Focus of recording before Herb Alpert finally cut verse (5)
I believe the answer is:
rhyme
'verse' is the definition.
(a rhyme is a piece of verse)
I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for rhyme that I've seen before include "Versification (which goes with reason)" , "Short piece of verse" , "Correspondence in the sounds of two or more words" , "Piece of poetry" , "Correspond in sound" .)