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.
Serpentine
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a house upon the hill
Where a gentleman can while away the hours
Step in out of the rain
Hang your coat and rack your cane
Take your seat up at the bar and smell the flowers
Ah ah ah, ah ah ah
She will welcome you in
She won't ask where you've been
She won't judge you when you tell her your desires
She'll take your hand and lead you down
To her dungeon underground
Obey her and she'll put out all your fires
'Cause I love my Serpentine
She's my Cruella divine
I love her so
I love my Serpentine
She's a torch, she's a guide
Lighting up your darker side
She'll open every locked room in your head
Don't resist, don't refuse
'Cause there's a safe word you can use
Should the needle go to far into the red
That's why I love my Serpentine
She's my nemesis sublime
I love her so
I love my Serpentine
The lyrics of "Serpentine" by Thunder bring out a vivid image of a mysterious house on top of a hill, which serves as a haven for those seeking pleasure and escape from their daily woes. The song talks about a woman who greets every visitor with open arms, without judging them or asking where they come from. She takes them on an exciting and daring journey, exploring their innermost desires and fantasies, without any restrictions.
The woman described in the lyrics is known as "Serpentine" and is portrayed as a domineering character who leads her visitors down to her underground dungeon. She is compared to Cruella de Vil, a fictional character known for her wickedness and obsession with fur coats. However, the singer claims to love her and is spellbound by her charming and seductive nature.
The song's message seems to advocate for the importance of exploring one's innermost desires without fear of judgment and repression. The lyrics suggest that everyone has a darker side to them, and it is important to embrace it to avoid leading a monotonous and unfulfilling life. The title "Serpentine" could serve as a metaphor for the twists and turns that come with exploring one's darker desires, a winding road that may lead to danger but is worth taking.
Line by Line Meaning
If you've got time enough to kill
If you happen to have an emptiness, vacancy or you're idle
There's a house upon the hill
Atop the hill there's a mansion, a residence or a building
Where a gentleman can while away the hours
You can pass time or sit idle away from the stresses of life in the house
Step in out of the rain
Get out of the rain by entering the house
Hang your coat and rack your cane
Hanging your coat and resting your stick
Take your seat up at the bar and smell the flowers
Then take your place up the bar and take in the sweet aroma of flowers
She will welcome you in
You'll be received by a woman
She won't ask where you've been
She'll not pry into your past or present activities
She won't judge you when you tell her your desires
She'll not criticize or refuse your requests, ambitions or longings
She'll take your hand and lead you down
The lady will take your hand and show you where to go
To her dungeon underground
It's an underground hideout or lair
Obey her and she'll put out all your fires
If you'll follow her, then she'll satisfy or quell your desires, cravings or passions
'Cause I love my Serpentine
Because he loves his mistress Serpentine
She's my Cruella divine
She's his cherished or divine mistress
She's a torch, she's a guide
She illuminates or directs towards one's inner desires or darkness
Lighting up your darker side
She brings to light one's hidden or taboo inclinations
She'll open every locked room in your head
She'll help unlock or give way to every cryptic thought you have
Don't resist, don't refuse
Do not fight or reject her influence that she'll have on you
Cause there's a safe word you can use
Use of an agreed word that puts an end if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe
Should the needle go to far into the red
When the pain goes beyond bearable levels
She's my nemesis sublime
She is his remarkable or extraordinary opponent
I love her so
He loves her so much
I love my Serpentine
He loves his mistress Serpentine
Contributed by Isabelle D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.