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.
It's Another Day
Thunder Lyrics
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It's just another day
You know when you got the feeling, like you're running and standing still
Everybody's overtaking, and you can't get up that hill
Sun comes 'round too early, and the moon goes down too fast
While you're trying to make ends meet, The time is slipping past
I know you can't control the things that get you down
Another day of freedom, another of life
Another little battle you'll survive
'Cause any way you cut it
there's still a lot to love in this world
('Cause we all go thru it)and when it all comes down it's another day
(There ain't nothing to it)we're gonna find you a way
Breaking down in the sunshine, and running home thru the rain
Failing in love the first time, feeling passion, feeling pain
Winning against a tall one, losing it on the cert
Drinking yourself to oblivion, and you know it's gonna hurt
The things you feel, they let you know that you're alive
So don't lock yourself away, celebrate your life
Another revolution, another point of view
You're doing things you thought you'd never do
What ever way you slice it, there's still a lot to love in this world
('Cause we all go thru it)and when it all comes down there's another day
(There ain't nothing to it)we're gonna find you a way
Another day of freedom, another you lie
Another little battle you survive
'Cause any way you cut it
there's still a lot to love in this world
('Cause we all go thru it)and when it all comes down there's another day
(There ain't nothing to it)you're gonna find your way
('Cause we all go thru it)and when it all comes down there's another day
(There ain't nothing to it) you're gonna find your way
The lyrics of Thunder's "It's Another Day" carry a message of hope and optimism, serving as a reminder that every new day brings with it new opportunities and challenges. The opening lines, "When it all comes down / It's just another day," set the tone for the rest of the song, stressing the idea that no matter how chaotic or challenging our lives may seem, we can still embrace the present and find something positive to hold onto.
The second verse takes a more introspective turn, exploring the ups and downs of life, from moments of triumph to personal failures and struggles. However, even in the face of adversity, the lyrics emphasize the importance of staying present and engaged in life's experiences. "The things you feel, they let you know that you're alive / So don't lock yourself away, celebrate your life."
Overall, the lyrics present a message of resilience and positivity, urging listeners to keep moving forward in the face of adversity and to find joy and beauty in each passing day.
Line by Line Meaning
When it all comes down
When life becomes tough
It's just another day
It's just another opportunity to experience life
You know when you got the feeling, like you're running and standing still
When you feel like you're making no progress in life
Everybody's overtaking, and you can't get up that hill
When you feel left behind in life
Sun comes 'round too early, and the moon goes down too fast
When time seems to be moving too quickly
While you're trying to make ends meet, The time is slipping past
When you're trying to manage your responsibilities while time seems to be escaping you
I know you can't control the things that get you down
You can't control all the negative things that happen in life
But it ain't all bad news, take a look around
There are good things in life to appreciate
Another day of freedom, another of life
Another day to live life freely
Another little battle you'll survive
Another challenge in life that you will overcome
'Cause any way you cut it, there's still a lot to love in this world
Despite life's challenges, there is much to appreciate and love in the world
('Cause we all go thru it)and when it all comes down it's another day
Everyone experiences tough times and it's just another opportunity to live life
(There ain't nothing to it)we're gonna find you a way
Things will get better and solutions will be found
Breaking down in the sunshine, and running home thru the rain
Experiencing both good and bad moments in life
Failing in love the first time, feeling passion, feeling pain
Experiencing both love and heartbreak in life
Winning against a tall one, losing it on the cert
Experiencing both success and failure in life
Drinking yourself to oblivion, and you know it's gonna hurt
Using unhealthy coping mechanisms in life and being aware of the consequences
The things you feel, they let you know that you're alive
Experiencing emotions is part of being alive
So don't lock yourself away, celebrate your life
Don't isolate yourself from life but instead cherish and enjoy it
Another revolution, another point of view
Experiencing new things and gaining different perspectives
You're doing things you thought you'd never do
Experiencing personal growth and exceeding personal expectations
What ever way you slice it, there's still a lot to love in this world
Despite life's challenges, there is much to appreciate and love in the world
(There ain't nothing to it)you're gonna find your way
Things will get better and solutions will be found
Contributed by Ethan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.