"When You Close Your Eyes" is a song by American rock band
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American hard rock band from San Francisco formed in 1979 that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. Guitarist Brad Gillis and drummer Kelly Keagy have been the band's only constant members, ...
from their 1983 album ''
Midnight Madness''.
In the U.S., the single reached number 14 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 7 on the
''Billboard'' Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Ultimate Classic Rock ranked When You Close Your Eyes at number five on their list of Top 10 Night Ranger Songs.
Background
Singer Jack Blades sat at a piano in the recording studio and improvised some chords one day, and started spontaneously singing, "When you close your eyes, do you dream about me?" He showed it to
Harry Maslin
Harry Maslin is an American record producer, recording/mixing engineer, and studio owner/designer.
In the mid-1970s, he engineered No. 1 hits for Barry Manilow (" Mandy"), and Dionne Warwick & The Spinners (" Then Came You"). As a producer, his c ...
, co-owner of the studio, who was impressed and urged him to keep working on the song. Blades worked out the music with the rest of the band, but they were stuck on the lyrics, and it was distracting trying to write in Hollywood. So Blades flew to his parents' home in
Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
, and sat by their pool for three days, writing lyrics to "When You Close Your Eyes" and a few other songs.
Blades said,
Music video
In the music video, scenes of the band performing are interspersed with a man's memories of his ex-girlfriend, and scenes showing her current situation, a housewife married to a chimpanzee.
Track listing
Personnel
*
Jack Blades
Jack Martin Blades (born April 24, 1954) is an American rock musician. He has worked in the bands Rubicon, Night Ranger (as bassist and one of the lead vocalists), and Damn Yankees (as one of the founding members). He has also recorded with ...
– bass, lead vocals (verses)
*
Alan Fitzgerald
Francis Alan Fitzgerald (born July 16, 1949) is an American musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known as the second bassist of Montrose and as keyboardist for Night Ranger. He has also performed with Gamma, and former Montrose bandmat ...
– keyboards
*
Brad Gillis
Bradley Frank Gillis (born 15 June 1957) is a guitarist most famous for playing with the band Night Ranger. He was in the band Rubicon during the 1970s before Night Ranger. Since forming in 1979, Gillis and drummer Kelly Keagy are the only me ...
– guitars, vocals
*
Kelly Keagy
Kelly Dean Keagy (born September 15, 1952) is an American drummer and co-lead 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 Str ...
– drums, lead vocals (b-sections)
*
Jeff Watson – guitars, vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
External links
Music Video
1983 songs
Night Ranger songs
1984 singles
Songs written by Jack Blades
{{1980s-rock-song-stub