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Teamwork Is Paying Off
By Ashley Collie
From Canadian Musician - August, 1984
Gil Moore likes to use baseball analogies to describe Triumph's present state of affairs.
FICTIONAL SCENARIO
The spotlight is on Team Triumph. Rik Emmett is on third base, Mike Levine is on second and up to bat next is Gil Moore who represents the winning run. It's a tension-filled environment with all eyes on Moore. Manager Joe Owens leans close to him and whispers, "It's all up to you, now, kid!" Confidently, the tall, muscular Moore strides out to the plate and proceeds to crash the ball out of the park. It's a home-run.
ACTUAL SCENARIO
Moore is sitting alone in a Mississauga warehouse, crashing his set of Tama drums, not baseballs, into oblivion. He's putting down the bed tracks for Team Triumph's next L.P. Each of the band's previous six L.P.s - Allied Forces and Never Surrender both went gold in the U.S. with the latter close to achieving platinum status - have been individually important, yet this new one is deemed pivotal." This fact doesn't escape him. He's pounding away in deep earnest. He beaks away and talks about the L.P. which is slated for an August/September release. "We've been quite successful with our previous L.P.s. But when it's your time to bat again, you can look at your past stats, but you can't sit on your laurels. You've got to keep up a growing level of efficiency. The pressure is ever-present in the Big Leagues to prove yourself. As of yet, we haven't hit our grand slam home-run, so we're being even more demanding of our abilities for this L.P."
Expectations will be high. From the fans... Triumph hasn't done a full tour for a year. From the record company... Triumph is in litigation with its U.S. label and has been shopping for a new label in Canada, and it's been a year and a half since Never Surrender was released. Yet, there's an underlying sense of perspective and humour about this mounting pressure. Tongue-in-cheek, bassist Mike Levine says, "The only expectation I have is to get the songs on record... and if we don't, we'll all have a mass suicide, lemming-style! Actually, you can't expect an L.P. to do certain things for you. We try to put our best effort and hope the public likes it. That's the best expectation."
Triumph has been called a "thinking man's rock band" and. Indeed, they are their own toughest critics. The period they've just gone through has been a time of "honest self-appraisal" as Moore puts it. He adds, "When things don't go quite as planned, most bands blame everyone else except themselves. We decided to look at ourselves in the mirror and objectively look at our progression. We asked ourselves why we weren't Led Zeppelin yet, so to speak. The answer was that they wrote better songs. So we decided that if we're the hotshots we tell everyone we are, the we had better attempt to surpass everything we've done to-date." The result has been a whole new approach to songwritting. The time off has also allowed them to meticulously prepare for the expected fall U.S./Canadian tour. Owens says, "This will be Triumph's biggest North American tour to date. We've spent time putting together an unbelievable moving-lighting system, which will include lasers and holograms. The shows will be 'spectacles' in the Pink Floyd mold. We're deciding on what video approach to use; we'll try to do something unique. I think Triumph fits into its own niche. We're not like Loverboy or Journey and, yet, we're also not like Motley Crue. We'll continue writing thoughtful lyrics and I see no waning of interest on the bands part in performing. "
Owens, who has worked the gamut in the music industry including a stint with CBS Canada in 1977-79 when as Director of Artist Development he helped break Cheap Trick, Boston, Eddie Money and Meatloaf in Canada, became the fourth integral member of Triumph's rock corporation after the Progressions of Power L.P. In effect, he's become more of a "batting coach" than a full-time manager: "I represented continuity for them and I took care of the extra work and time they couldn't afford. While they were busy recording and being musicians, I did the phoning of radio stations and promoters etc. "
This "pinch-hitting" is a fact of life at Triumph Tours Incorporated which is run out of a three-unit building of warehouse, offices and The Metalworks Studio. Each member has a particular area of expertise and responsibility within their rock corporation, although there's some overlapping. Moore plans the tours and co-designs the band's lighting and stage effects; Levine handles the record company reps and radio; and Emmett takes care of the more creative items like songwriting, the videos and the design of the L.P. covers. Since Triumph has never had a manager per se since day one, they're all intimately involved in the goings-on. As Emmett once said, "1 enjoy playing with Triumph, but Triumph is a serious job, a responsibility. "
Canadian Musician spoke with the three musicians and discussed their particular responsibilities on the eve of this crucial time in Triumph's eight year career.
Rik Emmett:
Could you explain he record company situation ?
Hopefully, by the time this appears, everything will be worked out. It basically comes down to a matter of interpretation of whether we fulfilled the terms of our contract with RCA in the U.S. We feel that the contract has legally expired, while the company is questioning the amount of material we produced during that period. We have gotten an injunction to talk to other labels and to go ahead and record, and that's underway. We have a distribution deal with Polygram in Canada, but we've terminated our contract with Attic. We're expecting resolution on all these counts and once that's done, we'll have our rocket boasters on!
How is the writing for this L. P different than /hat of previous L.P.s? On Never Surrender, there's a lot of influences... a few reggae riffs, some blues, some classical bars, songs thaf are like ballads, others that are rockier, some that seem conceptual in content etc.
That's very true, you've picked upon the different influences; although, we've Triumphized all these sounds. In a three piece band, these influences come primarily from the lead guitar which is responsible for the total harmonic and melodic structure. We're trying to get the bass to play in a more melodic way. Right from the start this time, we've tried to get a more unified effort. I write melodic based songs while Gil writes the rhythm based tunes, and in the past, we've worked independently. I've worked everyday with Gil in an empty warehouse this time. We're expecting more continuity within the songs and a streamlined more common feeling. We two do most of the writing with Mike adding in at the production time. In terms of technology, I've been using the Roland Guitar Synthesizer which opens up lots of possibilities. We're also using MIDI and with the aid of a new Roland drum machine and a Jupiter 6 keyboard, we're expecting much more texture. Traditionally, we've played hard rock, but the sort of syncopated drum feel (our bastardized reggae) in the song "Never Surrender" will be prominent throughout. But we won't be doing anything in the studio that we can't do live.
You've never really had a monster single, yet have managed to succeed. Is there pressure to write one?
There's always pressure to write one; it's the easiest way to sell an L.P. Anyone who's unaware of this fact, is a fool, however, you can choose to ignore it. Rush is a perfect example of success without a hit single. Yet, they're writing shorter songs with more hooks now. Geddy's vocals are lower etc. What we try to do is make the best song we can.
You produced the last Santer L. P; has it helped you in producing this new L.P ?
Our ideal was to find an accomplished musician/engineer, but they're hard to come by - too busy or too expensive. So we decided to do the production ourselves. It was a real learning experience for me to do the Santers project, but I found myself itching to play during the process. I have to admit my engineering skills leave a lot to be desired. Then again, some say that my guitar skills leave a lot to be desired too! I'm not really a knob twiddler, I'm a string bender, but doing the Santers production gave me a goad perspective on Triumph. You can get too insulated in your own thing.
What sort of video approach will you be taking?
Well, to be honest, we're still searching for what it is we want. We were one of the first bands to have videos on MTV in the U.S. - they were primarily concert clips. We've always approached videos from that point: that we're musicians performing music. Performance videos of Triumph have been successful, but then how do you compete with something like the Thriller video? You've got to have the big budget, the big producer etc. Those 15-16 year old kids are being fed on a diet of T&A and monsters and they've come to expect the visceral, momentary feeling they offer. Even at shows, they don't come for an intellectual experience. The fact is, if you can't give them what they want, then you can forget about trying to raise their consciousness. Do we want to be really weird? Do we want to do something like Van Halen's Jump video which was done on low budget with the band having fun? You've got to keep things in context: Van Halen couldn't be doing a Duran Duran type of video. Our problem is: How do we make a video more music?
What type of instrumentation will you be taking on tour?
I use my Framus-Akkerman guitar for just about everything. I use a Chet Atkins model Gibson for the intros and inserts I do on the albums: it's electric, yet it uses nylon strings. Overall I'm thinking of moving on. Peavey has some really good equipment and I'm presently in negotiation with them about endorsing one of their new double-neck guitars. I'm also thinking of using a Yamaha acoustic similar to what Bruce Cockburn uses.
Gil Moore:
Could you expand on your new songwriting approach with Rik?
In the early days, we did some collaboration, but this time we went into a room without any ideas and co-wrote intensely. We're basically strengthening each other's weaknesses. In the past, I wrote most of the heavier sounding songs and Rik did the more harmonic ones. Some of the melodic songs tended to lack that heavier rock and roll drive and vice versa. Now the songs are less extreme, and vocally we're doing more. harmonizing together. There is a bit more of an R & B feel, but that's because I started out as an R & B drummer and Mike was an R & B bassist. It wasn't cool in the beginning to bring these influences out, but we're not as self-conscious about our roots now. So the R & B feel is more osmosis than planned.
What are you planning lighting and sound wise for the tour?
The sound by dB Sound Inc. of Chicago w1ll be fantastic! It's a concept that's built on our previous set-ups and it will suffice for both indoor and outdoor venues. Atlanta's R.A. Roth does the lighting with Dallas' Showlasers taking care of the laser show. Lighting is always a big challenge. Triumph has developed a reputation that's hard to top. Yet with a little more money, we're able to put on a bigger and better production each time out. Some from our audience have been coming for years, so they deserve to see a better, more theatrical perspective on the songs. On the tour, and I'm really excited, the entire lighting system will move on an array of pods. There'll also be a different rigging system. In the past, it was hung off the building's own ceiling girders, now, we're using a hanging grid. We'll be flying the entire system off this grid which will allow the lights to move in all ways... horizontally, vertically, up and down etc. There's no way even Van Halen has a bigger system than ours. Showlasers are involved in developing some holographic effects. I've had some problems with building restrictions in the. past. For instance, my drums are completely covered in mirrors, and there's been concern that these could reflect our lights in an uncontrolled manner. We're working to overcome these restrictions.
Is there any concern about overdoing it?
I don't think you can go too far with your production. You have to enhance the music somehow to translate it to the fans at the back of the arena. Fans demand to see spectacular shows. On the last tour, I noticed that Triumph finished second to Bruce Springsteen in many regional areas in terms of live shows. That's not bad company. We've always prided ourselves on having a great live show and a lot of effort is expended, however, I stress that we play our musical set first and then tie in the lighting to the music's theatrics.
What are the tour plans?
Touring is the whole key to Triumph: We've never had a killer single but radio will find a single if enough fans support us on tour. We're planning an 85-90 city tour in the U.S. We've played most, of the cities at least once, but there'll be a handful of new venues and places. I know what you're thinking: How about Canada? Well, the last tour we did here was in 1981 in conjunction with a U.S. tour. I know from the mail we get that there's a lot of demand. I can assure our fans that we'll make it up to you Canada ! Actually, our timing is really perfect for the tour. Lots of bands don't listen to local promoters: we use them as a barometer of what's going on in the streets. There's so much B.S. that flies around in this business. The successful promoter uses his version of a street poll, and he's often more in touch with what's happening than other so-called experts. I, like these promoters, listen to the fans. Other bands shun their fans. I ask questions. I don't go out of my way to hide from them. If one walks up to me on the street and asks me something, I'm going to talk. Listen, if you want to be a rock star and have all the trappings, you can't complain about the fans.
What equipment will you be taking on tour?
I've played Tama drums since late 1976- Amrik Singh (Efkay Ltd. ) got me my first set and I've used about five sets. I'11 probably use a new set for the tour. I have a certain allegiance to Tama. It's like a gunslinger, you like to go with the same guns. Hardware-wise, I can categorically say that Tama is the best, I've met with reps from the Japanese manufacturers and even given suggestions.
Mike Levine:
How did the original idea to set up Triumph come about?
Remember the TV show Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman? Well, one of the stars wanted to be a country star. Well, we saw it, and that's what we wanted to become - rock and roll stars. Sure, we dreamed about playing at the Maple Leaf Gardens back then, but we thought we'd probably get only as far as the Gasworks! Those modest initial goals were slowly attained and as we approached achieving them, we were always planning newer ones to try for. You know, quite honestly, if it all stopped tomorrow, I'd still feel like a pig in shit. I'm happy with my lot. We've been lucky and we've hit so many of our goals. We've had eight years of growth and that adds up to a lot of satisfaction.
How did the individual responsibilities come about?
It was based on the experience each of us had up to then. We each took an area we thought we could do our best in. I had a background in the record business and I'd been involved with a record label in the early '70s along with doing some promoting. Gil had done some booking and he had a background in things, technical. Because we didn't have a manager, we took on all the responsibilities ourselves. In 1979, I realized that if I was to continue taking care of the radio aspects of the business, then I had better be good at it. So I made radio a project and I studied such things as program formats, signal processing etc. I was then able to talk to the radio person in his or her lingo. We had to promote our own records, so I made it a point to develop god relationships with program directors. I still go to radio conventions to keep up on trends etc.
What are your feelings about radio today?
It's still a major factor. If your song doesn't get played on the radio, who's going to buy it? Without airplay, you can tour yourself to death and still not get anywhere. We had no airplay with our first two L.P.s but we had to overcome that obstacle. However, when radio did pick up on us, we already had a base audience set up. Generally, though, radio is inconsistent and all over the place. For instance, when that wave of New Music happened a couple of years ago, a lot of stations reacted quickly versus adapting the New Music trend into their set up formats. Today, radio is over-researched, over-demographicised and over-analyzed.
Were do you think video is going?
I think it's going through a settling down process. There was a lot of slop in the beginning because of the lack of material. But now it's becoming more defined. like hit radio, we're now getting hit video, It's a marketing tool, but not the mass medium tool that radio is. You can't listen with your eyes. When it comes to Triumph doing some new videos, my vote is to rather not make them if we have to compromise our image or music.
Are you going to be playing more keyboards on the next tour?
There will be more keyboards on the new L.P. and I try to use what I play on record, on the road as well. However, although I try to duplicate live what I do in the studio, things do get a little difficult. For instance, it's somewhat difficult, as you can surmise, to play bass and keyboard together. Three hands would help! I use an old Fender Jazz Bass but I've been trying for the last seven years to find another one. However, the price is either astronomical or it's not quite what I want. Fender came out with its Replica Series and I did find one almost identical to my Jazz Bass, so I use it as my second one.
Whatever happened to that goal you had about owning a string of racehorses?
Well, I'm not quite there, but I wouldn't mind buying a cheap claimer. (That's a broken down version.) I could then call it something like Triumph's Folly!
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