Thunder (band)

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Thunder
Thunder in concert in Wolverhampton, circa December 2006
Thunder in concert in Wolverhampton, circa December 2006
Background information
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Hard rock
Years active 1989 - 2000, 2002 - present
Label(s) STC Recordings
Members
Danny Bowes
Luke Morley
Ben Matthews
Chris Childs
Gary 'Harry' James
Former members
Mark 'Snake' Luckhurst
Mikael Höglund

Thunder are an English hard rock band, who originally formed in 1989 when Terraplane broke up, leaving lead singer Danny Bowes and guitarist/main songwriter Luke Morley to form a new band, namely Thunder. Retaining drummer Gary James (popularly known as 'Harry' James) from Terraplane, they completed the line-up with bassist Mark 'Snake' Luckhurst and guitarist/keyboard player Ben Matthews. Though the band's main area of support has remained their homeland of the UK, the band also enjoy significant success in Japan.

Contents

[edit] Band History

[edit] Early years

Thunder were signed with EMI after performing a demo audition in 1989, and soon began recording their first album Back Street Symphony. With their producer, Andy Taylor (of Duran Duran) they created many blues-rock and atmospheric ballads, steering away from the melodic power pop of their previous band. The album was a huge success in the UK, and led to a prestigious appearance at the 1990 Monsters of Rock festival at Donington Park.

A follow-up album, Laughing On Judgement Day appeared in 1992, just as the grunge scene was changing the hard rock landscape. This period was the most turbulent in the band's career; Snake quit the band after the subsequent tour and was replaced by Swedish bass player Mikael Höglund. Meantime, rumours of an approach by Whitesnake singer David Coverdale to recruit Luke Morley were circulating, and it would be another two years before the third album appeared.

That album, Behind Closed Doors was the band's last studio album for EMI. They parted company with the label with a compilation: Their Finest Hour... And A Bit, notable for its inclusion of several unreleased tracks, in particular a cover of the Python Lee Jackson song In A Broken Dream. For personal reasons Mikael Höglund was unable to participate in the recording of the band's fourth album The Thrill Of It All; Luke Morley handled bass duties and the album was released on the independent B Lucky record label. The band recruited bassist Chris Childs for the tour; he remains with them to this day.

[edit] Retirement and solo projects

In 1999 they released their fifth studio album, Giving The Game Away; toning the guitars down in favour of a mellower approach with more keyboards. This album was released to coincide with the band's tenth anniversary; however they announced in autumn 1999 that they were to split, much to the dismay of their fanbase, many of whom had followed them from the beginning. Following a UK tour in November 1999, and some dates in Japan in early 2000, they bowed out on 4 May 2000 with a show at Camden Dingwalls in London, which was recorded for the album They Think It's All Over... It Is Now.

Luke Morley returned to the scene the following year with the solo album El Gringo Retro and played a brace of live shows at the Borderline in London, backed by virtually all of his former bandmates (Danny Bowes being the exception). Morley and Bowes reunited in 2002 for the soul influenced album Moving Swiftly Along.

[edit] Reformation

Thunder were tempted back into action by a slot on the touring Monsters of Rock UK arena shows in late 2002. They returned in 2003 with a new album called Shooting At The Sun released on their own label - STC Recordings.

Their second self-released album, The Magnificent Seventh spawned a top 30 single, "I Love You More Than Rock And Roll" in March 2005, reaching #27 in the UK Singles Chart.

Their resurgence can be traced through the venues booked for their live tours. In 2006 Thunder returned, for the first time since the days of the EMI released Back Street Symphony album, to headline the Hammersmith Apollo at the end of a 12 date UK tour.

The band also took part in the triumphant return of the Monsters of Rock festival in 2006 at Milton Keynes, sharing the bill with Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Journey, Queensrÿche, Ted Nugent and Roadstar. Hailed as one of the stars of the show Thunder justified their reputation as one of the best British live acts.

The band released their eighth studio album on 30 October 2006, entitled Robert Johnson's Tombstone. It follows Thunder's traditions of good honest blues rock albums, with big riffs and big sing-along choruses.[1]

The single "The Devil Made Me Do It" taken from this album reached #40 in the UK Singles Chart on the 10th of December 2006, and the video, produced and animated by Andy Doran, also enjoyed significant success on its first week when uploaded to the YouTube site, and has received airplay on Scuzz TV.

Thunder undertook a European Tour in early 2007, their first in nearly 12 years, playing small venues in Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Italy. A further UK tour took place in November and December 2007. In February 2008 it was announced Thunder would be the opening act on the second leg of Def Leppard and Whitesnake's co-headline UK arena tour. The second leg in July 2008 opens in Cardiff International Arena before heading to Liverpool Arena and Nottingham Arena. [2]

[edit] Lineups - Bowes and Morley bands

The band has had a fairly consistent lineup (other than the slot for bassist) since taking up the name Thunder. The previous incarnations of Bowes/Morley bands that slowly formed into Thunder under different name changes however, did not. Names in bold indicate current members of Thunder.

Nuthin' Fancy (1980 - 1983)
  • Danny Bowes - lead vocals
  • Luke Morley - guitar and vocals
  • Mac McKenzie - bass guitar
  • Chris Hussey - drums and percussion
Terraplane (1983 - 1989)
  • Danny Bowes - lead vocals
  • Luke Morley - guitar and vocals
  • Nick Linden - bass guitar
  • Gary 'Harry' James - drums and percussion
Thunder (1989 - 1992)
  • Danny Bowes - lead vocals
  • Luke Morley - guitar and vocals
  • Ben Matthews - guitar and keyboards
  • Mark 'Snake' Luckhurst - bass guitar
  • Gary 'Harry' James - drums and percussion
Thunder (1993 - 1995)
  • Danny Bowes - lead vocals
  • Luke Morley - guitar and vocals
  • Ben Matthews - guitar and keyboards
  • Mikael Höglund - bass guitar
  • Gary 'Harry' James - drums and percussion
Thunder (1996 - 2000)
  • Danny Bowes - lead vocals
  • Luke Morley - guitar and vocals
  • Ben Matthews - guitar and keyboards
  • Chris Childs - bass guitar
  • Gary 'Harry' James - drums and percussion
(2000 - 2002)
  • Band split
Thunder - reformation (2002 - present)
  • Danny Bowes - lead vocals
  • Luke Morley - guitar and vocals
  • Ben Matthews - guitar and keyboards
  • Chris Childs - bass guitar
  • Gary 'Harry' James - drums and percussion

[edit] Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilations

  • 1995 - Their Finest Hour (and a Bit) (EMI)
  • 1998 - The Best of Thunder (EMI, Japan)
  • 1999 - The Rare, the Raw, and the Rest (EMI)
  • 2000 - Gimme Some... (EMI)
  • 2001 - Rock Champions (EMI)
  • 2003 - Ballads (EMI)

Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
UK Singles Chart UK Download Chart UK Rock Chart
1989 "She's so Fine" 98 - - Back Street Symphony
1990 "Dirty Love" 32 - - Back Street Symphony
1990 "Backstreet Symphony" 25 - - Back Street Symphony
1990 "Gimme Some Lovin'" 36 - - Back Street Symphony
1990 "She's So Fine (re-release)" 34 - - Back Street Symphony
1991 "Love Walked In" 21 - - Back Street Symphony
1992 "Low Life in High Places" 22 - - Laughing on Judgement Day
1992 "Everybody Wants Her" 36 - - Laughing on Judgement Day
1993 "A Better Man" 18 - - Laughing on Judgement Day
1993 "Like a Satellite" 25 - - Laughing on Judgement Day
1994 "Stand Up" 23 - - Behind Closed Doors
1995 "River of Pain" 31 - - Behind Closed Doors
1995 "Castles in the Sand" 30 - - Behind Closed Doors
1995 "In a Broken Dream" 26 - - The Best of Thunder, Their Finest Hour (and a bit)
1996 "Don't Wait Up" 27 - - The Thrill Of It All
1997 "Love Worth Dying For" 60 - - The Thrill Of It All
1998 "The Only One" 31 - - Thunder Live
1998 "Play That Funky Music" 39 - - Giving the Game Away
1999 "You Wanna Know (Just Another Suicide)" 49 - - Giving the Game Away
2003 "Loser" 48 - - Shooting at the Sun
2004 "I Love You More Than Rock n' Roll" 27 - - The Magnificent Seventh
2006 "The Devil Made Me Do It" 40 - - Robert Johnson's Tombstone

[edit] Notes and References

  1. ^ [1]Track listing for Robert Johnson's Tombstone, from Thunder online, accessed 23 March, 2007
  2. ^ [2] Thunder online confirmed gig list, accessed 23 March, 2007

[edit] External links