Triumvirat -

Triumvirat was a German symphonic-rock band that released seven albums between 1972 and 1980 on Harvest. Amid numerous lineup changes, keyboardist Jürgen Fritz was the one constant member.

Members: Jürgen Fritz (piano, keyboards), Hans Bathelt (drums, percussion, 1969-76), Werner Frangenberg (bass, 1969-70, 1975-76), Hans Pape (bass, vocals, 1970-74), Helmut Koellen (bass, guitar, vocals, 1974-75), Doug Fieger (bass, vocals, 1975), Barry Palmer (vocals, 1975-76, 1978-80), Matthias Holtmann (drums, 1978-79), Werner Kopal (bass, 1978-79), David Hanselmann (vocals, 1978-80), Arno Steffen (vocals, 1979-80)

Background

Triumvirat formed in 1969 when classically trained 16-year-old keyboardist Jürgen Fritz (b. 1953) teamed with bassist Werner Frangenberg and drummer Hans Bathelt. They first performed as a covers act on the Cologne club circuit. In 1970, Frangenberg cleared for bassist/singer Hans Pape. Their name is Latin for “triumvirate,” which stands for three powerful individuals.

Their trio arrangement, which paired organ with a rhythm section (no guitar), drew heavily from The Nice and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Triumvirat’s live set featured adaptations of “Rondo” and (later) “Hoedown.” They pitched a demo tape of originals to EMI, which signed Triumvirat in 1971 to the label’s Harvest division.

Mediterranean Tales (Across the Waters)

Triumvirat released their debut album, Mediterranean Tales (Across the Waters), in April 1972 on Harvest.

The album contains four Jürgen Fritz compositions and three co-writes (“Taxident,” “5 O’Clock Tea,” “Eleven Kids”) with Hans Bathelt.

Side A features “Across the Water,” a six-part suite with overture/underture sections adapted from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

A. “Across the Waters” (16:31)
— a. “Overture”
— b. “Taxident”
— c. “Mind Tripper”
— d. “5 O’Clock Tea”
— e. “Satan’s Breakfast”
— f. “Underture”

B1. “Eleven Kids” (6:00)
B2. “E Minor 5/9 Minor /5” (7:55)
B3. “Broken Mirror” (7:14)

Sessions occurred in January 1972 in Cologne at Electrola Studios with producer Rainer Pietsch and engineer Horst Dieter Krohn, the concurrent sound-team for Janus and Tanned Leather.

Mediterranean Tales shows an ancient Latin map of the region, courtesy of the Electrola Art Studio.

Harvest extracted “5 O’Clock Tea” for 7″ release as “Be Home for Tea” (3:35) backed with “Broken Mirror.”

1973 Singles

In early 1973, Triumvirat cut a non-album single: “Ride In the Night” backed with “Sing Me a Song,” both Pietsch-produced Fritz/Bathelt originals.

A. “Ride in the Night” (4:23)
B. “Sing Me a Song” (4:37)

As sessions stalled on their second album, Triumvirat dropped a self-produced single: “Dancer’s Delight,” another Fritz/Bathelt number backed with “Timothy,” a tune that Fritz co-wrote with his cousin, Helmut Koellen, who assumed the bassist/singer slot from Hans Pape.

A. “Dancer’s Delight” (3:30)
B. “Timothy” (4:06)

Illusions on a Double Dimple

Triumvirat released their second album, Illusions on a Double Dimple, in March 1974 on Harvest. The album contains two side-long suites, each in six parts.

The title-suite constitutes Side A, recorded with Mediterranean bassist Hans Pape and guest vocalist Peter Cadera (a Triumvirat roadie). Side B consists of “Mister Ten Percent,” which features new bassist Helmut Koellen, who doubles on guitar.

Jürgen Fritz plays Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, and Steinway Grand piano across the album, bombarded throughout by the hyperactive drumming of Hans Bathelt.

Fritz composed “Triangle,” “Last Dance,” and co-wrote the rest of Side A with Bathelt, the album’s lyricist. They co-wrote “Bad Deal” and “Million Dollars” for the second suite, which contains one passage (“Lucky Girl”) that Bathelt co-authored with Koellen. Dimple also features the Kurt Edelhagen Brass Section, the Cologne Opera House Orchestra, and backing singers Brigitte Thomas, Hanna Dölitzsch, and Ulla Wiesner.

A. “Illusions on a Double Dimple” (23:22)
— a. “Flashback” (0:54)
— b. “Schooldays” (3:20)
— c. “Triangle” (6:55)
— d. “Illusions” (1:40)
— e. “Dimplicity” (5:28)
— f. “Last Dance” (4:42)

B. “Mister Ten Percent” (21:31)
— a. “Maze” (3:01)
— b. “Dawning” (1:01)
— c. “Bad Deal” (1:40)
— d. “Roundabout” (5:49)
— e. “Lucky Girl” (4:32)
— f. “Million Dollars” (5:19)

Sessions commenced in June 1973 at EMI-Electrola Studios, where Fritz produced the album’s title-suite with Hans Pape. After Helmut Koellen overtook the bass slot, Triumvirate recorded the “Dancer’s Delight” single and “Mister Ten Percent” suite, completed in October with Round House engineer Wolfgang Thierbach.

Illusions on a Double Dimple appeared in a white sleeve that shows a mouse-mounted cracked egg. Harvest issued a 7″ edit of “Dimplicity” (3:13) backed with “Million Dollars” (2:34).

In late 1974, Triumvirat toured the US as openers for Fleetwood Mac (then rebounded from the “fake Fleetwood Mac” scandal involving the Stretch precursor Legs). Triumvirat’s set featured “Across the Waters” and the Double Dimple album performed front-to-back.

Spartacus

Triumvirat released their third album, Spartacus, in July 1975 on Harvest (UK, Europe) and Capitol Records (North America).

The album concerns the Thracian gladiator Spartacus (103–71 BC), an escaped slave who led an uprising against the Roman Republic during the Third Servile War. Jürgen Fritz composed the music with lyrics by drummer Hans Bathelt.

Sides A (21:00) and B (22:10) each contains segued songs and suites. Fritz plays Hammond, Moog, mellotron, Steinway grand, Wurlitzer electric piano, and the ARP string ensemble.

A1. “The Capitol of Power” (3:13)
A2. “The School of Instant Pain” (6:23)
— a. “Proclamation”
— b. “The Gladiator’s Song”
— c. “Roman Entertainment“
— d. “The Battle”
A3. “The Walls of Doom” (3:57)
A4. “The Deadly Dream of Freedom” (3:55)
A5. “The Hazy Shades of Dawn” (3:10)

B1. “The Burning Sword of Capua” (2:41)
B2. “The Sweetest Sound of Liberty” (2:36)
B3. “The March to the Eternal City” (8:48)
— a. “Dusty Road”
— b. “Italian Improvisation”
— c. “First Success”
B4. “Spartacus” (7:39)
— a. “The Superior Force of Rome”
— b. “A Broken Dream”
— c. “The Finale”

Triumvirat produced the album between February 3 and March 4, 1975, at EMI Electrola in Cologne, where Wolfgang Thierbach mixed Spartacus between the Eloy albums Floating and The Power and the Passion. They had the album mixed at AIR Studios in London by Geoff Emerick, a late-period Beatles soundman who engineered recent titles by America, Cockney Rebel, Karthago, Nektar, Robin Trower, and Tempest.

Spartacus appeared in a black sleeve with airbrushed neon-blue letters and a Dimple visual carryover. This time, a mice appears inside a flickering yet unplugged light bulb.

Later CD reissues add a studio bonus track, “Showstopper” (3:37).

In August 1975, Triumvirat embarked on their second US tour as the opening act for Supertramp.

Lineup Changes

In early 1976, Helmut Koellen left Triumvirat, which briefly regained their original pre-record bassist Werner Frangenberg. They reconfigured as a quartet with 18-year-old English singer Barry Palmer (b. 1958), who cut three prior pop singles on Decca, Intercord, and Polydor, including the Paul McCartney cover “Maybe I’m Amazed,” which impressed Jürgen Fritz.

Triumvirat introduced Barry with the 1976 single “Take a Break Today,” a non-album Fritz composition backed with a live version of “The Capitol of Power,” sourced from an 8/75 Los Angeles show.

A. “Take a Break Today” (3:45)

Old Loves Die Hard

Triumvirat released their fourth album, Old Loves Die Hard, in mid 1976 on Harvest.

The album contains five epic songs and a suite composed by Jürgen Fritz, whose arsenal includes Moog, Wurlitzer, Hammond C3, Steinway grand, Hohner pianet, and the ARP Solina String Ensemble.

Drummer Hans Bathelt penned the lyrics to “I Believe” and “The History of Mystery,” a side-split two-parter with additional words by Barry Palmer, who lyricized “A Cold Old Worried Lady.” Fritz himself worded the title track, which features German singer June Palmer (no relation).

Additional guests include saxophonist Charly Schlimbach (“A Day in the Life”) and the Cologne Kinder Choir (“I Believe”).

A1. “I Believe” (7:51)
A2. “A Day in the Life” (8:16)
— a. “Uranus’ Dawn” (2:57)
— b. “Pisces at Noon” (3:51)
— c. “Panorama Dusk” (1:21)
A3. “The History of Mystery (Part One)” (7:50)

B1. “The History of Mystery (Part Two)” (3:59)
B2. “A Cold Old Worried Lady” (5:50)
B3. “Panic on 5th Avenue” (10:31)
B4. “Old Loves Die Hard” (4:26)

Sessions spanned January 5 through April 6, 1976, at EMI Electrola Studio 1, where Wolfgang Thierbach engineered Old Loves with assistance by Werner “Tallihoh” Kopal, the bassist of Helmut Koellen’s new band, Jail. Fritz (along with Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit) performs on Jail’s 1976 Harvest album, You Can Help Me.

Old Loves Die Hard appeared in a white sleeve with illustrated garlands, mythical youth, and Blackletter font. In North America, Capitol issued the album in an alternate grayscale cover with Triumvirat’s mouse mascot cornered under a magnifying glass.

Fourth Lineup, New Name

Werner Frangenberg quit Triumvirat for the second and final time. (He later managed Die Monopols, an electro Neue Deutsche Welle act.) Meanwhile, Jürgen Fritz partook in sessions for You Won’t See Me, a solo album by Helmut Koellen with lyrics on one track (“The Story of Life”) by Hans Bathelt, who also left Triumvirat after promotions wrapped on Die Hard.

Triumvirat continued with Passport drummer Curt Cress and Voices bassist Dieter Petereit, who cut a 1975 jazz rarity (Fly to Brazil) with the Walter Strerath Trio. They modified the name to New Triumvirat as a legal compromise with Bathelt, whose exit left Fritz as the last remaining co-founder.

Elsewhere, Koellen died at age 27 on May 3, 1977, from carbon monoxide while listening to his just-completed album on his car stereo, parked inside a garage with an active motor.

Pompeii

Triumvirat released their fifth album, Pompeii, in October 1977 on Harvest.

Jürgen Fritz composed the album’s music and lyrics, which chronicle the downfall of Pompeii, an ancient Roman city nearly destroyed by an earthquake (62 AD) and buried for centuries by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (79 AD).

Fritz plays bells and timpani along with a keyboard arsenal comprised of Hammond C3, Steinway grand, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hohner clavinet, ARP Solina, Moog, and the Yamaha polyphonic Cs-80 and Gx-1 synthesizers.

Curt Cress plays Gretsch and Fibes drum kits expanded with roto toms, timbales, gong, and Moog-synthesized percussion. He co-composed “Viva Pompeii” with Fritz and Dieter Petereit.

The New Triumvirat (Fritz, Cress, Petereit, Barry Palmer) recorded Pompeii with a 21-piece symphony, seven-member choir, and three-piece horn section. “Journey of a Fallen Angel” features trumpeter Hanne Wilfert.

A1. “The Earthquake 62 A.D.” (6:17)
A2. “Journey of a Fallen Angel” (6:13)
A3. “Viva Pompeii” (4:16)
A4. “The Time of Your Life” (4:35)

B1. “The Rich Man and the Carpenter” (5:54)
B2. “Dance on the Volcano” (3:30)
B3. “Vesuvius” (6:33)
B4. “The Hymn” (7:09)

Sessions spanned January 14 through July 11, 1977, at Conny’s Studio, the Wolperath facility of Krautrock heavyweight Conrad Plank, who engineered and mixed Pompeii in sequence with titles by Bullfrog, Grobschnitt (Rockpommel’s Land), Kraan (Wiederhoren), and Brian Eno (Before and After Science).

Pompeii appeared in an illustrated sleeve that depicts the Vesuvius eruption (front) and a modern-day view of the excavated site (back) with mounted Roman head-statues of each member.

Cress renewed his commitments to Passport, which also on-boarded Petereit. Fritz dropped the ‘New’ prefix and continued Triumvirat with bassist Werner Kopal and drummer Matthias Holtmann, the rhythm section on You Won’t See Me.

À la Carte

Triumvirat released their sixth album, À la Carte, in late 1978 on Harvest.

The album contains seven Jürgen Fritz originals, including the epic “(Oh, I’m) Late Again” and the single “Waterfall.” Side B contains a Beach Boys cover (“Darlin'”) and a soundtrack theme co-written with Kopal and Holtmann, who the À la Carte lineup with singer David Hanselmann, a recent Message vocalist.

Barry Palmer sings on “Waterfall,” “Darlin’,” and”I Don’t Even Know Your Name.” Holtmann plays marimba on “Jo Ann Walker,” which features Sons of Champlin trumpeter Mark Isham, a future Group 87 member. Eight À la Carte tracks feature Gambian-Swede percussionist Malando Gassama (Ablution, Häxmjölk, Hörselmat, Hot Salsa).

A1. “Waterfall” (4:58)
A2. “(Oh, I’m) Late Again” (6:48)
A3. “Jo Ann Walker” (4:46)
A4. “For You” (5:53)

B1. “I Don’t Even Know Your Name” (4:47)
B2. “A Bavarian in New York” (5:38)
B3. “Original Soundtrack (from the Movie O.C.S.I.D.)” (3:48)
B4. “Darlin'” (3:46)
B5. “Good Bye” (4:29)

Sessions spanned May through September at EMI Electrola Studio 1, where Wolfgang Thierbach engineered and mixed the album amid projects with Eloy and Police-benefactor Eberhard Schoener. Overdubs (strings, horns, choir) took place in Los Angeles at Capitol Records Studios A and B.

Holtmann played concurrently in Hollywood, a German rock quintet on Harvest. Their 1978 album features guest appearances by Palmer and Fritz, who lyricized three songs.

Russian Roulette

Triumvirat released their seventh album, Russian Roulette, in 1980 on Harvest.

Jurgen Fritz wrote “Come with Me,” “Games,” “The Ballad of Rudy Törner,” and the odd-numbered Side B songs.

Hollywood singer Arno Steffen wrote the balance of Russian Roulette, recorded by a makeshift Triumvirat with King Errisson steepanist Robert Greenidge and three Toto members: guitarist Steve Lukather, bassist David Hungate, and drummer Jeff Porcaro.

A1. “Party Life” (3:28)
A2. “You Can’t Catch Me” (4:08)
A3. “Come with Me” (3:59)
A4. “Games” (4:14)
A5. “Cooler” (4:20)
A6. “The Ballad of Rudy Törner” (4:20)

B1. “We’re Rich on What We Got” (4:09)
B2. “Twice” (2:45)
B3. “Rien Ne Vas Plus” (4:34)
B4. “Roxy” (6:33)
B5. “Russian Roulette” (5:48)

Mike Gong! – electric guitar
Tim May – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Neil Stubenhaus – bass
Alan Estis – congas, maracas
Pete Christlieb – saxophone, clarinet

Discography: