New Edition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| New Edition | ||
|---|---|---|
 New Edition
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| Background information | ||
| Also known as | N.E. | |
| Origin |  Boston, Massachusetts, USA, United States |
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| Genre(s) | R&B/Pop | |
| Years active | 1983–present | |
| Label(s) | Bad Boy (2002-2005) MCA (1984-2002) Streetwise (1983-1984) |
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| Associated acts |
Bell Biv Devoe, New Kids on the Block | |
| Website | http://www.newedition20th.com/ | |
| Members | ||
| Ralph Tresvant Ricky Bell Bobby Brown Michael Bivins Ronnie DeVoe Johnny Gill |
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New Edition is an American R&B group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980, that was most popular during the 1980s. Guided by producer Maurice Starr, New Edition was originally a trio, but first recorded as a Jackson 5-esque collection of five young black teenage singers, including lead singer Bobby Brown, and vocalists Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe. The group was notable for number one singles such as: "Cool It Now," "Candy Girl," and "Mr. Telephone Man." Their success led to the creation of late-1980s and 1990s boy bands like New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, and 'N Sync.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Original run
Like the Jackson 5 before them, New Edition became a pop phenomenon, and were big enough to have Madonna as an opening act during their early days.
The group was started by Bobby Brown, Michael Bivins and Ricky Bell in 1978 while living at the Orchard Park housing projects (or what the group calls them popularly as "The Bricks") in the Roxbury district of Boston, Massachusetts. They would soon meet a young local group manager/choreographer named Brooke Payne, whom would give them the name, "New Edition", afterwards, Bell would soon bring in his best friend, Ralph Tresvant in on the act and would soon become their lead singer, then Payne would then round out the line-up by bringing in his nephew, Ronnie DeVoe. The group would perform all around Massachusetts and would eventually land a spot at a talent show which ran by Maurice Starr, where the first prize was $500.00 and a recording contract. New Edition came in 2nd place, but Starr decided to bring the group to his studio the following day and would record their debut album, Candy Girl featuring the hits, "Is This The End", "Popcorn Love", "Jealous Girl" and the title track, which went to number one in both the American R&B singles chart and the UK singles chart in 1983, then due financial reasons, NE parted company with Starr in 1984; Starr responded by promptly creating the group New Kids on the Block, essentially New Edition with white teenagers. After the suit the boys signed with MCA and released the singles "Cool It Now" and "Mr. Telephone Man". Their second self-titled album went double-platinum. Around 1985, NE released All for Love, which featured the hits, Count Me Out, A Little Bit Of Love (Is All It Takes) and With You All The Way and a Christmas EP. At that same time, Bobby Brown was voted out of the group, due to behavioral problems during concerts, and therefore went on to pursue a solo career in 1987; he did not find success in his first solo venture though. After releasing an album of doo-wop covers in 1986/87, NE was now ready to add a new element to their sound, that came from unknown singer Johnny Gill who would become an official member that same year. The group's sound also evolved at this time from bubblegum pop-styled R&B to smoother, more adult music. The new album, Heart Break, primarily produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, had a strong new jack swing feel. The first album recorded with Gill, Heart Break, had numerous R&B hits, including "If It Isn't Love", "You're Not My Kind Of Girl", "Can You Stand The Rain", "N.E. Heart Break", "Crucial" and "Boys To Men" (which later lent its name to the Philadelphia-based super group Boyz II Men). Heart Break would prove to be the group's most successful album of their careers. At that same time, Brown would also find success as well with his breakthrough album, Don't Be Cruel, he would also reunite with NE for their "Heart Break" tour as an opening act, along with fellow New-Jacker, Al B. Sure!.
[edit] New Edition in the 1990s
New Edition essentially disbanded *for a while* in 1989, with Bell, Bivins, and DeVoe forming the popular hip hop group Bell Biv DeVoe, their hits would include Poison and Do Me!, Johnny Gill would revive his solo career achieving success with his hits, Rub You The Right Way and My, My, My in 1990 as well, and Ralph Tresvant beginning his solo career going platnium with his biggest hit, Sensitivity. Later that year, the group had a semi-reunion of sorts when they performed at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, then in 1991, they recorded a remix of the Bell Biv DeVoe track "Word To The Mutha!" in which all six members performed and appeared in the music video. N.E. member Bobby Brown also made cameo appearances in music videos for Ralph Tresvant's Remix version of "Sensitivity" (He also made an appearance on "Stone Cold Gentleman" as well (where he had a rap line in the original and remix). In 1996 after achieving big success on their own merits, the reunion became complete, as all six former members reunited for the Home Again album. Although the album featured the hit singles "Hit Me Off" and "I'm Still In Love With You", the ensuing tour would prove disastrous for the group. By the middle leg of the tour, Bobby Brown and Mike Bivins left, due to egos clashing and a less-than-harmonious time with the other members.
[edit] Later years
After another long hiatus, New Edition, minus Bobby Brown, started touring clubs, casinos, and small arenas in 2002, including appearing on Tom Joyner's Sky Shows. It was then that they caught the attention of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, who was present at one of their shows. Soon afterwards, Diddy signed the group to Bad Boy Records. The group's return single, "Hot 2Nite", peaked at number thirty-five on the R&B chart and peaked at a dismal eighty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100, likely due to the fact that the track did not fit their grown-up image. In the fall of 2004, New Edition released their seventh studio album, One Love. The album was a moderate hit on the R&B albums chart. It debuted high on The Billboard 200 at #12, but declined steadily in the following weeks until it was off the chart.
The group soon had a falling out with Diddy. In an interview, Ricky Bell said that Diddy refused to pay Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for a track that the group wanted on the album. Reportedly, Diddy told the group they were over budget despite using Bad Boy's in-house team of producers. Ultimately, the group asked to be released from their Bad Boy contract. Despite the messy divorce with Diddy and Bad Boy, New Edition soldiered on, touring with other recently reunited groups like Guy, BLACKstreet and SWV throughout 2005.
In the fall of 2005, New Edition performed at BET's 25th Anniversary Special. The group performed a medley of their greatest hits, and even brought Bobby Brown out onstage for a rendition of "Mr. Telephone Man". It was later announced on BET and Access Hollywood that Brown has rejoined the group and will be on the next New Edition album. By January 2006, New Edition announced that the group would launch a new album and tour in 2008.
Recently, New Edition had just finished performing a concert on August 26, 2006 at the Koger Center, at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. They have taped it for a future DVD release, billed as "Spend the Night with New Edition", a BET special presented by Lincoln who the group has done advertising with. Bobby Brown made an appearance at the show.
Its been said that Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Producers of the 1988-89 album "HeartBreak") will be producing 90% of the upcoming New Edition project to include Bobby Brown.
[edit] Untitled 2007/2008 New Edition Reunion Album
New Edition plans to reunite in 2007 or 2008 for their ninth album with all six members on board. It is unknown which label the album will be released on but fans are hoping the group will sign with J Records or another label that will support them. R. Kelly, The Underdogs and Ne-Yo have all expressed interest in working with the group, while Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis will be handling 90% of the album's production and writing duties.
[edit] Trivia
- In the early 1980s, New Edition sold more units in the United States than any other teen singing group.
- A native of Washington, DC, Johnny Gill is the only non-Boston native among the group's six members.
- The five original members appeared as themselves in the 1985 hip-hop film Krush Groove as well as Knight Rider episode "Knight Song" (after Brown left the group).
[edit] Personnel
- Ralph Tresvant (1980-)
- Michael Bivins (1980-)
- Ricky Bell (1980- )
- Bobby Brown (1980–1986, 1996-1997, 2005- )
- Ronnie DeVoe (1980- )
- Johnny Gill (1987- )
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. Billboard 200 | U.S. R&B/Hip Hop | RIAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Candy Girl | #90 | #14 | Platinum |
| 1984 | New Edition | #6 | #1 | 2x Platinum |
| 1985 | Christmas All Over the World | - | #45 | - |
| 1985 | All for Love | #32 | #3 | Platinum |
| 1987 | Under the Blue Moon | #43 | #11 | Gold |
| 1988 | Heart Break | #12 | #3 | 2x Platinum |
| 1991 | Greatest Hits Vol. 1 | #99 | #78 | - |
| 1996 | Home Again | #1 | #1 | 2x Platinum |
| 2004 | One Love | #12 | #4 | Gold |
| 2004 | Hits | - | #58 | - |
| 2005 | 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best Of New Edition | - | #91 | - |
| 2007/2008 | Untitled 2007/2008 New Edition Reunion Album | - | - | - |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 |
US R&B/Hip-Hop |
UK Singles |
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| 1983 | "Candy Girl" | 46 | 1 | 1 | Candy Girl |
| 1983 | "Is This The End" | 85 | 8 | - | Candy Girl |
| 1984 | "Popcorn Love" | - | 25 | 43 | Candy Girl |
| 1984 | "Cool It Now" | 4 | 1 | 19 | New Edition |
| 1985 | "My Secret (Didja Git It Yet?)" | - | 27 | - | New Edition |
| 1985 | "Mr. Telephone Man" | 12 | 1 | 19 | New Edition |
| 1985 | "Lost in Love" | 35 | 6 | - | New Edition |
| 1985 | "Kind Of Girls We Like" | - | 87 | - | New Edition |
| 1985 | "Count Me Out" | 51 | 2 | - | All for Love |
| 1986 | "A Little Bit of Love (That's All It Takes)" | 38 | 3 | - | All for Love |
| 1986 | "With You all the Way" | 51 | 7 | - | All for Love |
| 1986 | "Earth Angel" | 21 | 3 | - | Under the Blue Moon |
| 1986 | "Once in a Lifetime Groove" | - | 10 | - | Running Scared soundtrack |
| 1986 | "Tears On My Pillow" | - | 41 | - | Under the Blue Moon |
| 1987 | "Helplessly in Love" | - | 20 | - | Dragnet |
| 1988 | "If It Isn't Love" | 7 | 2 | 94 | Heart Break |
| 1988 | "You’re Not My Kinda Girl" | 95 | 3 | - | Heart Break |
| 1989 | "Can You Stand the Rain" | 44 | 1 | - | Heart Break |
| 1989 | "Crucial" | - | 4 | 70 | Heart Break |
| 1989 | "N.E. Heartbreak" | - | 13 | - | Heart Break |
| 1996 | "Hit Me Off" | 1 | 1(3) | 20 | Home Again |
| 1996 | "You Don't Have to Worry" | - | 7 | - | Home Again |
| 1997 | "I'm Still in Love With You" | 9 | - | Home Again | |
| 1997 | "One More Day" | 61 | 22 | - | Home Again |
| 1997 | "Something About You" | - | - | 16 | Home Again |
| 2004 | "Hot 2nite" | 87 | 35 | - | One Love |
[edit] Rare B-Sides
- 1984:
- "Good Boys"
- "Goldmine"
- 1985:
- "Sneakin' Around"
- 1989
- "Supernatural" from the [[Ghostbusters 2 soundtrack]
- 1996
- "Old Friends"
- 2004:
- "KIT (Keep In Touch)"
- "Dream Girl"
- "About Love"
- "Willin' Out"
- "Got It Like That"
- "Living Legends Interlude"
- "Big Things"
