January 31, 2014

Old School Friday: New Edition

I was in college when New Edition took the world by storm in the eighties. As a result, they were never the equivalent of the Jackson 5 in my mind. However, it is impressive to see how long they survived in the music industry. Ronnie Devoe, Bobby Brown, Rickey Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ralph Tresvant originally made up New Edition. They got their start in the music business when they weren't even teenagers. Their musical journey has seen them have success as a bubblegum pop group, a mature R&B group, and even as solo superstars.

The group originated in Boston and burst on the scene with their 1983 debut album 'Candy Girl.' Some of their early hits included 'Mr. Telephone Man,' and 'Cool It Now.' As they grew older, they drifted apart. Their most eclectic member, Bobby Brown, would leave New Edition to pursue a solo career in 1986. New Edition would remain strong, however, with R&B crooner Johnny Gill replacing Brown.

The song that still resonates with me from New Edition was 'Can You Stand the Rain'.



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5 comments:

SjP said...

Like you, NE was a tad bit after my time. But, I'm really glad that Bobbie took out on his own so Johnnie could step in and then go and do My! My! My!

Old School Fridays said...

I love this song, and I can never get enough of it. I know her single bit of it. I have been waiting years for a reunion tour, and every year they get me excited with plans, but they always fall through.

Unknown said...

Hands down my favorite New Edition song!
Great pick!

iriegal said...

I am with SJP, Johnnie Gill made this group more mature..and made me say, MY, MY, mY...

Wayne, hands down a great song choice

Tha Connoisseur said...

This song kills me and is so wrong on so many levels...LOL But I love it anyway. As I stated before, we can't say they weren't clear about what they wanted!