Yacht Rock Essentials: “Thunder Island,” Jay Ferguson’s Rocking Depiction of Exotic Romance [Video]

If you checked out the fun new HBO film Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary, you’ll know that some time is spent debating what songs and artists fit the genre. From our perspective, we take a big-tent approach. That’s why we believe in the yacht rock credibility of Jay Ferguson’s “Thunder Island.”

Maybe it rocks a little harder than your average YR tune. But the setting, the storytelling, and the overall romantic vibes cinch it for us. Here’s a look back at Ferguson and his biggest solo hit.

Bringing the “Thunder”

Jay Ferguson stands out a bit from most of the artists we consider yacht rock. The California-born and raised multi-instrumentalist came from more of a harder rocking background. That was evidenced by his involvement with two bands that strayed far afield from the softer sounds of the ’70s.

First up was Spirit, a beloved if volatile band where Ferguson shared most of the singing/writing duties with Randy California. This band developed a cult following, with a …