Giving the Game Away is the fifth studio album by English hard rock band Thunder, released on 24 February 1999. Luke Morley, the band's lead guitarist, produced it after a recording session in April 1998. It's the first Thunder album to feature bassist Chris Childs, who arrived after Mikael "Micke" Höglund left in 1996. Japan got it first through Victor Entertainment, with Eagle Records following in Europe in March.
It turned out to be the last studio record before the band split for the first time the following year. Some reviewers found it too mellow, a step away from what had come before, and it had a short chart life, with one week at number 49 on the UK Albums Chart. It did reach number 2 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart, though, and the singles "Play That Funky Music" and "Just Another Suicide (You Wanna Know)" reached numbers 39 and 49. Worth hearing for the band at a quieter, more reflective point.
Giving the Game Away: tracklist, credits and charts
13 tracks · 59:02Tracklist
- 1Just Another Suicide4:08
- 2All I Ever Wanted4:17
- 3Giving the Game Away5:03
- 4You'll Still Need a Friend4:29
- 5Rolling the Dice4:57
- 6Numb5:18
- 7Play That Funky MusicRobert W. Parissi3:47
- 8'Til It Shines4:52
- 9Time to Get Tough3:52
- 10It's Another Day4:41
- 11It Could Be Tonight5:21
- 12Wonderland4:16
- 13The Only One4:00
- Produced by
- Luke Morley
- Recorded at
- At Wessex Sound Studios, Jacobs Studios, Farnham, Surrey, London
- Recorded
- April 1998
- Label
- Victor
- Length
- 59:02
Singles
- “Play That Funky Music”
- “Just Another Suicide (You Wanna Know)”
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1999 | 49 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 1999 | 2 |
| UK Independent Albums · 2023 | 18 |
| Scottish Albums · 2023 | 25 |
From Wikipedia and MusicBrainz. Only what the sources record is shown.
Also released on 24 February
Every year →
More from Thunder
Full discography →
The best of 1999
All of 1999 →
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 24 February 1999 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 24 February 1999 | |
| Wikidata | 1999 | |
| UK / Europe release | 15 March 1999 | earliest UK or European date |
7 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | GB | — | other | |
| 1999 | XE | Eagle Records | 5034504104624 | other |
| 1999 | XE | B Lucky Music | 5036369109264 | deluxe |
| 24 February 1999 | JP | Victor | 4988002380442 | original |
| 15 March 1999 | GB | Eagle Records | 5036369104665 | other |
| 26 April 2019 | XW | BMG | 4050538487879 | other |
| 20 October 2023 | — | BMG | 4050538860832 | deluxe |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1410x1422, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1410×1422 | upscaled: minor: best source 1410x1422, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |