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.
In A Broken Dream
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drinkin' wine, feelin' fine
Waitin' here to find the sign
That I can understand - yes I am
In the days between the hours
Ivory towers, bloody flowers
Push their heads into the air
Don't push your love too far
Your wounds won't leave a scar
Right now is where you are
In a broken dream
Did someone bow their head?
Did someone break the bread?
Good people are in bed
Before nine o'clock
On the pad before my eyes
Paper cries, tellin' lies
The promises you gave
From the grave of a broken heart, hmm
Every day I spend my time
Drinkin' wine, feelin' fine
Waitin' here to find the sign
That I can understand - yes I am, oh
I sit here in my lonely room
Don't push your love too far
You know your wounds won't even leave a scar
Right now is where you are
In a broken dream
And don't you forget what I say - hoo, hoo
Ivory towers, bloody flowers ....
The lyrics of Thunder's "In a Broken Dream" depict a sense of aimlessness and confusion. The singer spends every day drinking wine, hoping to find a sign that he can understand. He's aware of the world around him, but it's as if he's detached from it - the ivory towers and bloody flowers represent the world's power structures and wars, and they push their heads into the air as if they're oblivious to everything happening around them. The singer doesn't care if he ever knows what's going on, and this apathy is summed up in the refrain of the song: "don't push your love too far, your wounds won't leave a scar, right now is where you are, in a broken dream."
The second verse of the song continues to build on this theme, incorporating the idea of broken promises and lies. The singer observes that the pad before his eyes (presumably a piece of paper) is crying and telling lies. The promises he's been given have come from the grave of a broken heart - suggesting that he's been hurt before and is carrying that pain with him as he moves through life. The song ends with a repeated refrain reminding the listener that they're currently "in a broken dream" and not to forget the words of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day I spend my time
I spend every day of my life doing something.
Drinkin' wine, feelin' fine
I drink wine and it makes me feel good.
Waitin' here to find the sign
I'm waiting for a sign or indication of something important.
That I can understand - yes I am
I want to be able to understand what's going on.
In the days between the hours
During the time between one part of the day and another.
Ivory towers, bloody flowers
The beautiful and powerful things in life (like ivory towers) often have a dark side (like bloody flowers).
Push their heads into the air
These things try to be noticed or recognized.
I don't care if I ever know - there I go
I'm not too worried about understanding these things, I'm just going along with life.
Don't push your love too far
Don't be too intense or forceful with your affection.
Your wounds won't leave a scar
If you're careful not to go too far with love, you won't get hurt in the end.
Right now is where you are
You should focus on the present moment.
In a broken dream
The current situation feels like a dream that's fallen apart.
Did someone bow their head?
Did someone show respect or submission?
Did someone break the bread?
Did someone share a meal or break bread together?
Good people are in bed
People who are good or responsible are probably sleeping by now.
Before nine o'clock
It's still early in the evening.
On the pad before my eyes
There's something written or drawn on the paper in front of me.
Paper cries, tellin' lies
Words on the paper are misleading or false.
The promises you gave
The commitments or assurances you made to me.
From the grave of a broken heart, hmm
These promises came from someone who had been hurt in the past.
I sit here in my lonely room
I'm alone in my room.
And don't you forget what I say - hoo, hoo
Don't forget this advice I'm giving you.
Contributed by Jacob I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@celineverse
Every day i spend my time, drinking wine,
Feeling fine
Waiting here to find a sign, that I can understand
Yes I am
In the days between the hours,
Ivory towers,
Bloody flowers
Push their heads into the air
I don't care if I ever know, there I go
Don't push your love too far
your wounds won't leave a scar
Right now is where you are, in a broken dream
On the pad before my eyes, paper cries, telling lies
The promises you gave, from the grave of a broken heart
In the days between the hours,
Ivory towers,
Bloody flowers
Push their heads into the air
I don't care if I ever know, there I go
Don't push your love too far
your wounds won't leave a scar
Right now is where you are, in a broken dream
Did someone bow their head?
Did someone break the bread?
Good people are in bed, before nine o' clock
Every day i spend my time, drinking wine,
Feeling fine
Waiting here to find a sign, that I can understand
Yes I am
Oh, don't push your love too far
though your wounds won't leave a scar
Right now is where you are, in a broken dream
Here what I say, okay!
I sit here in my lonely room
Ivory towers, bloody flowers
I sit here in my lonely room
Right here in my lonely room
Uh, that's where you are
Yeah
@hermannhase6243
No one can sing this better than Rod Stewart. The Original is the best.
@MicheleVK
I LOVED Thunder! The single most underrated British rock band of all time!!!!! Danny Bowes is amazing! Love this version. Cheers for the posting!
@liamkelly8834
Most underrated band of all time. What crew!
@susancrumbie6475
Liam Kelly going to see them in March...can't wait!
@conan2096
if it was the manchester gig i was totally there too :)
@larschristophersen8776
I hope i see them in Berlin in marts 😎😎
@alex_J_1891
Also like his previous band Terraplane!
@jonbryant934
where you been?
@colinrobinson6420
As far as i'm aware Rod Stewarts vocal on 'in a broken dream' was just a guide vocal (Classic Rock magazine) as they didnt have a singer in mind when it was being recorded...so they asked Mr Stewart (who was in the next studio) to lay the vocal down..but liked it so much it was kept in! his fee? a set of car seat covers! true story...
@brianbeckwith5577
They asked him to sing the track to bump them up the ratings which it did.