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 Don't Know What Love Is
Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I?m older
Now this mountain I must climb
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds I see love shine
In my life there?s been heartache and pain
I don?t know if I can face it again
Can?t stop now, I?ve travelled so far
To change this lonely life
I wanna know what love is
And I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
And I know you can show me
I'm gonna take a little time
I?m gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
'cause I?ve got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me
In my life there?s been heartache and pain
I don?t know if I can face it again
I can?t stop now, I?ve traveled so far
To change this lonely life
I wanna know what love is
And I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
And I know you can show me
I wanna know what love is
I know you can show me
I want to feel what love is
And I know you can show me
Wanna feel what love is
Thunder's song "You Don't Know What Love Is" is about someone who has been hurt before and is hesitant to open up to love again. They acknowledge that they need to take some time to evaluate their feelings and read between the lines of their own emotions. The singer feels like they have a heavy burden to bear, but they can see love shining through the clouds, providing warmth in a cold and lonely life.
Through the repetition of the chorus, the singer expresses their longing to know what love is and to feel it. They believe that the person they are with can show them what love is and give them the opportunity to feel it. The song ends with the singer fully expressing their desire to feel what love is.
Overall, "You Don't Know What Love Is" speaks to the universal human experience of being hurt and longing for love. The song captures the emotions of someone who is feeling hesitant but hopeful about opening up to love again.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna take a little time
I need to take some time to consider my situation and feelings.
A little time to think things over
I need to reflect on my past experiences and decide how to move forward.
I better read between the lines
I must pay attention to subtle cues so I can make informed decisions later in life.
In case I need it when I'm older
I should prepare myself for future challenges and obstacles.
Now this mountain I must climb
I am facing a difficult challenge ahead, something that seems almost insurmountable.
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
The burden I carry is heavy, almost too much for me to bear.
Through the clouds I see love shine
Despite the difficulties, there is hope and love waiting for me if I look for it.
It keeps me warm as life grows colder
Love gives me the strength and warmth I need to face hardships and challenges.
In my life there's been heartache and pain
I have experienced struggles and pain in my life so far.
I don't know if I can face it again
I'm unsure if I'm strong enough to face those challenges again.
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far
I've come too far to give up now.
To change this lonely life
I want to break free from the sadness and loneliness I've experienced.
I wanna know what love is
I want to understand love on a deeper level.
And I want you to show me
I'm ready and willing to learn from someone who can teach me about love.
I wanna feel what love is
I want to experience love for myself.
And I know you can show me
I believe that someone out there can help me experience love.
I'm gonna take a little time
I need to slow down and take some more time for self-reflection.
A little time to look around me
I need to observe my surroundings and the people in my life more carefully.
'Cause I've got nowhere left to hide
I can no longer run away from my problems or emotions.
It looks like love has finally found me
I may have finally found someone or something that can help me experience love.
Wanna feel what love is
I am desperate to experience the warmth, joy, and comfort of love.
And I know you can show me
I have faith that someone out there can guide me towards experiencing love fully.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind