Payne Brooke is the first nephew of choreographer/manager Devoe Ronnie. Devoe Ronnie was added to the group after they got a deal with Maurice Starr. The group was originally made up of Ralph Tresvant, Bivins Michael, Bell Ricky, and Bobby Brown, who started the group. The miniseries The follows the humble beginnings of the group in the Orchard Park section of Boston. I was captivated with each part of the miniseries, as it got better and better every night. The miniseries, called The Story Edition New, aired over 3 nights. Last month, BET aired a 3-part miniseries about the super R&B group called Edition New Late.
The movie, “The Edition New,” was really great for people from my generation who didn’t grow up during that time period and only knew a little bit about the group’s first record deal with Maurice Starr and how it fell through, also how the group got another record deal through MCA with Gary Evans, who ended up firing them badly.
In 1988, their most successful album Heart Break was launched, and they recorded it subsequent to Ralph’s decision to remain with the band, despite experiencing difficulties with one another following Bobby’s departure. They included vocalist Johnny Gill in the lineup due to Ralph’s desire to pursue a solo career, but ultimately they opted to retain him as part of the group. Bobby Brown was dismissed due to numerous personal problems that not only impacted his offstage behavior but also led to considerable turmoil within the group.
The movie is amazing because of the attention to detail in the reenactments of the videos. I would say that the videos are so similar to the actual ones that it’s uncanny. He put the actors through a boot camp to ensure that they matched the original routines and got all the choreography down. The movie was very well put together because all six members of the group were involved in the project, along with choreographer Brooke Payne.
In the biopic “Straight Outta Compton,” newcomer McClain Woody was cast as Bobby Brown, while Ronnie Devoe played Keith Powers, the actor who also starred in the TV show “Empire.” The rest of the cast included Bryshere Gray as Michael Bivins, Algee Smith as Ralph Tresvant, Elijah Kelley as Ricky Bell, and Luke James as Johnny Gill. These actors not only played the roles of singers, but they were also able to pull off the vocals of the GRAMMY-nominated members of the real life group, which helped bring authenticity to their performances.
During the Break Heart era, three of my favorite moments took place. My favorite song from the group is “Rain” and my favorite scene is the recording session for “Stand You Can”. Ralph was upset because no one told him that Johnny had joined the group. The session went well after Johnny came. Another one of my favorite scenes is when they performed the single “Girl of Kind My Not You’re” on the Break Heart Tour. I had never heard this song before the movie, and now it’s one of my favorites. There are similarities between the actual music video and the cast’s performance that are unmatched. The choreography is spot on, making you feel like you’re watching the real thing. Even the outfits and choreography are so much like the original video. One of my top three favorite moments from the series is the reenactment of the group’s performance of “Love It Isn’t If” in the music video. I assume they had a lot of pressure to get this choreography down because it’s one of the group’s most memorable songs.
The issue is that the movie didn’t focus enough on the reunion of the group’s successful album “Home Again,” which had a single hit, “Off My Mind.” This album had other successful singles apart from Brown’s great songs, such as “Cruel: Don’t Be So Cruel” and “These Songs Are Both Great.” Although the movie only focused on two songs from Brown’s massively successful solo album, it should have focused more on the solo ventures of all the group members, as they had the most success when they were all honest about their solo careers. Another issue is that the movie only focused on the group’s biggest hit, “Poison,” and didn’t give enough attention to their other hits, such as the ballad “When I See You Smile” and more. I wish the movie had spent more time focusing on Ronnie, Mike, Ricky, and the success they had when they branched out to form Bel Biv Devoe. Because of these reasons, this movie wasn’t perfect.
Instead of three, the miniseries probably could have aired for four or five nights if they had included everything that I requested. It was an outstanding miniseries overall and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It helped me gain a deeper understanding of the music industry and the importance of thoroughly reviewing your contract before signing it. Ultimately, despite all the challenges faced by the group, they managed to preserve their unity and friendship that initially brought them together, as depicted in the movie. Fans would not have experienced the exceptional albums like Heart Break and Don’t Be Cruel if it were not for the difficulties they encountered. Regrettably, the only New Edition album we currently have in our catalog is Home Again; however, we do have a few of their greatest hits albums which encompass all of their other popular songs.
Which New Edition song is your favorite? Feel free to let us know in the comments below!
~Kayla.
Kayla works as a Hill Squirrel Clerk, so you might see her face when you come up to the customer services desk! When she’s not at the library enjoying reading, she likes listening to music and watching TV. You might also find her at your local Starbucks because she loves Frappuccinos.