Thunder (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Thunder

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Img_capt = Thunder in concert in Wolverhampton, circa December 2006
Img_size = 250
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Years_active = 1989 - 2000, 2002 - present
Origin = London, England
Genre = Hard rock , Blues rock
Label = STC Recordings
Current_members = Danny Bowes Luke Morley Ben Matthews Chris Childs Gary 'Harry' James
Past_members = Mark 'Snake' Luckhurst
Mikael Höglund

Website = [http://www.thunderonline.com/ Thunder Online]

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.

Band History

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.

In 1998, the band released "Live". The album was a concert recorded at Wolverhampton and Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. A DVD was released also featuring the video to the album. Later that year two EPs were released containing the single "The Only One". One EP featured the studio recording while the other featured the live version. Both EPs contained three extra bonus tracks.

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".

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. [ [http://www.thunderonline.com/rjt/images/discography/rjt/rjt.jpg] Track listing for Robert Johnson's Tombstone, from Thunder online, accessed 23 March, 2007]

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. [ [http://www.thunderonline.com/rjt/gigs/] Thunder online confirmed gig list, accessed 23 March, 2007]

Thunder will release their latest album 'Bang' in the UK November 3rd through their own STC label and in mainland Europe via Frontiers Records on November 7th. [ [http://www.komodorock.com/new-releases/cd-releases/thunder-to-release-%27bang%27-via-frontiers-records-on-november-7th-200809037302/] ]

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.

Discography

Notes and References

External links

* [http://www.thunderonline.com Official Thunder website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/thunderonline Official Thunder MySpace]