Musicians Danny Bowes, Harry James, and Luke Morley worked together in the 80s-era [tab]blues outfit Terraplane. After experiencing what Morley has called "a 'eureka' moment", the guys devised a high-energy British rock project directly inspired by the likes of Bad Company, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin. The aptly named Thunder spent a year or so in constant touring and gradually built a positive reputation that helped its debut album, named Backstreet Symphony, reach a wide audience. Released 4 April 1990 by EMI / Geffen, it became an international success. The album didn't just get RIAA certified as 'Gold' but earned them a spot on BBC's 'Top of the Pops', playing their hard-edged version of "Gimme Some Lovin'" to a global audience. A well-received performance at Castle Donington's 'Monsters of Rock' event before gigantic crowds brought it home to the guys how far they'd broken through.
After touring with female-fronted rockers Heart and other artists with the same style, the guys prepared the second album, which they ominously titled Laughing on Judgement Day. Despite their deliberately 'retro' sound quite unlike the alternative and post-punk trends of the time (or, in fact, precisely because of their sticking to their guns), their sophomore album achieved even more success. Released on 24 August 1992, it proved an even bigger hit in the U.K. than their debut, reaching the number two slot on the nation's top albums chart. Its singles include "Everybody Wants Her" and "Low Life in High Places", the titles alone showing Thunder's interest in classic rock n' roll hedonism.
Bassist "Snake" Luckhurst left the band citing 'personal differences', a move that wasn't just Thunder's first line-up change but a sign of future turmoil to come. He got replaced by Swedish musician Mikael Höglund, and the band went on to record their third album, 1995's Behind Closed Doors, before facing a dilemma with their label. Finding that "most of the people who'd been there at the beginning of our tenure had moved on", as Morley put it, as well as that talk of a contract extension had terms that they simply couldn't accept, Thunder jumped from EMI.
Despite being championed by U.S. contemporaries such as Aerosmith and Guns n' Roses, the guys still faced a tough time making a lasting impact 'across the pond'. Though focused on pumping out more and more material, Morley later remarked that the mid-90s found Thunder "suffering from 'hamster in the wheel' syndrome". Mikael Höglund was unavailable for recording the band's fourth album, called The Thrill of it All, and so the 1996 release had bass duty left with Morley. For the subsequent tour, the band recruited bassist Chris Childs, who stayed with the band to record their fifth album. Although Giving the Game Away, released in 1999, earned a positive fan response, it had become totally clear how Thunder had disconnected from a record industry whose connected network of radio stations, TV networks, and music magazines dismissed the guys' sort of melodic hard rock as either endangered or extinct.
In Autumn of that year, the group announced an upcoming split, and their final tour concluded in May 2000. Still, Thunder's interest in new technology and the continuing camaraderie felt among the band's members meant that they didn't drop off the radar. After being given a slot in the 2002 'Monsters of Rock' shows, Thunder decided to return in 2003 with a new album, titled Shooting at the Sun, which the guys released on their own record label. Fully embracing the internet's ability to unite hard rock fans across the globe, 2005 resulted in the band's seventh album, aptly titled The Magnificent Seventh! by the guys. It earned praise from many critics, with musicOMH writer Neil Daniels remarking that the "terrific return to form" seemed like "a hard-hitting giant but with fists of steel and cast iron balls".
Feeling vindicated, the group's album managed to produce a return to the top 40 singles charts and spawned a bunch of live performances. After two well-received tours in 2006, with many gigs completely selling out, and two gleeful experiences in Japan, the band captured that live feel in the DVD Thunder Go Mad in Japan. The release included a documentary piece following the band's situation setting everything up and trying to sort out all of the traveling. That year additionally saw the guys releasing their eight studio album, titled Robert Johnson's Tombstone, which featured nods to the musicians' early history before Thunder's very formation. Receiving acclaim from critics and fans alike, some even claimed that the album was Thunder's best studio release yet. A U.K. tour took place at the end of November 2006, with the band extending things into shows in Europe as well.
The 2000s represented not only a period of frequent touring but also increasing musical activities by the guys outside of the band. Thunder's career renaissance continued with a 2008 studio album, which the guys simply titled Bang!, and the group's appearance with Def Leppard and Whitesnake at multiple gigs that same year. The group had found itself coming up to its twenty-year anniversary. Although not experiencing the same kind of personal conflicts or debates about musical direction that many of their contemporaries had, Thunder still appeared to have reached a kind of inflection point. In early 2009, the guys announced plans to split for the second time. Final tours and festival appearances occurred throughout the rest of the year. A well-received compilation album, called simply The Very Best of Thunder, came out as well that year.
Luke Morley stressed "only a fool would say never" when it came to talk of getting back together at some point. Still, he'd gotten focused on other endeavors and particularly dedicated himself to working on The Union, an outfit formed with musician Peter Shoulder (formerly of Winterville). Featuring a blues and soul drenched sound, that band has achieved significant critical acclaim. Other ex-Thunder members perused similar projects. Drummer Gary "Harry" James, for example, played with progressive rockers Magnum (including on their popular 2011 release The Visitation).
Thunder briefly reunited for the 'High Voltage Festival', held in Victoria Park, in 2011. Though expressing their reluctance to formally get back together, the guys agreed to future shows together, including a December performance at Nottingham's 'Rock City' venue. They intermittently took to the stage as the 2010s went on yet remained committed to their alternate projects.
In 2015, however, Thunder announced a full return with an upcoming studio album of new material. A tongue-in-cheek collective statement cited "a rather silly amount of knob-twiddling and string-pulling" as the final inspiration. The release of Wonder Days earned a warm response from critics and fans alike (the fellows at Classic Rock magazine, for example, naming it one of the year's 11 best albums), and multiple gigs got announced to preform the new material. 2017's Rip It Up was also well-received (the record's #3 spot on the U.K. Albums Chart was the highest the band reached for over two decades). This was followed with an acoustic selection, Please Remain Seated, after which the band promised to return to the "full throttle sound of Thunder" for the next studio record.
Delayed due to the pandemic situation, that full throttle new album was released in March 2021, All The Right Noises.
UK rockers Thunder will be releasing a new double album titled Dopamine on April 29, 2022.
Official Website: http://www.thunderonline.com/
2) - Thunder was additionally used by an obscure funk-based Southern rock band from the U.S. Their 1974 self-tiled album picked up some attention but failed to break through commercially. It's hard to find information about the group, but a bit is known given how it served as a stepping stone in the career of popular Texan singer-songwriter and guitarist John Nitzinger. The 1974 album is described on Discogs.com here.
3) - Thunder is the name of a defunct Pagan Black Metal band from Poland, formed in 1994.
4) - Thunder is the name of a German heavy metal band, that released 'All I Want' in 1984.
Backstreet Symphony
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me and the boys gonna tie one down
So I took a short cut through an alleyway
And the sound just took my breath away
There she stood with just one guitar
Looking much too good to be in this bar
I tried to leave but my feet were lead
'Cos when she sang out that melody
I heard a sound like a backstreet symphony
My senses sung my head was spun
As I walked through the door
I gotta hear some more
So I watched the show in a state of trance
Staying 'til the end waiting for a chance
To meet with her and make her mine
And keep her there 'til the end of time
When she unfolded that melody
I heard a sound like a backstreet symphony
My destiny had guided me through the bar room door
I gotta hear some more
I wanna hear some more
In Thunder's song "Backstreet Symphony," the singer tells the story of how he stumbled upon a woman in a bar who was singing and playing guitar. Despite his initial intention to just pass through the alleyway where the bar is located, he was enamored by her performance and stayed to watch her show "in a state of trance." He was so captivated by her music that he felt like he was hearing a "backstreet symphony," and he was determined to meet her and make her his.
The lyrics show how music has the power to draw people in and create intense emotions. The singer is drawn to the woman's music, and although he does not know her, he feels a connection to her through the music she plays. The music is described as a "backstreet symphony," which suggests that despite the rough location, it is still art that deserves recognition.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of destiny or fate, as the singer believes that he was guided to the bar by his destiny in order to hear the woman's music. He has a strong desire to hear more of her performance and to make her his, which highlights how music can be a powerful tool for bringing people together.
Line by Line Meaning
I was running late for a night downtown
I was behind schedule for a night out with my friends in the city.
Me and the boys gonna tie one down
My friends and I were planning to have a few drinks together.
So I took a short cut through an alleyway
I decided to find a quicker route to our destination.
And the sound just took my breath away
I was struck by an incredible sound that I heard nearby.
There she stood with just one guitar
I saw a woman standing in a bar with only a single guitar.
Looking much too good to be in this bar
She appeared to be too talented and attractive to be performing in such a small venue.
I tried to leave but my feet were lead
I attempted to leave, but I couldn't resist staying to hear her play.
And the song she played just filled my head
Her music was so captivating that it became all I could think about.
'Cos when she sang out that melody
When she began to sing that particular tune,
I heard a sound like a backstreet symphony
I perceived a sound resembling a powerful musical performance.
My senses sung my head was spun
I became so enthralled with the music that it overwhelmed my senses.
As I walked through the door
When I entered the room,
I gotta hear some more
I knew that I needed to continue listening to her perform.
So I watched the show in a state of trance
I was mesmerized and completely focused on the performance.
Staying 'til the end waiting for a chance
I stayed until the performance was over, waiting for an opportunity to meet her.
To meet with her and make her mine
I hoped to introduce myself and begin a romantic relationship with her.
And keep her there 'til the end of time
I wanted her to stay with me forever.
When she unfolded that melody
When she began to play that tune once again,
I heard a sound like a backstreet symphony
I perceived a sound resembling a powerful musical performance once more.
My destiny had guided me through the bar room door
I felt as though fate had brought me to that place at that exact moment.
I gotta hear some more
I knew that I had to keep listening to her perform in order to satisfy my craving for her music.
I wanna hear some more
I have a strong desire to continue listening to her music in the future.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LUKE MORLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind