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.
She's So Fine
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was thinking to myself as I watched the pouring rain
I need love, but I don't know where to get it
Then underneath this big umbrella she walked in the waiting room
I just had to tell her though it might have been too soon
I need love and I think I might have found it
She was some kind of priestess with a black dress on
And if it takes until forever and a day, I've gotta make that woman mine
If I don't tell her then I'll wish my life away, she's so fine, she's so fine
I said don't misunderstand me, I didn't mean to make you blush
But when I got this feeling, I knew I had to rush
I need love, and you know I want to give it
I've been waiting for a lifetime for a woman like you
I know I'm walking on a fine line, but I've got to see it through
If I should pass away tonight while I'm asleep
At least I'll know I spoke my mind
I'm being driven by some other force that won't be denied, she's so fine
She's so fine
I've been waiting for a lifetime for a woman like you
I know I'm walking on a fine line, but I've got to see it through, through
She's so fine, she's so fine, she's so fine
Ooh, I took one look at you baby, babe it feels so good inside
She's so fine, makes me feel good...
The song "She's So Fine" by Thunder is a tale of love at first sight. The singer is waiting for a train in the pouring rain and wishing for love when a woman enters the waiting room with a black dress, film star-like features and turns him on. As he feels the force of love, he rushes up to the lady of his dreams and confessed his feelings. Though aware of the implication of walking on a thin line, he is willing to take his chance and make her his. The singer is not afraid of dying at that moment because he knows he has spoken his mind and won't be denied. The song revolves around the theme of love and passion, with the singer's determination to seize the moment and not miss out on a chance of a lifetime.
The theme of love and passion has always been central to the music of Thunder. "She's So Fine" was a track on their debut album, "Backstreet Symphony," which was released in 1990. The song wasn't individually released as a single but was a popular track on the album. Thunder was a British hard rock band that had a significant following in the late 1980s and 1990s. They were known for their soulful hard rock and bluesy sound, and their music has been tagged as a blend of Bad Company and Led Zepplin.
Line by Line Meaning
It was early in the evening, I was waiting for a train
The songwriter sets the scene of waiting for a train during a rainy evening.
I was thinking to myself as I watched the pouring rain
The songwriter contemplates his need for love as he watches the rain fall.
I need love, but I don't know where to get it
The songwriter acknowledges his need for love but is unsure where to find it.
Then underneath this big umbrella she walked in the waiting room
A woman enters the train station lobby carrying a large umbrella.
I just had to tell her though it might have been too soon
The songwriter feels strongly attracted to the woman and shares his feelings, though it may be too early in their meeting.
I need love and I think I might have found it
The songwriter believes he has potentially found the love he has been seeking when he meets the woman at the station.
She was some kind of priestess with a black dress on
The woman at the station is described with a metaphorical figure of a priestess in a black dress.
With her film star kind of features, she really turned me on
The songwriter is physically attracted to her film star-like qualities.
And if it takes until forever and a day, I've gotta make that woman mine
The songwriter is determined to win the woman's affection, no matter how long it takes.
If I don't tell her then I'll wish my life away, she's so fine, she's so fine
The songwriter recognizes the importance of expressing his love and attraction for the woman before it's too late.
I said don't misunderstand me, I didn't mean to make you blush
The songwriter clarifies his intentions and tries to ease any discomfort the woman may be feeling.
But when I got this feeling, I knew I had to rush
Although he doesn't want to come on too strong, the songwriter is too overwhelmed by his emotions to hold back.
I need love, and you know I want to give it
The songwriter reiterates his desire for love and affirms his willingness to give it back.
I've been waiting for a lifetime for a woman like you
The songwriter expresses that he has been waiting his whole life for someone like the woman he met at the station.
I know I'm walking on a fine line, but I've got to see it through
Despite the risk of being rejected, the songwriter is committed to pursuing the woman he has feelings for.
If I should pass away tonight while I'm asleep
The songwriter considers the possibility that he may die before realizing his love for the woman.
At least I'll know I spoke my mind
Regardless of the outcome, the songwriter feels better having expressed his love for the woman.
I'm being driven by some other force that won't be denied, she's so fine
The songwriter feels like he is being pulled towards the woman by a force greater than himself because he is so taken with her.
She's so fine
The woman is so attractive and alluring to the songwriter.
I've been waiting for a lifetime for a woman like you
Reiteration of the idea that the songwriter has been waiting his whole life for someone like the woman he met at the station.
I know I'm walking on a fine line, but I've got to see it through, through
Despite the uncertainty and risk, the songwriter is determined to see his pursuit of the woman through.
She's so fine, she's so fine, she's so fine
The songwriter repeats his sentiments about the woman's beauty and allure.
Ooh, I took one look at you baby, babe it feels so good inside
The songwriter speaks of the euphoric feeling he gets from looking at the woman he is attracted to.
She's so fine, makes me feel good...
The woman's presence and attraction creates positive feelings in the songwriter.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Fintage House Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDY TAYLOR, LUKE MORLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind