This talented and sophisticated American pomp-rock group released a string of first-class albums between 1982 and 1988. Featuring Jack Blades (vocals, bass), Brad Gillis (guitar, ex- Ozzy Osbourne ), Alan Fitzgerald (keyboards, ex- Montrose ), Kelly Keagy (drums) and Jeff Watson (guitar), they gigged in and around their home-town of San Francisco as an extension of Gillis's club band, Ranger. They soon attracted the attention of promoter Bill Graham, who secured them support slots to Santana, Judas Priest and the Doobie Brothers. They also signed with Neil Bogart's short-lived Boardwalk label, though this decision had a major impact on their later career when Boardwalk was swallowed up by MCA, who had little sympathy for the band's rock roots. However, Night Ranger's first four albums made the Billboard Top 40 charts, with Seven Wishes reaching the Top 10 in June 1985. They also enjoyed two Top 10 single hits in the USA with "Sister Christian" and "Sentimental Street", peaking at numbers 5 and 8, respectively. Man In Motion saw the departure of Fitzgerald as the band adopted a rockier direction. Produced by Keith Olsen, the album was their first commercial failure. The band split shortly afterwards, with Live In Japan, featuring one of their 1988 concerts, emerging two years later. Jack Blades joined Damn Yankees with Ted Nugent, Tommy Shaw and Michael Cartellone. The name was resurrected in 1992 by Gillis and drummer/vocalist Kelly Keagy with new members, much to the disgust of Blades and Watson. It seemed unlikely that the new formation would add much to the existing Nightranger legacy of solid US AOR.

*Courtesy sonicnet.com

Thanks for posting that Stacy, I had no idea Night Ranger had split up. I never knew they tried to revive the group, without the original members. I remember liking and still liking, "Sister Christian" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me". :thumb:

Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson are one of the best rock guitar duos. Both are very talented and have good abilities. Brad tried to make a style out of the tremolo bar and it never really gained momentum. I like Jeff's 8 fingered, two fisted, hammer on pull off solo on "(You Can Still) Rock In America". I must admit I copied that technique and put it in my bag of tricks.

I could add about 10 more pages to this bio! :lol:

NIGHT RANGER is my favorite group and for those of you who haven't been on the xchange very long...I first saw them in 1983 when they were first starting out. They opened up for SAMMY HAGAR in St. Louis..

20 years later....I had the chance to see them again! 8 feet away from the stage!!!

I know that one of our xchangers had the opportunity to share a couple of drinks with Brad Gillis. (I am still soo jealous! :) )

I have most of their work (except for MOJO--Gary Moon was on that one instead of Jack Blades)...including many of their solo pieces.

Excellent band....a little too commercial for me, but still quite talented.

i also saw them as openers on Hagar's 3 Lock Box tour... we had good seats (industry comp's), but it was so sparse when Night Ranger went on that i just had to sneak closer.

the mind-blower was the middle segment where each guitarist got to solo. i had great anticipation for gillis since he got so much publicity on the ozzy tour. oh man oh man... WATSON! jeez. not only a unique playing style, but very compelling, theatrical, and dramatic. after that, every time i saw the "when you close your eyes" vid with the dual solo, and watson doing that move where he picks from between the "V", i'd go ga-ga, reliving the show.

back then, i had "don't tell me you love me" and "sing me away" as openers on a mix tape that got cranked at least once a week for the sprint to school. nowadays, i still dig "when you close your eyes" on the car mp3, but my new fave is "4 in the morning", which i caught wind of from a diff Night Ranger thread i saw here on xchange.

fwiw, i wouldn't consider Gillis to be "ex-Ozzy"... he was only a temp sub

"you can still rock in america" has to be one of the best catch phrases of all time and one that i sprinkle occasionally in everyday conversation (sans air guitar and bobbing head)