Night Ranger 35 Years And A Night In Chicago Soundpark
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. (early)Years active1979–present(hiatus: 1989–1991)Labels,Associated acts,WebsiteMembersEric LevyPast membersJesse BradmanGary MoonDavid Zajicek (Zychek /Professional spelling)Christian Matthew CullenBrandon EthridgeNight Ranger is an American band from formed in 1979 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 and have sold 17 million albums total.
The quintet is best known for the ', which peaked at No. 5 in June 1984.After their success waned in the late 1980s, the band split up in 1989 and its members pursued other musical endeavors, including and efforts. Brad Gillis and Kelly Keagy teamed up with bassist Gary Moon and released an album without the other original band members in 1995, but the band soon reunited to release two new albums in the latter half of the decade.
This section reads like a rather than an encyclopedic description of the subject. Please help to make it in tone and meet Wikipedia's. ( March 2009)Beginnings The group's origin can be traced to, a pop/funk group led by, who gained fame as a member of. After Rubicon's demise in 1979, bassist formed a hard rock trio with two other Rubicon members, drummer and guitarist. Performing under the name Stereo, the threesome added keyboardist, a former member of, in 1980. Fitzgerald soon recommended enlisting a second virtuoso guitarist, so, who led his own band in, was added to the group.
As Stereo, the band played small clubs in San Francisco in 1980, such as the Palms in the Tenderloin. By late that year, the band name was changed to 'Ranger' and were opening for acts such as. 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 for and done opening stints for and; the latter had employed Brad Gillis as a replacement guitarist for, who had been a temporary replacement for the recently deceased, in the spring and summer of 1982. After Boardwalk folded, producer Bruce Bird secured Night Ranger a deal with on their Camel subsidiary in 1983.
Their first three albums, and, all reached RIAA Platinum status and garnered the band international fame. 's review of 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, 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 had already begun to cultivate. Both guitarists also featured prominently in magazines like '.' Dawn Patrol's first single, 'Don't Tell Me You Love Me', received a boost through its video airplay and peaked modestly at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
35 Years and a Night in Chicago. Night Ranger. Find your favourite artists, genres and labels in Hi-Res Audio. From 16bit - CD quality - to the highest sample rates in 24bit. Onkyo Music US. The official website of Night Ranger, featuring tour dates, news, music and more.
'Sing Me Away,' a concert favourite sung by Keagy, fell short of the Top 40 at a peak position of #54 even though it also was featured on. Night Ranger's popularity 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. According to a later interview with Gillis, 'Sister Christian' was actually 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 credibility.
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 bomber. Blades later reported he and Gillis were fascinated by World War II planes. Night Ranger's 'Sentimental Street' video even placed them in an scenario, with the entire band lost at sea. Like Midnight Madness, Seven Wishes garnered three hit singles: 'Sentimental Street' (#8; sung by Kelly Keagy); 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 in an overtly folk-rock, even country, direction.
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According to a 2001 TNN interview, Blades wrote 'Goodbye' 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, starring.
In 1985 they also contributed another Seven Wishes track, 'This Boy Needs to Rock,' to the soundtrack of. The band also received exposure on two vehicles, (1984) and (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 has still never been released on a Night Ranger album or compilation. In 1987, Blades co-wrote the title theme to the film, which served as the lead-off single on the band's next album, Big Life. Unlike the previous three Night Ranger albums produced by, this one was produced by and featured a more polished, keyboard-driven sound, comparable to.
Unfortunately, Night Ranger now faced stiff competition from glam rock bands such as and, while overall tastes had begun to shift toward 'bad boy' groups such as. Moreover, some Night Ranger fans perceived the band's 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 Keagy, 'Carry On' was most reminiscent of classic Night Ranger, and featured as the flip side of 'Secret of My Success.' None of the chosen Big Life singles hit the Top 40. 'Secret of My Success' stalled just short of hit single status at #64 on Billboard's Hot 100 despite heavy rotation in the spring of 1987.
Night Ranger also openly quarrelled with 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 Keagy's passionate vocal, 'Hearts Away' failed to catch on during Night Ranger's 1987 tour (peaking at #90 on Billboard's Hot 100) — a vigorous series of dates across North America and the Caribbean, featuring as the opening act. A third single/video was released for 'Color Of Your Smile' but it failed to reach the charts due to limited airplay.
In early 1988, Fitzgerald left during the recording of Night Ranger's fifth album, citing his own diminished role in the guitar-driven band, even though Fitzgerald had originally suggested the addition of to augment the band's sound in the first place. With 'Fitz' gone, Night Ranger acquired a touring keyboardist, Jesse Bradman, to complete the next album, 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, as MCA once again chose ballads over rockers. 'I Did It for Love' (written by ) fared poorly, even with a cameo appearance by popular actress in the video. The band still views 'Restless Kind' as a favorite, but it failed to chart.
'Don't Start Thinking (I'm Alone Tonight)' and 'Reason to Be' were similarly unsuccessful in early 1989. Man in Motion thus became the first Night Ranger album not to achieve Gold or Platinum status. Early 1990s: 'Moon Ranger' Era After a tour in 1988–89 supporting Man in Motion (including an opening slot for ), Blades left Night Ranger to form the popular supergroup with and of, and the band broke up.In 1991, Keagy and Gillis enlisted (ex-) to replace Blades as vocalist/bassist and decided to reform as a trio after Jeff Watson decided to pursue a solo career. In 1993 David Zajicek / Zychek (from the group Airborne, who had also brought forth musician/producer/engineer Beau Hill Alice Cooper, Ratt, Warrant, Winger, Europe, Dirty White Boy etc. ) was added as a full member on guitar, keyboards & backing vocals to the new unit of the group and to back the coming album and bolster the group's stage sound. The reformed nucleus of the group (Gillis, Keagy, Moon, and Zajicek / Zychek ) then recorded in 1995, with producer David Prater, who also worked with Dream Theater and Firehouse and had previously introduced Zajicek / Zychek to Night Ranger. 1996–1999: 'Reunion' In 1996, Blades returned to Night Ranger, which ultimately led to a reunion of all five original members for two studio albums on, who engineered a similar comeback for.
While Neverland and Seven did not become as successful as the band's early material in the, these albums became quite popular in, and the ballad 'Forever All Over Again' (from Neverland) did become a minor hit in the States. The band continued to tour in between solo albums and projects, mostly on the summer festival circuit. Blades also began a stint as chief counselor for the.
Kelly Keagy (2009).In 1999 they joined other 1980s bands in the second installment of the, which also happened to feature Blades' former Damn Yankees bandmate Ted Nugent. 2000–2010 In 2003, Fitzgerald was replaced by rhythm guitarist/keyboardist. Fitzgerald began handling offstage keyboards once again for in 2004. In 2007, while working on their next release, Watson was fired from the band. His replacement for the remainder of their 2007 tour was / guitarist. 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 US until July 2008. In January 2008, in a podcast interview with Stuck in the 80s, Blades said the band's latest album, Hole in the Sun, would be released in 2008 and supported by a national tour. In addition, he said the band was flying to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in late January to play a special show for Navy and Marines troops on the island. To date Night Ranger have sold 16 million albums worldwide.
2011–present When not with Night Ranger, Hoekstra played guitar for the hit Broadway show Rock of Ages and the. Hoekstra also did double duty for a stretch of the band's 2011 tour, filling in for of, which was also on the bill that summer along with. 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. On March 25, 2012, Night Ranger gave an performance of prior to the race at in. In May 2012, Night Ranger celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut album by recording '24 Strings & A Drummer' as both a live DVD and album in an intimate, all-acoustic setting in front of a select number of fans at TRI Studios in San Rafael, California.
According to Brave Words, the CD/DVD features some of their greatest hits, such as '(You Can Still) Rock in America' and 'Sister Christian', in new acoustic arrangements. The live acoustic album consist of 12 songs plus a bonus track. On June 4, 2012, Night Ranger returned to the Islington Academy in London for the second headlining show in twelve months at the 800-capacity venue.
On July 12, 2012, Night Ranger opened for the German band The Scorpions at its US Farewell 'Get Your Sting and Blackout' Tour at in. Alongside their major hits, the band also commemorated Gillis's brief stint with 's band with a cover of 'Crazy Train'. From July 13 to 15, 2012, Night Ranger performed in the small midwestern town of Woodhaven, Michigan, for the Uncle Sam Jam. On September 1, 2012, Night Ranger performed as the headlining act for the 'River Days' festival in Portsmouth, Ohio. Keyboardist Eric Levy was forced to miss this performance due to his wife giving birth.
Brandon Ethridge (from the musicals and ) handled the keyboards for this performance. In late 2012, guitarist (whose resume includes stints with, Band, and others) came aboard Night Ranger to sub for Joel Hoekstra while he was off playing for. He likewise returned in late 2013 once again to fill in for Hoekstra when Trans-Siberian called him away again.
On June 10, 2014, Night Ranger released their 11th studio album, available in CD, vinyl, and digital formats. A deluxe edition includes a bonus track and a DVD of music videos and behind-the-scenes extras; Best Buy offers an exclusive version of the deluxe edition with a second bonus track. On August 21, 2014, it was announced that Hoekstra would be leaving the band to join. Keri Kelli was then brought back in as the permanent replacement for Hoekstra. The band released a live DVD/2 CD recording on December 2, 2016, with Frontiers Records.
Celebrating the band's 35th anniversary, '35 Years and a Night in Chicago' was recorded May 7, 2016, at the House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois. Included in the release is a new song, 'Day and Night.' A second encore that night featured another new song, 'Running Out of Time.'
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These new songs were part of an album of new material.On January 13, 2017, the band released a new single, 'Somehow Someway', from '.' The album was released by on March 24, 2017.
It features 11 songs and was produced by the band. It is the first studio album by the group to include Keri Kelli on guitar. Band members. March 26, 1997. Archived from on July 4, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
Official Community of Night Ranger. Archived from on May 9, 2008.
Retrieved May 21, 2008. ^. Official Community of Night Ranger. Archived from on May 12, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2008. ^.
Official Community of Night Ranger. Archived from on May 9, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2017. first1= missing last1=. setlist.fm.
Retrieved February 12, 2017. Missing or empty title=. Songfacts.com interview with Jack Blades. Retrieved June 11, 2010. January 14, 2008.
Retrieved September 15, 2009. March 11, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
Brave Words.Com. September 5, 2012. Vickers, Duane. Retrieved October 9, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
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Engelhart, Kris. Retrieved January 28, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.External links.
Celebrating the launch of the band's 35th anniversary, more than 17 million albums sold worldwide, over 3000 live shows performed, NIGHT RANGER continues to rock with the release of '35 Years And A Night In Chicago'. This amazing performance will be available December 2 via Frontiers Music Srl on 2CD/DVD, Blu-ray, and MP3 (audio only). Frontiers will also release a new studio album from the iconic band in the first half of 2017.' After 35 years of recording and touring, we thought it was about time to rock out a live album for all the fans that have been coming to see us. And for those who have yet to experience a live NIGHT RANGER show. Enjoy the ride!'
Says Jack Blades of the new release.Kelly Keagy adds: 'For the past 35-plus years, this band has been knocking out audiences across the globe and continues to do so. All of it building to this one night in Chicago that sums up what NIGHT RANGER has always been about. Great high-energy rock 'n' roll. To the fans, we salute you!' NIGHT RANGER has both epitomized and transcended the arena rock sound and style of that era and beyond, with songs that have significantly impacted popular culture and continue expanding their ever-growing fan-base. NIGHT RANGER is proof that powerful songs, plus accomplished musicians is the perfect formula for continued success.NIGHT RANGER has earned widespread acclaim multi-platinum and gold album status while leaving their indelible mark on the music charts with a string of best-selling albums ( 'Dawn Patrol', 'Midnight Madness', '7 Wishes', 'Big Life' and 'Man In Motion'), its popularity fueled by an impressive string of instantly recognizable hit singles and signature album tracks.
Producing legendary hits such as 'Sister Christian', 'Don't Tell Me You Love Me', 'When You Close Your Eyes' the anthemic '(You Can Still) Rock In America', along with 'Sentimental Street', 'Goodbye', 'Sing Me Away', 'Four In The Morning' and more, the band was also one the first big 'video' bands, with over ten number one videos on MTV.Over the years, the band's music has made notable contributions to and has been featured in many different areas of media and popular culture. To comment on aBLABBERMOUTH.NETstory or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook.
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