HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Triumvirat was a West German progressive rock band from
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
in then-
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
. They became, during the 1970s, a key figure in Eurock, the progressive rock of continental Europe whose German variant is called
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...
. The name Triumvirat comes from the Latin word ''triumvirate'', which refers to a group of three powerful individuals. Members of the original band were
Hans-Jürgen Fritz Hans-Jürgen is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Hans-Jürgen Abt of Abt Sportsline, a motor racing and auto tuning company based in Kempten im Allgäu, Germany *Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (1889–1962), German colonel-general (Gen ...
(aka Jürgen Fritz) on keyboards, Werner Frangenberg on bass and vocals, and drummer-percussionist-lyricist Hans Bathelt. However, that line-up would be in a constant state of flux over the band's career, with each album featuring at least one different member. The band was often criticized for the similarity of their sound to British band
Emerson, Lake and Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percuss ...
, something that band members may have had in mind when they wrote the song "Lucky Girl" for their ''
Illusions on a Double Dimple ''Illusions on a Double Dimple'' is the second album by the Germany, German progrock group Triumvirat. It was a breakthrough for the band, which started to open shows in a U.S. tour for Fleetwood Mac. Triumvirat played the album in its entirety, a ...
'' album, perhaps in response to one of ELP's greatest hits " Lucky Man".


History


Beginnings (1969–1972)

The group was formed in 1969 in Cologne, Germany. They became known by playing chart hits in local clubs around town. Heavily influenced by the musical style of
The Nice The Nice were an English progressive rock band active in the late 1960s. They blended rock, jazz and classical music and were keyboardist Keith Emerson's first commercially successful band. The group was formed in 1967 by Emerson, Lee Jack ...
and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, they incorporated some of these bands' songs into their repertoire, like ''Rondo'' and ''Hoedown''. They eventually abandoned cover versions and started composing their own music, still with a strong
Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 1944 – 11 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. He became ...
influence for keyboard sounds that is most evident in the prominent use of the Hammond organ. At the height of their glory, the band was often called a clone of ELP by the specialized press, not only because of the similarity of their music and the sound of their keyboards, but also because of keyboardist Fritz's virtuosity and classical training.


First recordings (1972–1975)

In 1972, the trio sent a demo to the local record company EMI Group, with which they signed their first recording contract. The group then produced their first album, ''
Mediterranean Tales ''Mediterranean Tales (Across the Waters)'' is the debut album of German progressive rock group Triumvirat. Track listing Personnel *Jürgen Fritz – Hammond B3 organ, electric piano, Grand piano, Moog synthesizer, vocals on ''Eleven Kids'' ...
'' in 1972, consisting of two full-side suites. Just before entering the studio, bassist Frangenberg had left the band, to be replaced by Hans-Georg Pape to handle bass duties as well as vocals, with notable exceptions on the song ''Eleven Kids'', sung by Fritz, who also delivers two verses in the song ''Broken Mirror''. They undertook a European and American tour, during which they played in the United States, opening for
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
. Back in Germany , they returned to the studio in 1974 to produce their second album, ''
Illusions on a Double Dimple ''Illusions on a Double Dimple'' is the second album by the Germany, German progrock group Triumvirat. It was a breakthrough for the band, which started to open shows in a U.S. tour for Fleetwood Mac. Triumvirat played the album in its entirety, a ...
'' with the Cologne Opera House Orchestra, Kurt Edelhagen's brass section and Karl Drewo's saxophone for the ''Mister Ten Percent'' suite, as well as a chorus composed of Ulla Wiesmer, Brigitte Thomas, and Hanna Dölitzsch. But that same year, bassist-singer Pape left the band to get married and was replaced by
Helmut Köllen Helmut Köllen (2 March 1950 – 3 May 1977) was a German bass and guitar player as well as a singer for the band Triumvirat. Career Early years Early in his musical career, Helmut Köllen gained experience in various local bands in Cologne, Ger ...
, a young guitarist-bassist-singer who was already working with the band as a sound technician and also happened to be Fritz's cousin. The resulting album showcased the work of both bassists, with Pape playing bass on most of side one's ''Illusions on a Double Dimple'' suite, and Köllen playing bass and guitar on side two's ''Mister Ten Percent'' suite. Köllen also handled vocals for the entire album. Arguably their most accomplished release musically, the album was listed at position 45 in ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
2015 list of ''50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time''.''50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time. From the Court of the Crimson King to the Comatorium''
''Rolling Stone'', June 17, 2015


''Spartacus'' and ''Old Loves Die Hard'' (1975–1977)

In 1975, the trio began recording their third album, ''
Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising ...
'', a retelling of the story of the famed Roman slave and Thracian gladiator in the year 73 BC. The lyrics were written by drummer Hans Bathelt, with the help of keyboardist Fritz and the album was released on EMI / Electrola, distributed in America by Capitol Records. The album debuted at number 27 on the ''Billboard'' album chart. The US tour of Spartacus included many dates opening for Supertramp. Triumvirat was very well-rehearsed, and often out-shone Supertramp on the tour. They also had an element of fun in their live shows that was rare for a prog band. After the album release, Helmut Köllen left to pursue a solo career. He began recording his first solo album with the help of Fritz on keyboards and Hans Bathelt for lyrics on one of the songs, ''The Story of Life''. He did return to the band, who had already composed new songs, but this return was cut short, among other reasons because the new songs no longer suited his tone of voice. He then dedicated himself to his new solo career, which was also cut short when he unfortunately died on May 3, 1977 at only 27 years old. He was listening to a demo tape of his future solo album on his car radio in his garage while the engine was running and died from carbon monoxide poisoning. His completed album would be released posthumously two years later after his death under the title ''You Won't See Me'' on the Harvest Records label and dedicated to his parents. The Köllen album included a Beatles song (the title-track), which he was fond of, and another whose lyrics were written by Triumviurat's drummer, ''The Story of Life''. Musicians present on the album include, among others, Hans-Jürgen Fritz on keyboards, Brigitte Witt on choirs who would later take part in the New Triumvirate band, as well as Helmut's sister, Elke Köllen also on chorus. Matthias Holtmann played drums while Köllen handled guitar, bass and vocals. Köllen also featured as a guest on songs by the group Jail, including a single called ''Julie'' in 1976. Shortly after his death, the German group
Birth Control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
recorded and published a song in tribute to the bassist, entitled ''We All Thought We Knew You'', on their album ''Increase'' produced in 1977. As for Triumvirat, the group decided to move on after Köllen's departure, hiring British singer Barry Palmer and calling on their original bassist Werner Frangenberg to record their next album ''
Old Loves Die Hard ''Old Loves Die Hard'' is the fourth album by German progressive rock group Triumvirat. It was their first recording as a four-piece band, with British singer Barry Palmer and German bassist Werner Frangenberg replacing their previous singer-bassi ...
'', released in 1976. The album's cover would be the last to feature the iconic white rat that had become the group's mascot since their second album.


''Pompeii'' and ''À la Carte'' (1977–1979)

In 1977, bassist Frangenberg and drummer-lyricist Hans Bathelt left the band, which called on
Curt Cress Curtis Cress (born 11 August 1952), known by his stage name Curt Cress, is a German musician, singer and songwriter. Life and work Curt Cress began his career in 1965 in Hanau with the band Load. Later also in Hanau he played with the bands I ...
on drums (from the German band
Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...
) and bassist Dieter Petereit for the album ''Pompeii''. After temporary legal quarrels between the keyboardist Hans-Jürgen Fritz and the drummer Hans Bathelt concerning the name of the group, the album was released under the new name of New Triumvirat. It would be the last album to contain prog-rock; the rest of their discography would not be the same style. This was the main reason for the departure of drummer and lyricist Hans Bathelt, dissatisfied with the direction taken by Hans-Jürgen Fritz and pressure from the record company, which pushed the group towards a more commercial pop music sound. The next album released in 1978, ''À la Carte'', had little or nothing to do with the band of previous years, due to the pressures of the record company that wanted more sales from the group. As the last original member, the other musicians on the album being merely contract players, Fritz did not feel able to protest, and the result was this album that sold less than the previous ones. Changes of personnel for this album comprised Barry Palmer's replacement on vocals by David Hanselmann, Werner Kopal taking bassist Dieter Petereit's place, and Curt Cress giving way to drummer Matthias Holtmann.


''Russian Roulette'' and separation (1980)

The band's last album ''Russian Roulette'' was released in 1980, with Toto members Steve Lukather on guitar and bass and drummer Jeff Porcaro (who had also played with
Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...
) plus other studio musicians. But the album dissatisfied keyboardist Fritz who subsequently disbanded the group.


Solo Projects

In 1987, Barry Palmer produced a maxi-single titled ''Shimmering Gold'' (Max Version) / ''Shimmering Gold'' (Single Version) / ''Cold Nights'', co-produced by Hans-Jurgen Fritz and Andreas Martin Krause; Fritz also wrotes the lyrics of ''Shimmering Gold'', which the music was composed by Eugen Römer. It was published on Titan Records. In 1989 Hans-Jürgen Fritz released an album that consists of a soundtrack for a movie titled ''Es ist nicht leicht, ein Gott zu sein'', in english it was called ''It's Hard to Be a God'', on the CBS Records label. The last song, "Hard to Be a God", was sung by
Grant Stevens Grant Stevens (born 27 October 1953 in Walcha, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian singer and lyricist who has been based in Germany since the 1970s. He left his homeland in the 1970s for London, where he recorded various albums and sin ...
, the rest of the album being instrumental. The film was by Peter Fleischmann, based on a screenplay by Peter Fleischmann and Jean-Claude Carrière, with Edward Zentara and Werner Herzog. Then in 1990, he released his only solo album, again on Columbia Records in Europe, and Sony in America, in the Millennium collection, entitled ''Dreams of Amadeus'' with Ralf Hildenbeutel, in which the music is based on Mozart themes.


Aborted return and reissue of their discography

Since 2002, according to the band's official website, Triumvirat had to be back with a project called ''The Website Story'', which they recorded in 1999, with songs written in partnership with Fritz and John Miles; the project remains unpublished for lack of interest from record companies. In 2012, EMI released the Essential compilation with songs from their seven albums. Note that all their albums, including their latest ''Russian Roulette'' have been reissued in 2002 with additional titles, previously only available in singles, special mention for ''Illusions on a Double Dimple'' which is adorned with a different cover.


Personnel

*
Hans-Jürgen Fritz Hans-Jürgen is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Hans-Jürgen Abt of Abt Sportsline, a motor racing and auto tuning company based in Kempten im Allgäu, Germany *Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (1889–1962), German colonel-general (Gen ...
- Keyboards (1969–1980, 2002) * Werner Frangenberg - Bass (1969, 1976) *
Hans-Georg Pape Hans-Georg is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Hans-Georg Anscheidt (born 1935), Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion *Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg (1583–1641), Field Marshal of Holy Roman Empire and the Electo ...
- Bass, lead vocals (1969–1973) *
Hans Bathelt Hans Bathelt is a German drummer, percussionist and lyricist who played with the German progressive rock band Triumvirat between 1970 and 1976. He left because of musical differences between him and the keyboardist Hans Jürgen Fritz, the record c ...
- Drums, percussion (1969–1976) *
Helmut Köllen Helmut Köllen (2 March 1950 – 3 May 1977) was a German bass and guitar player as well as a singer for the band Triumvirat. Career Early years Early in his musical career, Helmut Köllen gained experience in various local bands in Cologne, Ger ...
- Bass, guitars, lead vocals (1973–1975) * Barry Palmer - Lead vocals (1976–1978) *
Dieter Petereit Dieter or dieter may refer to: * A person committed to dieting People Dieter is a German given name (), a short form of Dietrich, from ''theod+ric'' "people ruler", see Theodoric. Given name *Dieter Althaus (born 1958), German politician ...
- Bass (1977–1978) *
Curt Cress Curtis Cress (born 11 August 1952), known by his stage name Curt Cress, is a German musician, singer and songwriter. Life and work Curt Cress began his career in 1965 in Hanau with the band Load. Later also in Hanau he played with the bands I ...
- Drums (1977–1979) *
David Hanselmann David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
- Lead vocals (1978–1979) * Wener Kopal - Bass (1978-1979) * Matthias Holtmann - Drums (1978-1979) * Arno Steffen - Lead vocals (1980)


Timeline


Discography


Triumvirat


Albums

* 1973: '' Mediterranean Tales/Across The Waters'' (1973, re-released in 2002 with four bonus songs, "Be Home for Tea", "Broken Mirror", "Ride in the Night" and "Sing Me a Song") * 1974: ''
Illusions on a Double Dimple ''Illusions on a Double Dimple'' is the second album by the Germany, German progrock group Triumvirat. It was a breakthrough for the band, which started to open shows in a U.S. tour for Fleetwood Mac. Triumvirat played the album in its entirety, a ...
'' (1974, reissued in 2002 with four bonus songs, "Dancer's Delight", "Timothy", "Dimplicity" and "Million Dollars") * 1975: ''
Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising ...
'' (1975, reissued in 2002 with two bonus songs, "The Capital of Power (live)" and "Showstopper") * 1976: ''
Old Loves Die Hard ''Old Loves Die Hard'' is the fourth album by German progressive rock group Triumvirat. It was their first recording as a four-piece band, with British singer Barry Palmer and German bassist Werner Frangenberg replacing their previous singer-bassi ...
'' (1976, reissued in 2012 with a bonus of two songs "Take a break today" and "The Capitol of Power") * 1977: ''
Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...
'' (1977, reissued in 2002 with bonus song "The Hymn") * 1978: ''
À la Carte In restaurants, ''à la carte'' (; ) is the practice of ordering individual dishes from a menu in a restaurant, as opposed to ''table d'hôte'', where a set menu is offered. It is an early 19th century loan from French meaning "according to ...
'' (1978, reissued in 2002 with the two songs "Waterfall" and "Jo Ann Walker") * 1980: '' Russian Roulette'' (1980, reissued in 2002 with a bonus song "The Ballad of Rudy Törner")


Singles

* "Be Home for Tea" / "Broken Mirror" (1972) Harvest – 1C 006-29 976 * "Ride in the Night" / "Sing Me a Song" (1973) Harvest – 1C 006-30 407, EMI Electrola – 1C 006-30 407 U * "Dancer's Delight / "Timothy" (1973) Harvest – 1C 006-30 484, EMI Electrola – 1C 006-30 484 * "Dimplicity" / "Million Dollars" (1974) Harvest, EMI Electrola - 1C 006-30 576 * "Take a Break Today" / "The Capitol of Power" (1976) Harvest, EMI Electrola 1C 006-31 609 * "Waterfall" / "Jo Ann Walker" (1978) Harvest, EMI Electrola 1C 006-45 189 * "For You" / "Darlin'" (1978) Harvest – 31c 006 31149 * "The Hymn" / "Dance on the Volcano" (1978) Harvest – 1C 006-32 548, EMI Electrola – 1C 006-32 548 * "Waterfall" / "(Oh, I'm) Late Again" (1978) Capitol Records – SPRO-9080, Capitol Records – SPRO-9081 * "Party Life" / "Games" (1980) Harvest, EMI Electrola 1C 006-45 918 * "Come with Me" / "We're Rich on What We've Got" (1980) EMI – 006-4607 * "Let the Chips Lay Down" (2002)


Compilations

* ''The Gold Collection'' (1995) * ''The Best of Triumvirat'' (1995) EMI Gold 853658 2 * ''Veni, Vidi, Vici'' (2000) * ''Essential'' (2012) EMI – 50999 6 44353 2 9 * ''The Best Of The Gold Collection'' - Novo - Date of release unknown


Bootlegs

* Triumvirat - ''Illusions on a Double Dimple Live'' - Palace Theatre, Providence, USA October 1974. * Triumvirat - ''Illusions on a Double Dimple Live'' - St. Bernard Cultural Center, Chalmette, LA, USA November 1974, * Triumvirat - ''Live from Ultrasonic'' - Recorded in Studio Ultrasonic, Hempstead, New York, October 1, 1974. * Triumvirat - ''Live Tour 1974-75'' - American Tour 1974 - 75.


Participation

* 1971: ''Lieder'' by Kurt Demmler - Label: AMIGA - 8 55 236; Hans-Georg Pape participated in the composition of the music and made the arrangements for the song ''Die Jazzmusik Des Fabian Scheinemann''.


Curiosities

* 1992: "Basement Arrangements" by Kemélions; The piece "Liquid Dots Of Kaos" contains samples taken from "Illusions on a Double Dimple". * 2003: ''Beg for Mercy'' by G-Unit; The piece "G-Unit" contains samplings of the song "Million Dollars" by Triumvirat. * 2006: ''Rotten Apple'' by Lloyd Banks; The piece "The Cake" contains samples of the piece "I believe" by Triumvirat.


Solo albums


Helmut Kollen

* ''You won't see me'' (1977) * With collaboration from Hans-Jürgen Fritz on keyboards & production and help from drummer Hans Bathelt for lyrics on ''The story of life''.


Hans-Jurgen Fritz


= Albums

= * ''Es Ist Nicht Leicht Ein Gott Zu Sein'' (1989) - CBS – 466250 - Original Movie Score for the film ''It's hard to be a god'' starring Werner Herzog. * ''Millenium - Dreams Of Amadeus'' (1990) Columbia – COL 468863 2, Sony Music – 468863 2 - Music based on themes from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.


= Singles

= * ''Ohne Moos Nix Los/Keiner Kümmert Sich Um Mich'' (1982) - Synth Pop * ''Nix-Keiner Kümmert Sich Um Mich'' (1982) - Synth Pop


Various compilations with other bands and musicians

* 2007: Krautrock (Music For Your Brain) Vol. 2; The Spartacus piece from Triumvirat is featured on this German 6 CD album released in 2007 on Target Music - The serial number is: Target Music - 06007 5300659 7. * 2009: Krautrock (Music For Your Brain) Vol. 4; The Illusions on a Double Dimple sequel is on this German 6 CD set, still on the Target Music label - The serial number is: Target Music - 30059. * 2013: Krautrock (Music For Your Brain) Vol. 5; The piece The School of Instant Pain is part of the songs included in this box set German compilation again with 6 CDs on the label Target Music. The serial number is: Target Music - 013659-30060.


Collaborations

* 1972: Tanned Leather's ''Child of Never Ending Love'' - Hans-Jürgen Fritz plays the piano as a guest on this album by German band Tanned Leather. * 1977: Eric Burdon's ''Soul Survivor'' - Hans-Jürgen Fritz plays keyboards with John Bundrick and Zoot Money, Alexis Korner and Geoff Whitehorn on guitar, singers P.P. Arnold and Maggie Bell, etc. * 1981: Do not Stop ''The Satin Whale Show'' - Hans-Jurgen Fritz at the Grand Piano on Too Late. Barry Palmer is singing all over the album. * 1984: Fly Dirt's ''Gladbacher Freunde'' - This album by the German band Fly Dirt was an opportunity for keyboardist Hans-Jürgen Fritz and drummer Hans Bathelt to work outside the strict frameworks of Triumvirat. Fritz was a technician in addition to mixing, and then collaborated on the composition of the title song with Hans Bathelt and Fly Dirt drummer Burkhardt Unrau. * 1986 - Bad Boys ''Blue Heartbeat'' : Hans-Jurgen Fritz keyboards and arrangements. * 1987 - ''Love Is No Crime'' from Bad Boys Blue: Same as before. * 1988 - ''My Blue World'' from Bad Boys Blue; Hans-Jurgen Fritz does not play but made the arrangements. * 1992: ''Basement Arrangements'' from Keméleons - Label: Zoo Street - 72445-11047-2; Hans-Jurgen Fritz and Hans Bathelt wrote the music for ''Liquid Dots of Kaos''.


References


External links

*
TRIUMVIRAT discography, MP3, videos and reviews
retrieved 30 July 2007 * {{Authority control German progressive rock groups Musical groups established in 1969 Harvest Records artists Symphonic rock groups