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.
Resurrection Day
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the day they dropped the bomb
I was numb with a hard road in front of me
In the eye of the storm
So many long days I won't mourn
But I wept with joy when the black clouds disappeared
From a long, lonely night
And it feels just like it's resurrection day
Battle lines been drawn
You're in the dark before the dawn
And you're wondering why luck's such a random thing
Every plan from before
In dust upon the floor
And it's tough as hell when you're lower than a submarine
But you live through the fight
And you touch the other side
And it feels just like resurrection day
It feels just like it's resurrection day
Somehow you break through tin barricades
While the fires are burning
Sometimes you fall on your knees and pray
From a cold, lonely night
I'm back into the light
It feels just like resurrection day
Yes it feels just like resurrection day
I been waiting so long for resurrection day
In "Resurrection Day" by Thunder, the songwriter reflects on their past struggles and the moments of triumph that have led them to the present. The song begins with the singer describing the day the bomb was dropped, indicating a traumatic event that has impacted the course of their life. They express their emotions, feeling numb and unsure of how to move forward. However, as the storm subsides, they're left with a feeling of hope and renewal.
The chorus is about finding redemption and rebirth after overcoming great struggles. The singer fought bravely through the darkness, surviving and emerging into a new stage of life where they once again are living in the light. The message of the song is that life is a battle, but with patience and determination, you can overcome adversity and achieve your goals.
The lyrics provide a universal message that anyone can relate to, which is why it has resonated with the audience. The song's themes of hope and perseverance make it a motivational piece, especially for those going through tough times.
Line by Line Meaning
I was just living on
I was simply carrying out my daily routines
On the day they dropped the bomb
On the specific day a disastrous event occurred
I was numb with a hard road in front of me
I was emotionally detached and overwhelmed by the difficult path ahead
In the eye of the storm
Amidst or at the center of the chaos or turbulence
So many long days I won't mourn
I won't grieve or lament for the numerous, endless days I've been through
But I wept with joy when the black clouds disappeared
When the melancholy and unpleasant circumstances vanished, I shed tears of happiness and relief
From a long, lonely night
Emerging or breaking through from an extended and isolating situation
I'm back into the light
I have returned to a brighter or better circumstance
And it feels just like it's resurrection day
The sensation or experience is similar to that of being reborn or resurrected
Battle lines been drawn
Aggressive or opposing positions have been established
You're in the dark before the dawn
You're in a difficult situation just before the situation improves
And you're wondering why luck's such a random thing
You are contemplating why fortune operates arbitrarily
Every plan from before
All the strategies or schemes established prior
In dust upon the floor
Reduced to nothing and discarded
And it's tough as hell when you're lower than a submarine
It's incredibly hard when you're at the absolute lowest point
But you live through the fight
You survive through the confrontation or adversity
And you touch the other side
You experience or arrive at an opposite or superior circumstance
And it feels just like resurrection day
The sensation or experience is similar to that of being reborn or resurrected
It feels just like it's resurrection day
The sensation or experience is similar to that of being reborn or resurrected
Somehow you break through tin barricades
You manage to surpass or overcome obstacles or hindrances
While the fires are burning
During or midst adverse and perilous conditions
Sometimes you fall on your knees and pray
Occasionally, you collapse into submission and plead for assistance
From a cold, lonely night
Emerging or breaking through from a miserable or solitary situation
I'm back into the light
I have returned to a brighter or better circumstance
It feels just like resurrection day
The sensation or experience is similar to that of being reborn or resurrected
Yes it feels just like resurrection day
Affirming that the sensation or experience is similar to that of being reborn or resurrected
I been waiting so long for resurrection day
I have been waiting an extended period for a moment of rebirth or renewal
Contributed by Logan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@patrickgerona1
One of the best writers, one of the best vocalists, one of the best drummers, one of the best Rock and Roll bands around.
@bwotoole42
Can't go wrong there. Amazing band.
@maxpower3698
Still my favourite singer and always be ... Danny Bowes
@mkrool
ive never seen a band on so many stage programs these guys are everywhere but yet really under rated
@idalex76
Great performans of the coolest song!
@mariomartins7328
Aqui no o Brasil em 2020.Ouvindo Thunder. Grande banda.
@Ricardo-go7yu
YES!!!!
@jeremypayne9213
Watching thunder live next week on the 24th March in Cardiff, so looking forward to it!!
@EnriqueVerdion
Got me hooked 'tis song. Just love it...
@mizech
You guys are awesome. Greetings from Germany.