THUNDERMUG - STRIKES 1972 DEBUT CANADIAN MELODIC HARD ROCK BAND SEALED CD

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

THUNDERMUG – Strikes. Flawed Gems GEM 41. Swedish release. FACTORY SEALED CD. Originally issued in 1972 on Axe Records of Canada; their debut album. This edition issued in 2010. MEMBERS: Bill Durst, Joe DeAngelis, Jim Corbett, and Ed Pranskus. Produced by Greg Hambelton. Engineered by Terry Brown, who would later work with Rush. TRACKS: Africa, Page 125/What Would You Do/Help Father Sun, And They Danced, You Really Got Me, Fortunes Umbrella, Jane “J” James, Will They Ever, and Where Am I. DESCRIPTION: Formed in London, Ontario, their origins began in 1970 when high school friends guitarist/singer Joe DeAngelis and Bill Durst on keyboards/guitars began jamming together in the garage, quickly recruiting bass player James Corbett and Ed Pranskus on drums. They began playing the local scene as Pink Orange, doing mostly Beatles/Stones/Led Zeppelin covers, all the while 'getting it together'. They soon graduated to the Toronto bar circuit where they developed a loyal cult-like following. After changing their name, they were noticed by manager Wyn Anderson one night while playing, who secured them a deal with Greg Hambleton's local Axe Records. With Hambleton and Terry Brown (most noteable for his production work later with Rush and Klaatu) behind the controls, they went into Toronto Sound Studios in the spring of '72. Their debut Strikes was released that summer with their cover of The Kinks' You Really Got Me as the first single. But when radio stations began playing Africa off the album as well, direction changed. They left the confines of headlining with The Srawbs across central Canada to their own smaller venues across the country. Soon after management released it as a single, Africa cracked the national top 30, with the energized-blues flip side Jane J James becoming a programmer's favorite as well. Their infectious groove had critics hailing them as the next potential supergroup. Page 125 was issued as the third single in the middle of a North American tour, shortly before the album reached gold. Though Thundermug's debut is most known for their only hit single, Africa . In truth, most of the album's remaining tracks are superior to the single as evidenced by the trilogy suite, Page 125 / What Would You Do? / Help Father Sun among others. This is pretty sprawling stuff considering the audience they were targeting at the time. I would describe their sound as melodic hard rock with lots of harmony vocals; at times they remind me of a cross between a rockier Flo & Eddie and Cheap Trick. It's difficult to find a real standout among the band's 70's output, since each album was distinctly different from the other. In any case, this album demands your attention from start to finish. The band lasted for two more albums before fading away (but not forgotten) in 1976. SIDE BAR : Epic Records in the US picked up the band for release in 1973. Their US debut album was also called Strikes . However, it was actually a compilation of their first two Canadian albums, Strikes and Orbit . If you have any questions or if you have additional information, especially corrections, to the description, please e-mail me. PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER CURRENTLY LISTED ITEMS AND EBAY STORE. TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS: Unless noted, all CDs come in standard jewel cases. SS or SLD: Still Sealed or Sealed. Short abbreviation that will appear in the title line of my listings. This item is new and unplayed. Also appears in the listing description as Sealed CD or Factory Sealed CD. NEW CD: This item is new and unplayed, but was received from a supplier without being shrink wrapped or cellophane wrapped; more common on imports but also many of the smaller independent US labels do not seal their CDs; some have it both ways (for which I have no prior knowledge of or choice when placing my orders). Other companies use resealable clear outer sleeves which are used on some import and domestic releases. If I receive an item this way it will be shipped as I received it and not opened up. All CDs that do... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.