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.
Rolling the Dice
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't sleep a wink the whole night before
Wondering how they get this chunck of metal in the sky
And all I wanna do is pull my shade down and die
I get tired sometimes when it's that kind of game
I've made my bed and I'm lying in it every day
It could be worse, I know it could
So I say
Rolling the dice, it's the price I pay
Sometimes wish I'd never learned to play that guitar
'Til I turn around and see the size of my car
'Cos if the truth be known I'm not a hit with the girls
And it's murder living up to all the stories they've heard
Just an ordinary guy, with a strange old job
Getting paid to behave, like a juvenille slob, yes I am
No body takes me seriously
Guess that's the way it was meant to be
Like I said
For rolling the dice, it's the price I pay
It's the prize I pay, uh yeah
Never used to worry what the future would bring
But how long can I really keep on doing my thing?
I'll be like an addict trying to quit his stuff, yes I will
But it's sad but it's true, it's a labour of love
Guess I'll have to retire to the south of Spain
Teeing off with the wife I forget about the rain
So when it's slipping away from me
I'll rather be a slave to eternity
Like I said
For rolling the dice, it's the price I pay, yes it is
For rolling the dice, that's the price I pay
It's the price I pay, uh
The song "Rolling the Dice" by Thunder talks about the ups and downs of a musician's life. The lyrics mention the singer being on a plane and feeling scared, but at the same time, it's just another thing that he has to deal with as a part of his life. The singer reveals that sometimes he wishes he had never learned to play the guitar as it added to the complications of his life. He speaks of not being a hit with the girls and feeling like a juvenile slob because his job requires him to behave that way. He is not taken seriously but has no regrets about his life's work, even if it can be frustrating at times. He accepts this as the "price" he must pay for choosing the path he has chosen.
The song has a tone of both resignation and acceptance at the same time. Life may not always be easy, but it's the choices that we make that lead to our circumstances. The singer recognizes this fact and acknowledges that it's the prize he pays for the road that he has chosen. The singer looks to a future where he can retire to the south of Spain, enjoying a less stressful lifestyle. The lyrics are quite relatable, and it is easy to feel empathy towards the singer's plight.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting on the tarmac getting ready to roll
Preparing for flight, but feeling restless and uncertain
Didn't sleep a wink the whole night before
Anxious and unable to get rest
Wondering how they get this chunck of metal in the sky
Musing on the mystery of flight
And all I wanna do is pull my shade down and die
Feeling overwhelmed with stress and anxiety
I get tired sometimes when it's that kind of game
Experiencing burnout from the music industry
I've made my bed and I'm lying in it every day
Acknowledging that he's responsible for his situation and must live with the consequences
It could be worse, I know it could
Recognizing that things could be more difficult
But I can't tell you it's bad when it's good
Admitting that he has blessings even in a challenging situation
So I say Rolling the dice, it's the price I pay
Concluding that taking risks is necessary despite the challenges
Sometimes wish I'd never learned to play that guitar
Regretting the path he's chosen
Until I turn around and see the size of my car
Realizing the tangible benefits of his success
'Cos if the truth be known I'm not a hit with the girls
Acknowledging that popular perceptions of his lifestyle may be exaggerated or false
And it's murder living up to all the stories they've heard
Struggling to maintain the image that others have of him
Just an ordinary guy, with a strange old job
Highlighting the juxtaposition of his unique career with his otherwise typical life
Getting paid to behave, like a juvenille slob, yes I am
Admitting that his job sometimes involves immature behavior
No body takes me seriously
Feeling overlooked or underestimated
Guess that's the way it was meant to be
Resigning himself to the reality of his situation
Never used to worry what the future would bring
Reflecting on a time when he was less concerned with his career's trajectory
But how long can I really keep on doing my thing?
Questioning the sustainability of his current lifestyle
I'll be like an addict trying to quit his stuff, yes I will
Admitting that breaking away from his career would be difficult
But it's sad but it's true, it's a labour of love
Acknowledging the sacrifices he's making because he's passionate about his work
Guess I'll have to retire to the south of Spain
Speculating about a future when he can leave his career behind
Teeing off with the wife I forget about the rain
Describing a leisurely retirement lifestyle
So when it's slipping away from me
Preparing for a future when his career may decline
I'll rather be a slave to eternity
Preferring a fulfilling but difficult life to a secure but unfulfilling one
Like I said For rolling the dice, it's the price I pay, yes it is
Repeating that taking chances comes with difficulties
For rolling the dice, that's the price I pay
Reiterating that taking risks means accepting the consequences
It's the price I pay, uh
Summing up the central theme of the song
Contributed by Layla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.