Rush was not the only Canadian arena rock/prog metal band that was frequently aired on MTV back in the early '80s - Triumph was often in frequent rotation too, with their clips for "Hold On," "A World of Fantasy," and the best video of the bunch, "Magic Power."
The group's definitive line-up reunited a few years back for a handful of shows, and also for a new "best of" compilation last year, Greatest Hits Remixed.
The group's bassist, Michael Levine, was willing to spread some of his magic power to a Short-But-Sweet Interview assignment.
UGO: How heavy is Greatest Hits Remixed?
MICHAEL LEVINE: Heavier than a dozen locomotives! The low end just pounds at you. Put it on a good stereo system, crank it up to 11, and feel your house shake!
UGO: Why was the song "A World of Fantasy" not included on Greatest Hits Remixed?
MICHAEL LEVINE: The absolute truth is that we totally forgot about the song. When we were doing the final sequencing, I said, "Where the fuck is WoF???" By then it was too late to include it :(
UGO: Any plans for further Triumph performances or perhaps a new album?
MICHAEL LEVINE: There is no plan at the present for either of the above.
UGO: Do you agree that Triumph had the sickest light show in all of arena rock during the '80s? How much do you figure the band spent on lighting back in the day?
MICHAEL LEVINE: In my humble opinion, the Triumph show was the best on the road. I like to refer to it as an EXTRAVAGANZA. The moving trusses, lasers and pyro...all synched to the music. We had the best lighting directors is the world...totally in tune with the music onstage. I have no recollection of what it all cost, but I can tell you it wasn't cheap.
UGO: Who were some of bands that Triumph toured with back in the day that became mates, and which ones were the biggest wankers?
MICHAEL LEVINE: We loved all the bands that worked with us. Molly Hatchet was fun...they used to bribe our crew for more lights and stage space. Foghat were pros and fun to work with. The sickest band was Mountain. Leslie West and Corky Laing were the best comedy duo ever, not to mention that we absolutely had to be sidestage for "Mississippi Queen." Leslie could make his guitar sing...amazing! Bad Company started off a little rough, but after they watched us destroy the crowd the first few nites, they kicked their show up several notches. Great guys...gave us a cake near the end of their dates with us as a thank you. Very classy, indeed. Early on was where the wankers were. The Babys, Accept, and several others. Oops, I almost forgot UFO...way too much fun...a new story or disaster pretty much every nite.
UGO: The video for "Magic Power" is a stone cold classic. How much did it cost to construct a guitar spaceship? Wasn't it very cold to be playing in space in t-shirts?
MICHAEL LEVINE: Hmmm...we all hated that video, but MTV played the shit out it. Don't know what the spaceship cost, but anything over $1.00 was too much! It was cold there in space, but the biggest problem was getting oxygen to breath :)
