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Beginning their career as a Jackson 5 inspired bubblegum pop boy band, New Edition evolved to become one of the credited originators of the “new jack swing” sound which fuses R&B and Hip hop. They spawned several top charting hits during the 1980s such as “Cool It Now," "Candy Girl," and "Mr. Telephone Man". The Boston group’s roots lie in the act formed by Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, and Michael Bivins in 1978 while the friends were still in elementary school. Ralph Tresvant was later added to the trio as well as Ronnie DeVoe following the winning of a talent con Continued...

test in 1980. They were discovered by writer and producer Maurice Starr after a performance at the Strand Theater. Starr immediately signed the boys to his Streetwise label.

Their debut album, entitled Candy Girl was released in 1983. The title track topped the R&B charts as well as the subsequent singles “Popcorn Love” and “Is This the End”. Following an incredible offer by MCA Records, the group was ordered by Starr to remain with Streetwise, thus the boys fired him as manager and proceeded to sign with MCA. They released their self-titled album in 1984. The first single “Cool It Now” placed in the Top Five while “Mr. Telephone Man” became a number one hit on the R&B/Hip hop chart. All For Love, in 1985, displayed much maturity within their voices and musical content. A year later, Bobbi Brown’s growing dissatisfaction with the group caused him to split and concentrate on his solo career. The group continued without him generating the vintage doo-wop and R&B cover album Under the Blue Moon.

Brown was eventually replaced by Johnny Gill in 1989 for Heart Break. The album produced the major number one hit “Can You Stand the Rain”. However, the independent Brown was receiving much attention with his solo debut Don’t Be Cruel. New Edition separated in 1989 in order to concentrate on individual projects. Gill and Tresvant both dedicated themselves to their solo careers, while the remaining members formed Bell Biv DeVoe. The latter enjoyed great success with their album Poison.

In 1996, New Edition reunited to release Home Again which featured the hit singles “Hit Me Off” and “I’m Still in Love with You”. The success sparked a comeback tour which they quickly embarked upon, yet was shortly concluded due to underlying problems and feuds within the group, particularly between Brown and Bivins. After a few years apart, the men regrouped in 2003 without Brown and began touring clubs and casinos. They were soon approached by P. Diddy who was interested in signing them to his label, Bad Boy. One Love was released in 2004 to upsetting reviews as many criticized the music for not fitting their adult image. As a result of a dispute with Diddy, New Edition asked to be released from their Bad Boy contract. In 2005, they continued to tour and announced that they would be releasing an album in 2008.