Night Ranger received an unexpected, albeit brief revival last fall in the disco-era film, "Boogie Nights." In one of the more gut-wrenching scenes, a manic drug user and his firecracker-happy cohort unnerve a trio of neophyte drug dealers to the paradoxical sounds of "Sister Christian," the group's Top 10 hit from 1984. "The [druggie] bottomed out right on 'Motoring,'" recalls Night Ranger frontman Jack Blades. "It was pretty wild."

Five months after "Boogie Nights" was released, and a year and a half after the band decided to re-group, Night Ranger is finishing up work on their second reunion album, tentatively titled Panic in Jane. The band was going to call the record Seven -- to represent the seven Night Ranger albums no one will admit they own -- but wanted the song "Panic in Jane" to receive added exposure.

"I'd like to send [Panic in Jane] to radio and not even say Night Ranger [did it]," says Panic in Jane producer Noel Golden. "It's one of those songs, if they hear it, they'll play it. If they know it's Night Ranger, it just taints things."

Whereas Faith No More is loved in Great Britain and Citizen Dick in Belgium, Night Ranger is hotter than wasabi in Japan, thus Panic will be previewed in the Land of the Rising Sun next month. Sony/Legacy will wait until the fall to release the new album in the U.S.

"I don't think anybody gives a s--- [about Night Ranger in the U.S.]," Blades admits, "but maybe there are a couple hundred thousand fans that are still around. "Right now, there are a lot of crap bands," he continues. "There were a lot of crap bands in the '80s too, but I think Night Ranger was a pretty good band."

BLAIR R. FISCHER