Thunder's
Japanese CDs make nice collectables. Above is "Behind Closed Doors"
The ultra-rare label for
the "Nuthin' Fancy" 45
These
are the Thunder pages (with Terraplane, Bowes/Morley and Luke Morley solo items etc thrown in for good measure).
Thunder were one of Britain's best, but underrated hard rock bands of
the 1990's. Anyone who saw their live shows would testify to their energy
and great talent with the ability to give the audience a great night out.
After the band split in 2000, apparently due to "market conditions",
there was a welcome return a couple of years later and most recent releases have been on the bands SPC label, including the "Magnificent Seventh"
and "Bang!" CDs which are highly recommended!
Sadly, 2009 saw the band call it a day for good - but not without a couple of "Concert Live" recordings of the final shows. 2010 promises a 5CD live set from EMI and the debut releases from Luke Morley's new band, "The Union".
Thunder were
very popular in Japan and the Japanese items are nice additions to your
collection as they nearly all feature extra tracks and nice OBI strips.
For my money, the highlight of their recorded career still remains the
debut album, "Backstreet Symphony" from 1990 - recommended to
anyone who likes classic hard rock.
For the collector, singles and promos from this period are very collectable.
Before they were Thunder. 3/5 of the band were in "Terraplane"
- a good band with a slightly softer, AOR feel. Before that, Danny Bowes
(Vocals) and Luke Morley (Guitar) had teamed up for what is now the ultimate
"Thunder" collectable, "Lookin' For A Good Time" under
the name of "Nuthin' Fancy" (recently advertised on the web
for over £300!!). Many additional
Promos (mainly on CD) have followed. There are also a couple of Japanese-only
live CD albums which are certainly worth tracking down. For the dedicated
collector - look out for promotional stuff from both Luke Morley's solo
career and the Bowes/Morley collaborations. Also Harry James (Drums) and Chris Childs (Bass) feature
on some releases by "Bad Influence".
Arguably the most sort after items for fans are the series of "attendee-only" CDs from the annual Christmas shows the band perfomed in London and most often, Nottingham Rock City.
Also, look out for US items - quite rare as the band never quite made
it big in the States. The sleeves are almost all different
from the UK issues.
"Townsend
Records" is a good source of material for most of the standard Thunder items!
Thanks are due to David Ulke, Robert Peck & Dietmar Weber
for some great information and images - cheers guys!
Thunder,
just after their formation in 1990
(L-R) Ben Matthews (Guitar), "Snake" (Bass), Danny Bowes
(Vocals), Harry James (Drums) and Luke Morley (Lead Guitar)
Here's a text link for all items by THUNDER, just in case the drop down menus don't work in your browser.
