Triumvirat
Encyclopedia
Triumvirat was a German
progressive rock
trio that formed in 1969 in Cologne
, Germany
. The founding members were: keyboardist/composer Hans-Jürgen (later simply Jürgen) Fritz (born March 13, 1953), drummer/lyricist Hans Bathelt, and bassist Werner Frangenberg.
, a grouping of three powerful men, thus referring to the musical trio.
and Emerson, Lake & Palmer
heavily influenced Triumvirat’s musical direction and the band incorporated some of Nice/ELP music into their repertoire (Rondo among others). In fact, at the height of their fame during the 70’s prog rock era, Triumvirat was often referred to as the ‘German Emerson, Lake & Palmer’ or ‘ELP clone’ due to Fritz's classical virtuosity on keyboards and synthesizers.
Records in Cologne and won their first record contract. Triumvirat subsequently produced modestly successful albums during the early to mid-1970s, including Mediterranean Tales: Across The Waters and Illusions on a Double Dimple
and toured the United States with Fleetwood Mac
to support Illusions on a Double Dimple, playing the album in its entirety. In 1975, Triumvirat reached the apex of their commercial success with the release of Spartacus
, which is considered by many as a classic "prog rock" masterpiece album, along with Illusions on a Double Dimple.
The band underwent numerous personnel changes over the course of its life and eventually disbanded in 1980 with the release of their final album Russian Roulette. An officially-authorized biography of the group was written by Russell Schenewerk and appears on www.triumvirat.net.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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...
trio that formed in 1969 in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The founding members were: keyboardist/composer Hans-Jürgen (later simply Jürgen) Fritz (born March 13, 1953), drummer/lyricist Hans Bathelt, and bassist Werner Frangenberg.
Meaning of name
In German and French, Triumvirat is the word for a triumvirateTriumvirate
A triumvirate is a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals, each a triumvir . The arrangement can be formal or informal, and though the three are usually equal on paper, in reality this is rarely the case...
, a grouping of three powerful men, thus referring to the musical trio.
Formation
During its early years, Triumvirat initially played Top 40 songs at local venues in Cologne. The NiceThe Nice
The Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
and Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
heavily influenced Triumvirat’s musical direction and the band incorporated some of Nice/ELP music into their repertoire (Rondo among others). In fact, at the height of their fame during the 70’s prog rock era, Triumvirat was often referred to as the ‘German Emerson, Lake & Palmer’ or ‘ELP clone’ due to Fritz's classical virtuosity on keyboards and synthesizers.
Record contract
In the early 1970s, the band sent a demo tape to EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Records in Cologne and won their first record contract. Triumvirat subsequently produced modestly successful albums during the early to mid-1970s, including Mediterranean Tales: Across The Waters and Illusions on a Double Dimple
Illusions on a Double Dimple
Illusions on a Double Dimple is an album by the German progrock group Triumvirat. It was a breakthrough for the band, that started to open shows in a U.S tour for Fleetwood Mac playing it entirely, and made the band more popular in some countries...
and toured the United States with Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
to support Illusions on a Double Dimple, playing the album in its entirety. In 1975, Triumvirat reached the apex of their commercial success with the release of Spartacus
Spartacus (Triumvirat album)
Spartacus is an album by the German group Triumvirat. Spartacus is a concept album based on the Roman gladiator who led the 3rd slave uprising in 73–71 BC. The lyrics were written by Hans Bathelt, with contributions by Jürgen Fritz. It was originally released in 1975 on the EMI label, and...
, which is considered by many as a classic "prog rock" masterpiece album, along with Illusions on a Double Dimple.
The band underwent numerous personnel changes over the course of its life and eventually disbanded in 1980 with the release of their final album Russian Roulette. An officially-authorized biography of the group was written by Russell Schenewerk and appears on www.triumvirat.net.
Helmut Köllen
Vocalist/bassist Helmut Köllen (performing on the band's most successful albums, Illusions and Spartacus) left the band after Spartacus to pursue a solo career. On May 3, 1977, at the age of 27 (born March 2, 1950), he died from carbon monoxide poisoning while listening to some of his studio tracks in his car's cassette player while running the engine in his garage. His debut solo album You Won't See Me was released posthumously in October 1977.Studio Albums
- Mediterranean TalesMediterranean TalesMediterranean Tales is the debut album of German progressive rock group Triumvirat.-Track listing:#"Across the Waters" - 16:31#*"Overture" #*"Taxident" #*"Mind Tripper"...
(1972) - Illusions on a Double DimpleIllusions on a Double DimpleIllusions on a Double Dimple is an album by the German progrock group Triumvirat. It was a breakthrough for the band, that started to open shows in a U.S tour for Fleetwood Mac playing it entirely, and made the band more popular in some countries...
(1974) U.S. #55 - SpartacusSpartacus (Triumvirat album)Spartacus is an album by the German group Triumvirat. Spartacus is a concept album based on the Roman gladiator who led the 3rd slave uprising in 73–71 BC. The lyrics were written by Hans Bathelt, with contributions by Jürgen Fritz. It was originally released in 1975 on the EMI label, and...
(1975) U.S. #27 - Old Loves Die HardOld Loves Die HardOld Loves Die Hard is an album by German progressive rock group Triumvirat.The LP album was released in the United States and some other markets with a different cover from the European and later the CD edition. It featured a cornered mouse seen through a magnifying hand lens...
(1976) U.S. #85 - PompeiiPompeii (album)Pompeii is an album by German progressive rock group Triumvirat. The band released the album under the name of "The New Triumvirat" due to temporary legal squabbles over the original name.-Track listing:#"The Earthquake 62 A.D." - 6:18...
(1977) - A La CarteA la Carte (Triumvirat album)A La Carte is the sixth full-length studio album by German progressive rock band Triumvirat, released in 1978. - Track listing :#Waterfall 4:48#Late Again 6:48#Jo Ann Walker 4:46#For You 5:53...
(1978) - Russian RouletteRussian Roulette (Triumvirat album)Russian Roulette is the seventh full-length studio album by German progressive rock band Triumvirat, released in 1980. - Track listing :#Party Life 3:28#You Can't Catch Me 4:08#Come with Me 3:59...
(1980)
External links
- Official band website
- TRIUMVIRAT discography, MP3, videos and reviews retrieved 7-30-07