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.
You'll Still Need a Friend
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is that defining moment, that people realise
It's not communication, it's not that we don't try
We don't want the same thing, the facts are hard to fight
But if this is how it's going to end
And if the rules you want to life by won't bend
Then when you finally find the life you expect
Comprimised solution, still could save the day
But when I move toward the middle, you just turn away
I understand the reasons, but that don't stop the pain
Your path was there before me, but from it you won't stray
'Cause I know that you'll be better off alone
And our love was never written in stone
But when you're out there in the world on your own
you'll still need a friend
you'll still need a friend
We've reached the end, I can't deny it
I know the honeymoon is over now
But no matter where you go
I'm on your side
So if this is how it's going to end
And if the rules you want to life by won't bend
Wehn you finally find the life you expect
You're still gonna need a friend
oh Lord, you're still gonna need a friend
Yes, I understand the reasons baby
Lord knows I do
When you're out there in the world on your own
You'll still need a friend
Gonna need somebody baby, mmm
You'll still need a friend
The first verse of "You'll Still Need a Friend" by Thunder portrays a situation where both parties have realized that they don't want the same thing anymore. The distance written in the eyes of the other person signifies how far apart they are. This verse emphasizes that communication is not the issue because they've tried, but the reality is that they are fighting a losing battle because the facts are hard to fight. If that's how it's going to end and the rules one wants to live by won't budge, then eventually, they'll find the life they expect, but they'll still need a friend.
The second verse shows the singer trying to come up with a compromise but is repeatedly met with rejection. The singer understands that the other person already had a path before they came into the picture, but that doesn't stop the pain of having to let go. The chorus reaffirms that the other person will be better off alone, but no matter what, the singer will still be on their side, and they'll still need a friend.
The song's overall message is of a relationship ending without any resentment towards the other person. Even though the two people may never agree on certain things or want the same things, the singer knows that the other person will still need a friend despite all of that. This message is not just applicable to romantic relationships but to all relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Judging by the distance, that's written in your eyes
I can tell from the look in your eyes that our relationship is coming to an end
This is that defining moment, that people realise
This is the moment when people realize that their relationship is over
It's not communication, it's not that we don't try
Our relationship is failing, not because we don't communicate, but because our desires don't align
We don't want the same thing, the facts are hard to fight
It's tough to deny that we don't have the same dreams and desires for the future
But if this is how it's going to end
If we must end our relationship
And if the rules you want to life by won't bend
And if you're unwilling to compromise on your ideals
Then when you finally find the life you expect
When you eventually achieve the life you aspire towards
you'll still need a friend
You'll still require someone to lean on
Comprimised solution, still could save the day
Even though a settlement that's not ideal to both of us could work
But when I move toward the middle, you just turn away
Whenever I try to find common ground, you reject it outright
Your path was there before me, but from it you won't stray
You had a plan for your life before you met me, and you're not willing to compromise it
'Cause I know that you'll be better off alone
I believe you'll be happier on your own
And our love was never written in stone
Our relationship was never guaranteed to last forever
But when you're out there in the world on your own
But when you're living your life independently
you'll still need a friend
You'll still require someone to lean on
We've reached the end, I can't deny it
Our relationship has run its course, and I can't deny that fact
I know the honeymoon is over now
I recognize that our honeymoon phase is over
But no matter where you go
Regardless of where life takes you
I'm on your side
I'll always be there for you
Yes, I understand the reasons baby
I understand why we must end our relationship
Lord knows I do
I understand it deeply
Gonna need somebody baby, mmm
You'll always require someone in your life to turn to
You'll still need a friend
You'll always require someone in your life to turn to
Contributed by Julia Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@markcummins8441
stunning
@denisehedden13
These Guys are Awesome
@keithharting1911
What is stunning is the few posts. Also I am 55 only heard of this band at 54. They just never really made it big in the United States I've never heard of them I mean if they did I missed it but I don't think they did their music is great I can't believe it
@victoriasutton9958
are totally England.amazing seen 6 times.they the best band in
@victoriasutton9958
sorry my message meant to read Thunder are amazing,in my opinion the best rock band in England then Lionheart .seen them 6 times throughout the years x
@hajimenoippo55555
いい曲だ…😌真似しようと歌ってみてもできないダニーボウズ独特の歌い回しだね。👏
@davejackson4985
Absolutely fantastic band , every song just so good to listen too , thank you very much thunder
@TheEnglishOnex
Anyone know the chords to this song?
@ruairiheatley9761
g d em.