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.
The Pimp and the Whore
Thunder Lyrics
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I'll take you to the level where you wanna be
'Cause I got my ducks in a row
And you're young and you're pretty
And stupid as far as I know
I'll make the decisions, you'll dance to my tune
With your naked ambition I'll open the door
We need each other like a pimp and a whore, yeah
You've got one destination...celebrity
You'll be the toast of the nation, you'll live on TV, you will see
Can I make it clear from the start?
You don't need an opinion as long as you look like the part
Come out of the closet, we'll hit no. 1
You'll be there for Christmas, by Spring you'll be gone
You'd better believe it, it's certain and sure
We need each other like a pimp and a whore
A man of vision, a man of style, well, that's what they're calling me
So hitch up your wagons and enjoy the ride
You can be who you wanna be
If you trust in me
You're so young and you're pretty
And stupid as far as I know
I'll make the decisions, you'll dance to my tune
While I count the money you preen and they swoon
With your naked ambition I'll open the door
We need each other like a pimp and a whore
Come out of the closet, we'll hit no. 1
You'll be there for Christmas, by Spring you'll be gone
You'd better believe it, it's certain and sure
We need each other like a pimp and a whore
Yeah, we need each other like a pimp and a whore
Yeah, we're gonna make lots of money
Yeah, we're gonna make lots of money
We're gonna make lots of money
We're gonna make lots of money
We're gonna make lots of money
The lyrics to "A Lover Not a Friend" by Thunder tell the story of a man trying to convince a young, naive woman to join forces with him in pursuit of fame and fortune in the music industry. He promises to take her to the level she wants to be, but makes it clear that he will be the one making all the decisions while she dances to his tune. He sees her as young, pretty, and stupid and believes that as long as she looks the part, she doesn't need an opinion. The song portrays their relationship as one of mutual exploitation, where she needs his guidance to achieve her dreams of celebrity, and he needs her looks and ambition to make money.
The lyrics are a commentary on the music industry, where young artists are often taken advantage of by managers or producers who promise them fame and success, but ultimately profit from their talent and image. The song emphasizes the power imbalance in these relationships, where the artist is seen as disposable and replaceable, and the manager/producer controls their career and financial success.
Overall, "A Lover Not a Friend" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of chasing fame and fortune at any cost, and the importance of staying true to oneself and maintaining control over one's own career.
Line by Line Meaning
If you wanna be special just listen to me
If you want to achieve success and stand out from the crowd, you should follow my instructions.
I'll take you to the level where you wanna be
I have the ability to elevate you to the level you aspire to be at.
'Cause I got my ducks in a row
I have everything planned and organized.
And you're young and you're pretty
You possess youthfulness and physical attractiveness.
And stupid as far as I know
Your lack of experience and naivete are advantages for me.
I'll make the decisions, you'll dance to my tune
I will be the one making all the decisions, and you will simply follow my lead.
While I count the money you preen and they swoon
I will handle the financial matters while you bask in the attention and admiration of others.
With your naked ambition I'll open the door
Your strong drive and ambition will be useful for me in accessing new opportunities.
We need each other like a pimp and a whore, yeah
Our relationship is mutually beneficial, as we both rely on each other to attain our respective goals.
You've got one destination...celebrity
Your ultimate destination is achieving celebrity status.
You'll be the toast of the nation, you'll live on TV, you will see
You will become highly admired and popular and will have a presence on television.
Can I make it clear from the start?
Let me be upfront and transparent about this.
You don't need an opinion as long as you look like the part
Your physical appearance is all that matters, so you don't need to have a strong opinion or voice.
Come out of the closet, we'll hit no. 1
Let's make our plans public, and we will achieve the highest level of success.
You'll be there for Christmas, by Spring you'll be gone
You will experience a rapid rise to fame but may also experience a quick downfall or be replaced by someone else.
You'd better believe it, it's certain and sure
You can trust my promises, and it is guaranteed to happen.
A man of vision, a man of style, well, that's what they're calling me
I am highly regarded as someone with a great vision and sense of style.
So hitch up your wagons and enjoy the ride
Come with me and enjoy the ride to success.
You can be who you wanna be
You have the opportunity to become whoever you aspire to be.
If you trust in me
If you place your trust in me and follow my lead, we will both benefit.
Yeah, we're gonna make lots of money
Our ultimate goal is to become wealthy.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: LUKE MORLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind