Thunder in My Heart (song) explained

Thunder in My Heart
Cover:Thunder_in_My_Heart_-_L._Sayer.jpg
Alt:A photograph of Sayer is positioned in the center of a lavender border. The artist and song title are positioned above the photograph in orange and yellow fonts respectively.
Type:single
Artist:Leo Sayer
Album:Thunder in My Heart
B-Side:Get the Girl
Released:19 August 1977[1]
Studio:Studio 55, Los Angeles, California
Genre:Disco
Producer:Richard Perry
Prev Title:How Much Love
Prev Year:1977
Next Title:Easy to Love
Next Year:1977

"Thunder in My Heart" is a song by English-Australian singer Leo Sayer, from his fifth studio album, Thunder in My Heart (1977). The song was written by Sayer and Tom Snow, while produced by Richard Perry. It was released through Warner and Chrysalis Records in 1977, as the first single from the album. The disco song consists of a bassline and strings. "Thunder in My Heart" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the production. It peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100. A dance remix of the song by British disc jockey Meck titled "Thunder in My Heart Again" was released on 6 February 2006, and topped the UK Singles Chart.

Composition

Musically, "Thunder in My Heart" is a disco song. It contains a bassline performed by Abraham Laboriel on the bass guitar, accompanied with strings and vocals.[2] Sayer and Tom Snow wrote the song, which was produced by Richard Perry. Snow plays the piano, with drums and congas performed by Jeff Porcaro and Lenny Castro respectively. Fred Tackett and Lee Ritenour uses the guitars, as Bobbye Hall utilises a tambourine.

Critical reception

Writing for the Red Deer Advocate, J. Norman Bower stated that "Thunder in My Heart" is a "classic Sayer melody" followed with instrumentals,[3] while Warren Gerds of the Green Bay Press-Gazette opined that the song has a "big sound" due to the production.[4]

Commercial performance

In Australia, "Thunder in My Heart" peaked at number 11 on the Kent Music Report, where it was ranked at the number 93 position on the 1977 year-end chart. The song debuted at number 32 on the New Zealand Singles Chart dated 11 December 1977. It peaked at number 21 on the chart issued 29 January 1978, and remained for four weeks. "Thunder in My Heart" bowed at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart dated 2 October 1977, where it remained for eight weeks. The song peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart issued 5 November 1977. On the Canadian RPM Top 100 Singles chart issued 19 November 1977, "Thunder in My Heart" charted at number 35.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Thunder in My Heart.[5]

Recording

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1977–1978)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 11
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[7] 22

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)! scope="col"
Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 93
Belgium (Ultratop)[9] 91

"Thunder in My Heart Again"

Thunder in My Heart Again
Cover:meckthunderinmyheartagain.jpg
Alt:A concentric rainbow is imposed over a faded black background. The song title and artist are positioned in the top-left corner in white font.
Type:single
Artist:Meck featuring Leo Sayer
Genre:Dance
Label:Apollo, free2air, Island
Producer:Meck
Chronology:Meck
Next Title:Feels Like Home
Next Year:2007

Background and release

A remix of "Thunder in My Heart" by British disc jockey Meck titled "Thunder in My Heart Again" was released on 6 February 2006, which featured Sayer's vocals.[10] In 2005, Meck asked Sayer for permission to remix the song,[11] after the former found it as a 12-inch single inside a Los Angeles discount store and envisioned a "dance mix treatment". Sayer opined that Meck completely altered the sound but "kept all of its integrity", concluding that he could not discover anything wrong with Meck's version.[12]

"Thunder in My Heart Again" is a dance song,[13] [14] which contains a sample of "Thunder in My Heart" by Leo Sayer. It was performed, produced and arranged by Meck, with mixing by Peter Craigie.

Commercial performance

"Thunder in My Heart Again" debuted at the number one peak on the UK Singles Chart dated 12 February 2006, 28 years after "Thunder in My Heart" originally charted on the same chart.[15] It was Meck's first single on the chart to debut at the number one position dated 18 February 2006,[16] and was Sayer's second number one song on the chart at the age of 57 years, 8 months.[17] It was eventually certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 22 July 2013, for selling 200,000 equivalent units. The song also debuted at the peak of the Scottish Singles Chart dated 12 February 2006. "Thunder in My Heart Again" peaked at number 16 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, where it remained for 17 weeks.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the back cover of "Thunder in My Heart Again".[18]

Recording

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2006)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[19] 6
Ireland Dance (IRMA)[20] 2
Russia Airplay (TopHit)[21] 8

Year-end charts

Chart (2006)! scope="col"
Position
Australia (ARIA)[22] 82
Australian Dance (ARIA)[23] 9
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[24] 28
CIS (Tophit)[25] 53
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[26] 76
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27] 14
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] 36
Russia Airplay (TopHit)[29] 39
UK Singles (OCC)[30] 22

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormat(s)Label(s)
United Kingdom[31]
AustraliaCD singleSony BMG[32]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Music Week. 32.
  2. Web site: 23 feelgood disco, dance and pop basslines. Davies. Claire. MusicRadar. 28 February 2014. 24 October 2021.
  3. News: Pleasant sound. Bower. J. Norman. Red Deer Advocate. 18 February 1978. 22. Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Records in Review. Gerds. Warren. Green Bay Press-Gazette. 20 November 1977. 116. Newspapers.com.
  5. Thunder in My Heart. Leo Sayer. 1977. liner notes. Chrysalis Records. CDL 1154. United Kingdom.
  6. Book: Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book. St Ives, NSW. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
  7. Book: Pennanen, Timo. Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021. 2021. Leo Sayer. 228. Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. Helsinki. 4 July 2022. fi.
  8. Web site: Kent Music Report No 183 – 26 December 1977 > National Top 100 Singles for 1977. Kent Music Report. Imgur. 13 June 2021.
  9. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1977. Ultratop. nl. 8 July 2018.
  10. Web site: Seventies star Leo's still got something to Sayer. Welch. Andy. The Irish News. 30 July 2015. 11 August 2021.
  11. Web site: Primary Wave Buys Stake in Music Publishing Catalog And Master Recordings Of Leo Sayer. Stassen. Murray. Music Business Worldwide. 14 December 2020. 11 August 2021.
  12. Web site: Faces of the Week. Jones. Chris. BBC News. 10 February 2006. 11 August 2021.
  13. Web site: Leo Sayer on a Selfie Tour. Fitzgerald. Eric. Limerick Post. 6 March 2020. 24 October 2021.
  14. Web site: Leo Sayer: 'Alex Higgins ended up asleep on my hotel floor one crazy night'. Belfast Telegraph. 9 October 2013. 11 August 2021.
  15. Web site: Songs that hit Number 1 years after their original chart peak. Myers. Justin. Official Charts Company. 13 July 2018. 11 August 2021.
  16. Web site: Every Official Number 1 debut single since 2000. White. Jack. Official Charts Company. 12 March 2021. 11 August 2021.
  17. Web site: The oldest artists to score a Number 1 single in the UK. Copsey. Rob. Official Charts Company. 14 April 2020. 11 August 2021.
  18. Thunder in My Heart Again. Meck feat. Leo Sayer. 2006. back cover. Island Records. 9876878. United Kingdom.
  19. Hits of the World – Eurocharts. Billboard. 118. 8. 65. 25 February 2006. 24 July 2020.
  20. Web site: Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 16 February 2006. GfK Chart-Track. 11 June 2019.
  21. Web site: Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Apr 6, 2006. TopHit. 25 April 2024.
  22. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2006. ARIA. 17 September 2020.
  23. Web site: ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Dance Singles 2006. ARIA. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200415010735/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/DanceSingles2006.htm. 15 April 2020. 17 September 2020.
  24. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2006. Ultratop. nl. 8 July 2018.
  25. Web site: Top Radio Hits 2006. Tophit. 27 March 2021.
  26. European Hot 100 Songs. Billboard. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20071114134432/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/european_hot_100_singles.jsp. 14 November 2007. 9 January 2022.
  27. Web site: Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2006. Dutch Top 40. 11 April 2020.
  28. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 2006. MegaCharts. nl. 8 July 2018.
  29. Web site: Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart: 2006. TopHit. 25 April 2024. 25 April 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240425163344/https://tophit.com/chart/top/radio/hits/ru/annual/2006. live.
  30. Web site: End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2006. Official Charts Company. 8 July 2018.
  31. The Schedule: Singles. Music Week. 19. 11 February 2006.
  32. Web site: The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 27th March 2006. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20060409140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20060410-0000/ISSUE838.pdf. dead. 9 April 2006. ARIA. 28. 27 March 2006. 20 October 2021. Pandora archive.