Where It All Started: 25th Anniversary Retrospective Of Bobby Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel” & New Edition’s “Heart Break”

June is Black Music Month and this is a landmark day for Black music as a whole. On June 20, 1988 MCA Records released both Bobby Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel” and New Edition’s “Heart Break” on the same day. These two albums forever changed not only R&B/Soul but the entire landscape of the music industry simultaneously. In order to understand why this is significant we must start at the beginning, with the day Bobby Brown was voted out of New Edition in December 1985 amidst mounting pressure from New Edition’s management & production team and the fallout surrounding it all.

At the top of 1986 Bobby Brown was glad to shed himself of New Edition’s squeaky clean image and choose producers and songwriters other than Vincent Brantley, Rick Timas and Michael Sembello of Jump & Shoot Productions, whom their management instantly installed as their musical team.

While recording their self-titled LP in 1984 (shortly after they won the case that secured their freedom from Streetwise Records) the group discovered they weren’t signed directly to MCA, but rather to Jump & Shoot Productions via a production deal arranged by their management (AMI).

New Edition released album after album in hopes of amassing enough money to buy their way out of their management & production contracts with Steven Machat and his partners Rick Smith and Bill Dern of AMI/Jump & Shoot. They hoped to become free agents then negotiate a new deal directly with MCA Records. However, before that could happen, they had to endure one more album with Jump & Shoot while Bobby Brown signed a solo deal with MCA and began to seek out a new creative team for his upcoming solo project.

In early 1986 New Edition recorded a cover of the 50’s Doo Wop hit “Earth Angel” for the soundtrack to the sequel to “Karate Kid.” It was initially seen as a one-off song before they began working on what would hopefully be their final record making music they weren’t proud of. “Karate Kid II” opened in theaters in North America on June 20, 1986 and became an instant hit. Peter Cetera made the film’s main theme “For The Glory Of Love” which was a massive hit but New Edition’s cover of “Earth Angel” became a crossover hit, slightly missing Billboard’s Top 20 on the Pop charts (stalled at #21). Unfortunately, the success of that song gave New Edition’s producers the idea to make their next LP a concept album full of covers of Doo Wop songs.

To put this dubious idea into proper context, Janet Jackson was crushing the R&B/Soul and Pop charts with her new album “Control” as was Cameo with their album “Word Up!”. The Minneapolis sound and a new brand of R&B that would soon be branded New Jack Swing was gaining favor thanks to Prince, Ready For The World plus the production of Cameo’s Larry Blackmon and Flyte Tyme’s Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. This was not the time to go retro in the face of all this musical progression.

Nevertheless, New Edition released “Under The Blue Moon” in October 1986 and the album barely managed to go Gold when their previous albums all exceeded Platinum and each had multiple hit singles. Outside of “Earth Angel” none of their singles fared well on the charts while the aesthetic of R&B was in flux. Ralph Tresvant became increasingly disillusioned with the group and began to consider going solo as 1986 soon gave way to 1987.

Meanwhile, Bobby Brown began recording his debut solo album for MCA Records. “King Of Stage” was released in December 1986 behind the lead single, “Girlfriend.” This ballad became Bobby Brown’s first solo hit, eventually peaking at #57 on the Billboard Pop charts but reaching #1 on the Billboard Soul/R&B charts. His second single, the up-tempo dance number “Girl Next Door,” was a minor hit (#31 R&B/Soul) but his album failed to even go Gold. While Bobby Brown was a winner at the 1987 Boston Music Awards, he knew he had a long way to go before he was satisfied.

Mike Bivins had the foresight to ensure the future of New Edition following them finally getting out of their old deal with Jump & Shoot Productions after their management team AMI’s firm disbanded, senior partner Steve Machat stepped down and the group opted to not continue to be managed by junior partners Rick Smith or Bill Dern. They celebrated their newfound freedom by installing Brooke Payne as interim manager and signing directly to MCA Records in Spring 1987. Ralph was considering a solo project like Bobby so Mike brought in Johnny Gill both to fill Bobby’s vacant spot and to potentially become the group’s new lead singer in the event Ralph bolted.

Next, the guys and their longtime choreographer/personal manager Brooke Payne agreed to bring in Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to craft the sound of what was going to become their breakout album and shed their old boyhood image once and for all. Ralph Tresvant ultimately opted against pursuing a solo project due to encouragement from Mike Bivins and New Edition once again became a quintet. In June 1987, just one year removed from the abomination that was “Earth Angel” and the havoc it wreaked on their young careers, New Edition began work on their “Heart Break” LP.

New Edition had been all but written off after their horrific last album in 1986. People were jamming to Club Nouveau, Full Force, Jody Watley, Levert, Klymaxx, The System, Atlantic Starr, Alexander O’Neal, Terrence Trent D’arby, Cameo, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and Keith Sweat throughout this time and they were slowly forgetting about New Edition. This was more than enough motivation for the Roxbury renegades of R&B to reclaim their thrones and once again change the game.

Bobby Brown regrouped from his disappointing debut album. He stayed in contact with members of New Edition even though he was voted out and he took stock in their progress on the comeback trail. In turn, Bobby decided to do the same. He soon enlisted the services of the songwriting/production team of L.A. Reid & Babyface. They didn’t have any huge successes on the level that Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis previously enjoyed with Janet Jackson, Cherrelle or Alexander O’Neal but Bobby was going to help change all of that. In October 1987, Bobby Brown, L.A. Reid, Babyface, Darryl Simmons, Gene Griffin, Larry White and Gordon Jones all began crafting the album that would change popular music forever.

By January 1988, New Edition completed their comeback album “Heart Break.” In the time they’d been gone from the scene the entire game had changed. They knew they had to come out hard and knock everyone else out the box. Instead of trying to convince everyone they were grown up and hope to gain acceptance in a changing industry, they instead operated from a position of power. They were going to put together a comprehensive tour and bring the album to life in front of audiences all across the country so they could experience the new New Edition for themselves. Preparation for what was to become the 1988 Heartbreak Tour began immediately.

Bobby Brown completed “Don’t Be Cruel” in April 1988. His boys and labelmates New Edition were putting together their comeback tour and they reached out to Bobby to be part of it, as he was coming back to smash the game as well. Bobby headed back to Boston in May to film the video for his album’s lead single “Don’t Be Cruel.” New Edition wouldn’t be releasing a single before they dropped the album, instead opting to begin the tour immediately and drop the lead single while they were on the road to actively help push it. It was risky but if it worked? It would pay off handsomely for everyone.

To be continued on the link below:

Source: http://theurbandaily.com/...art-break/

No longer did Black artists have to play it safe or make songs like Lionel Richie’s “Hello,” Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Love You” or Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” to reach the top of the charts.

Of course it was an important album for new jack swing, but this is a little too far.

"Billy Jean" wasn´t safe, "when doves cry" wasn´t save, etc. etc.

Nice recap! I remember how MCA set these two albums up nicely. It was like a ALI vs Frazier fight!! I remember the tour and the singles battle at radio and retail. 25 years!!

I entered this earth's atmosphere in 1966 and was born a music junkie! Completely obsessed and driven to be in the music business. I now consider it a blessing and a curse.

A blessing to witness and be a part of pop music history as it unfolded before my eyes and ears.

A curse to witness the demise of pop music culture as I once knew and loved.

Music: The end of the 60's were ground breaking as well as the 70's. Being a teen/early 20's in the 80's was just fucking PERFECT! MJ, Prince, MDNA, MTV....enough said. The 90's were cool, but things were beginning to change.

The Bieber generation will never know and witness how the classic music they are discovering now came to be and the (I use the term loosely) "artists" of today are just full of shit!

Kids of the 70's and 80's, man we had it good...musicially that is.

Singles from Heart Break

Singles from Don't Be Cruel

Taken from the Heart Break tour

I didn't know about all that Jump & Shoot business.

Cinny said:

I didn't know about all that Jump & Shoot business.

It was mentioned in Behind The Music their episode. @ 9:20

JabarR74 said:

Cinny said:

I didn't know about all that Jump & Shoot business.

It was mentioned in Behind The Music their episode. @ 9:20

THANK you, I don't know if I ever saw this or if it would just make more sense to me now.

Check out who has sampled If It Isn't Love:

Bobby Brown arrives at the BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre on Sunday, June 30, 2013, in Los Angeles.

Bobby Brown represented Boston at the BET Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Brown walked the red carpet with his wife, Alicia Etheridge; the couple just celebrated their first anniversary.) Brown’s New Edition bandmates Ralph Tresvant, Ricky Bell, Ronnie Devoe, and Michael Bivins were also out in Los Angeles to perform as part of the BET Experience, which was a weekend of concerts and events to celebrate the awards. The Roxbury-bred group performed at the Staples Center with R. Kelly and former Jackson 5 members Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Marlon Jackson, and Jermaine Jackson.

Ronnie Devoe performs onstage with New Edition during R. Kelly, New Edition and The Jacksons at the 2013 BET Experience at Staples Center on June 30, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.