All for Love is the third studio album by American R&B quintet New Edition, released by MCA Records on November 8, 1985. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Also, this would be the final studio album to feature original group member Bobby Brown, who would shortly depart for a solo career until he would later return for their 1996 comeback album with the group, Home Again.
| All for Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 8, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | April–September 1985 | |||
| Studio | Studio Sound Recorders (North Hollywood, California) | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul, pop, funk[1] | |||
| Length | 45:15 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Ricky Bell, Jheryl Busby (exec.), Michael Bivins, Vincent Brantley, Bill Dern (exec.), Ronnie DeVoe, Richard Rudolph, Michael Sembello, Rick Timas, George Tobin, Ralph Tresvant | |||
| New Edition chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from New Edition | ||||
| ||||
In the UK, the album was released on April 1, 1986.[2]
Overview
editHistory
editBy Spring 1985, New Edition was one of the biggest pop acts in the world after the success of their self-titled second album released the year before. However, the group was now in mortgage to MCA Records, as a result of having borrowed money from the label to disentangle themselves from a stifling production deal they mistakenly signed during the recording of their previous album.[3] As a result, All for Love would become the first in a cluster of albums the group would be forced to record during this period to work off its debt.
Background and Brown's Departure
editWhile most of the members were comfortable with the group's direction, Bobby Brown was becoming increasingly discontent and unappreciative with its bubblegum pop image.[3] Brown was also agitated at having not been more prominently featured as a lead vocalist on the album.[3] Vincent Brantley, the album's main producer, had originally sought to give Brown more solo spots. However, MCA balked at this idea — insisting that Ralph Tresvant continue to be used on principal vocals. During a national tour in Oakland, California to promote the album, Brown often cut in on Tresvant's leads, performing more raunchily onstage, compared to his band mates. Also, Brown angered the group's management by disrespectfully throwing his mike in the air and being ungrateful when not getting his way onstage. Growing tension between Brown and his band mates eventually reached a standoff, which contributed to his being terminated from the group in December 1985.[3] Following Brown's departure, New Edition would continue to promote All for Love as a quartet.[3]
Release and reaction
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Count Me Out" | Vincent Brantley, Rick Timas | Brantley, Timas | 5:37 |
| 2. | "A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes)" | Christine Perren, Richard Wyatt, Jr. | Richard Rudolph, Michael Sembello | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Sweet Thing" | Rudolph, Sembello, Randy Waldman | Rudolph, Sembello | 4:13 |
| 4. | "With You All the Way" | Carl Wurtz | George Tobin | 3:30 |
| 5. | "Let's Be Friends" | David Conley, Bernard Jackson, David Townsend | Brantley, Timas | 4:19 |
| 6. | "Kickback" | Brantley, Timas | Brantley, Timas | 3:25 |
| 7. | "Tonight's Your Night" | John Duarte, Mark Paul | Tobin | 3:34 |
| 8. | "Whispers in Bed" | Duarte, Paul | Tobin | 3:40 |
| 9. | "Who Do You Trust?" | David Batteau, Danny Sembello | Rudolph, Sembello | 4:10 |
| 10. | "School" | Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Ralph Tresvant | Bell, Bivins, DeVoe, Tresvant | 4:52 |
| 11. | "All for Love" | Duarte, Paul | Tobin | 3:50 |
Non Album B-sides
edit- "Good Boys" (Ralph Tresvant, Ricky Bell) (3:50)
- "Sneakin' Around" (Ralph Tresvant, D. Eastman, B. Hart) (3:20)
Personnel
edit- Ricky Bell – vocals, arranger, producer
- Michael Bivins – vocals, arranger, producer
- Bobby Brown – vocals
- Ronnie DeVoe – vocals, arranger, producer
- Ralph Tresvant – vocals, arranger, producer
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Chart positions[10] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop |
US Soul | |||
| 1985 | "Count Me Out" | 51 | 2 | |
| 1986 | "A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes)" | 38 | 3 | |
| "With You All the Way" | 51 | 7 | ||
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[11] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
External links
edit- New Edition – All For Love at Discogs (list of releases)
References
edit- ^ "All for Love - New Edition | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1986/Music-Week-1986-03-29.pdf (Page 31)
- ^ a b c d e Adams, Dart (20 June 2013). "Where It All Started: 25th Anniversary Retrospective Of Bobby Brown's "Don't Be Cruel" & New Edition's "Heart Break"". theurbandaily.com. The Urban Daily. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ^ Wynn, Ron. New Edition: All For Love > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
- ^ "Charts.nz – New Edition – All for Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ "New Edition Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ "New Edition Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ "New Edition US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
- ^ "American album certifications – New Edition – All for Love". Recording Industry Association of America.