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.
Together Or Apart
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clear my eyes, clear my brain
I guess I needed some time
You and I are at the stage
Where we stay together or make a change
We both know that it's right
We need to decide
'Cos I can't stay in this place all my life
Are we one thing or the other
Are we only killing the time?
Together or apart, better make up your mind
I'm not trying to force your hand
I just wanna know where I stand
To get it straight in my head
Don't be afraid to tel the truth
Either way I'll still love you
Even if it's the end
It's no use pretending that this'll go away
It's been coming so long
'Cos I know I won't be hapy inside
Until we really talk about it
And I know there's nothing to hide
Together or apart, are you breaking my heart
Better make up your mind
'Cos we're out of time
There's no right or wrong here, it's just the way it is
No need for disguise
Whatever your feelings, just look in my eyes
And you won't lie
'Cos I can't stay in this place all my life
Are we one thing or the other
Are we only killing the time?
Together or apart, better make up your mind
We gotta sit and talk about it
Till I know there's nothing to hide
Together or apart, are you breaking my heart?
Better make up your mind, cos we're outta time
The song Together Or Apart by Thunder is a ballad about the crossroads in a relationship. The singer is on a long drive across a dusty plain to clear his head and think about his relationship. He expresses his anxiety about the stage he and his partner are in and whether they should stay together or make a change. He urges his partner not to be afraid to tell the truth because he just wants to know where he stands. He wishes to get it straight in his head and is even prepared to accept the end if that is the truth.
The lyrics express the importance of facing the consequences of any decision that will be made. Avoiding the future won’t cut it anymore since admitting the truth is the only way they can resolve their situation. The singer is aware they are out of time and that they need to talk about it until there is nothing left to hide. The song is a plea for honesty and for the couple to make up their minds about whether they want to be together or apart. The singer can’t stay in this place all his life, so they must figure it out before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Long drive across a dusty plain
I needed to get away and have some time to think and reflect, so I took a long drive across a barren landscape.
Clear my eyes, clear my brain
I needed to clear my head, so I took some time for myself to regroup and refocus.
I guess I needed some time
I needed some time to myself to figure out where I stand and what I really want.
You and I are at the stage
We are at a crossroads where we need to decide whether to stay together or make a change in our relationship.
Where we stay together or make a change
We need to decide whether we continue to stay together or if it's time to go our separate ways.
We both know that it's right
We both know that we need to make a decision about our relationship for the sake of our own happiness.
Avoiding the future won't cut it anymore
We can't keep putting off making a decision about our future together, it's time to face it head on.
We need to decide
We need to make a decision about whether we should stay together or go our separate ways.
'Cos I can't stay in this place all my life
I can't stay in this state of uncertainty forever, I need to know where we stand so I can move on with my life.
Are we one thing or the other
We need to figure out if we are committed to each other, or if it's time to move on and find something new.
Are we only killing the time?
If we stay in this relationship just to avoid being alone or out of habit, we are only wasting our time together.
Together or apart, better make up your mind
We need to make a decision about our future together, whether we stay together or go our separate ways.
I'm not trying to force your hand
I'm not trying to pressure you into making a decision, I just need to know where we stand.
I just wanna know where I stand
I need clarity and honesty about our relationship so that I can make informed decisions about my own future.
To get it straight in my head
I need to have a clear understanding of where our relationship is headed so that I can have peace of mind.
Don't be afraid to tell the truth
We need to be honest with each other about our feelings and what we really want, even if it's difficult.
Either way I'll still love you
No matter what decision we make, my love for you will remain unchanged.
Even if it's the end
Even if our relationship comes to an end, I will still care for you and cherish the memories we've shared.
It's no use pretending that this'll go away
Ignoring our problems won't make them disappear, we need to address them and make a decision about our future.
It's been coming so long
Our issues have been brewing for a while now, and it's time to confront them once and for all.
'Cos I know I won't be happy inside
I won't be able to find happiness until we address our issues and make a decision about our future together.
Until we really talk about it
We need to have an open and honest conversation about our feelings and what we want for our future.
And I know there's nothing to hide
We need to be completely transparent with each other about our feelings and intentions so that we can make an informed decision.
Together or apart, are you breaking my heart
We need to make a decision about our future together, and if we decide to go our separate ways, it will be heartbreaking.
'Cos we're out of time
We can't keep avoiding making a decision about our future, we need to act now before it's too late.
There's no right or wrong here, it's just the way it is
There's no easy answer to our situation, we need to do what's best for ourselves and our own happiness.
No need for disguise
We need to be completely honest with each other about our feelings, without any pretense or hidden motives.
Whatever your feelings, just look in my eyes
No matter what decision we make, we need to face it honestly and with clear intention. We need to communicate openly and compassionately.
And you won't lie
We need to be truthful with each other, even if the truth is difficult to hear or accept.
We gotta sit and talk about it
We need to have an open and honest conversation about our future together and what we each want.
Till I know there's nothing to hide
We need to be completely transparent with each other about our feelings and intentions so that we can make an informed decision.
'Cos we're outta time
We can't keep avoiding making a decision about our future, we need to act now before it's too late.
Are you breaking my heart?
We need to confront our feelings honestly and openly so that we can make a decision about our future without causing heartache or pain.
Better make up your mind
We need to make a decision about our future together and do it soon, before it's too late.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LUKE MORLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind