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.
River Of Pain
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Should've known it would happen this way
If I'd trusted my initial instincts
Then maybe you'd be here today
'cause the more that I gave
The more I could see a change
You only wanted my love
Now I'm drowning in a river of pain
Slowly going down
All I did was love you too much
So now I'll remain
Stranded here forever
Drowning in a river of pain
I don't know when it happened now
Suddenly you'd taken control
One day I was pulling your strings girl
Then the next you had a grip on my soul
So I let myself go baby
'cause my heart wouldn't be denied
There was distance in your eyes
And your touch turned fire to ice, no surprise
That I'm drowning in a river of pain
Here with my regrets
Going round and round in my head
But still I remain
Stranded here forever
Drowning in a river of pain
(SOLO)
Somehow when you saw the other side of me
Then I lost my mystery
Now I'm drowning in a river of pain
Slowly going down
All I did was love you too much
So now I'll remain
Drowning in a river
Oh I?m drowning
The lyrics of Thunder's song River of Pain depict the pain of a failed relationship. The singer laments about how he could have avoided the heartbreak if he had paid heed to his instincts. He gave his love willingly, but soon realized that his partner only wanted it as long as she perceived it to be in danger of being taken away. The singer is now sinking in a river of pain, left with nothing but remorse and regret. He had given his heart to his partner, but in return, she took control of his life, leaving the singer feeling helpless and stranded.
The metaphor of the "river of pain" in the song is a powerful representation of the singer's emotional turmoil. He is slowly drowning in the pain caused by his overlooked instincts, the loss of his partner's love, and the realization that his love wasn't enough to save the relationship. The song highlights the importance of listening to one's instincts and the danger of giving too much love and control to another person.
Overall, Thunder's River of Pain is a poignant song that captures the despair of a broken relationship, and serves as a reminder to trust one's instincts and guard against giving too much of oneself to another person.
Line by Line Meaning
I should've seen it coming now
I regret not anticipating the downfall of our relationship.
Should've known it would happen this way
It was only a matter of time before things went the way they did.
If I'd trusted my initial instincts
I had a feeling that something was off, but I ignored it.
Then maybe you'd be here today
If I acted differently, perhaps our relationship wouldn't have ended the way it did.
'cause the more that I gave
The more I showed my love and affection towards you.
The more I could see a change
I noticed a shift in your behavior towards me.
You only wanted my love
Your interest in me was only based on receiving my love and attention.
When you thought I might take it away, I'm afraid
You only showed love when you were afraid of losing it.
Now I'm drowning in a river of pain
I am overwhelmed with pain and sadness.
Slowly going down
I am slowly losing my grip and succumbing to my emotions.
All I did was love you too much
My love for you was too strong, and it ended up hurting me.
So now I'll remain
I am stuck in this state of pain and sadness.
Stranded here forever
I feel lost and alone, unable to move on.
I don't know when it happened now
I am unsure of when our relationship took a turn for the worse.
Suddenly you'd taken control
You had control over our relationship and my emotions.
One day I was pulling your strings girl
At one point, I had control over the relationship, but that changed.
Then the next you had a grip on my soul
You took over control of the relationship and had a strong influence over me.
So I let myself go baby
I allowed myself to be vulnerable to you.
'cause my heart wouldn't be denied
I couldn't help but love you deeply.
There was distance in your eyes
I could sense that you were pulling away from me emotionally.
And your touch turned fire to ice, no surprise
Your affection towards me drastically changed, and it wasn't unexpected.
Here with my regrets
I am consumed with regret over how things turned out.
Going round and round in my head
My thoughts about what went wrong are constantly on my mind.
Somehow when you saw the other side of me
When you got to know me more, I lost some of the mystery and appeal.
Then I lost my mystery
You lost interest in me because I was no longer a mystery to you.
Oh I'm drowning
I am completely overwhelmed and unable to cope with my emotions.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: LUKE MORLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rockrabbitt
I should've seen it coming now
Should've known it would happen this way
If I'd trusted my initial instincts
Then maybe you'd be here today
Cos the more that I gave
The more I could see a change
You only wanted my love
When you thought I might take it away, I'm afraid
Now I'm drowning in a river of pain
Slowly going down
All I did was love you too much
So now I'll remain
Stranded here forever
Drowning in a river of pain
I don't know when it happened now
Suddenly you'd taken control
One day I was pulling your strings girl
Then the next you had a grip on my soul
So I let myself go baby
Cos my heart wouldn't be denied
There was distance in your eyes
And your touch turned fire to ice, no surprise
That I'm drowning in a river of pain
Here…
Somehow when you saw the other side of me
Then I lost my mystery
Now I'm drowning in a river of pain
Slowly going down
All I did was love you too much
So now I'll remain
Drowning in a river
Oh I'm drowning
David English
I haven't listened to this in about 20 years plus. Its bloody brilliant. As a mix engineer myself I can say its incredibly well done. In fact the sound is awesome. What a great tune. Well done guys.
loren morgan
Same here, I have this on vinyl and the master on it is a lot more pure than this digitally remastered garbage. I think it was recorded on ADAT, but it sounds so great cranked to the hilt.
Silvia Plank
Thunder is one of the best bands ever ..love them tough..this another amazing song..this fella can sing!!!!!🤩thunder rocks
Driving Wheels With Keith
Thunder is a mixture of that eighties we all loved and miss with a pinch of the early nineties. So smoothly intertwined and with such awesome talent from each member of the band. I’m so glad I came across you guys on YouTube! I saw your new video too!! 👍👍! Keep rockin and God bless!!
boudecia22
Another classic from a truly class act.
charles sprinkle jr
Such a great song. Love this
mark199
What a great song
Paula Jane
I love this song forever so much it's so true always ❣❤🎸❤❣
Silvia Plank
What a song
Shawn Ruden
These guys are in tune with so much feeling! My Backstreet Symphony album is my makeup/break up music.