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Wednesday, April 6, 2022

"Can You Stand the Rain" by New Edition

Song#:  3799
Date:  02/11/1989
Debut:  82
Peak:  44
Weeks:  13
Genre: R&B


Pop Bits:  The band's fifth album, Heart Break, would get off to a great start when the single "If It Isn't Love" became their second Pop Top 10 reaching #7 (#2 R&B/#20 Dance). Unfortunately, the LP's second single "You're Not My Kind of Girl" stumbled at Pop and only got to #95 despite getting to #3 R&B. They would rebound a bit with this third single, which became their fifth #1 at R&B. That action helped the song move up the Pop chart, but it would stop just shy of the Top 40. By this point in time, the album had already reached platinum status (#3 R&B/#12 Pop). Two more singles would be released from the LP. Although they would not reach the Pop chart, they would do well at R&B with "Crucial" getting to #4 (#24 Dance) and "N.E. Heart Break" hitting #13.

ReduxReview:  This Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis quiet storm slow jam was a good fit for New Edition at the time. It gave them something a little more mature to chew on and helped to separate them from their earlier bubblegum pop/R&B sound. What is so odd is that about halfway through listening to the song, it actually started to rain where I'm at! How appropriate. I would never be a big fan of New Edition, but this was one song that I enjoyed. It should have done better at Pop, but I think because the second single tanked so bad (#95 Pop), they lost momentum and this song didn't get its due. At least it got to #1 at R&B.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  After everything with Heart Break was wrapped up, the band decided to take a break and work on other projects that had an ear towards new jack swing. Ralph Tresvant would record a 1990 solo album. it would be a #1 R&B/#17 Pop platinum seller thanks in part to the #1 R&B/#4 Pop hit "Sensitivity." He would follow that up with two more R&B Top 10s. Also in 1990, Johnny Gill would release a self-titled solo LP. It would pretty much replicate Tresvant's results getting to #1 R&B/#17 Pop. It featured a pair of Pop Top 10s both of which hit #1 R&B, "Rub You the Right Way" and "My, My, My." However, the most successful of the New Edition side projects during their hiatus was when Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens, and Ronnie DeVoe for the trio Bell Biv DeVoe. Their 1990 album Poison would reach #1 R&B and #5 Pop. It would end up being a quad-platinum album thanks to five R&B Top10s including two #1s. Two of those hits, "Poison" and "Do Me!," would each get to #3 Pop with "Poison" becoming a platinum single. All three acts would release less successful follow ups with the ones by Gill and Bell Biv DeVoe going gold. By 1996, New Edition, including former member Bobby Brown, would reconvene for the album Home Again. It would be highly successful reaching #1 R&B/#1 Pop and going double-platinum. It featured two gold selling singles including the #1 R&B/#3 Pop "Hit Me Off." Once again, after the album the group would go back on hiatus. All but Brown would then reunite for the 2004 album One Love (#4 R&B/#12 Pop, gold). Brown would then rejoin the group in 2006. While they haven't recorded an album to-date since that time, they continued to tour and perform over the years.

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