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 Hƶglund, 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 Hƶglund 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.
Once in a Lifetime
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've played the silver ball.
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall,
That deaf dumb and blind kid
He stands like a statue,
Becomes part of the machine.
Feeling all the bumpers
Always playing clean.
He plays by intuition,
The digit counters fall.
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball!
He's a pinball wizard
There has got to be a twist.
A pin ball wizard,
Got such a supple wrist.
('How do you think he does it?)
I don't know!
(What makes him so good?')
Well, he ain't got no distractions
Can't hear those buzzers and bells,
Don't see lights a flashin'
Plays by sense of smell.
Always has a replay,
And never tilts at all
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball.
He can't beat me now
I've always been the champ
I know every trick
No freak's gonna beat my hand
Even on my usual table,
He can beat the best.
His disciples lead him in,
And he just does the rest.
He's got crazy flipper fingers,
I never seen him fall,
That deaf, dumb, blind kid,
Sure plays a mean pinball.
He's a pinball wizard,
There has to be a twist.
A pinball wizard,
Got such a supple wrist.
He's a pinball wizard,
His score's a trillion more.
A pinball wizard,
The world's new pinball lord.
He's scoring more!
He's scoring more!
More more more more!
I thought I was the Bally table king,
But I just handed my pinball crown to him.
To him!
To him!
The lyrics to Thunder's song "Once in a Lifetime" describe a deaf, dumb, and blind kid who is a talented pinball player. The singer, who has played pinball all over town, declares that he has never seen anyone like this kid, who can play incredibly well without any external distractions. The kid "stands like a statue" and becomes part of the machine, playing by intuition and relying on his sense of smell. The singer is impressed by the kid's ability to rack up points without tilting the machine, and acknowledges that he has been beaten by him. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that he has had to hand his "pinball crown" to the deaf, dumb, and blind kid.
The lyrics to "Once in a Lifetime" can be interpreted as a metaphor for the power of intuition and focus. Despite his disabilities, the pinball wizard is able to excel at the game because he is able to tune out distractions and rely on his instincts. The singer, on the other hand, has become distracted by external factors, such as the buzzers and lights of the pinball machine, and has lost his ability to perform at the same level as the pinball wizard.
Interestingly, the song makes several references to the character of the deaf, dumb, and blind kid from The Who's rock opera Tommy, specifically the song "Pinball Wizard". Thunder's version of the song is an homage to The Who, but also adds a new twist to the story by focusing on the pinball wizard's abilities rather than his disabilities.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since I was a young boy,
I have been playing pinball since I was young.
I've played the silver ball.
I have played many different pinball machines.
From Soho down to Brighton
I have played pinball machines in many different places.
I must have played them all.
I have played almost every pinball machine imaginable.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
I have never seen anyone play pinball like this deaf, dumb, and blind kid.
In any amusement hall,
I have played pinball in many different places, but never seen someone play like him.
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball!
Despite being deaf, dumb, and blind, this kid is an amazing pinball player and plays very well.
He stands like a statue,
When he plays pinball, he doesn't move much and stands very still.
Becomes part of the machine.
He seems to merge with the pinball machine when he plays.
Feeling all the bumpers
He can sense where each bumper is located without seeing or hearing it.
Always playing clean.
He never makes a mistake when playing pinball.
He plays by intuition,
He doesn't need to think about his moves when playing, he just knows what to do intuitively.
The digit counters fall.
He is very skilled at hitting the counters and getting a high score.
He's a pinball wizard
There has got to be a twist.
He is a skilled pinball player, but there must be something unique about him to be this good.
Got such a supple wrist.
He has very flexible wrists which allows him to move the flippers easily.
('How do you think he does it?)
I don't know!
(What makes him so good?')
Others are asking how he is able to play so well, but Thunder doesn't know the answer.
Well, he ain't got no distractions
Can't hear those buzzers and bells,
Don't see lights a flashin'
Plays by sense of smell.
He doesn't get distracted by the noises and lights of the pinball machine and relies on his sense of smell to play.
Always has a replay,
And never tilts at all
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball.
He always gets extra replays and never makes mistakes (tilts the machine) when playing pinball.
He can't beat me now
I've always been the champ
I know every trick
No freak's gonna beat my hand
Thunder believes he is still the best and no one can beat him because he knows all the tricks.
Even on my usual table,
He can beat the best.
Even on his home table, he thinks the deaf, dumb and blind kid can beat him.
His disciples lead him in,
And he just does the rest.
Other players guide the deaf, dumb and blind kid to the pinball machine, and he is able to play amazingly well on his own.
He's got crazy flipper fingers,
I never seen him fall,
His fingers move so quickly when flipping the paddles, and Thunder has never seen him miss a shot.
That deaf, dumb, blind kid,
Sure plays a mean pinball.
The deaf, dumb and blind kid is an amazing pinball player despite his physical challenges.
He's a pinball wizard,
There has to be a twist.
Once again, Thunder comments on the amazing pinball skills of the deaf, dumb and blind kid and ponders what makes him so talented.
His score's a trillion more.
A pinball wizard,
The world's new pinball lord.
The deaf, dumb and blind kid's pinball skills are unmatched by anyone, and he is the new pinball champion.
He's scoring more!
He's scoring more!
More more more more!
The deaf, dumb and blind kid's pinball score keeps increasing, and everyone is in awe of his incredible pinball skills.
I thought I was the Bally table king,
But I just handed my pinball crown to him.
To him!
To him!
Thunder used to be the pinball champion, but he recognizes that the deaf, dumb and blind kid has surpassed him and is now the pinball king.
Lyrics Ā© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER TOWNSHEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind