Chart entered : 17 February 1990
Chart peak : 32
Number of hits : 21
Like Gun, these hard rockers built up a loyal fanbase who gave them a very consistent run of hits without ever crossing over to a wider audience.
Guitarist and songwriter Luke Morley ( born 1960 ) , singer Danny Bowes ( born 1960 ) and drummer Harry James were three quarters ( later three-fifths ) of a band called Terraplane in the eighties. They began their recording career in 1983 with the single "I Survive" on an independent label . It's a so-so metal-lite track. The following year they signed with Epic who encouraged them to incorporate synths into their music with mullets to match. Their debut album "Black And White" was a minor hit reaching number 74 but none of the four singles taken from it were hits despite Danny's obvious vocal talents.
Their next single "If That's What It Takes" went further down the modernist road with a horribly over the top production ( from former Sailor man Phil Pickett ), featuring a ghastly Fairlight riff and backing vocals from Ruby Turner and Helen Terry , that completely drowns the very average song . I've not heard the subsequent singles from the "Moving Target" album in 1987 but both were co-writes with Pickett and I gather they were in the same vein. Having thoroughly confused their audience and, one suspects, themselves , they split up in 1988.
Luke , Danny and Harry decided to re-group as Thunder and started recording demos with former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor as producer and Ben Matthews as engineer. They were signed up by EMI in a matter of months . The line up was fleshed out by Ben joining as keyboard player and second guitarist and Mark Luckhurst, a friend of Harry's , on bass.
In October 1989 they released their first single "She;s So Fine". It's a crisply produced ( by Taylor ) hard rock number in a Guns n Roses vein with no keyboards just sizzling riffs. As a statement of intent that their new incarnation was not going to be as compromised as the old it did the job. The band then embarked on a tour of the UK and Ireland including two dates supporting Aerosmith at the NEC.
"Dirty Love" was their second single, a misogynistic putdown of an ex that doesn't sound too far removed from Aerosmith. With its na-na-na hooks in the chorus and general pop bounce, it might have succeeded anyway but EMI were taking no chances and there were limited editions of a gatefold picture booklet and a log-shaped disc.
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