Ahead of an officially-sanctioned TV biopic of the lives and careers of New Edition, Universal Music Enterprises has digitally expanded four of the group's studio albums plus an additional four spin-off projects.
The band's classic-era output for MCA Records, New Edition (1984), All for Love (1985), Heart Break (1988) and the reunion album Home Again (1996), as well as Bobby Brown's Don't Be Cruel (1988), Bell Biv DeVoe's Poison (1990) and 1990 solo albums by members Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant, are available on digital providers like iTunes and Spotify, remastered and featuring scores of bonus content.
Assembled in Boston by music impresario Maurice Starr, New Edition burst onto the scene in 1983 with the release of the Jackson 5-for-the-'80s jam "Candy Girl" (a No. 1 R&B hit). The quintet--vocalists Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe--soon broke away from Starr and signed to MCA, where their self-titled sophomore album saw them writing their own material in earnest as well as collaborating with killer producers like Michael Sembello and Ray Parker, Jr. "Cool It Now" and "Mr. Telephone Man," which straddled the lines between traditional vocal soul, '80s synth-pop and hip-hop, were both Top 20 hits.
Follow-up All for Love expanded and strengthened the band's fan base, earning the group another platinum album, but Brown was beginning to chafe under the group's clean-cut image, and he would leave the band by the end of 1985. After pushing through as a quartet, releasing the standards album Under the Blue Moon in 1986, Tresvant, Bell, Bivins and DeVoe added co-lead vocalist Johnny Gill and bounced back with the double-platinum Heart Break, which featured writing and production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (fresh off their success with Janet Jackson's Control) and the hits "If It Isn't Love" and "Can You Stand the Rain."
But Brown couldn't be counted out: joining forces with nascent New Jack swing producers Teddy Riley, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid, his sophomore solo album, Don't Be Cruel, was the most successful of any New Edition-related LP, spinning off five Top 10 pop and R&B hits including "My Prerogative," "Roni" and "Every Little Step."
Brown's success coincidentally paved the way for a hiatus for New Edition, and in 1990, the five members of the group recorded side project albums. Bell Biv DeVoe's Poison was another New Jack affair featuring production by Dr. Freeze and Public Enemy's Bomb Squad; "Poison" and "Do Me!" were both Top 5 smashes. Johnny Gill signed to Motown and joined forces with both Jam & Lewis and L.A. & Babyface; "Rub You the Right Way" and "My, My, My" both reached the Top 10 of the pop chart and topped the R&B chart (as did a third single, Wrap My Body Tight"). Tresvant also recruited Jam & Lewis, as well as LaFace associate Daryl Simmons (and even snagged "Alright Now," an unrecorded song by Michael Jackson); he earned one Top 5 pop single with "Sensitivity."
Eventually, a new generation of talent took hold of the charts in the 1990s, and in some ways several of the members of New Edition were there: Bivins was an early producer and mentor of Motown hitmakers Boyz II Men, and Brown married Whitney Houston, creating a memorable (if rocky) first couple of R&B. But the guys all remained close, and in 1996, all the members (Brown, Tresvant, Bell, Bivins, DeVoe and Gill) reunited for a well-received new album, Home Again, boasting production from Jam & Lewis plus Sean "Puffy" Combs and So So Def Records impresario Jermaine Dupri. Brown was not present for another album, the uneven Puffy-shepherded One Love (2004), but time and touring has given the sextet strength, and all six members will produce the three-part The New Edition Story, airing on BET over several nights in January.
Below, you'll find extensive track lists for each reissue, featuring dozens of B-sides, soundtrack songs and unearthed vintage remixes--as well as links to stream or download them!
New Edition, New Edition: Expanded Edition (Geffen, 2017)
iTunes / Spotify / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
- Cool It Now
- Telephone Man
- I'm Leaving You Again
- Baby Love
- Delicious
- My Secret (Didja Gitit Yet?)
- Hide and Seek
- Lost in Love
- Kinda Girls We Like
- Maryann
- Cool It Now (Sing Along Version)
- Telephone Man (Remix)
- Gold Mine
- Cool It Now (Extended Mix)
- Kinda Girls We Like (Remix)
- Cool It Now (M&M Mix)
- Cool It Now (M&M Dub)
- Peer Pressure
Tracks 1-10 from MCA Records LP 5515, 1984
Track 11 from "Cool It Now" single - MCA Records 52455, 1984
Track 12 from "Mr. Telephone Man" 12" promo single - MCA Records L33-1259, 1984
Track 13 from "Lost in Love" single - MCA Records 52553, 1985
Track 14 from "Cool It Now" 12" single - MCA Records 23515, 1984
Track 15 from "Kinda Girls We Like" 12" single - MCA Records 23544, 1985
Tracks 16-17 from "Cool It Now" U.K. 12" single - MCA Records MCAT-963, 1984
Track 18 from Mr. T's Be Somebody - MCA Records 36014, 1984
New Edition, All for Love: Expanded Edition (Geffen, 2017)
iTunes / Spotify / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
- Count Me Out
- A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes)
- Sweet Thing
- With You All the Way
- Let's Be Friends
- Kickback
- Tonight's Your Night
- Whispers In Bed
- Who Do You Trust
- School
- All for Love
- Once in a Lifetime Groove (Extended Version)
- Count Me Out (Extended Version)
- Good Boys
- With You All the Way (Remixed)
- A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes) (Extended Mix)
- Count Me Out (Single Version)
- A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes) (A Cappella)
- Sneakin' Around
Tracks 1-11 from MCA Records LP 5679, 1985
Track 12 from "Once in a Lifetime Groove" 12" single - MCA Records 23692, 1985
Track 13 from "Count Me Out" 12" single - MCA Records 23595, 1985
Tracks 14 and 17 from "Count Me Out" single - MCA Records 52703, 1985
Track 15 from "With You All the Way" 12" single - MCA Records 23650, 1986
Tracks 16 and 18 from "A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes)" 12" single - MCA Records 23608, 1986
Track 19 from "A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes" single - MCA Records 52768, 1986
Bobby Brown, Don't Be Cruel: Expanded Edition (Geffen, 2017)
iTunes / Spotify / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Original album (MCA Records 42185, 1988)
- Cruel Prelude
- Don't Be Cruel
- My Prerogative
- Roni
- Rock Wit'cha
- Every Little Step
- I'll Be Good to You
- Take It Slow
- All Day All Night
- I Really Love You Girl
- Cruel Reprise
Disc 2: Bonus material
- On Our Own
- Don't Be Cruel (Remix)
- My Prerogative (Extended Remix)
- Roni (Pebbarone Remix)
- Rock Wit'cha (Quiet Storm Mix)
- Every Little Step (Uptown Mix)
- We're Back!
- Don't Be Cruel (Rapacious Mix)
- My Prerogative (Joe T. Vannelli Light Mix)
- Roni (Extended Version)
- Rock Wit'cha (Extended Version)
- Every Little Step (Extended Version)
- On Our Own (Extended Club Version)
- Don't Be Cruel (A Cappella)
- Roni (Cussapella)
- Every Little Step (with Rap)
- Every Little Hit Mega Mix (Club Version)
Tracks 1 and 7 from Ghostbusters II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - MCA Records 6306, 1989
Tracks 2 and 14 from "Don't Be Cruel" 12" single - MCA Records 23861, 1988
Track 3 from "My Prerogative" 12" single - MCA Records 23888, 1988
Tracks 4, 10 and 15 from "Roni" 12" single - MCA Records 23921, 1988
Track 5 from "Rock Wit'cha" 12" promo single - MCA Records L33-18055, 1989
Tracks 6 and 12 from "Every Little Step" 12" single - MCA Records 23933, 1989
Track 8 from "Don't Be Cruel" U.K. 12" single - MCA Records MCAT-1310, 1988
Track 9 from "My Prerogative" U.K. CD single - MCA Records MCSTD-2094, 1995
Track 11 from "Rock Wit'cha" 12" single - MCA Records 23951, 1989
Track 13 from "On Our Own" 12" single - MCA Records 23957, 1989
Track 16 from "Every Little Step" single - MCA Records 53618, 1989
Track 17 from 12" promo single - MCA Records L33-18116, 1989
New Edition, Heart Break: Expanded Edition (Geffen, 2017)
iTunes / Spotify / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Original album (MCA Records 42207, 1988)
- Intro
- That's the Way We're Livin'
- Where It All Started
- If It Isn't Love
- Skit 1
- E. Heart Break
- Crucial
- Skit 2
- You're Not My Kind of Girl
- Superlady
- Can You Stand the Rain
- Competition
- Skit 3
- I'm Comin' Home
- Boys to Men
Disc 2: Bonus material
- Helplessly In Love
- Supernatural
- If It Isn't Love (Club Mix)
- E. Heart Break (Extended Club Version)
- Crucial (Dance Remix)
- You're Not My Kind of Girl (Extended Version)
- Can You Stand the Rain (Extended Version)
- Boys to Men (Extended Vocal Version)
- If It Isn't Love (Re-Edit - Gilmix)
- E. Heart Break (Faux Live Radio Version)
- Crucial (A Cappella)
- You're Not My Kind of Girl (Percussapella)
- Can You Stand the Rain (Under the Lamppost/Quiet Storm Mix)
- Boys to Men (Low Key)
- If It Isn't Love (Low Key Mix)
Track 1 from Dragnet: Music from the Motion Picture - MCA Records 6210, 1988
Track 2 from Ghostbusters II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - MCA Records 6306, 1989
Tracks 3 and 15 from "If It Isn't Love" 12" single - MCA Records 23830, 1988
Tracks 4 and 10 from "N.E. Heart Break" 12" single - MCA Records 23891, 1989
Tracks 5 and 11 from "Crucial" 12" single - MCA Records 23934, 1989
Track 6 from "You're Not My Kind of Girl" 12" single - MCA Records 23903, 1988
Tracks 7, 9 and 13 from "Can You Stand the Rain" 12" single - MCA Records 23919, 1988
Tracks 8 and 14 from "Boys to Men" 12" promo single - MCA Records L33-1620, 1991
Track 12 from "You're Not My Kind of Girl" 12" promo single - MCA Records L33-17655, 1988
Bell Biv DeVoe, Poison: Expanded Edition (Geffen, 2017)
iTunes / Spotify / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Original album (MCA Records MCAD-6387, 1990)
- Dope!
- B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)?
- Let Me Know Something?!
- Do Me!
- Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph and Johnny (Word to the Mutha)!
- Poison
- Ain't Nut'in' Changed!
- When Will I See You Smile Again?
- I Do Need You
- Poison (Extended Club Version)
Disc 2: Bonus material
- She's Dope! (EPOD Mix)
- B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)? (Extended)
- Let Me Know Something?! (House Party II Mental Theme with Rap)
- Do Me! (Mentality Hip Hop)
- Word to the Mutha! (Club Mentality)
- Poison (Smoothed Mix)
- When Will I See You Smile Again? (Remixed Club Version)
- B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)? (Suite)
- Do Me! (East Coast Mental Mix)
- Word to the Mutha! (Radio Mentality with Rap)
- Poison (Hip Hop Mix) *
- When Will I See You Smile Again? (Video Version) *
- Do Me! (Smoothed Out Version)
- Word to the Mutha! (Radio Mentality Without Rap)
- Poison (S & P Jervier Full Rub Mix)
- When Will I See You Smile Again? (Low Key Extended) *
- Word to the Mutha! (Suite)
- When Will I See You Smile Again? (Low Key Version)
- When Will I See You Smile Again? (Low Key A Cappella) *
- Word to the Mutha! (A Cappella)
- When Will I See You Smile Again? (A Cappella)
Track 1 from "She's Dope!" 12" single - MCA Records 54056, 1990
Tracks 2 and 8 from "B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)?" 12" single - MCA Records 53899, 1990
Track 3 from House Party II Rap Sampler promo - MCA Records CD33-2043, 1991
Tracks 4, 9 and 13 from "Do Me!" 12" single - MCA Records 24037, 1990
Tracks 5, 10, 14, 17 and 20 from "Word to the Mutha!" 12" promo single - MCA Records L33-1610, 1991
Track 6 from "Poison" 12" single - MCA Records 24003, 1990
Track 7 from "When Will I See You Smile Again?" 12" single - MCA Records 53999, 1990
Track 15 from "Poison" U.K. 12" single - MCA Records MCAX-1414, 1990
Tracks 18 and 21 from "When Will I See You Smile Again?" 12" promo single - MCA Records L33-1288, 1991
Johnny Gill, Johnny Gill: Expanded Edition (Motown, 2017)
iTunes / Spotify / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Original album (Motown MOTD-6283, 1990)
- Rub You the Right Way
- Fairweather Friend
- Wrap My Body Tight
- Feels So Much Better
- Never Know Love
- My, My, My
- Lady Dujour
- Just Another Lonely Night
- Giving My All to You
- Let's Spend the Night
- My, My, My (Reprise)
Disc 2: Bonus material
- Rub You the Right Way (J.G. Classic)
- Fairweather Friend (Radio Mix)
- Wrap My Body Tight (12" Remake)
- Rub You the Right Way (Extended Hype!)
- Fairweather Friend (12" Remix)
- Wrap My Body Tight (12" Remix)
- Fairweather Friend (Hard Core Mix)
- Wrap My Body Tight (House Mix)
- Rub You the Right Way (Classicapella)
- My, My, My (Live/Record Breaking Mix)
Tracks 1, 4 and 9 from "Rub You the Right Way" 12" single - Motown MOT-4717, 1990
Tracks 2 and 7 from "Fairweather Friend" 12" promo single - Motown L33-1015, 1990
Tracks 3, 6 and 8 from "Wrap My Body Tight" 12" single - Motown MOT-4756, 1991
Track 5 from "Fairweather Friend" 12" single - Motown MOT-4727, 1990
Track 10 from "My, My, My" 12" promo single - Motown L33-1241, 1990
Ralph Tresvant, Ralph Tresvant: Expanded Edition (Geffen, 2017)
iTunes / Spotify / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Original album (MCA Records MCAD-10116, 1990)
- Rated R
- Sensitivity
- She's My Love Thang
- Stone Cold Gentleman
- Do What I Gotta Do (Rizz's Interlude)
- Do What I Gotta Do
- Love Hurts
- Girl I Can't Control It
- Love Takes Time
- Public Figure (Ordinary Guy)
- Last Night
- I Love You (Just for You)
- Alright Now
- Sensitivity (Ralph's Rap)
Disc 2: Bonus material
- Rated R (Ralph's Vocal Version)
- Sensitivity (Extended Version)
- Stone Cold Gentleman (Radio Version)
- Do What I Gotta Do (Radio Edit)
- Sensitivity (Low Key Version)
- Do What I Gotta Do (Ralph's Rap II)
- Rated R (Rizzo's Club Version)
- Do What I Gotta Do (BW's Vibe)
- Sensitivity (Extended Club Version)
- Do What I Gotta Do (Sensitive & Stone Cold)
- Stone Cold Gentleman (Extended Club Mix)
- Yo, Baby, Yo! (with Rap)
Tracks 1 and 7 from "Rated R" CD single - MCA Records 54148, 1991
Track 2 from "Sensitivity" 12" single - MCA Records 53933, 1990
Tracks 3 and 11 from "Stone Cold Gentleman" 12" single - MCA Records 54045, 1990
Track 4 from "Do What I Gotta Do" promo CD single - MCA Records CD45-1295, 1990
Tracks 5 and 9 from "Sensitivity" CD single - MCA Records 53933, 1990
Tracks 6 and 8 from "Do What I Gotta Do" 12" single - MCA Records 54037, 1991
Track 10 from "Do What I Gotta Do - Remixes" promo CD single - MCA Records CD45-1444, 1991
Track 12 from "Yo, Baby, Yo!" promo CD single - MCA Records CD45-1561, 1991
New Edition, Home Again: Expanded Edition (Geffen, 2017)
iTunes / Spotify / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Original album (MCA Records 114080, 1996)
- Oh Yeah, It Feels So Good
- Hit Me Off
- You Don't Have to Worry
- Tighten It Up
- Shop Around
- Hear Me Out
- Something About You
- Try Again
- How Do You Like Your Love Served
- One More Day
- I'm Still in Love with You
- Thank You (The J.G. Interlude)
- Home Again
Disc 2: Bonus material
- NE Medley
- Hit Me Off (N.E. Spyder & Shaq D)
- You Don't Have to Worry (Vocal Version feat. Missy Elliott)
- Something About You (Darkchild Extended Remixed Version)
- I'm Still in Love with You (Brooklyn Ballers Full Version)
- Hit Me Off (The Trackmasters E.C. Joint)
- You Don't Have to Worry (Vocal Version feat. Fat Joe)
- Something About You (Phunk Phorce Mix)
- I'm Still in Love with You (Concrete Jungle Full Version)
- Hit Me Off ("G" Formulated Mix)
- You Don't Have to Worry (Single Edit without Rap)
- Something About You (Structure Rize Mix)
- Hit Me Off (Franktified Club Version)
- You Don't Have to Worry (A Cappella feat. Fat Joe)
- You Don't Have to Worry (A Cappella feat. Missy Elliott)
- I'm Still in Love with You (Concrete Jungle Drumapella)
- Hit Me Off (Joey Musaphia's London Booty Mix)
- Siempre Tu
- Siempre Tu (Unplugged Version)
- I'm Still in Love with You (Unplugged Full Version)
Track 1 from Japanese pressings of Home Again - MCA Records MVCM-610, 1996
Tracks 2, 6, 10 and 13 from "Hit Me Off" CD single - MCA Records 55224, 1996
Tracks 3, 7, 14 and 15 from "I'm Still in Love with You" CD single - MCA Records 55278, 1996
Track 4 from "Something About You" 12" promo - MCA Records 8P-3913, 1996
Tracks 5, 9, 16 and 20 from "I'm Still in Love with You" promo CD single - MCA Records 5P-3885, 1996
Tracks 8 and 12 from "Something About You" U.K. CD single - MCA Records 48032, 1996
Track 11 from "You Don't Have to Worry" promo CD single - MCA Records 5P-3868, 1996
Track 17 from "Hit Me Off" U.K. 12" promo single - MCA Records WMCST-48014, 1996
Tracks 18-19 from "I'm Still in Love with You" CD single - MCA Records 55316, 1997
Billy Dojcak says
Wow. This is how a retrospective should be done. I'm sure there will be the usual glitches from Universal, but the majority of the tracks will have the correct names and times.
Looking forward to the Bobby Brown and Bell Biv Devoe discs. Over time I'll probably pick up the rest.
boogie tonight says
Digital Reissues not CDS
Robert says
Glad N.E. is getting some attention, but no physical product, no sale. I just don't ever seem to get around to buying them.
Merv says
Nooooo! An only digital release? Their catalog deserves a physical release.
Joseph A Johnson says
You just made my year! I cannot wait to listen to all of these! Thanks for sharing this amazing news!
John C says
Since this website is, by its own account, about "discs," please don't bother reporting about worthless digital releases. If I wanted digital, I can go to YouTube for a listen.
Mark B. Hanson says
A quick look at iTunes shows that these reissues do not include any sort of booklet or track information. That's a deal-killer for me. I want to know about the recordings I am listening to.
Physical media is my strong preference, but I will buy digital media if it is available in lossless format (so I can burn a decent sounding CD with it) and has accompanying booklet info. For "deluxe reissues" I expect this info to include an essay describing the album, group and recording process, and recording / release details on the tracks. Something to read while I listen...
Andrew says
Are these available anywhere in lossless? Cheers