The Toy Box: New Edition

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Retro Spins: New Edition - Heart Break

Remaining members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe, felt uncertainty in the future of New Edition. Especially when rumors of their lead singer, Ralph Tresvant, considering a solo career looming above them. In anticipation in the likelihood that this would happen, Johnny Gill was voted into the group by Bell, Bivins, and DeVoe. However, in the long run, Tresvant would opt to stay, at least for now.

Now in their twenties, or on the cusp of turning over from their teens, the boys were wanting their music to go in a different direction. One which echoed their new maturity, and adulthood. The end result was 1988's Heart Break, a smoother, stronger, and more adult resonance, which would also become the groups biggest album up to that point.

Heart Break spawned multiple hit singles, which included, You're Not My Kind of Girl, Can You Stand the Rain, Crucial, N.E. Heartbreak, and my personal favorite from them, If It Isn't Love. The success of Heart Break set in motion a support tour, which saw prior member, Bobby Brown serving as an opening act for them. Brown would soon come into his own though with his 7X platinum release, Don't Be Cruel.

Playing through Heart Break, the bubblegum feel is gone, and in its place are tracks that definitely feel more mature. I can certainly see the appeal among the funk, adult contemporary, and R&B crowd.

As for me, If It Isn't Love, remains the only track that appeals, and I'm fine with that. When I started off on my journey with New Edition, I already knew they weren't going to be my new all time favorite.

Even their hits, Candy Girl, Mr. Telephone Man, Cool It Now, while good, never really resonated with me. They ultimately ended up in my collection because of their impact on the 80's. I mean, they're good, they're just not songs I'm going to go to frequently.

If I had to pull one aspect from the album that I hated, and I do, it would be the numerous skits between tracks. These are flat out annoying, and really derail the flow of everything. What's worse is that these sections are built into each track, meaning you can't simply skip them with the push of a button.

More so intriguing to me then the music is the history of the members, seeing how they came to be who they were, and then realizing this in their futures. As we all know, Bobby Brown had a massively successful solo career...well, that one time in 1988 with Don't Be Cruel, but then...well...the crack.

Ralph Tresvant found success with his first self titled solo album in 1990. He released a second album in 1994, and a third in 2006.

Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens, and Ronnie DeVoe would go on to create the group Bel Biv DeVoe, garnering a 4X platinum record with 1990's Poison. Their 1993 released Hootie Mack, was less successful, but still accredited gold. However, their third release, 2001's BBD failed, while their 2017 released Three Stripes returned them to the top ten.

Johnny Gill remained the most active. Having had a solo career prior to New Edition, he easily transitioned back to this. Between his collaborations with others, including New Edition, as well as his solo work, he's released some form of music from 1983 to 2019.

Additionally, the final track on Heart Break, Boys To Men, would inspire a new generation of musicians who would go on to create the group, Boys II Men. Their 1991 debut, Cooleyhighharmony, would usher in a new era of boy bands.

As for New Edition, they too returned to the spotlight in 1996 with their reunion album, Home Again. It would be the only to feature not only the five original members, but also keep Gill in the fold. It would also become their biggest and most popular album to date. This was followed up in 2004 with One Love. However, Brown had once again departed, and was not part of the album.

All six members reunited again in 2011 for their 30th anniversary tour, and have sporadically continued to perform together, either as a whole, or in part. Their most recent outing was a Las Vegas residency. However, this seems to have concluded as of February 15, 2025.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 1, 1984

Retro Spins: New Edition - Under The Blue Moon

With Bobby Brown now out, fired from the group in December, 1985, New Edition pressed on as a quartet. Still in debt to MCA, they continued their loop of recording and touring. This included guest appearances on Knight Rider, as well as contributions to soundtracks, such as 1986's The Karate Kid Part II.

It's the latter which inspired what would become their next studio album, Under The Blue Moon. For the film, the group recorded a version of The Penguins 1954 hit, Earth Angel, which was only intended to be a one off occurrence. However, when both he film and its soundtrack became massively popular, the boys were ushered back into the studio to record the all covers doo-wop tribute.

Though the group maintained their popularity, the album would only go gold, continuing a trend of decreasing album sales. Murmurs also began to surface of the potential departure of Ralph Tresvant, who was allegedly eyeing a solo career. However, before we can get to that aspect, let's first pause, and listen to the 1986 released, Under The Blue Moon. I like doo-wop, so I'm hoping this will be a delicious treat from the group.

Things kick off with the aforementioned Earth Angel, which is fine, if not a bit overplayed at this point. I suppose if I was to favor a cover version of this song that it would probably be the Harry Waters Jr. version, or as he's known in Back To The Future, where's its performed, Marvin Berry And The Starlighters.

From there, let me pick apart the remainder of the album by simply saying that I'd rather listen to the originals than 80's covers. Tresvant and the boys do a fine job on their vocals, but where it all falls apart is the synth pop and drum machine instrumentation. It just doesn't sound right, especially when you know the originals. It's the common problem with covers, wherein 99.99% of the time the original is simply far superior. It makes this whole album seem unnecessary. Frankly, it's kind of lazy too. A cash grab, even.

I suppose the argument could be made that New Edition were introducing a new generation of fans to the classics. Fair enough, and maybe they did achieve just that. However, if most parents were like mine, I.E. from the era the originals came from, then these tunes were already playing through the radio within the confines of their homes and cars. Maybe I'm just trying to find reasons to hate at this point.

With 1986 wrapped up, the boys were in a transition period. Bobby Brown was gone, and had released his first solo album, King Of Stage. Ralph Tresvant too was potentially on the cusp of leaving for a solo career, and all the members were inching over their teen years into their twenties. Would a "boy band" still work with young adults? Would Tresvant bail, and go off on his own? Who could replace him if he did? Would there even be a replacement? What about remaining members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens, and Ronnie DeVoe? Would they too quit? Or perhaps instead decide to form a new group? I guess we'll find out next time when we jump into 1988's Heart Break.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 31, 1985

Retro Spins: New Edition - All For Love

Heavily in debt to MCA, who loaned the boys each $100,000.00 to buy out their agreement through the production company Jump and Shoot, New Edition were forced to continuously record albums and tour. The first in this repayment period was 1985's Count Me Out. While it did become certified platinum. Despite this, it was not as critically, nor financially successful as its predecessor.

Prior to its release in November, the group also played themselves in the film, Krush Groove (October 1985), where they performed, My Secret. However, it was right back to the studio upon the release of Count Me Out, where the boys would record their December released Christmas album, Christmas All Over the World. MCA kept them work non-stop for no other reason than to recoup their loan.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's when an artist is frequently in the studio, the efforts often dwindle as material dries up. Is that the case with New Edition? Possibly. I need to listen to the album first...

...Okay, I'm back.

Yes, that's the case with New Edition. Opening track, Count Me Out, is pretty solid. Overall, it's the peppier tracks which resonate the best with me, but I suppose I've never really been one for ballads to begin with.

I also found that when the boys focus on songs that most ten to twelve year old's would have knowledge on, that it was kind of dumb. Such was the case of track, School, where the kids recount their first days in school, and how they then grew to hate it. While it makes sense since some of the members of New Edition never finished school, I'm almost fifty at this point. School isn't even a thought in my head, so I simply can't relate anymore.

Overall, All For Love really doesn't deliver. The novelty of New Edition, if they had any, has kind of worn off at this point. I actually found myself starting to skip tracks that simply weren't resonating. The fatigue had set in, and I basically just didn't want to invest the time.

As for the boys, when you have a group of five individuals, each contributing their own styles, vocals, and creative juices, egos are going to form, and form they did within New Edition. Bobby Brown wasn't happy with his lack of lead vocals on All For Love, and would often cause trouble onstage as a result. He would do so by cutting in on Tresvant's leads during shows, perform raunchily onstage, or simply throw his microphone around.

With management annoyed, and his fellow bandmates unhappy with him, Brown was fired in December 1985. The irony here is that MCA then signed him to a solo artist deal, and released his first four albums. I guess being a nuisance can be overlooked when you become a 7X platinum selling artists, such as he did with 1988's Don't Be Cruel.

As for New Edition's follow-up, the aforementioned Christmas album, I'm going to skip that one for now. Instead, tomorrow, I'll dive headlong into 1986's Under The Blue Moon. As a quartet, can they deliver a better listening experience than All For Love? I guess we'll find out.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 30, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 30, 1986

Retro Spins: New Edition - New Edition

I touched on New Edition back in 2021, when I dove into their first studio album, 1983's Candy Girl. Since then, while I've owned their entire 80's discography, it's sat in limbo, overlooked, and neglected. Let's rectify that, shall we?

At the age of nine, a young Bobby Brown formed the group, New Edition with his school friends. The name was taken to mean a new edition of the Jackson 5. The original lineup of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, and Ralph Tresvant, and together form the blueprint for what would become the modern boy band.

The group entered the Hollywood Talent Night held at Boston's Strand Theatre in 1982, their eyes on the prize of $500.00 cash, and most importantly, a recording contract. While they would place second, they impressed host, Maurice Starr, who decided to bring them to his studio the following day to record what would become their debut album for label, Streetwise.

The album would feature several single hits, which included Is This the End, Pop Corn Love, and the number one American R&B chart topper, and album titled, Candy Girl. A tour followed, and upon its conclusion, the boys each received a check for a whopping $1.87. Woohoo! While the boys would part ways with Starr, he would go on to immediately create New Kids On The Block.

Steven and Martin Machat, attorney's at law, represented the boys, and ultimately won their case against label, Streetwise, to release the kids from their contracts. They then helped secure them a new deal with MCA Records, who won the bidding war for their next album, the 1984 self titled release.

New Edition, the album, eclipsed Candy Girl, spawning the top five hit, Cool It Now, and top twenty hit, Mr. Telephone Man. It would later become certified 2X Platinum. Despite this success, problems quickly arose when the group found out they weren't actually in a direct recording deal with MCA. Rather, their deal was through the production affiliate of AMI, Jump and Shoot.

Each of the boys borrowed $100,000.00 from MCA to buy out the agreement. However, this in turn left them in debt to the label, who insisted they continuously record and tour to pay their debt back.

...And, pause! Before we go any further, in the group's history, we stop to actually listen to their 1984 album.

One of my biggest hang ups with the kids first album was its theme of love and relationships. It's a subject matter that 99% of ten year old's know nothing about, making it kind of silly (in an odd way) that they're singing about it. Well, this certainly doesn't change with their 1984 album. Love, love, and more love is what track after track is about.

I mean...If I were to write a song in 1984, it would probably have gone something like...

I can't find my 3PO,
Guess I'll go play G.I. Joe
Did you try that new Atari game?
Boy, that thing was pretty lame
Wiggy wiggy record scratch
Gonna eat a Snack Pack
Chocolate, can ya dig it?

Eh...

The point being, the lyrics wouldn't be about, "Girl I love you so much, let's get married, have three kids, buy a house, and stuff." But, nitpicking aside, Cool It Now is a solid hit, and Mr. Telephone Man, is pretty okay. There are also a couple hidden gems tucked within, which included My Secret (Didja Gitit Yet?), and Hide and Seek. I'll even go against my own grain, and say that Kind of Girls We Like, got my toes tapping, and head nodding. Overall, it was a peppy album, and decent to hear. I can maybe, possibly, kind of, sort of, get behind New Edition. I tell you what, let me hear their next album before I decide.

Because of their financial debt to MCA, that next record came relatively quickly in November, 1985 (All For Love), as did its immediate follow up in December, 1985, the Christmas album, Christmas All Over the World. Less than a year later, the group were releasing 1986's Under The Blue Moon. But, we're way ahead of things at this point. We first need to go back to All For Love, which I'll dive into tomorrow.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 29, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 29, 1987

Retro Spins: New Edition - Candy Girl

Even though the term "boy band" didn't exist until the 90's, New Edition is often credited with starting the trend. This is odd as all males / young boy groups are noted as being around since the 50's. I mean, come on, if anything The Jackson 5 would constitute as a boy band, and they were around in the 70's.

New Edition is rooted in music history not only for the group itself, but for the solo and future groups which would come from it. Bobby Brown was voted out in 1985, but in the process went on to develop a successful solo career. This left the door open for Johnny Gill, who was voted into the group in 1987. Gil already had a solo career leading up to this, and returned to it by 1990. In fact, by this point in time, the entire group was looking into other projects as a result of Bobby Brown's solo success.

Members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe would create the group Bell Biv DeVoe, and go on to further success with their 1990 hit album, Poison. Watching on the sideline of all this success, both for those who ventured out into solo careers and those in groups was the final member of New Edition, Ralph Tresvant. Though he released a solo album in 1990, it was not as successful as the other members.

With all of that said, today's Retro Spin takes me to 1983's debut album of New Edition, Candy Girl. While it tries to come across as sweet, bubblegum pop / light R&B, the fact of the matter was it was more so disturbing. Maybe it's just me, but I don't tend to enjoy a bunch of little boys singing about girls and love - a theme which carries across every single song. It's awkward and out of place. Fine, call me a square, but that's where I stand on it.

"How could you leave when I need you baby," sing the kids in the track, Ooh Baby. Leave for what? School? Home? Where do most eight to ten year old girls go? Certainly they aren't living together at such a young age.

This is what I'm talking about. The songs don't match the group. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to hear a bunch of songs about stickers and crayons, but come on. Let's not go to the opposite spectrum to the point it gets weird.

The end result here was that I didn't like this album. The song Candy Girl was iconic for it's 80's nostalgia as a hit, but beyond that, it was just too many love songs from kids who hopefully didn't know about the inner workings of love at that age.

In retrospect, I suppose this is no different from the kinds of tunes the Jackson 5 were singing. As such, I don't know why I'm so beside myself with this album, but oddly fine with the work of the Jackson's.

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