British hard rockers THUNDER are releasing expanded remastered reissues of their first 3 albums on both deluxe colored vinyl and digipak CD. Each contains rare, bonus, and unreleased live versions of tracks from these albums.
Thunder’s debut ”Backstreet Symphony” was released in 1990 to huge critical and commercial success. It was produced by Andy Taylor from Duran Duran, peaked in the UK album chart at No.21, and has since gone gold. It spawned five hit singles; ‘Love Walked In’, ‘Dirty Love’, ‘Gimme Some Lovin’, ‘She’s So Fine’, and the title track which also charted in the UK.
The record has gone on to be a classic of the band’s catalogue and many of its songs are still in Thunder live set today. This expanded edition of ”Backstreet Symphony” contains bonus rare live versions of hits from the album.
Every once in a while, you come across a band that you want the world to know about. I first saw the video for “Dirty Love” from Thunder on MTV (remember when MTV showed videos?). It made me run right out and buy “Backstreet Symphony” on cassette (I didn’t have a CD player yet).
It blew me away.
Other than “Dirty Love” and “Love Walked In,” Thunder didn’t get much play in the U.S. Many missed out on the brief window they had to hear about this band. They were big in the U.K. and Japan and that’s allowed them to continue even to this day (with a couple of hiatuses). They’ve put out great straight-up hard rock music with melody throughout their career.
They came out at the height of the hair metal era, but they weren’t a hair metal band. There a guitar-based, bluesy hard rock outfit. And with a bang…
Guitarist Luke Morley, singer Danny Bowes and drummer Gary ‘Harry’ James emerged from the wreckage of Terraplane in 1989 and after enlisting bassist Mark Luckhurst and keyboard and some time guitarist Ben Matthews emerged as Thunder.
Thus creating one of the most amazing transformations and re-inventions the rock world had seen in a while.
Terraplane, after a reasonably successful start had become pretty much also rans of the struggling late Eighties rock scene as the bands main protaganists pulled in one direction and their record company kept pushing them in another. To be fair to them their two albums are really enjoyable affairs but there really was no sign in 1989 that what was virtually the same band would move from also rans to becoming the new darlings of the UK hard rock scene within twelve months.
After performing an audition for EMI, Thunder were given a deal and sent of to the studio to record what many still think is their best album; “BackStreet Symphony”.
Danny Bowes has one of the best voices in rock. He reminds me of a more soulful and bluesy David Coverdale. Lead guitarist and main songwriter, Luke Morley creates catchy riffs and crafts stories through their songs.
Highlights of the album go deep. In fact, the first seven songs may be one of the best seven song stretches on any LP. “She’s So Fine” kicks it off with Bowes singing of love at first site. The aforementioned “Dirty Love” leads to “Don’t Wait For Me” which gives Bowes a chance to shine on vocals.
The songs just keep getting better with “Higher Ground,” “Until My Dying Day,” “Backstreet Symphony,” and the awesome power ballad “Love Walked In” – a true classic tune.
Thunder exploded into the big league of British rock on the back of this terrific album and a show stealing performance at the Monsters Of Rock Festival at Donington that summer. Where, despite being bottom of the bill and having to start their set before half of the crowd had been allowed in, they blew every other band off the stage. Ironically one of those bands were headliners Whitesnake, who had by then almost abandoned the sound that had inspired Thunder in the first place.
A must-have for all classic hard rock fans.
You’ve seen it first at all
01 – She’s So Fine
02 – Dirty Love
03 – Don’t Wait For Me
04 – Higher Ground
05 – Until My Dying Day
06 – Backstreet Symphony
07 – Love Walked In
08 – An Englishman On Holiday
09 – Girl’s Going Out Of Her Head
10 – Gimme Some Lovin’
11 – Distant Thunder
BONUS TRACKS:
12 – She’s So Fine (Live at Marquee London, 2002) *
13 – Until My Dying Day (Live at Marquee London, 2002) *
14 – Gimme Some Lovin’ (Live at Nottingham Rock City, 2008) **
* Previously available on the 2003 DVD, ‘Live & Uncut’ on STC Records. Long since deleted and have never been available on CD, vinyl or digital.
** Previously only available on The Xmas Show Live 2008 CD given to ticket holders only. Long deleted and has never been on vinyl or digital.