In a recent chat hosted by Dean Delray on YouTube, marking the 40th anniversary of the US Festival, Triumph’s Mike Levine discussed the band’s history, including their decision to sell their music catalog.
Triumph had its catalog kept by Levine during the years after the band split. This extensive collection of work was eventually sold to Round Hill Music in 2017. According to the bassist’s own admission, the motivation for this action was a concern for the future.
While talking about the rise in catalog sales, he explained the thought process behind the move by saying:
“We looked at it too like a state planner. We’re getting older, and, you know, Gil [Moore] and I go out on dinner one night; we could have gotten hit by a bus, and our wives now own the catalog; they’re gonna get screwed, right? So, you know, ‘Who’s gonna be kind to them?’ I broke that at the right place for everybody.
We figured the smart thing to do was to just – ‘Let’s find a buyer.’ And a lawyer in Ney York found a buyer. I went to visit him. I hadn’t been to New York in years. I went to visit him at the pub, you know. And four years later, we made a deal ‘cause we had offers, but they weren’t good enough. Then, the right offer came along, and that’s what’s sold for it.”
After making the deal, Levine was happy with their choice, as it was reported by Music Business Worldwide at the time:
“Triumph couldn’t be more excited than we are with the move to Round Hill – Josh Gruss (CEO of Round Hill Music) and his team are progressive and vibrant. We are looking forward to working with everyone there and keeping the Rock&Roll Machine firing on all cylinders.”
Today, Triumph is in a quiet phase. It’s been over three decades since they released a studio album, and their last live show was a one-off reunion at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario, in 2019.
