Thunderbird

Album: Metal Health (1983)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is a tribute to original Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads, who died in a plane crash in 1982. Rhoads released two albums with Quiet Riot before leaving to join Ozzy Osbourne's band, helping Ozzy launch a solo career that landed him in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The song was written by QR lead singer Kevin DuBrow.
  • "Thunderbird" gets played at a lot of Quiet Riot concerts, honoring Rhoads' legacy. Kevin DuBrow would often introduce it by telling a story along these lines about how he and Randy met:

    "This song was written about the guy that started our little rock and roll band. In 1975 I came home from a concert of one of my favorite bands, Humble Pie, and I got a phone message from a guitar player in Burbank, California who was forming a rock and roll band and was auditioning lead singers. So I met up with him later that week and he came over to my mom's house - we were both living with our moms. I was 18 he was 17. He had long blonde hair and a really long thumbnail. Even for 1975 he was a strange looking cat. When I met him, I thought, This should be funny. He plugs the guitar into a little fender practice amp, and I tell you what, he played some of the best guitar I've ever heard to this day. People, don't ever forget the name of this guy. He was Randy Rhoads."
  • The flying theme in this song seems a little out of touch considering Rhoads died in a plane crash, but Kevin DuBrow started writing it when Rhoads was still alive.
  • The song is part of Quiet Riot's breakthrough album, Metal Health, which includes their hit cover of "Cum On Feel The Noize." The album went to #1 in America, the first heavy metal album to do so.

    The band fell on hard times in the aftermath, and DuBrow got kicked out in 1987. The group folded, but DuBrow revived it in 1990, fronting every lineup until his death by drug overdose in 2007. A few years later, drummer Frankie Banali rebooted the group.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.