Night Ranger
Encyclopedia
Night Ranger is an American
rock band
from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. The quintet is perhaps best known for the power ballad "Sister Christian
", which peaked at #5 in June 1984.
After their success waned in the late 1980s, the band split up in 1989 and its members pursued other musical endeavours including group
and solo
efforts. Several members released an album without original singer/bassist Jack Blades
in 1995, but the band soon re-united to release two new albums in the latter half of the decade. Despite the departure of original keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald
and guitarist Jeff Watson
, the band has continued to tour and remains very popular in Asian countries, especially Japan
.
, a pop/funk group led by Jerry Martini
, who gained fame as a member of Sly and the Family Stone. After Rubicon's demise in 1979, bassist Jack Blades
formed a hard rock trio with two other Rubicon members, drummer Kelly Keagy
and guitarist Brad Gillis
. Performing under the name Stereo, the threesome added keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald
, a former member of Montrose
, in 1980. Fitzgerald soon recommended enlisting a second virtuoso guitarist, so Jeff Watson
, who led his own band in Northern California
, was added to the group. The seeds were sown for a new melodic hard rock band, initially called simply Ranger.
for Boardwalk Records
and done opening stints for ZZ Top
and Ozzy Osbourne
; the latter had employed Brad Gillis as a stand-in guitarist for the recently deceased Randy Rhoads
in the spring and summer of 1982. After Boardwalk folded, producer Bruce Bird secured Night Ranger a deal with MCA
on their Camel subsidiary in 1983.
Their first three albums struck a balance between hard rockers laden with sexual innuendo and accessible pop ballads to guarantee airplay. Dawn Patrol
, Midnight Madness
, and Seven Wishes
all reached RIAA Platinum status and garnered the band international fame. 1987's Big Life
fell short of Platinum at around 800,000 copies. Thereafter, the group's fortunes began to decline.
Night Ranger's overall image tended to be somewhat cleaner than MTV
contemporaries like Mötley Crüe
or Ratt
which helped the band flourish during a decade characterized by PMRC controversy. Moreover, their anthem "(You Can Still) Rock In America" appealed to a patriotic trend in 1980s rock pushed forward by both Ted Nugent
and Sammy Hagar
(Jack Blades would later form a popular supergroup
with Nugent called Damn Yankees
).
Negative criticism abounded during the band's heyday; Rolling Stone
's review of Seven Wishes
took a swipe at Night Ranger's "formula" of "sub-Broadway" ballads. Other critics were even less flattering, with terms such as "poseurs" and "pomp-rockers" put forth in various music guides. But favourable critics, such as Hit Parader
, underscored Jack Blades' puppy-dog appeal, which won over female fans, while Gillis and Watson's duelling guitars pleased the same male audience that guitar-driven bands such as Van Halen
had already begun to cultivate. Both guitarists also featured prominently in magazines like "Guitar for the Practicing Musician
."
Dawn Patrols first single, "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", received a boost through its MTV
video airplay and peaked modestly at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Sing Me Away," a concert favourite sung by Keagy, failed to chart even though it also featured on MTV
. Night Ranger's hold solidified with their second album, Midnight Madness, which pushed the band from opening act to headliner status by the summer of 1984. Apart from "Rock in America," Midnight Madness spun off two hit ballads: "When You Close Your Eyes" (#14) and "Sister Christian", (#5) written and sung by Kelly Keagy for his younger sister, Christine. "Sister Christian" proved to be the band's milestone —as well as a millstone— as it turned out.
According to a later interview with Brad Gillis, "Sister Christian" had actually been completed in 1982. But Gillis said the band chose not to release it on Dawn Patrol because they were afraid of losing their hard rock credentials. "Sister Christian," soon became a prom favourite, as well as a cautionary anthem for teenage girls across conservative Middle America, warning them not to "give it up before their time is due", as the song's second verse urged, and keep "motoring" instead.
In 1985 Night Ranger continued headlining their own tours in support of Seven Wishes which followed a very loose concept of the band flying across the ocean in a WWII B-25 Mitchell
bomber. Jack Blades later reported he and Brad Gillis were fascinated by World War II planes. Night Ranger's "Sentimental Street" video even placed them in an Amelia Earhart
scenario, which reported the entire band lost at sea. Like Midnight Madness, Seven Wishes was also blessed with three hit singles: the plaintive "Sentimental Street" (#8; sung by Kelly Keagy), Jack Blades' mid-tempo rocker "Four in the Morning (I Can't Take Anymore)" (#19), the title describing the time of night Blades wrote the song, and the pleasant, acoustic-flavoured "Goodbye" (#17), which saw the band veering toward an overtly folk-rock, even country, direction. According to a 2001 TNN interview, "Goodbye" had been penned by Jack Blades in memory of his older brother, James, who had died from a heroin overdose several years before.
Between 1984 and 1987, Night Ranger branched out into soundtracks, recording or contributing songs to several teen oriented films. In 1984 the band released "Interstate Love Affair" (later appearing on Seven Wishes) for Teachers
, starring Nick Nolte
. In 1985 they also contributed another Seven Wishes track, "This Boy Needs to Rock," to the soundtrack of Explorers
. The band also received exposure on two Anthony Michael Hall
vehicles, Sixteen Candles
(1984) and Out of Bounds in (1986). "Rumours in the Air" from Midnight Madness appeared on the former, while the latter featured "Wild and Innocent Youth," a rollicking Blades-Keagy composition that never saw release on a Night Ranger album.
In 1987 Jack Blades
co-wrote the title theme to the Michael J. Fox
film The Secret of My Success
, which served as the lead-off single from Big Life. Unlike the previous three Night Ranger albums produced by Pat Glasser, this album was produced by David Foster
and featured a more polished, keyboard-driven sound, comparable to Journey
and Foreigner
. Unfortunately, Night Ranger now faced stiff competition from glam rock bands such as Bon Jovi
and Poison
, while overall tastes had begun to shift toward "bad boy" groups, such as Guns N' Roses
. Moreover, some Night Ranger fans perceived the band's Hollywood flirtations as evidence of "selling out", reflected by a slight decline in album sales for Big Life.
Big Life featured some fairly mature Blades-Keagy songwriting, including the nuanced fan favorite, "Rain Comes Crashing Down," inspired by a stormy California afternoon.
Sung by Kelly Keagy, "Carry On" was most reminiscent of classic Night Ranger, and featured as the flip-side of "Secret of My Success." However, none of the chosen Big Life singles hit the Top 40. "Secret of My Success" stalled just short of hit single status despite heavy MTV
rotation in early 1987. A video also exists for "Colour of Your Smile," a guitar-driven rocker that never received airplay. Night Ranger also openly quarrelled with MCA
over choosing "Hearts Away" in lieu of one of the heavier songs. Their label expected another Top 10 ballad, like "Sister Christian" or "Sentimental Street," but despite Kelly Keagy's passionate vocal, "Hearts Away" failed to catch on during Night Ranger's 1987 tour — a vigorous series of dates across North America and the Caribbean, featuring the Outfield as the opening act.
In early 1988 Alan Fitzgerald left during the recording of Night Ranger's fifth album citing his own diminished role in the guitar-driven band. Ironically, Fitzgerald had originally suggested the addition of Jeff Watson
to augment the band's sound. With "Fitz" gone, Night Ranger required a touring keyboardist(Jesse Bradman) to complete the next album, Man in Motion
, which promised a return to earlier form with more hard rock to anchor the group's sagging fortunes. But none of the singles from it were distinguished enough to gain radio airplay and MCA once more chose ballads over rockers. "I Did It for Love" (written by Russ Ballard
) fared poorly, even with a cameo appearance by popular actress Morgan Fairchild
in the video. Although the band still views "Restless Kind" as a favourite, it also failed to chart. "Don't Start Thinking(I'm Alone Tonight)" and "Reason to Be" were also failed singles in early 1989. Man in Motion thus became the first Night Ranger album not to achieve Gold or Platinum status.
), Jack Blades left Night Ranger to form the popular supergroup Damn Yankees
with Ted Nugent
and Tommy Shaw
of Styx
and the band broke up.
In 1991 Kelly Keagy and Brad Gillis enlisted Gary Moon
(ex-Three Dog Night
) to replace Jack Blades as vocalist/bassist and decided to reform as a trio after Jeff Watson decided to pursue a solo career. The reunited group recorded Feeding Off The Mojo in 1995 which did not improve the band's profile despite a rigorous tour schedule in the early 1990s. For the 1995 tour to promote Mojo, David Zaijcek (from the group Airborne) was added on keyboards and guitar to bolster the group's stage sound.
In 1996 Jack Blades returned to Night Ranger, which reunited with all five original members for two studio albums on CMC Records, who engineered a similar comeback for Styx
. While Neverland and Seven did not become as successful as the band's early material in the United States
, they became quite popular in Japan
. The band continued to tour in between solo albums and projects, mostly on the summer festival circuit. Jack Blades also began a stint serving as chief counselor for the Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp
.
In 1999 they joined other 1980s bands in the second installment of the Rock Never Stops Tour
, which also happened to feature Ted Nugent.
was replaced by Great White
rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie
. Fitzgerald began handling offstage keyboards once again for Van Halen
in 2004.
In 2007, while working on their next release Hole in the Sun
, Jeff Watson was fired from the band. His replacement for the remainder of their 2007 tour was Winger/Whitesnake
guitarist Reb Beach
. Lardie and Beach soon left the band to focus on Great White and Winger/Whitesnake respectively. Christian Matthew Cullen replaced Lardie in 2007 while Joel Hoekstra took over for Beach by early 2008.
Hole in the Sun was released overseas in April 2007 but did not appear in the U.S. until July 2008.
In January 2008, in a podcast interview with Stuck in the 80s, Jack Blades
said the band's latest album -- Hole in the Sun -- would be released in 2008 and would be supported by a national tour. In addition, Blades said the band was flying to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in late January to play a special show for the Navy and Marines troops on the island. To date Night Ranger have sold 16 million albums worldwide.
When not with Night Ranger, Hoekstra plays guitar for the hit Broadway show Rock of Ages and also Trans Siberian Orchestra. Hoekstra also did double duty for a stretch of the band's 2011 tour filling in for Mick Jones of Foreigner.
On March 8, 2011 Night Ranger announced new member Eric Levy and the departure of Christian Matthew Cullen.
Night Ranger released its new album, Somewhere In California on June 21, 2011. The video for the first single Growin Up in California can be seen on YouTube.
In 2011, Night Ranger toured with Journey
and Foreigner
.
}–
| Big Life
|-
! 1988
| "I Did It for Love"
| align=center | 75
| align=center | 16
| Man in Motion
|-
! 1988
| "(Don't Start Thinking) I'm Alone Tonight"
| align=center | –
| align=center | –
| Man in Motion
|}
" appears in both the Off-Broadway production Power Balladz
,the movie 'Boogie Nights' and the award-winning Broadway hit Rock of Ages
.
.
"Sister Christian" also appears as a playable song in RockBand 3.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. The quintet is perhaps best known for the power ballad "Sister Christian
Sister Christian
"Sister Christian" is a power ballad by the hard rock band Night Ranger, which was the second single released on their album Midnight Madness. It was ranked number 32 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s. To this day, it is one of the most popular first dance songs at weddings.-Origin and...
", which peaked at #5 in June 1984.
After their success waned in the late 1980s, the band split up in 1989 and its members pursued other musical endeavours including group
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
and solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
efforts. Several members released an album without original singer/bassist Jack Blades
Jack Blades
Jack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...
in 1995, but the band soon re-united to release two new albums in the latter half of the decade. Despite the departure of original keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald
Alan Fitzgerald
Alan Fitzgerald, U.S. musician , was a member of several U.S. bands.He played as a bassist in the bands Montrose and Gamma, both of which also featured guitarist Ronnie Montrose....
and guitarist Jeff Watson
Jeff Watson (guitarist)
Jeff Watson is an American guitarist originally known as one of the founding members and lead guitarist of the band Night Ranger, in which he has played as co-guitarist with guitarist Brad Gillis. He has also released solo albums. In 2007, he left the band to pursue more challenging opportunities...
, the band has continued to tour and remains very popular in Asian countries, especially Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Beginnings
The group's origin can be traced to RubiconRubicon (US band)
Rubicon was a one-hit wonder funk rock band from California, who had a hit single in 1978 with "I'm Gonna Take Care of Everything". The song peaked at #28 on the Billboard magazine national singles charts, spending 11 weeks on the Hot 100....
, a pop/funk group led by Jerry Martini
Jerry Martini
Jerry Martini is an American musician, best known for being the saxophonist for the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone...
, who gained fame as a member of Sly and the Family Stone. After Rubicon's demise in 1979, bassist Jack Blades
Jack Blades
Jack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...
formed a hard rock trio with two other Rubicon members, drummer Kelly Keagy
Kelly Keagy
Kelly Keagy is an American drummer and vocalist, best known for his work with Night Ranger. Keagy sang lead vocals on several of their hits, such as "Sister Christian", "Sing Me Away", and "Sentimental Street".-Early years:...
and guitarist Brad Gillis
Brad Gillis
Brad Gillis is a guitarist most famous for playing with the band Night Ranger. He was in the band Rubicon during the 1970s before Night Ranger. He has also played for Ozzy Osbourne and Fiona, and has released solo albums....
. Performing under the name Stereo, the threesome added keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald
Alan Fitzgerald
Alan Fitzgerald, U.S. musician , was a member of several U.S. bands.He played as a bassist in the bands Montrose and Gamma, both of which also featured guitarist Ronnie Montrose....
, a former member of Montrose
Montrose (band)
Montrose was a California-based hard rock band. The band originally featured Ronnie Montrose on guitar and future solo artist and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar...
, in 1980. Fitzgerald soon recommended enlisting a second virtuoso guitarist, so Jeff Watson
Jeff Watson (guitarist)
Jeff Watson is an American guitarist originally known as one of the founding members and lead guitarist of the band Night Ranger, in which he has played as co-guitarist with guitarist Brad Gillis. He has also released solo albums. In 2007, he left the band to pursue more challenging opportunities...
, who led his own band in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, was added to the group. The seeds were sown for a new melodic hard rock band, initially called simply Ranger.
1980s
In 1982 the band changed its name to Night Ranger after a country band, The Rangers, claimed a trademark infringement. By this point, they had recorded Dawn PatrolDawn Patrol
Dawn Patrol is the debut album by Night Ranger released in 1982. The band was named Ranger during the recording of the album. The first issues of the album were printed and ready to be shipped when it was discovered that there was a country band from California with the same name...
for Boardwalk Records
Boardwalk Records
Boardwalk Records was a record label founded by Neil Bogart in 1980, after PolyGram acquired his Casablanca Records. The label had a huge hit act with Joan Jett before Neil Bogart died of cancer in 1982...
and done opening stints for ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
and Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
; the latter had employed Brad Gillis as a stand-in guitarist for the recently deceased Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads
Randall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out...
in the spring and summer of 1982. After Boardwalk folded, producer Bruce Bird secured Night Ranger a deal with MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
on their Camel subsidiary in 1983.
Their first three albums struck a balance between hard rockers laden with sexual innuendo and accessible pop ballads to guarantee airplay. Dawn Patrol
Dawn Patrol
Dawn Patrol is the debut album by Night Ranger released in 1982. The band was named Ranger during the recording of the album. The first issues of the album were printed and ready to be shipped when it was discovered that there was a country band from California with the same name...
, Midnight Madness
Midnight Madness (album)
Midnight Madness is the second album from Night Ranger. The album contained the band's best known hit, "Sister Christian", and became the band's highest selling album, selling well over a million copies in the US.-Track listing:...
, and Seven Wishes
Seven Wishes
Seven Wishes is the third studio album by the band Night Ranger, released in 1985 and produced by Pat Glasser.The title of "Four in the Morning " describes the time of day Jack Blades wrote the song. In an interview with the Songfacts website, he explained, "Literally, I wrote that song at 4 in the...
all reached RIAA Platinum status and garnered the band international fame. 1987's Big Life
Big Life
Big Life was a record label established in 1987 by Jazz Summers and Tim Parry. It featured hundreds of releases from artists such as The Orb, Stare, Yazz, Junior Reid, Coldcut, and De La Soul....
fell short of Platinum at around 800,000 copies. Thereafter, the group's fortunes began to decline.
Night Ranger's overall image tended to be somewhat cleaner than MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
contemporaries like Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
or Ratt
Ratt
Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
which helped the band flourish during a decade characterized by PMRC controversy. Moreover, their anthem "(You Can Still) Rock In America" appealed to a patriotic trend in 1980s rock pushed forward by both Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
and Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
(Jack Blades would later form a popular supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
with Nugent called Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees (band)
Damn Yankees was an American hard rock supergroup.-History:The band was formed in 1989, consisting of Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Ted Nugent of The Amboy Dukes and a successful solo career, and Michael Cartellone...
).
Negative criticism abounded during the band's heyday; Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
's review of Seven Wishes
Seven Wishes
Seven Wishes is the third studio album by the band Night Ranger, released in 1985 and produced by Pat Glasser.The title of "Four in the Morning " describes the time of day Jack Blades wrote the song. In an interview with the Songfacts website, he explained, "Literally, I wrote that song at 4 in the...
took a swipe at Night Ranger's "formula" of "sub-Broadway" ballads. Other critics were even less flattering, with terms such as "poseurs" and "pomp-rockers" put forth in various music guides. But favourable critics, such as Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
, underscored Jack Blades' puppy-dog appeal, which won over female fans, while Gillis and Watson's duelling guitars pleased the same male audience that guitar-driven bands such as Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
had already begun to cultivate. Both guitarists also featured prominently in magazines like "Guitar for the Practicing Musician
Guitar for the Practicing Musician
Guitar for the Practicing Musician was a guitar magazine published in the United States by Cherry Lane Music in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1992, it was the most popular music publication at newsstands, selling 740,000 issues over a six-month period. It was popular for publishing songs with guitar and...
."
Dawn Patrols first single, "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", received a boost through its MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
video airplay and peaked modestly at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Sing Me Away," a concert favourite sung by Keagy, failed to chart even though it also featured on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Night Ranger's hold solidified with their second album, Midnight Madness, which pushed the band from opening act to headliner status by the summer of 1984. Apart from "Rock in America," Midnight Madness spun off two hit ballads: "When You Close Your Eyes" (#14) and "Sister Christian", (#5) written and sung by Kelly Keagy for his younger sister, Christine. "Sister Christian" proved to be the band's milestone —as well as a millstone— as it turned out.
According to a later interview with Brad Gillis, "Sister Christian" had actually been completed in 1982. But Gillis said the band chose not to release it on Dawn Patrol because they were afraid of losing their hard rock credentials. "Sister Christian," soon became a prom favourite, as well as a cautionary anthem for teenage girls across conservative Middle America, warning them not to "give it up before their time is due", as the song's second verse urged, and keep "motoring" instead.
In 1985 Night Ranger continued headlining their own tours in support of Seven Wishes which followed a very loose concept of the band flying across the ocean in a WWII B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
bomber. Jack Blades later reported he and Brad Gillis were fascinated by World War II planes. Night Ranger's "Sentimental Street" video even placed them in an Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
scenario, which reported the entire band lost at sea. Like Midnight Madness, Seven Wishes was also blessed with three hit singles: the plaintive "Sentimental Street" (#8; sung by Kelly Keagy), Jack Blades' mid-tempo rocker "Four in the Morning (I Can't Take Anymore)" (#19), the title describing the time of night Blades wrote the song, and the pleasant, acoustic-flavoured "Goodbye" (#17), which saw the band veering toward an overtly folk-rock, even country, direction. According to a 2001 TNN interview, "Goodbye" had been penned by Jack Blades in memory of his older brother, James, who had died from a heroin overdose several years before.
Between 1984 and 1987, Night Ranger branched out into soundtracks, recording or contributing songs to several teen oriented films. In 1984 the band released "Interstate Love Affair" (later appearing on Seven Wishes) for Teachers
Teachers (film)
# "Teacher, Teacher" - 38 Special# "Cheap Sunglasses" - ZZ Top# "Foolin' Around" - Freddie Mercury# "I Can't Stop the Fire" - Eric Martin# "Edge of a Dream" - Joe Cocker# " Teacher" - Ian Hunter# "One Foot Back in Your Door" - Roman Holliday...
, starring Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte
Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
. In 1985 they also contributed another Seven Wishes track, "This Boy Needs to Rock," to the soundtrack of Explorers
Explorers (film)
Explorers is a 1985 family-oriented science-fiction fantasy film written by Eric Luke and directed by Joe Dante. It was the first feature film for both Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix.It was filmed in 70mm color with 6-track sound, and runs for 109 minutes...
. The band also received exposure on two Anthony Michael Hall
Anthony Michael Hall
Michael Anthony Hall , known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, film producer and director who starred in several teen-oriented films of the 1980s. Hall began his career in commercials and on stage as a child, and made his screen debut in 1980...
vehicles, Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
(1984) and Out of Bounds in (1986). "Rumours in the Air" from Midnight Madness appeared on the former, while the latter featured "Wild and Innocent Youth," a rollicking Blades-Keagy composition that never saw release on a Night Ranger album.
In 1987 Jack Blades
Jack Blades
Jack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...
co-wrote the title theme to the Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
film The Secret of My Success
The Secret of My Success
The Secret of My Success is a 1965 British comedy film from American writer-director Andrew L...
, which served as the lead-off single from Big Life. Unlike the previous three Night Ranger albums produced by Pat Glasser, this album was produced by David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
and featured a more polished, keyboard-driven sound, comparable to Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
and Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
. Unfortunately, Night Ranger now faced stiff competition from glam rock bands such as Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
and Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
, while overall tastes had begun to shift toward "bad boy" groups, such as Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
. Moreover, some Night Ranger fans perceived the band's Hollywood flirtations as evidence of "selling out", reflected by a slight decline in album sales for Big Life.
Big Life featured some fairly mature Blades-Keagy songwriting, including the nuanced fan favorite, "Rain Comes Crashing Down," inspired by a stormy California afternoon.
Sung by Kelly Keagy, "Carry On" was most reminiscent of classic Night Ranger, and featured as the flip-side of "Secret of My Success." However, none of the chosen Big Life singles hit the Top 40. "Secret of My Success" stalled just short of hit single status despite heavy MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
rotation in early 1987. A video also exists for "Colour of Your Smile," a guitar-driven rocker that never received airplay. Night Ranger also openly quarrelled with MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
over choosing "Hearts Away" in lieu of one of the heavier songs. Their label expected another Top 10 ballad, like "Sister Christian" or "Sentimental Street," but despite Kelly Keagy's passionate vocal, "Hearts Away" failed to catch on during Night Ranger's 1987 tour — a vigorous series of dates across North America and the Caribbean, featuring the Outfield as the opening act.
In early 1988 Alan Fitzgerald left during the recording of Night Ranger's fifth album citing his own diminished role in the guitar-driven band. Ironically, Fitzgerald had originally suggested the addition of Jeff Watson
Jeff Watson
Jeffrey D. Watson is a Canadian politician. He is the current Member of Parliament for the Essex electoral district in Ontario....
to augment the band's sound. With "Fitz" gone, Night Ranger required a touring keyboardist(Jesse Bradman) to complete the next album, Man in Motion
Man in Motion (Night Ranger album)
Man in Motion is the fifth studio album released in 1988 by the hard rock/arena rock band Night Ranger. Original Night Ranger keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald had left the band prior to recording sessions for the album, and new keyboardist Jesse Bradman is featured as his replacement...
, which promised a return to earlier form with more hard rock to anchor the group's sagging fortunes. But none of the singles from it were distinguished enough to gain radio airplay and MCA once more chose ballads over rockers. "I Did It for Love" (written by Russ Ballard
Russ Ballard
Russell Glyn Ballard is an English singer, songwriter and musician.-Career:Ballard was initially a guitarist with Buster Meikle & The Day Breakers in 1961, together with Roy Ballard, Russ's older brother on piano and Bob Henrit on drums...
) fared poorly, even with a cameo appearance by popular actress Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
in the video. Although the band still views "Restless Kind" as a favourite, it also failed to chart. "Don't Start Thinking(I'm Alone Tonight)" and "Reason to Be" were also failed singles in early 1989. Man in Motion thus became the first Night Ranger album not to achieve Gold or Platinum status.
1990s
After a tour in 1988–1989 supporting Man in Motion (including an opening slot for KansasKansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...
), Jack Blades left Night Ranger to form the popular supergroup Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees (band)
Damn Yankees was an American hard rock supergroup.-History:The band was formed in 1989, consisting of Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Ted Nugent of The Amboy Dukes and a successful solo career, and Michael Cartellone...
with Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
and Tommy Shaw
Tommy Shaw
Tommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
of Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
and the band broke up.
In 1991 Kelly Keagy and Brad Gillis enlisted Gary Moon
Gary Moon
Gary Moon is a bassist who has played for several bands, including Night Ranger and Three Dog Night. He has also recorded as a solo artist. Before joining Night Ranger, he was in a band called The Pack with Steve Isham of Autograph. Matt Sorum, later of Guns 'N Roses, The Cult and Velvet...
(ex-Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
) to replace Jack Blades as vocalist/bassist and decided to reform as a trio after Jeff Watson decided to pursue a solo career. The reunited group recorded Feeding Off The Mojo in 1995 which did not improve the band's profile despite a rigorous tour schedule in the early 1990s. For the 1995 tour to promote Mojo, David Zaijcek (from the group Airborne) was added on keyboards and guitar to bolster the group's stage sound.
In 1996 Jack Blades returned to Night Ranger, which reunited with all five original members for two studio albums on CMC Records, who engineered a similar comeback for Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
. While Neverland and Seven did not become as successful as the band's early material in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, they became quite popular in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The band continued to tour in between solo albums and projects, mostly on the summer festival circuit. Jack Blades also began a stint serving as chief counselor for the Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp
Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp
Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp is an interactive musical event that takes place in various cities throughout the United States, London, England, and the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. The events range from 3 to 6 days. Attendees play, write and record music in a recording studio alongside famous...
.
Rock Never Stops Tour
Rock Never Stops is a U.S. rock tour that features various rock groups of the 1980s and 1990s. The tour started in 1998 with L.A. Guns, FireHouse, Slaughter, Warrant and Quiet Riot. However, the line-up has changed through the years adding various bands of the genre.-Tour lineup:The tour's lineup...
, which also happened to feature Ted Nugent.
2000s
In 2003 Alan FitzgeraldAlan Fitzgerald
Alan Fitzgerald, U.S. musician , was a member of several U.S. bands.He played as a bassist in the bands Montrose and Gamma, both of which also featured guitarist Ronnie Montrose....
was replaced by Great White
Great White
Great White is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1978. The band gained popularity during the 1980s and early 1990s. The band released several albums in the late 1980s and gained airplay on MTV with music videos for songs like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"...
rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie
Michael Lardie
Michael Lardie is multi-platinum and Grammy nominated American musician and producer, known for his memberships in Great White and Night Ranger. He was born on September 8, 1958, in Anchorage, Alaska and raised in Sacramento, California.-Training:...
. Fitzgerald began handling offstage keyboards once again for Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
in 2004.
In 2007, while working on their next release Hole in the Sun
Hole in the Sun
Hole in the Sun is the ninth and latest studio album by Night Ranger, released internationally on April 23, 2007 with Frontiers Records. The album was released in the U.S...
, Jeff Watson was fired from the band. His replacement for the remainder of their 2007 tour was Winger/Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
guitarist Reb Beach
Reb Beach
Reb Beach is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake...
. Lardie and Beach soon left the band to focus on Great White and Winger/Whitesnake respectively. Christian Matthew Cullen replaced Lardie in 2007 while Joel Hoekstra took over for Beach by early 2008.
Hole in the Sun was released overseas in April 2007 but did not appear in the U.S. until July 2008.
In January 2008, in a podcast interview with Stuck in the 80s, Jack Blades
Jack Blades
Jack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...
said the band's latest album -- Hole in the Sun -- would be released in 2008 and would be supported by a national tour. In addition, Blades said the band was flying to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in late January to play a special show for the Navy and Marines troops on the island. To date Night Ranger have sold 16 million albums worldwide.
When not with Night Ranger, Hoekstra plays guitar for the hit Broadway show Rock of Ages and also Trans Siberian Orchestra. Hoekstra also did double duty for a stretch of the band's 2011 tour filling in for Mick Jones of Foreigner.
On March 8, 2011 Night Ranger announced new member Eric Levy and the departure of Christian Matthew Cullen.
Night Ranger released its new album, Somewhere In California on June 21, 2011. The video for the first single Growin Up in California can be seen on YouTube.
In 2011, Night Ranger toured with Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
and Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
.
Current members
- Kelly KeagyKelly KeagyKelly Keagy is an American drummer and vocalist, best known for his work with Night Ranger. Keagy sang lead vocals on several of their hits, such as "Sister Christian", "Sing Me Away", and "Sentimental Street".-Early years:...
– drums, percussion, backing & lead vocals (1979–1989, 1991–present) - Brad GillisBrad GillisBrad Gillis is a guitarist most famous for playing with the band Night Ranger. He was in the band Rubicon during the 1970s before Night Ranger. He has also played for Ozzy Osbourne and Fiona, and has released solo albums....
– lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals (1979–1989, 1991–present) - Jack BladesJack BladesJack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...
– bass guitar, lead & backing vocals, acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar (1979–1989, 1996–present) - Joel Hoekstra – lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals (2008–present)
- Eric Levy – keyboards, backing vocals (2011–present)
Former members
- Alan FitzgeraldAlan FitzgeraldAlan Fitzgerald, U.S. musician , was a member of several U.S. bands.He played as a bassist in the bands Montrose and Gamma, both of which also featured guitarist Ronnie Montrose....
– keyboards, backing vocals (1980–1988, 1996–2003) - Jeff WatsonJeff Watson (guitarist)Jeff Watson is an American guitarist originally known as one of the founding members and lead guitarist of the band Night Ranger, in which he has played as co-guitarist with guitarist Brad Gillis. He has also released solo albums. In 2007, he left the band to pursue more challenging opportunities...
– lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals, (1980–1989, 1991, 1996–2007) - Jesse Bradman – keyboards, backing vocals (1988–1989)
- Gary MoonGary MoonGary Moon is a bassist who has played for several bands, including Night Ranger and Three Dog Night. He has also recorded as a solo artist. Before joining Night Ranger, he was in a band called The Pack with Steve Isham of Autograph. Matt Sorum, later of Guns 'N Roses, The Cult and Velvet...
– bass guitar, lead & backing vocals (1991–1996) - David Zaijcek – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1995–1996)
- Michael LardieMichael LardieMichael Lardie is multi-platinum and Grammy nominated American musician and producer, known for his memberships in Great White and Night Ranger. He was born on September 8, 1958, in Anchorage, Alaska and raised in Sacramento, California.-Training:...
– keyboards, backing vocals (2003–2007) - Reb BeachReb BeachReb Beach is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake...
– lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals (2007–2008) - Christian Matthew Cullen – keyboards, backing vocals (2007–2011)
Session members
- Jack RussellJack Russell (musician)Jack Russell , is an American rock vocalist. He is a founding member of the American hard rock band Great White.-Biography:...
(Great WhiteGreat WhiteGreat White is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1978. The band gained popularity during the 1980s and early 1990s. The band released several albums in the late 1980s and gained airplay on MTV with music videos for songs like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"...
) – backing vocals on SevenSeven (Night Ranger album)Seven is the eighth studio album by Night Ranger, released on July 14, 1998. All original members are present on this follow-up to 1997's Neverland.Tommy Shaw of Styx fame co-wrote the track "Kong" with Jack Blades.Two singles were released...
(1998 — multiple tracks) - Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
(StyxStyx (band)Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
/Damn YankeesDamn Yankees (band)Damn Yankees was an American hard rock supergroup.-History:The band was formed in 1989, consisting of Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Ted Nugent of The Amboy Dukes and a successful solo career, and Michael Cartellone...
) – backing vocals on SevenSeven (Night Ranger album)Seven is the eighth studio album by Night Ranger, released on July 14, 1998. All original members are present on this follow-up to 1997's Neverland.Tommy Shaw of Styx fame co-wrote the track "Kong" with Jack Blades.Two singles were released...
(1998 — track "Kong")
Lineups
| (1979–1980) Stereo |
|
|---|---|
| (1980) Stereo |
Alan Fitzgerald Alan Fitzgerald, U.S. musician , was a member of several U.S. bands.He played as a bassist in the bands Montrose and Gamma, both of which also featured guitarist Ronnie Montrose.... – keyboards, piano, backing vocals |
| (1980) Stereo |
Jeff Watson (guitarist) Jeff Watson is an American guitarist originally known as one of the founding members and lead guitarist of the band Night Ranger, in which he has played as co-guitarist with guitarist Brad Gillis. He has also released solo albums. In 2007, he left the band to pursue more challenging opportunities... – lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals |
| (1980–1982) Ranger |
|
| (1982–1988) Night Ranger |
|
| (1988) Night Ranger |
|
| (1988–1989) Night Ranger |
|
| (1989) Night Ranger |
|
| (1989) Night Ranger |
|
| (1989–1991) |
(Night Ranger disbanded) |
| (1991) Night Ranger |
|
| (1991–1995) Night Ranger |
|
| (1995–1996) Night Ranger |
|
| (1996) Night Ranger |
|
| (1996) Night Ranger |
|
| (1996) Night Ranger |
|
| (1996) Night Ranger |
|
| (1996–2003) Night Ranger |
|
| (2003) Night Ranger |
|
| (2003–2007) Night Ranger |
Michael Lardie Michael Lardie is multi-platinum and Grammy nominated American musician and producer, known for his memberships in Great White and Night Ranger. He was born on September 8, 1958, in Anchorage, Alaska and raised in Sacramento, California.-Training:... – keyboards, piano, backing vocals |
| (2007) Night Ranger |
|
| (2007) Night Ranger |
Reb Beach Reb Beach is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake... – lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals |
| (2007–2008) Night Ranger |
|
| (2008–2011) Night Ranger |
|
| (2011–present) Night Ranger |
|
Albums
| Studio albums | ||
|---|---|---|
| Title | Year | Notes |
| Dawn Patrol | 1982 | #115 BB200; RIAA 1xPlatinum |
| Midnight Madness Midnight Madness (album) Midnight Madness is the second album from Night Ranger. The album contained the band's best known hit, "Sister Christian", and became the band's highest selling album, selling well over a million copies in the US.-Track listing:... |
1983 | #15 BB200; RIAA 2xPlatinum |
| Seven Wishes Seven Wishes Seven Wishes is the third studio album by the band Night Ranger, released in 1985 and produced by Pat Glasser.The title of "Four in the Morning " describes the time of day Jack Blades wrote the song. In an interview with the Songfacts website, he explained, "Literally, I wrote that song at 4 in the... |
1985 | #10 BB200 RIAA 3xPlatinum |
| Big Life | 1987 | #28 BB200; RIAA Gold |
| Man in Motion Man in Motion (Night Ranger album) Man in Motion is the fifth studio album released in 1988 by the hard rock/arena rock band Night Ranger. Original Night Ranger keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald had left the band prior to recording sessions for the album, and new keyboardist Jesse Bradman is featured as his replacement... |
1988 | #81 BB200 |
| Feeding off the Mojo Feeding off the Mojo Feeding Off The Mojo is the sixth studio album by Night Ranger, released on October 17, 1995 on Drive Entertainment Records. It is the only album with bassist/vocalist Gary Moon."Music Box" was written by Moon before joined the group.... |
1995 | |
| Neverland Neverland (Night Ranger album) Neverland is the seventh studio album by Night Ranger, released on July 22, 1997. This album featured a reunion of all five original bandmembers, and was their first time they recorded together in a decade... |
1997 | |
| Seven Seven (Night Ranger album) Seven is the eighth studio album by Night Ranger, released on July 14, 1998. All original members are present on this follow-up to 1997's Neverland.Tommy Shaw of Styx fame co-wrote the track "Kong" with Jack Blades.Two singles were released... |
1998 | |
| Hole In The Sun | 2007-08 | 2007 Released internationally; 2008 Released in the U.S. |
| Somewhere in California | 2011 | #179 BB200 |
| Live albums | ||
| Title | Year | Notes |
| Live in Japan Live in Japan (Night Ranger album) Live In Japan is a Night Ranger live album released in 1990. The concert was recorded during their 1988 Japanese Man In Motion tour.Jesse Bradman played the keyboards on this tour.... |
1990 | |
| Rock in Japan '97 | 1997 | Japanese release |
| Rock Breakout Years: 1984 | 2005 | |
| The Best of Night Ranger Live | 2006 | |
| Night Ranger Live | 2007 | |
| Extended Versions | 2007 | |
| Rockin' Shibuya 2007 | 2008 | Japanese release |
| Compilations | ||
| Title | Year | Notes |
| Greatest Hits Greatest Hits (Night Ranger album) -Track listing:# " Rock In America" [From Midnight Madness]# "Sing Me Away" [From Dawn Patrol]# "Goodbye" [From Seven Wishes]# "When You Close Your Eyes" [From Midnight Madness]# "Sister Christian" [From Midnight Madness]... |
1989 | RIAA Gold |
| Rock Masterpiece Collection | 1998 | |
| Keep Rockin': Best Selection '97–'98 | 1998 | |
| The Millennium Collection | 2000 | |
| Hits, Acoustic & Rarities Hits, Acoustic & Rarities Hits, Acoustic & Rarities is an album by Night Ranger.... |
2005 | Re-recorded hits |
Singles
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Mainstream Rock | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Don't Tell Me You Love Me Don't Tell Me You Love Me "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" is a hard rock song by Night Ranger written by Jack Blades from their 1982 album, Dawn Patrol. It was released as a single in January 1983 and peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was ranked as the 92nd best hard rock song of all time by VH1.The song was... " |
40 | 4 | Dawn Patrol Dawn Patrol Dawn Patrol is the debut album by Night Ranger released in 1982. The band was named Ranger during the recording of the album. The first issues of the album were printed and ready to be shipped when it was discovered that there was a country band from California with the same name... |
| 1983 | "Sing Me Away" | 54 | 39 | Dawn Patrol Dawn Patrol Dawn Patrol is the debut album by Night Ranger released in 1982. The band was named Ranger during the recording of the album. The first issues of the album were printed and ready to be shipped when it was discovered that there was a country band from California with the same name... |
| 1983 | "(You Can Still) Rock in America (You Can Still) Rock in America " Rock in America" is a hard rock song released in 1984 by Night Ranger from their Midnight Madness album. It reached number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 15 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the U.S... " |
51 | 15 | Midnight Madness Midnight Madness (album) Midnight Madness is the second album from Night Ranger. The album contained the band's best known hit, "Sister Christian", and became the band's highest selling album, selling well over a million copies in the US.-Track listing:... |
| 1984 | "Sister Christian Sister Christian "Sister Christian" is a power ballad by the hard rock band Night Ranger, which was the second single released on their album Midnight Madness. It was ranked number 32 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s. To this day, it is one of the most popular first dance songs at weddings.-Origin and... " |
5 | 2 | Midnight Madness Midnight Madness (album) Midnight Madness is the second album from Night Ranger. The album contained the band's best known hit, "Sister Christian", and became the band's highest selling album, selling well over a million copies in the US.-Track listing:... |
| 1984 | "When You Close Your Eyes When You Close Your Eyes "When You Close Your Eyes" is a power ballad by Night Ranger from their Midnight Madness album. It reached number 14 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks charts in the U.S.... " |
14 | 14 | Midnight Madness Midnight Madness (album) Midnight Madness is the second album from Night Ranger. The album contained the band's best known hit, "Sister Christian", and became the band's highest selling album, selling well over a million copies in the US.-Track listing:... |
| 1985 | "Sentimental Street Sentimental Street "Sentimental Street" is a hard rock ballad by Night Ranger from their album, Seven Wishes. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the U.S.-Music video:... " |
8 | 3 | Seven Wishes Seven Wishes Seven Wishes is the third studio album by the band Night Ranger, released in 1985 and produced by Pat Glasser.The title of "Four in the Morning " describes the time of day Jack Blades wrote the song. In an interview with the Songfacts website, he explained, "Literally, I wrote that song at 4 in the... |
| 1985 | "Four in the Morning (I Can't Take Anymore)" | 19 | 13 | Seven Wishes Seven Wishes Seven Wishes is the third studio album by the band Night Ranger, released in 1985 and produced by Pat Glasser.The title of "Four in the Morning " describes the time of day Jack Blades wrote the song. In an interview with the Songfacts website, he explained, "Literally, I wrote that song at 4 in the... |
| 1985 | "Goodbye" | 17 | 16 | Seven Wishes Seven Wishes Seven Wishes is the third studio album by the band Night Ranger, released in 1985 and produced by Pat Glasser.The title of "Four in the Morning " describes the time of day Jack Blades wrote the song. In an interview with the Songfacts website, he explained, "Literally, I wrote that song at 4 in the... |
| 1987 | "The Secret of My Success" | 64 | 12 | Big Life Big Life (Night Ranger album) Big Life is the fourth studio album by Night Ranger, released in 1987. It featured the single "The Secret of My Success", which was written for the 1987 film of the same name starring Michael J. Fox. The single flopped, stalling outside the Top 40, peaking at #64... |
| 1987 | "Hearts Away" | 90 |
| Big Life
Big Life (Night Ranger album)
Big Life is the fourth studio album by Night Ranger, released in 1987. It featured the single "The Secret of My Success", which was written for the 1987 film of the same name starring Michael J. Fox. The single flopped, stalling outside the Top 40, peaking at #64...
|-
! 1988
| "I Did It for Love"
| align=center | 75
| align=center | 16
| Man in Motion
Man in Motion (Night Ranger album)
Man in Motion is the fifth studio album released in 1988 by the hard rock/arena rock band Night Ranger. Original Night Ranger keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald had left the band prior to recording sessions for the album, and new keyboardist Jesse Bradman is featured as his replacement...
|-
! 1988
| "(Don't Start Thinking) I'm Alone Tonight"
| align=center | –
| align=center | –
| Man in Motion
Man in Motion (Night Ranger album)
Man in Motion is the fifth studio album released in 1988 by the hard rock/arena rock band Night Ranger. Original Night Ranger keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald had left the band prior to recording sessions for the album, and new keyboardist Jesse Bradman is featured as his replacement...
|}
Musical theatre
The Night Ranger song "Sister ChristianSister Christian
"Sister Christian" is a power ballad by the hard rock band Night Ranger, which was the second single released on their album Midnight Madness. It was ranked number 32 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s. To this day, it is one of the most popular first dance songs at weddings.-Origin and...
" appears in both the Off-Broadway production Power Balladz
Power Balladz
Power Balladz is a live comedy performance featuring a mixture of comedy, trivia, and iconic rock n' roll songs from the 70s, 80s & 90s for which it is also named...
,the movie 'Boogie Nights' and the award-winning Broadway hit Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages (musical)
Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Asia, among...
.
Television series
Night Ranger is featured in the television series American Dad in Volume 3: Episode 10 "Joint Custody."Video games
The song "Sister Christian" is featured is on Emotion 98.3, a radio station in the computer game Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
.
"Sister Christian" also appears as a playable song in RockBand 3.