Triumph – Hiold On
Canadian band, Trimph, consisted of only three members (What’s with Canada and trios?), Rik Emmet, Mike Levine, and Gil Moore. The sound they made showed they needed no one else.
From the band’s third album, ‘Just A Game’ released in 1979, “Lay It On The Line” was a rock radio hit and really opened the door to the U.S. rock audience. JUST breaking the Top 40, Triumph’s second single, “Hold On” was a surpise Top 40 radio hit, the band and RCA never expected.
The album version clocks in over six minutes and that is rarely good for Top 40 radio (unless it’s The Beatles or you were one of them). So, a radio edit that was just at around three minutes helped that track be heard by many more American’s than just the FM radio listeners. It peaked at #38 in 1979.
“Hold On” has never been played live by the band due to it’s intricate and interesting arrangements, although an acoustic version has been perfoemed live. In fact, the song began as an acoustic style song but then morphed into the electric rocker that eventually made it to the recording.
Hear it again this Saturday morning on AT40 0 The 70s!
