New Edition

New Edition were a very popular R&B boyband in the mid-80s who introduced the world to Bobby Brown and went on to sell close to 20 million albums.

The teenage five-piece formed in Boston in 1978, and managed to win a deal after appearing at a local talent show. Their debut album Candy Girl (1983) featured a title track that topped the R&B chart and also reached No.1 on the UK singles chart. But after their nationwide tour, the five boys were paid less than $2 each for their troubles, with manager Maurice Starr claiming the tour’s expenses ate into their potential pay. The boys split with Starr and his label and signed with MCA instead; Starr went on to create New Kids on the Block.

New Edition’s second, self-titled album was released in 1984 and included their first US Top 5 hit, “Cool It Now”. The album eventually went double platinum, confirming New Edition’s standing as one of the most popular boybands of the time. All For Love (1985) was another million-seller, but soon after the group was reduced to a foursome when one member was voted out due to bad behaviour; Bobby Brown went on to a Grammy-winning solo career that racked up ten million US album sales. Without Brown they recorded a doo-wop album called Under the Blue Moon (1986), but soon Johnny Gill was introduced to bring the membership back up to five. Heart Break (1985) was produced by Janet Jackson’s hit-makers Jam & Lewis. The more mature sound was very successful and Heart Break sold close to four million copies worldwide.

Encouraged by Bobby Brown’s recent solo success, the band then went on hiatus so that members could pursue other projects. Three members combined for Bell Biv DeVoe and sold three million copies of debut album Poison, while Gill and Ralph Tresvant also had platinum solo successes. In 1996 they reunited – including Bobby Brown – for Home Again, another big success that sold around four million worldwide. But tensions reappeared on tour and the group split again, seemingly for good this time.

In 2002, New Edition made a surprise reunion, without Brown, and impressed Sean Combs enough for him to sign them to Bad Boy Records. Their final record One Love was released in 2004, but despite it attaining gold certification it was considered to be a flop, and they split from Bad Boy.