Thunder Island

Jay Ferguson probably is better remembered for being part of the bands Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, but this song was the first time I had ever heard of him. And I have to admit, I love it. Something about its almost tropical vibe gets to me.

I have an unusual story about my introduction to "Thunder Island" back in 1986. A snippet of it was featured on a morning radio show as the "mystery oldie." Since I was stuck at home rather than school (my memory is that there was flooding due to a storm), I got to listen in fascination as NO ONE GOT IT. People were calling in and guessing, but no one knew the song for a good hour. I knew I didn't know it, but then, I was just a punk kid. I'm not even sure anyone guessed it correctly at this late date. Finally, the DJ revealed all, though whether it was because of a correct guess or just throwing in the towel is lost to the ages.

The upshot to this story is that "Thunder Island" is from 1978. It was already classified as an "oldie" in 1986, and none of the listeners knew it. Now granted, "Thunder Island" is not the biggest hit ever, but it was Top 10. Can you even imagine no one recognizing a Top 10 hit less than a decade old today?

...Y'know, now that I think about it, maybe it's not so far-fetched after all.