt like I was in a straitjacket. There was still a lot of improvisation but even this had become planned".<ref name=recordcollector1991/> Van Leer said he wished to write "happy" music and move from "our European minor chords".<ref name=sounds1976/> Rather than have the tour cancelled, van Leer decided to proceed, with Kemper having seven days to arrive from the US and learn the new material and Akkerman at home with illness. In the guitarist's absence, van Leer met Belgian guitarist [[Philip Catherine]] and the two played a jam session that van Leer enjoyed. Akkerman disliked a song that the group had rehearsed about him soon after, which led to van Leer asking him to leave the next day.<ref name=sounds1976/>{{failed verification|date=December 2022}} After Catherine agreed to step in, the group rehearsed for fifty hours without sleep;<ref name=sounds1976/> van Leer spent the evening prior the first gig mapping out the guitar parts on paper which Catherine followed on stage.<ref name=recordcollector1991/> Refunds were offered to concert goers as news of Akkerman's departure was not made public until after the tour had begun,<ref name=sounds1976/> which ended in March 1976. Dutch guitarist [[:nl:Eef Albers|Eef Albers]] later joined Focus. A handful of scattered gigs were performed through 1977 and 1978 with American drummer Richard James on call out whenever they secured a booking.

After van Leer signed a deal with [[EMI Records|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.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=167}} Recording took place in December 1977 at EMI Studios in [[Haarlem]], Amsterdam with van Leer, Ruiter, Albers, and a returning Catherine, who was contractually required to perform.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=193}} Van Leer turned to ideas that he had developed with his wife Roselie during Focus tours, but felt neither his or Ruiter's voices were strong enough to sing on.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=167}}{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=192}} 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. Van Leer was sceptical as Proby was not familiar with the band and the singer was going through a period of heavy alcohol abuse. Upon Proby's arrival, Albers recalled: "He drank Four Roses whiskey the whole day, so much so that the nearest liquor store was soon sold out ... he always had the intention to run away".{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=192}}<ref name=recordcollector1991/> Proby interpreted the jazz-rock influenced songs as he felt, attempting "to meet them half-way between jazz and rock".{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=193}} James's drumming was unsuitable for the lighter material, so van Leer brought in future [[Journey (band)|Journey]] drummer, American [[Steve Smith (drummer)|Steve Smith]].{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=193}} Following the release of ''[[Focus con Proby]]'' in February 1978, which ignored the UK market, the album received negative reviews. Cleuver, then van Leer's manager, later called it "simply shameful".{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=201}} After a handful of gigs in the Netherlands, which concluded with a show in [[Terneuzen]] in August 1978 with James on the drums, van Leer ended Focus.{{sfn|Johnson|2013|p=204}}<ref name=recordcollector1991/>