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.
Does It Feel Like Love
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a smile upon your face
I thought my luck was about to change
The way you walked into my place
But it seems like I was wrong
Still you wanna make me wait
Make your move or get out that door
'Cause baby it's getting late
I move a little to the left
You move a little to the right
And it's been that way all night
I'm gonna call your bluff
Baby do you want me?
Does it feel like love?
Blowing hot like a desert wind
Then you're cold like a winter day
What you want I don't know
But you keep coming round to play
If there's something on your mind
Then I don't know what it is
Still you keep saying â??take your timeâ??
But girl we haven't even kissed
I'm only flesh and blood
You know the way I'm feeling
Lord I feel so good
Why do you make it so tough?
Baby do you want me?
Does it feel like love?
Does it feel like love when I hold your hand?
'Cause I just don't understand
Why you've been holding back so long
Won't you tell me for pity's sake
How long are you gonna take?
You don't know how you turn me on
I move a little to the left
You move a little to the right
And it's been that way all night
I'm gonna call your bluff
Baby do you want me?
Baby do you want me?
Does it feel like love?
In the song Does It Feel Like Love by Thunder, the singer is excited about a potential romantic encounter with someone who enters the room "dressed to kill" and with a smile on their face. The singer thinks their luck is about to change, but it becomes clear that things aren't going quite as planned. The other person keeps leading the singer on, with hot and cold behavior and vague instructions to "take your time." The singer feels frustrated and confused, wondering if they really want him and if their connection is real. The chorus repeats the question: "Baby do you want me? / Does it feel like love?" The singer is restless and wants the other person to make their move or leave, rather than continuing to play games.
The lyrics convey a sense of confusion, longing, and frustration that many people can relate to when navigating the murky waters of modern dating. The song highlights the complexity of relationships and the way one person's mixed signals can leave the other person feeling unsure and vulnerable. The repeated refrain of "Does it feel like love?" conveys a sense of desperation and emotional intensity, as the singer craves a clear answer from the other person. The song's driving guitar riff and powerful vocals add to the sense of urgency and passion.
Line by Line Meaning
When you walked in dressed to kill
You came into my place looking absolutely stunning.
With a smile upon your face
You looked happy, which made me hopeful.
I thought my luck was about to change
Because of how amazing you looked, I thought things were looking up for me.
The way you walked into my place
Your entrance made quite an impression on me.
But it seems like I was wrong
Unfortunately, things didn't turn out the way I hoped they would.
Still you wanna make me wait
You're not ready to take things further yet.
Make your move or get out that door
If you're not interested, there's no point in sticking around any longer.
'Cause baby it's getting late
Time is running out for us to make a decision.
I move a little to the left
I'm trying to initiate physical contact with you.
You move a little to the right
You're not quite ready to take things to the next level.
And it's been that way all night
We've been dancing around each other's feelings for a while now.
I'm gonna call your bluff
I'm going to call you out on your indecision.
Baby do you want me?
Do you have real feelings for me?
Does it feel like love?
Is what you're feeling genuine love or just lust?
Blowing hot like a desert wind
You're giving me mixed signals and confusing me.
Then you're cold like a winter day
Your attitude towards me is unpredictable and inconsistent.
What you want I don't know
I'm not sure what your intentions with me are.
But you keep coming round to play
You keep spending time with me, even though you're not sure how you feel.
If there's something on your mind
If there's something you want to tell me, please do.
Then I don't know what it is
I'm not sure what's holding you back from being honest with me.
Still you keep saying â??take your timeâ??
You keep telling me to be patient and wait for you to make a move.
But girl we haven't even kissed
We haven't even gotten physical yet, so I'm not sure how much longer I can wait.
I'm only flesh and blood
I'm just a human being with feelings.
You know the way I'm feeling
You're aware of the strong emotions I have for you.
Lord I feel so good
Being around you makes me feel amazing.
Why do you make it so tough?
Why are you making it so difficult for us to be together?
Does it feel like love when I hold your hand?
Do you feel a strong emotional connection to me when we're physically close?
'Cause I just don't understand
I'm confused about what you're feeling and what you want.
Why you've been holding back so long
I'm not sure why you're hesitant to take things further with me.
Won't you tell me for pity's sake
Please be honest with me and tell me what's holding you back.
How long are you gonna take?
I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out for you.
You don't know how you turn me on
You have an incredible effect on me and I'm strongly attracted to you.
Baby do you want me?
Do you actually have feelings for me or are you just using me for your own enjoyment?
Baby do you want me?
I need to know if you have genuine emotions for me before I can invest more into this relationship.
Does it feel like love?
I'm questioning if what we have is true love or just physical attraction.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind