Tuesday Tunes 192: Thunder

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I haven’t had many suggestions for themes for this series but today’s is one such. A couple of weeks ago in a comments chat Carolyn, who blogs under the name joyroses (don’t ask me, I’ve no idea either), said that her husband Brad had suggested that I do one of these on thunder and lightning, as it would give me an excuse to play an AC/DC track. Carolyn hates AC/DC, so of course I immediately started thinking of a playlist. I’ve done several weather related themes in the past, including three sets of rain songs and one for storms, but not specifically for either of these. I tried to include both but that quickly became confusing for my tiny brain, so I’ve decided to split them. There aren’t all that many lightning songs that I know and like, but I’m hoping to have found enough for next week – suggestions welcome. So I’m starting today with thunder songs.

The first one is especially for you, Carolyn:

Carolyn may not like AC/DC but that video has been viewed more than 1.4bn times, so I guess a few others do. Thunderstruck was the opening track on the band’s The Razor’s Edge album, which was released in September 1990 and peaked at #3 in the US and #4 in the UK, going 5xPlatinum and Gold respectively, and has sold around 19m copies worldwide. The track was released as the lead single at the same time as the album, and reached #4 in their homeland, Australia, #13 in the UK and #5 in the US Mainstream Rock chart. I’ve always liked it, and that introduction is typical of them – a fan knows at once what is coming. I’m playing the official video for it, but there is another very good one on YouTube from their Live At River Plate DVD – that one is some nineteen years later, and they look much younger on this one!

This next one wasn’t released as a single so there isn’t a promotional video for it, though there are loads of live performances on YouTube. I rather like this slightly more laid back version, anyway:

Another one where the audience knows what is coming from the opening harmonica blast. Bruce Springsteen released Thunder Road as the opening track on his Born To Run album, in August 1975. This was the one which saw his breakthrough, peaking at #3 in the US and #17 in the UK, after his first two had only got to the lower reaches of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, though both actually did better here than they did over there. This song has been a major feature of Bruce’s concerts ever since, and is hugely popular with fans. Despite never having been a single, it has enjoyed success in these days of downloads, such that it has been awarded Platinum status in the US for 1m sales, and Silver in the UK for 200k paid downloads. Not bad for an album track, eh?

I thought about going for another big name next: Bob Dylan. But instead I’m playing a cover version of one of his songs, by the amazing Wanda Jackson:

Bob’s original version of Thunder On The Mountain was released as the opening track on his album Modern Times, in August 2006. which peaked at #1 in the US and #3 in the UK. It moves at a pace, but I think Wanda cranks it up a gear or two. Her version was on her album The Party Ain’t Over, which came out in January 2011, when she was but a youthful 73. It is a set of covers of songs by some well known artists, and Jack White of The White Stripes produced it and played guitar – you can see him in the video. She has never been a huge chart act, but this one reached a respectable #58 in the US.

I have played loads of songs by this next guy, reflecting the fact that he is one of my all time favourites, but I don’t think I’ve played this one before, so this is kind of a first:

As the video clip shows, You Love The Thunder was a track on Jackson Browne’s fifth album, Running On Empty, which was released in December 1977 and got to #3 in the US and #8 in Australia, though it didn’t make the UK Albums Chart. The song was the third single taken from it, in early 1998, but only made #109 in the US. Like everything else he has done, it is an intelligent song with a good tune, and I think it deserved better: maybe the lack of a promo video is a sign that the record company didn’t put much effort behind it?

I’m closing today with a song that I have played a couple of times before, most recently in my tribute piece in this series for my Dad, after he passed away early last year. It is by another of my favourites, and is a gorgeous song with a superb video:

Silver Thunderbird was a track on Marc Cohn’s eponymous debut album, which was released in February 1991 and reached #38 in the US and #27 in the UK. It is a fabulous album which I bought back then, and it stands the test of time: it still sounds great today. It was the second track taken from the album as a single, peaking at #63 in the US and #54 in the UK. Again, I feel it should have done better, but in all honesty I think it was better served as an album track anyway. And it reminds me of having fun with my Dad, which is as good a reason as any for reprising it.

Before I close, a little footnote. This week marks the fourth anniversary of the first Tuesday Tunes. That was published the day after our crooked and incompetent Prime Minister (which one, I hear you ask) had put us into the first Covid lockdown. Little did we know what we were in for, and neither did I imagine that four years later this would have become a staple part of my blog. To anyone who has ever read, liked or commented on these posts, I offer my thanks, and hope that you have enjoyed this – and will continue to do so. I don’t plan on shutting the series down any time yet!

That’s all for this week, and thanks again to Carolyn and Brad for the suggestion. I’ve warned her to have her earplugs ready, but hopefully she will have taken them off after the first offering. If you have any ideas for lightning songs I’ll happily consider them – I only have five so far, and usually prefer to choose from a wider selection. Until then, I hope you have a great week 😊

 

58 thoughts on “Tuesday Tunes 192: Thunder”

    • Thank you, I’m glad you enjoy these posts. I started them the day after the UK was first put into lockdown, someone suggested I make it a series, and I haven’t stopped! xx

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  2. Pingback: That Was March | Take It Easy

  6. I liked four out of the five this week. (80% isn’t bad) The only one I wouldn’t give a second listen to is Wanda Jackson. My two favorites were AC/DC and Jackson Browne thought I also like the tracks by Springsteen and Marc Cohn.

    Hard to know what you’ve got on your lightning songs so far, but here’s one by Aerosmith if it’s not already on your list.

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  8. As you probably know it is easier to find songs with thunder in the title or both thunder and lightning. My all time favorite is Lou Christie and Lightin’ Strikes. Also there is Greased Lightning John Travolta, Lightning Crashes Live, Lightning Bolt Pearl Jam and Ride the Lightning Metallica. Have a great rest of the week,

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  9. Great topic for lots of goo songs! I like the Wanda Jackson one a lot, and of course Jackson Browne, because well… I just love his voice! I have these suggestions if you want …

    Lightning Crashes … by Live (has both thunder & lightning in the lyrics)

    Lightning Striking Again … by Lou Christie (an oldie but goodie)

    A Little Bit Lonesome … by Kasey Chambers (lightning bolt in the lyrics)

    Cool for the 4th anniversary! Keep them coming! 🙂

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  12. Oh gosh! 😂 Thanks for the shoutout for my blog, and there is a story behind the “joyroses”.

    i managed to hear a few seconds of AC/DC before I had to put in my earplugs to protect my eyes against the screeching mice. LOL!

    i really did like the Jackson Browne song and the last one especially. A precious one to remember your Dad by, no earplugs needed 😉

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  14. For some reason I’ve always thought Thundercrack is a recent song, so I was surprised to see it is 24 years-old! A nice collection, including Wanda Jackson who I hadn’t heard of before, she sure could rock for 73!

    And Thunder Road is simply my favourite song…ever.

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    • It may come as an even bigger surprise to you that ‘Thundercrack’ is actually 34 years old! And it’s nothing to do with the after effects of a curry 🤣

      Glad you enjoyed them, and I hope you check out more by Wanda – very much a musician rated by her peers.

      Thunder Road is a favourite for many, isn’t it.

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  15. Great list! Marc Cohn is among my favorites, too. I have that album, and Silver Thunderbird is on multiple playlists of mine.

    Here is a bit of a contribution to the Lightning search. Maybe most or all of the five titles you already have are on this list, but just in case:

    John Travolta, Greased Lightning

    Pearl Jam, Lightning Bolt

    Jessie Ware, Lightning

    The Afters, Lightning

    Warren Zeiders, Ride the Lightning

    Nancy Sinatra, Lightning’s Girl

    Grateful Dead, Lazy Lightning

    Cohear, Lightning

    Uptown Boyband, Like Lightning

    Stray Cats, Struck By Lightning

    Iron Maiden, Lighting Strikes Twice

    Happy Hunting!

    ~Ed.

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