New Edition On Short-Lived Stint On Bad Boy Records

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R&B group New Edition is currently rehearsing for a national tour
which kicks off next month and working with Paramount Pictures on the New Edition biopic. The group plans to head back into the studio sometime in the future to record new music, but following last year's fiasco with Bad Boy Records, they plan on taking their time.

Ricky Bell says signing with Bad Boy Records did not live up to the
group's expectations. "We thought it was gonna be like no limits,"
Bell said. "Let's go all out. Let's just get with the best writers,
the best producers, let's just exploit New Edition, like, all the
way, and that wasn't the plan. I mean, once we got in with him (P.
Diddy), when we didn't agree with him on certain songs, we would get sent home for like six, seven months. You know, it would just be nothing being done."

Bell added that the straw that broke the camel's back was an incident over a song titled "Keep In Touch" which was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Bell said that Combs refused to pay for the song because the group was allegedly over budget, although they had only worked with in-house Bad Boy producers.

According to Bell, Combs didn't respect Jam & Lewis, although the two produced many of New Edition's biggest hits. Eventually Jam & Lewis gave the group the song free of charge, but somehow it still wasn't included on the final version of One Love. Bell explained: "You know that song wasn't on there. It was taken off the album, then there was another song put on the album that wasn't even talked about initially of being on the album. A song that none of us liked. On top of that, Puffy paid himself $50,000, on top of that put a song on it that we didn't like, and we just felt like that was just a slap in the face. No respect."

Following the fallout with Bad Boy Records, reports surfaced that the group was difficult to work with. Group member Johnny Gill addressed the rumors. He said: "Well, I want anyone, whoever has any doubts about us, working with us, look at our 22-year record. I mean, it's not ironic when you look at Bad Boy, not only just us, look at the artists that have come, the artists that are leaving, and everyone that's trying to get out of the situation."

Calls to Bad Boy Records weren't returned at press time.

I used to like Diddy but u guys were right all along! Sean Combs is the asshole of the millenium! How dare that bastard do this to New Edition and Jam and Lewis? This article really pissed me off (I posted this same article yesterday).
Diddy refused a Jam & Lewis song? I understand why everyone has left Bad Boy now! He must be insane!

"R&B group New Edition is currently rehearsing for a national tour
which kicks off next month and working with Paramount Pictures on the New Edition biopic."

This should be a good movie if they get the right actors and script. They have a high drama story to tell. Even though VH-1 did a decent job with their BTM show, their story screams for a tv or silver screen movie.

Hmmmm... Who should play each member of New Edition in the movie?

dreamfactory313 said:

Sorry. I tried to search to make sure it wasn't already posted but the search feature wasn't working

"Hmmmm... Who should play each member of New Edition in the movie?"

this is a great question by the way. But you'd need two acotrs to play each. As kids and as adults. I'd like to see the fella's play themselves as adults. But Bobby would have to be played by an actor since dude is too f-ed up now. Bobby Brown would be one juicy role for someone.
[Edited 5/3/05 10:32am]

First, let me say that anyone who wastes their time with P Shiddy should not be surprised at the outcome.

Second, LMAO at Johnny Gill talking about their "22 year record". Dude recorded like one and a half records with the group and like 4 solo CD's since...not to mention that LSG crap.

Adisa said:

You are too brutally honest.

Adisa said:

Johnny's been with them 14-15 years now. I'd say dude has paid enough dues to say "we"
[Edited 5/3/05 10:33am]

intha916 said:

And what has he done in that time span?

Yeah Johnny is featured on NE's Heartbreak, NE's Home Again and their latest One Love. Thats 3 albums. Its cool that he fully considers himself apart of the group. He includes himself in all 22 years of New Edition even though he's been in the group since '87/'88.

Adisa said:

Recorded 3 albums with NE and toured 4 or 5 times. Sure Johnny has a solo career (he recorded 3 or 4 albums before even joining NE) but so did the other guys. If anything, Johnny is more of an NE memember than Bobby at this point. When I think of NE I think of the adult version (NE Heartbreak on) and not as kid's singing Candy Girl

dreamfactory313 said:

Of course he considers himself a part of the group. He used them as a stepping stone to further his sputtering solo career. NE didn't really need Johnny the way Johnny needed NE. Although Johnny sang his ass off his voice was really grown-sounding and record companies didn't know how to market him. Stick him in the biggest boy-band at that moment and voila! You go on to have a slew of hits and multi-platinum solo albums.

Regardless of how long he's been there he has to speak for the group. As a member for over 10 years it doesn't make any sense for him to talk about "they".
Wonder who they'll sign with next. As for Bad Boy--time to close shop. How long before these kids catch on?

intha916 said:

Excellent points and I agree. But you don't really believe the other members have enjoyed the kind of post-group-hayday success that Johnny has, do you?

JackieBlue said:

Right!

How about these actors for the New Edition movie:

Morris Chestnut as Johnny Gill



Eugene Byrd as Michael Bivins


U guys are going 2 have 2 help me out with the rest of them.

Adisa said:

I'd say BBD was bigger than anything Johnny has done solo or with LSG. I'd put him ahead of Ralph though in terms of sales but I dug Ralph's two solo albums more than Johnny's

dreamfactory313 said:

Maurice Starr

intha916 said:

BBD was the shit, but their style was/is dated. Everything they've done since Poison has sucked. I rember when I first heard they were gonna form a group and I was like... ... But then I heard the song "Poison" banging at a club and was like

I think that BBD was the biggest post-New Edition project. All of the members of NE have had platinum success on their own. Its hard to determine who has had "the most sucess".

It is remarkable what they were able to do as a unit and as solo perfomers. No one has ever done that before in r&b. They were a platinum phenomenon as a group and also very successful as solo artsists. They dont get the props that they deserve IMO.

I guess u could argue that Michael Bivens is extremely successful, not only for BBD but for all of the groups that he has groomed over the years with his BIV 10 records (Boys II Men, ABC, Subway, 702, etc)

intha916 said:

I'm sure Usher will find a way to get a role in this movie.

Adisa said:

LOL you know I hadn't thought of that. I'd bet he does too. Bobby maybe?

I dont think that everything that BBD has done since Poison sucked at all. One of my favorite BBD songs is on the Hootie Mack album (their 3rd) called "Something In Your Eyes". Ricky Bell killed it. It was an instant classic. I think Hootie Mack went gold.

Debra Wilson as Whitney Houston

I remember them promoting the last BBD album a few years ago. They performed on some show and were pretty damn bad. Didn't seem to make much noise.

Debra Wilson as Whitney would be great.

dreamfactory313 said:

Dave Chappelle as Bobbay

Michael Ealy as Ronnie Devoe



Nick Cannon as Ralph Tresvant


[Edited 5/3/05 11:36am]

dreamfactory313 said:

NO! Keep Nick Cannon as far a way from this movie as possible!

I couldnt think of anyone else. Who would u like to see? What about Ricky Bell? Help me out peeps!

intha916 said:

This isnt a bad idea to let them play themselves as adults, but can they act outside of a 4 minute music video clip?

intha916 said:

Some great things are said in the album but I think the most clear one is that Sean's boner of Janet might be ruining Bad Boy, since he has "no respect" for Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.