- News & Reviews FeedNew Edition
Biography
Though introduced to the world as a not-so-inspired Jackson Five ripoff, New Edition emerged into one of the most important groups of its generation and its members became the royalty of New Jack movement of the late 80s.
Formed by a quintet of Boston preteens in the late 70s, New Edition, then consisting of Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens, Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe, was signed by writer/producer/record company impresario Maurice Starr (who later would become the svengali behind New Kids on the Block) to his Streetwise label while the members were still early teens. The group's initial recording, 1983's "Candy Girl," was a melodic but schlocky J5 derivative that shot to the top of the Soul charts. This initial success led to the group's move to much larger MCA (and an extended legal battle with Starr over the group name).
Once at MCA, the hits started rolling in for New Edition, with teen-oriented cuts like "Mr. Telephone Man," "Lost In Love" and "Cool It Now" making the group very hot property. But internal strife resulted in Brown leaving the group in 1986 for a briefly monstrous solo career (his Don't Be Cruel album was the best selling disc of 1988), while the remaining quartet stumbled with Under the Blue Moon, an ill-advised album of 50s remakes. New Edition recovered through the addition of Johnny Gill, a legitimate star vocalist in the making, and the teaming with hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for Heart Break, the transitional album that turned New Edition from teen heartthrobs to legitimate adult stars.
Following the success of Heart Break, the members of New Edition struck individual gold, with Tresvant topping the charts on "Sensitivity," Gill scoring with "My My My" and Bell Biv Devoe hitting even bigger with "Poison." In addition, Michael Bivens became a starmaker in his own right, helping to launch the careers of Boyz II Men and Another Bad Creation.
By 1996, the individual careers of New Edition's members were faltering and the group reunited (with both Brown and Gill in tow) for Home Again, working with both P Diddy and Jam/Lewis. The album and the lead single "Hit Me Off" were wildly successful, and the accompanying tour was one of the year's biggest. Unfortunately, this group triumph did not translate into individual success, and by the year 2000 the members of New Edition were generally out of the limelight (save Brown, whose run ins with the law and marriage to Whitney Houston inevitably made him front page tabloid fodder).
The group reunited again in 2004 for One Love on P Diddy's Bad Boy label. Though it spawned no major hits, the album hit the top 10 on both Pop and Soul charts.
In retrospect, it would have been difficult to imagine from their debut that the members of New Edition would lead music into an important era and would become the prototype for a generation of singing groups. But their group talent and their consistently solid choice of producers and material resulted in a series of enjoyable albums and an enviable position in the musical history of the last quarter century.
By Chris Rizik
Video
Comments
Did U Take A Pass On The New Edition One Love CD?
Wordz - August 2nd, 2007
If you slept on the New Edition One Love Cd... Maybe you should peep my review...
A warm welcom back to the men of New Edition!!
This new CD finds the group on Bad Boy under the direction or shall I say mis-direction of P. Diddy... The fellas manage to pull off one of the most unlikely pairings in recent history! In my opinion, NE simply does not fit with Bad Boy and P. Diddy has done a less than spectacular job of promoting one of the finest R&B projects in the past several years! Having said that, let me make one thing perfectly clear, the fellas have managed to make a very well produced and unique sounding album.
This latest effort, featuring Ronnie, Johnny, Ricky, Mike, & Ralph, has a little bit of the new mixed with some of the very best of their past. The first single Hot 2 Nite is a catchy tune that features all five members taking a turn on the Mic and a taste of that classic NE harmony. This track truly grew on me after I saw them perform it live on Jay Leno, wow what a stage show, nobody can "step" like NE, Nobody. These gentlemen are truly my generations Temptations. Featuring smooth as silk vocals from Ralph Tresvant and Ricky Bell, Deep soulful vocal acrobatics from the one and only Johnny Gill, and the trademark raps from the "Biv" and Ronnie "Blake" Devoe.
The fellas take us on a journey that only they could possibly pull off. This is really two CD's in one. With 16 actual tracks, (Minus the conference call) the fellas strike Gold in my humble opinion on at least 11 of them!! Last time is an "If It isn't Love" type of track and I can just imagine the dance routine!! All On You is a taste of BBD with JG and Rizzo lending their vocal stamp on the track. While juvenile, the song is catchy and both Ronnie and Mike handle the raps in classic fashion. The best thing about Ronnie and Mike is they don't try to sound like anybody else... You immediately know it's them!! Rounding out the first phase of the project are Wildest Dream, Start Turnin'Me On and Love Again. The first two feature Ralph re-establishing his rightful place as front man and lead singer of the group. His vocals are textured and mature yet still full of what made him a fan favorite from the start, his unique delivery and soft tenor voice that whispers effortlessly accross the verses. Ricky takes lead on Sexy Lady and Love Again and does a more than admirable job. His falsetto is one of the best in the biz and between him, Ralph and JG, they hold down the harmonies while Biv and Ronnie complete the package.
My favorites on the CD come at the start of the One Love Interlude... Awesome track, only complaint, it's too short!! JG and Ralph absoutely tear this track up!! Ralph does an admirable job on the Usher inspired That's Why I Lied, proving that Rizzo has still got that suave smooth style that made teenage girls go crazy back in the day. JG has one of the finest ballads on the CD, Come Home With Me which is sure to be a live show crowd pleaser. Then there's the instant classics... Re-Write The Memories and Newness both produced by the legendary production team, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. These are clearly the best tracks on the CD in my humble opinion and the direction the group should go in the future. Re-Write The Memories is definately a compliment to the classic NE track, "Can You Stand The Rain" and the fellas sound nothing less than outstanding on it, especially Ralph. His vocals are so clean, smooth and touching, that everytime I play this for the ladies, well what can I say, they swoon!! Then the fellas ease into Newness which epitomises the very best of NE... Smooth lyrics, excellent lead and background vocals, storytelling, and a mid tempo groove which means the dance routine should be absolute FIRE!! This song really sounds like an open love letter to the fans as much as it is about a love relationship between long time lovers. The track opens up with JG asking the question... "Did I stay away to long, have we grown apart are we still cool? As if asking the fans are we still cool. Then during the bridge Ralph says, "I hold you, I go back to the beginning, remember when we traded our first kisses, fell in love with you the feelings haven't changed, the Newness stays the same..." Reflecting on the title One Love, the fellas have a unique relationship with their fans as the fans have been the ones to keep the fellas solvent all these years... It's no secret that the fellas have made their living off of touring due to bad business deals in the past. Yo Ralph, the Newness is still their my brother!! The chorus then finds the fellas all joining in with "I see your face and everythings new again, love til the end, starts over again, just like the first time..." As if to say to the fans we're still here, the story is not over, and it feels just like the first time!! The CD closes with an emotional love ballad, Leave Me which features a subdued Ralph a plaintive Ricky (one of his finest vocal performances) and a soulful JG bringing this Mario Winans written track to climax. The harmony is in the pocket and the fellas really brought this track home.
All in all an outstanding effort by these young thirty somethings with a twenty plus year history, somewhere in the neighborhood of over 40 million records sold (In all there differnt forms, Solo, B.Brown, Groups, BBD, LSG, etc...), and a legacy that includes maybe the only vocal performance group in history to have all of it's members find success in the biz outside of group. JG, Rizzo, BBD, & the one and only Bobby Brown who is noticibly absent from this project. Much love to all the fans and the Fan Clubs who have kept the NE Mystique alive and well!! Much love to CandysMall NEW EDITION FAN CLUB and to all the NE yahoo clubs showing love to my favorite Group New Edition... "One Love" Peace, Wordz... Da' Soul Recordings Reviews 2005
"If you don't know where you're going... any road will take U there..."
Regarding Artist Pages...
Wordz - September 11th, 2007
I see Johnny Gill has an artist page here... What about Ralph Tresvant?
While not a stellar solo career... His debut solo CD did very well and he has a new CD Rizzwafaire currently out. Some great soulful ballads on this new CD... One to check out and that shouldn't be missed!!
"If you don't know where you're going... any road will take U there..."
