The Best of Thunder: Their Finest Hour (And a Bit)
| The Best of Thunder: Their Finest Hour (And a Bit) | ||||
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 25 September 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1989–1995 | |||
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| Length | 75:21 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Thunder compilation album chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Best of Thunder: Their Finest Hour (And a Bit) | ||||
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The Best of Thunder: Their Finest Hour (And a Bit) is the first compilation album by English hard rock band Thunder. Released on 25 September 1995 by EMI Records, it features songs from the band's first three studio albums – Backstreet Symphony, Laughing on Judgement Day and Behind Closed Doors – as well as a re-recorded version of "Higher Ground", 1994 single "Gimme Shelter" and new tracks "In a Broken Dream" and "Once in a Lifetime".
Upon its release, Their Finest Hour (And a Bit) reached number 22 on the UK Albums Chart, number 3 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart and number 47 on the Scottish Albums Chart. The album was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), indicating sales of 60,000 units. "In a Broken Dream" reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart and number 28 on the Scottish Singles Chart, and topped the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.
Background[edit]
On 11 September 1995, Thunder released a cover version of "In a Broken Dream", originally recorded by Python Lee Jackson with additional vocals from Rod Stewart, as a single.[1] The song debuted at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart,[2] number 28 on the Scottish Singles Chart,[3] and number 1 on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.[4] Two weeks later, the band's first compilation album The Best of Thunder: Their Finest Hour (And a Bit) was released.[1] The album features a selection of tracks from Thunder's first three studio albums – including five from 1990's Backstreet Symphony, four from Laughing on Judgement Day and three from 1995's Behind Closed Doors – as well as "In a Broken Dream", a re-recorded version of "Higher Ground" dubbed "Higher Ground '95", a recording of The Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter" (originally released on a various artists single of the same name), and the previously unreleased "Once in a Lifetime".[5]
A greatest hits album was originally suggested to Thunder by EMI Records, their record label at the time, which the band's vocalist Danny Bowes interpreted as a sign that they were "about to get dropped" by the company.[6] Recalling the situation in the group's 2016 biography Giving the Game Away: The Thunder Story, Bowes noted that "my first thought was 'That means we're off the label. They're trying to get the money in before they heave us out the door.'"[6] The band recorded the new tracks "In a Broken Dream", "Higher Ground '95" and "Once in a Lifetime" at Wool Hall Studios in Beckington, Somerset.[6]
Release[edit]
The Best of Thunder: Their Finest Hour (And a Bit) was released in the UK and Europe by EMI Records on 25 September 1995.[1] The album debuted at number 22 on the UK Albums Chart,[2] number 3 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart,[7] and number 47 on the Scottish Albums Chart.[8] It was also certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry, indicating sales in the UK of 60,000 units.[9] The album was issued in Japan by Toshiba EMI on 29 November 1995.[10] The album was also reissued in Japan in 2004, featuring the previously unreleased track "Sex Groove".[5] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Doug Odell described Their Finest Hour (And a Bit) as "a well-rounded collection for diehard fans or a perfect introduction for new ones".[11] The compilation was promoted on its own short concert tour dubbed Their Finest Set (And a Bit), which visited five cities in England between 27 September and 2 October 1995.[12]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dirty Love" | Luke Morley | 5:25 |
| 2. | "River of Pain" | Morley | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Love Walked In" | Morley | 6:22 |
| 4. | "Everybody Wants Her" | 4:29 | |
| 5. | "In a Broken Dream" | David Bentley | 5:46 |
| 6. | "Higher Ground '95" | Morley | 4:24 |
| 7. | "Backstreet Symphony" | Morley | 4:30 |
| 8. | "A Better Man" | Morley | 3:40 |
| 9. | "Gimme Shelter" | 5:25 | |
| 10. | "Like a Satellite" | Morley | 4:52 |
| 11. | "Low Life in High Places" | Morley | 4:09 |
| 12. | "Stand Up" |
| 4:00 |
| 13. | "Once in a Lifetime" | Morley | 4:45 |
| 14. | "Gimme Some Lovin'" | 3:49 | |
| 15. | "Castles in the Sand" | Morley | 4:36 |
| 16. | "She's So Fine" |
| 5:32 |
| Total length: | 75:21 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Sex Groove" |
Notes
- Tracks 1, 3, 7, 14 and 16 were originally released on Backstreet Symphony (1990)
- Tracks 2, 12 and 15 were originally released on Behind Closed Doors (1995)
- Tracks 4, 8, 10 and 11 were originally released on Laughing on Judgement Day (1992)
- Tracks 5, 6, 13 and 17 were previously unreleased
- Track 9 was originally released on Gimme Shelter Rock (1994)
Personnel[edit]
- Danny Bowes – vocals
- Luke Morley – guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals (tracks 8 and 11), harmonica (track 8), production (tracks 2, 4, 8, 10–12 and 15)
- Ben Matthews – guitar, keyboards, piano, additional engineering
- Gary "Harry" James – drums, percussion
- Mark "Snake" Luckhurst – bass (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14 and 16)
- Mikael Höglund – bass (tracks 2, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13 and 15)
- International Singing Criminals – backing vocals (track 4)
- The Big Bad Horns – horns (track 4)
- Snake Davis – saxophone (track 4)
- Mo Hepple – backing vocal arrangements (track 4)
- Jody Linscott – percussion (track 10)
- Andy Taylor – production (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14 and 16)
- Mike Fraser – production and engineering (tracks 2, 12 and 15), mixing (tracks 1–3, 5–7, 9 and 12–16)
- Ken Lomas – engineering (tracks 4, 8, 10 and 11)
- David Bascombe – mixing (tracks 4, 8, 10 and 11)
- Ross Halfin – photography
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "History". Thunder. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Thunder Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100: 17 September 1995 – 23 September 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40: 17 September 1995 – 23 September 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Their Finest Hour (And a Bit)". Thunder. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ a b c McIver 2016, p. 214
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40: 01 October 1995 – 07 October 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100: 01 October 1995 – 07 October 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 June 2017. Note: User must manually define search parameter as "Thunder" and click the 'Search' button in order to yield results.
- ^ "Best Album (Their Finest Hour (...And a Bit))" (in Japanese). Ikuko "Ken-san" Yamamoto. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ Odell, Doug. "Best of Thunder: Their Finest Hour (And a Bit) – Thunder: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Behind Closed Doors Tour". Thunder. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
Bibliography[edit]
- McIver, Joel (11 November 2016), Giving the Game Away: The Thunder Story, London, England: Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-1785581373
External links[edit]
- The Best of Thunder: Their Finest Hour (And a Bit) on Thunder's official website
- The Best of Thunder: Their Finest Hour at Discogs (list of releases)