Good afternoon friend, today we are going to look at the meaning of a huge hit song from back in the '80s... It was ranked the #32 hit song of the '80s by Rolling Stone Magazine... Enjoy the song as well as the read... Sister Christian by Night Ranger. Night Ranger's drummer, Kelly Keagy, wrote this song about his sister Kristy (this is the correct spelling, he tells us), who is 10 years younger than him and was growing up fast. "It's the big brother looking after his little sister when she's growing up – a simple, almost naïve kind of lyric," he said in a Songfacts interview. "I wanted her to be able to see what I was talking about, that I was protecting her." The vocalist on most Night Ranger songs is Jack Blades, but Keagy sang lead on this one, singing from his drum kit at shows. The original title was "Sister Kristy," but the rest of the band thought Keagy was singing "Sister Christian," so that became the title. Keagy grew up in Eugene, Oregon, where "Motoring" was a term for driving around with your friends, often trying to pick up girls. He told Songfacts how he came up with this very memorable part of the song: "That was the first section that I wrote. I wanted something that sounded like it had some teeth to it, and movement. But at the same time, a little left of center so it wasn't so obvious. The first thing I started writing was the chorus, and the second line was, 'What's your price for flight?' Which is kind of weird. But if you understand that it's coming from a brother to a sister, it was like, 'What's the price for making a bad decision now with your life going forward?'' This ballad isn't typical of Night Ranger's sound - they're more guitar rock exemplified by the singles from their first album, Dawn Patrol: "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Sing Me Away." When they released their second album, Midnight Madness, the uptempo "(You Can Still) Rock in America " was the lead single, and then the band's record company surprised them by putting out "Sister Christian." They didn't think a ballad could be a hit for them, but it sure was, crossing them over to a pop audience. This was a double-edged sword: It expanded their audience, but now the record company wanted a ballad on every album. They delivered one on their next album (7 Wishes) with "Sentimental Street," and one after that (Big Life) with "Hearts Away," but turned defiant for their 1988 album Man In Motion, turning it in without a ballad. The record company had them record "I Did It For Love," which was not just a ballad, but a song written by someone else (Russ Ballard). By this time, Night Ranger had fallen off in popularity and had to do as they were told. "We did it but we were hesitant about it because we did all the writing in our career and they wanted us to put out this song that didn't even sound like us," Keagy told Songfacts. "What you do when your career is on the line, is you compromise and go with it. But I'm glad we did because that song is still out there getting played. It's been a blessing for the band." The song got a big boost from MTV, which played the video constantly. The network went on the air in 1981, and in its first few years didn't have many well-produced videos to choose from. They favored American rock acts, which worked out well for Night Ranger; MTV played their 1982 and 1983 videos for songs like "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Sing Me Away." The "Sister Christian" proved very popular in part because it's set in high school, making it relatable to the average MTV viewer. It stars the actress/model Macha Bennet-Shephard, who was 19 at the time and was shot at San Rafael High School in California with many real students as extras. The video was directed by Mary Guido, who also did Quiet Riot's "**ahem** On Feel The Noize." Macha Bennet-Shephard also appeared in the next Night Ranger video, which was for "When You Close Your Eyes." "Sister Christian" was used in the 1997 movie Boogie Nights in a memorable scene where three characters enter a fancy house to make a drug deal, and the song is playing. The drug dealer who owns the place, dressed in a bathrobe, is about to check out the cocaine but stops as the song builds to its chorus. He plays some air drums and sings along - Motorin' - before saying, "I love that song" and continuing the deal. This friendly, unhinged drug dealer archetype is familiar to many, including Kelly Keagy, who recalled watching the scene in his Songfacts interview: "I went to the movies and saw it firsthand... and I started sweating! Not because I didn't like it, but because I thought I'd been in that position in Hollywood at one point, at some drug dealer's house! Not selling of course, but just sitting there with some nutty guy looking at us like [assumes a deranged voice], 'How ya doing? What do ya want?' And I'm like, 'Get me out of here!' Meanwhile, all that chaos is in the background. It was like, 'Holy **ahem**, man. This is too close!'" In 2021, Kelly Keagy gave us this update on his sister Kristy, who inspired the song. "She lives up in a small town in Oregon – the same place she's always lived," he said. "She is in a great mental state and very happy. She's up there with my two brothers and I see her and talk to her all the time. She's doing great." "Sister Christian" has been used in a few different commercials. Some of the more entertaining include a spot for Dr. Pepper cream soda where Justin Guarini, who came in second to Kelly Clarkson on the first season of American Idol, sings it in character as Lil' Sweet, and another for Foster Farms where chickens cluck out the song. Have a blessed day... Take care and GOD bless...
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