5 Reasons New Edition Should Be in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
You want a debate-sparking statement? Here it is: New Edition is worthy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And it took a New York stop during the immutable R&B group’s current concert tour this past Saturday (April 21st) to drive home that point. Yes, the over 5600 faithful fans who packed the Theater at Madison Square Garden have no doubt seen crisper and more energetic gigs from the veteran Boston act of Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant, and Johnny Gill. During New Edition’s 80’s prime they could effortlessly headline sold-out arena shows drawing more than 20,000 screaming fans on a nightly basis. And New Edition hasn’t enjoyed an across-the-board hit album since 1996’s critically acclaimed comeback set Home Again.
Yet on this evening, there was an enthusiastic, heartfelt crowd seemingly cheering and hanging on every note, choreographed step, laugh and knowing wink of six middle-aged men that refused to cheat their fans. The proverbial “left-it-all-out-on-the-floor” cliché certainly applied during New Edition’s spirited two-hour performance. “How many of y’all been rocking with New Edition for 29 years?!!!” exclaims DeVoe. The response from fans was deafening. Perhaps the crowd understood the immense musical and cultural impact of a vocal group that has influenced three generations of performers in the realms of soul, pop, and hip-hop. It was all there on display during the roll-out to New Edition’s 30th anniversary next year.
Axl Rose may have denied the chance for the public to witness the much anticipated reunion of the original lineup of ballsy rock rebels Guns N’ Roses—who led the 2012 April class that included the Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And we can rant on and on about how Rush, Donna Summers, Chic, Duran Duran, Janet Jackson, and LL Cool J are among the notable snubs that scream induction. But with nearly 30 years in the business, New Edition is more than a legacy of double platinum albums, solo acclaim and a legion of imitators and followers. N.E.’s time-traveling gig offered all the proof needed that this criminally underrated act deserves a seat next to the likes of the Jackson 5, Temptations, and the O’Jays. And here’s why.—Keith Murphy
5. New Edition Is The Most Important Singing Act Of The Rap Era
There has to be one vocal group representing the hip-hop age in the Rock Hall, so why not New Edition? During their Garden show it became overwhelmingly apparent just how much rap shaped the group’s sound, attitude and look. As they earnestly rhymed the pubescent lines to their debut 1983 single “Candy Girl,” it was a sobering reminder that during those days hip-hop still was still viewed as a fad. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5’s landmark statement “The Message” had not even been on the shelf for more than a year. Most of New Edition’s up-tempo material included some reference to rap. And let’s be real. Were that any other R&B acts more hip-hop than Bobby Brown and the trio of Bell Biv DeVoe during their Gumby-rocking, starter jacket, fitted cap wearing, pants sagging runs? Nope.
4. Longevity Counts
Sure there were middle-age women shamelessly waving signs that read “Team Tresvant” and wearing Candy Girl-stitched T-shirts. But there was also a large influx of 30 and 20-somethings as well as a few kids not even old enough to go to an R-rated flick by themselves. New Edition’s legacy runs deep. A near 30-year career is not easy to come by these days. Whether by retirement, untimely death or mutually agreed break-ups, rarely do we see a successful music act boast their full lineup. For a unit that has had a top 10 Billboard pop and R&B chart presence during three different decades, that alone is praise-worthy.
3. Bobby Brown Is A True Rock Star
“They call me a lot of shit…but I only go by the name of bad ass Bobby Brown!” And with that, the most controversial member of New Edition displayed as much I-could-care-fucking-less swagger as Hall of Famer Mick Jagger. Brown got the biggest response of the night when he performed his post N.E. hits “My Prerogative” and “Roni.” He shook off a mountain of charisma—suggestively sticking out his tongue, cocking his black Fedora hat and dropping such laugh-inducing lines as, “I keep thinking about the time the group kicked me out the group.” And there were also moments of humility as the turbulent Brown thanked fans for their prayers following the untimely death of ex-wife and best-selling pop diva Whitney Houston. “I’m celebrating seven years being off narcotics,” he proclaimed. Who knows if the redemption of Bobby Brown will last? We all just want to see a happy ending, even for the resident bad boy.
2. They Proved There’s Life After Boy Bands
Outside of the Beatles (no, really), there hasn’t been another music group that has enjoyed the soaring levels of solo stardom than the alumni of New Edition. It started with the abrupt departure of Brown in early 1986. Following the pedestrian reception of his debut lone wolf project King of Stage, Bobby was catapulted to world-beating status as his landmark follow up Don’t Be Cruel moved over seven million copies, an astounding crossover for a hardcore R&B performer who symbolized the New Jack Swing era. Johnny Gill, the gruff, church-tailored prodigy picked to replace Brown, went double platinum on his self-titled 1990 set and found similar chart acclaim as a member of the super group LSG in 1997. N.E. lead vocalist Ralph Tresvant produced his own self-titled platinum 1990 triumph. And BBD perhaps pulled off the most unlikely coup in music folklore (remember, Bell, Bivins and DeVoe were often regulated to third-billing status in New Edition), pushing more than four million albums of their game-changing 1990 debutPoison. Meanwhile, N’Sync (see entry no. 1) is still waiting for anyone other than Justin Timberlake to go wood. We see you Lance Bass.
1. New Edition Is The Last Vocal Group That Really Matters
During New Edition’s run there have been commercially bigger acts—the likes of Boys II Men and TLC have globally sold more records than the Bean Town representatives. And there have certainly been more soulful and complete vocalists, like say En Vogue andJodeci, that could sing New Edition under the table sans Gill. However, none of those acts can match New Edition’s far-reaching presence over the pop-R&B landscape. Historically, they have given a nod to 50’s doo-wop (their 1986 cover of the Penguins’“Earth Angel”); late 60’s bubble gum soul (the Jackson 5 inspired “Popcorn Love”); and 70’s quiet storm (the brilliant “Can Your Stand The Rain”). Simply put, without New Edition there would be no New Kids On The Block, N’Sync or Backstreet Boys (okay, so maybe we shouldn’t thank them). They are the quintessential ‘80s vocal group; the direct bridge to B2K and current boy band newbies One Direction and The Wanted. New Edition made the road easier for Usher, Britney Spears, Timberlake, and Chris Brown to evolve…to be taken seriously beyond their teenybopper fanzine bubbles. That’s the legacy of Ronnie, Bobby, Ralph, Ricky, Mike and Johnny. Not bad.
New Edition 30th Anniversary Tour Dates
04/26/12 --Toronto, Canada -Rama Ent Cnt
04/27/12 --Toledo, OH -Huntington Arena
04/28/12 --Richmond, VA -Coliseum
04/29/12 --Rochester, NY -Blue Cross Arena
05/03/12 --Charleston, SC-N Charleston Coliseum
05/04/12 --Tampa, FL -St. Pete Times Center
05/05/12 --Miami, FL -Bank United Center
05/06/12 --Columbia, SC -Colonial Center
05/10/12 --Birmingham, AL -Oak Mt.
05/11/12 --Jacksonville, FL -Metropolitan Park
05/12/12 --Atlantic City, NJ -Boardwalk Hall
05/13/12 --Raleigh, NC -RBC Center
05/17/12 --Hampton, VA -Hampton Coliseum
05/18/12 --Atlanta, GA -Wolf Creek Park
05/19/12 --Charlotte, NC -Bojangles' Coliseum
05/20/12 --Baltimore, MD -1st Mariner Arena
05/24/12 --Pittsburgh, PA -Peterson Events Center
05/25/12 --Columbus, OH -Municipal Auditorium
05/26/12 --Washington DC -Constitution Hall
05/27/12 --Atlantic City, NJ -Boardwalk Theater
05/31/12 --Indianapolis, IN -Bankers Life Fieldhouse
06/01/12 --Kansas City, MO -Sprint Center
06/02/12 --Norman, OK -Zoo Amphi Theater
06/13/12 --San Antonio, TX -AT&T Center
06/05/12 --Omaha, NE -Orpheum Theater
06/08/12 --Milwaukee, WI -US Arena
06/09/12 --Cleveland, OH -Wolstein
06/10/12 --Chicago, IL -UIC Pavillion
06/14/12 --San Diego, CA -Civic Center
06/15/12 --Fresno, CA -Save Mart Center
06/16/12 --Las Vegas, NV -Planet Hollywood
06/17/12 --Honolulu, HI -Blaisdell Arena
06/21/12 --Vancouver, BC -River Rock Theatre
06/22/12 --Seattle, WA -ShoWare Center
06/23/12 --Oakland, CA --Oracle Arena
06/24/12 --Los Angeles, CA -Nokia Theatre
06/29/12 --Dallas, TX -Verizon Theater
06/30/12 --Jackson, MS -Coliseum
07/01/12 --Little Rock, AR -Verizon Center
08/02/12 --Rockford, IL -BMO Harris Bank Center
08/03/12 --Detroit, MI - Chene Park Amphitheater
08/04/12 --Steve Harvey's Hoodie Award
08/05/12 --Philadelphia, PA - Dell Music Center
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