Expert: Geoff Wickens - 7/31/2006

Question
Can you tell me the names of the band members and what bands if any that they played in before Triumph and what they are doing now and any other interesting things that you know about the bands history. Thanks, your friend Mark

Answer
Wow - where do I begin - In the beginning .......

Triumph is a Canadian rock band that was popular in the late 1970s through the 1980s.

Like their fellow Canadians, Rush and Saga, Triumph began building their reputation across North America as a live band, peaking in the early 1980s as an import before interest gradually declined. Today, the power trio has been largely forgotten outside of Canada, except for its fanbase in Texas. The band was formed by Toronto music veterans Gil Moore (drums/vocals)and Mike Levine (bass/keyboards) after meeting talented guitarist/singer/songwriter Rik Emmett in a manager's office in Toronto in 1975.

Being a power trio, Triumph were often compared to Rush, but at the start, their own brand of heavy rock remained structured and traditional, eschewing concept albums and instrumental improvisation. The band is considered heavy metal by most standards, though the band themselves were reluctant to embrace this label. Gil Moore once described Triumph as a cross between Emerson, Lake, and Palmer and The Who. However, Rik Emmett's eclectic songwriting styles soon revealed his personal tastes ran closer to the heart of progressive rock. Each Triumph album included a classical guitar suite, often a highlight amid the band's otherwise predictable collection of anthems and ballads. Drummer Gil Moore's greatest distinction lay in his ability to sing the band's heavier numbers, such as "When the Lights Go Down," and "Allied Forces," but he never developed much in terms of lyrical sophistication. Bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine served capably as the group's backbone in concert, also producing their early albums.

Triumph's bombastic style proved unpopular with rock critics, who paused their harangues against Rush long enough to print more than a few diatribes against them. Rolling Stone reviewers, in particular, were unkind to the Canadian trio, labelling them "mutant hoseheads," and "yet another faceless band." Yet, Rik Emmett's boyish charm and guitar heroics attracted numerous young fans, not to mention high esteem from professional and aspiring guitarists alike. Some also compared his guitar chops to Eddie Van Halen, also a rising star at the time. Another attraction to Triumph's concerts lay in their lavish fireworks displays, courtesy of Gil Moore, a pyrotechnics expert in his own right. Because their stage show proved too large for a support act, Triumph essentially began in 1977 as a U.S. headliner at San Antonio, which remained a popular venue for the trio.

Triumph's first record deal was signed with Attic Records in Canada. They later signed with RCA Records in the USA covering everywhere else except Canada. After the RCA deal ended in acrimony, MCA Records picked up the band and re-released all their music to date in 1984. After the shift to MCA, the band began to work with outside producers, and their studio albums became increasingly difficult to replicate onstage. Rather than following the sequencer-laden path taken by Rush to remain a true power trio, Triumph later added Rick Santers, a Toronto guitarist/keyboardist, to support their last three tours.

Triumph's first album (originally self-titled but later renamed In the Beginning) was extremely rare outside Canada, but their widely released second LP, Rock and Roll Machine, received some scattered airplay with Gil Moore's cover of Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way". For the 1978 American release of Rock and Roll Machine, elements from both albums were combined, including the title track, which remained a concert showcase for Rik's fretwork. Both their early albums demonstrate a strong Led Zeppelin influence, but progressive rock overtones also surfaced in the metallic "Blinding Light Show" (composed by Rik Emmett prior to joining Triumph) and their three-part mini-concept, "The City", reminiscent of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, complete with classical motifs.

Triumph's third album, Just a Game, featured a minor U.S. radio hit, the pleasant folk-rocker "Hold On", which barely scraped the Top 40. Rik Emmett's "Fantasy Serenade" and "Suitcase Blues" revealed the Canadian guitarist's talent for classical and acoustic jazz, while the title track exhibited his talent for political themes. Another band favorite, "Lay it on the Line", clinched Rik Emmett's image as the band's frontman. Their 1979 album eventually went gold in the U.S., their first glimmer of stardom. However, Gil Moore exerted more influence over next year's drab, metallic Progressions of Power, which did not fare quite as well commercially. The drummer/vocalist's rather uninspired tunes, "I Live For the Weekend" and "I Can Survive", received only sporadic airplay. However, the resultant 1980 tour solidified their presence in the U.S. and Great Britain, while paving the road for their three most successful albums.

Both 1981's Allied Forces and 1983's Never Surrender went immediately gold in the U.S. and platinum in Canada, based on the group's reputation as a live band. Triumph also began releasing a string of moderate hit singles in the early 1980s. Straightforward anthems such as "Magic Power" and "Fight the Good Fight," both sung by Rik Emmett, became staples on AOR stations, while Never Surrender featured Rik Emmett's "A World of Fantasy" and Gil Moore's fiery blues-rocker "When The Lights Go Down." (Perhaps the band's most memorable tune, "Magic Power" recently resurfaced in the Jack Black vehicle, School of Rock.) Allied Forces eventually sold over a million copies in the U.S.

Never Surrender also seems to have been heavily influenced by the recent success of Rush, as the band's compositions took on more political overtones. Previously, Rik Emmett seemed content to limit himself to a single political theme on each previous Triumph album. ("Just a Game", "Hard Road" and "Ordinary Man" betray Rik Emmett's strong populist leanings.) However, Never Surrender featured no fewer than five anthems of varying quality. The Jimi Hendrix-inspired riff-rocker "Too Much Thinking" even samples Ronald Reagan from one of his presidential speeches. Rolling Stone gave Never Surrender a harsh one-star rating, but it still managed to win new fans. Perhaps more damaging to Triumph's success, their relationship with RCA soured at this point, and the label did little to support their albums. MCA Records executive Irving Azoff demonstrated his faith in the trio by co-opting their debts and signing them for five albums. Following their 1984 label change, MCA took over distribution of their old catalog for ten years.

Thunder Seven debuted on compact disc in late 1984, which stands as a misjudgement of the then-new technology's viability. Triumph's seventh album emerged at a time where relatively few could afford CD players. Despite two potential hit singles, Gil Moore's "Spellbound" and "Follow Your Heart", the album failed to achieve expected levels, even when cassette and vinyl copies were later released. Thunder Seven is perhaps the band's high mark, with Rik Emmett's lyrics addressing social concerns in a surprisingly adult context. Continuing in the direction of Never Surrender, the entire second side forms a loose concept, focusing on different perspectives of Time. "A Midsummer's Daydream" received numerous accolades for best classical guitar composition. Thunder Seven at last became a RIAA certified gold album in 2003, demonstrating the persistent devotion of Triumph's fan base, even after twenty years.

Unfortunately, the band's fortunes continued to slide. In 1985, the band released Stages, a rather uneven double live set culled from the previous three tours, with a couple studio tracks, "Mind Games" and "Empty Inside," to flesh out the wooden sound. These two blistering guitar-driven tracks promised much for the next album, but Triumph would take a commercial turn with their 1986 studio album, The Sport of Kings. For the first time since Rock and Roll Machine, the band relied on outside songwriters for their own material -- a move that all three members would soon regret. They also began to soften their image as tough Canadian rockers, following the examples of successful American bands, such as Styx, Journey, and Night Ranger, the latter group also in the MCA stable. Many hardcore fans were disappointed with the results, although Rik Emmett's affable mid-tempo rocker, "Somebody's Out There," managed to crack the American Top-40 in late 1986, gaining some needed radio and video exposure. Gil Moore's "Tears in the Rain," cut from the same cloth as "Mind Games," did not fare as well in the charts. Adding Rick Santers to their line-up, Triumph toured with Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen across the United States. However, cracks had begun to appear on the wall, along with diminishing tour dates.

In 1987, the band attempted a return to form, with Surveillance emerging late in the year. While Gil Moore and Mike Levine remained firmly planted in blues-rock, Rik Emmett took more of a modern progressive turn, even involving Dixie Dregs and Kansas guitarist Steve Morse. They collaborated on a dual-guitar solo for Gil Moore's angst-ridden "Headed For Nowhere." But the album's lead single, "Long Time Gone," vanished without a trace on most U.S. radio with the possible exception of Texas (historically their strongest American market) where "On and On" ended up being the most frequently spun track. The ballad "Let the Light (Shine on Me)" only charted in Canada. The 1988 tour concluded amid growing disharmony over writing credits and artistic direction. In late 1988, Rik Emmett made a total break with Triumph, yielding any commercial interests in the band's merchandise or property investments. He subsequently began a modest but distinguished solo career, with his first album, Absolutely, yielding four hits in Canada. Meanwhile, Triumph released 1989's Classics as their obligatory fifth album owed to MCA Records.

In 1992, the remaining members of Triumph recruited Phil Xenidis (Phil Xenidis), a Canadian guitarist known for his work with Aldo Nova. However, Gil Moore remained the principal songwriter and lead vocalist for 1993's Edge of Excess, with additional help from guitarist-producer Mladen. Rick Santers also remained on hand as touring keyboardist/vocalist for the 1993 North American tour; he took over Rik Emmett's vocal spot in concert, singing fan favorites "Magic Power" and "Fight the Good Fight." Unfortunately, Triumph's comeback album proved to be a lacklustre collection of rockers and ballads that lacked something of the melodic veneer of their earliest albums. Nevertheless, initial reception from American radio seemed quite favorable, until Triumph's recording label, a subsidiary of Polygram, dissolved unexpectedly in 1993. After this downturn, the remaining members of Triumph effectively disbanded.

In 1998, Rik Emmett resisted overtures from his former bandmates for a potentially lucrative 20th anniversary U.S. tour. The former Triumph guitarist cited his mistrust of Gil Moore and Mike Levine over their controlling influence in the past, citing their insistence of joint songwriting credits -- including his classical guitar compositions. Nevertheless, Moore and Levine purchased back their entire album catalogue from MCA, and they continue to release live recordings and videos from their long career. Gil Moore and Mike Levine also co-own and operate Metal Works Studio in Mississauga; originally built in the 1980s for Triumph's exclusive use, Metal Works has recently become a highly-regarded recording studio across North America.

I hope this answers your questions and satisfies your quest for knowledge about this power group.  

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