Luke Morley (born 19 June 1960 in Camberwell, London, England) is the guitarist, chief songwriter and producer for the hard rock band Thunder[1] from 1989 to present (with a break from 1999–2002, and 2009–2011). Previous to that he was a member of 1980s group, Terraplane who subsequently became Thunder.[2]
Luke Morley | |
|---|---|
_(Luke_Morley).jpg) Morley with Thunder in 2005 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 19 June 1960 |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instrument(s) |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Various |
| Member of | |
| Formerly of | Terraplane |
| Website | lukemorleyonline |
Early life
Luke was born on the 19th of June 1960 in Camberwell, London, and attended Haberdasher Aske's Hatcham College. There he met Danny Bowes for the first time, in September 1971. They became friends three years later and formed the band Nuthin' Fancy, and spent four years touring in South London before forming Terraplane.[3]
Terraplane
After Nuthin' Fancy, Morley and Bowes went on to form the band Terraplane.[2] They appeared at the Reading Festival in 1982 and released two albums before breaking up in 1988. Both Morley and Bowes decided they wanted to pursue a hard rock sound.
Thunder
Morley formed Thunder in 1989 with Bowes and Harry James from Terraplane and were joined by Ben Matthews. They signed a record deal with EMI in 1989.[3]
The Union
In 2009, when Thunder announced that they were splitting up, Morley became the lead guitarist and co-songwriter for the rock band the Union, which he formed with guitarist and co-songwriter, Peter Shoulder. [citation needed] They released three albums before Thunder reformed in 2011.[4]
Return to Thunder
Thunder reformed in 2011 following a two-year hiatus, and has since released another five albums.
Solo career
Morley released his first solo album, El Gringo Retro, in 2001. Tales from the Blue Room, which was recorded during the COVID-19 lockdowns, followed in 2023.[5] Morley played all of the instruments except drums on the album, and is due to tour in January 2024 to promote the album.[6]
The Quireboys
In November 2023 it was announced that Morley had recorded an album with the Quireboys, and would tour in 2024 to promote the album.[7]
Equipment
Guitars
Morley regularly plays the following guitars:
- Black Les Paul Traditional
- White Les Paul Custom (studio + live)
- White Fender Telecaster (studio + live)
- Burgundy Fender Stratocaster (studio)
- Ovation Balladeer acoustic (studio)
- Takamine Acoustic (studio + live)
- Gibson Flying V (live)
Other guitars in his collection include the Gibson EDS-1275.
Amps
- Marshall Vintage Modern
Harmonicas
- Hohner Blues or Cross Harp
Discography
with Terraplane
- Black and White (1985)
- Moving Target (1987)
with Thunder
- Backstreet Symphony (1990)
- Laughing on Judgement Day (1992)
- Behind Closed Doors (1995)
- The Thrill of It All (1997)
- Giving the Game Away (1999)
- Shooting at the Sun (2002)
- The Magnificent Seventh (2005)
- Robert Johnson's Tombstone (2006)
- Bang! (2008)
- Wonder Days (2015)
- Rip It Up (2017)
- Please Remain Seated (2019)
- All the Right Noises (2021)
- Dopamine (2022)
with the Quireboys
- Wardour Street (2024)
Solo
- El Gringo Retro (2001)
- Songs from the Blue Room (2023)
Bowes & Morley
- Moving Swiftly Along (2002)
- Mo's Barbeque (2004)
The Union
- The Union (2010)
- Siren's Song (2011)
- The World Is Yours (2013)
Other appearances
- The Spanish Sessions EP (with Andy Taylor; 1999)
