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Under the Blue Moon is the fourth studio album by American R&B boy band New Edition by MCA on November 24, 1986. Their fourth album and third with MCA and first album after New Edition member Bobby Brown was voted out of the group, the group was going through a transitional phase during this period. It is their only album as a quartet. The album reached number 43 on the Billboard 200, and number 18 on the R&B albums chart. It was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
| Under the Blue Moon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 24, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Genre | R&B, doo-wop | |||
| Length | 33:31 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Bill Dern (exec.), Freddie Perren, Ric Wyatt, Jr. | |||
| New Edition chronology | ||||
| ||||
Overview
editHistory
editNew Edition recorded their cover version of "Earth Angel" for the soundtrack to the 1986 film The Karate Kid Part II. At the time of its recording, the cover was intended to be a one-off endeavor, but the popularity of the film and its soundtrack helped make the song a minor chart hit. This spawned the idea for the group to record an entire album of covers of popular doo-wop songs.[1]
Release and reaction
editThe album went gold primarily because of the airplay received by "Earth Angel" and marked the end of the group's management and production obligation to Jump & Shoot Productions, leaving them free to sign a subsequent new deal directly with MCA Records.[1]
In the UK, the album was released under the title "Earth Angel"[2] on February 16, 1987.[3]
Track listing
editAll tracks produced by Freddie Perren; except "Bring Back the Memories" produced by Ric Wyatt, Jr.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Earth Angel" | Curtis Williams, Dootsie Williams | 3:59 |
| 2. | "A Million to One" | Phil Medley | 2:34 |
| 3. | "Duke of Earl" | Eugene Dixon, Earl Edwards, Bernice Williams | 3:02 |
| 4. | "(Hey There) Lonely Girl" | Leon Carr, Earl Shuman | 3:39 |
| 5. | "A Thousand Miles Away" | William Miller, James Sheppard | 2:56 |
| 6. | "What's Your Name?" | Claude Johnson | 4:36 |
| 7. | "Tears on My Pillow" | Sylvester Bradford, Al Lewis | 3:56 |
| 8. | "Blue Moon" | Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers | 2:23 |
| 9. | "Since I Don't Have You" | Jimmy Beaumont, Joe Rock | 2:47 |
| 10. | "Bring Back the Memories" | Freddie Perren, Richard Wyatt, Jr. | 3:39 |
Personnel
edit- New Edition
- Ricky Bell - vocals
- Michael Bivins - vocals
- Ronnie DeVoe - vocals
- Ralph Tresvant - vocals
Charts
edit| Chart (1986–87) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums (RIANZ)[4] | 13 |
| US Billboard 200[5] | 43 |
| US Billboard Top R&B Albums[6] | 11 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b 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 2014-12-29.
- ^ "New Edition - Earth Angel". Discogs.
- ^ World Radio History [dead link]
- ^ "charts.org.nz - New Edition - Under The Blue Moon". charts.nz. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- ^ "Top R&B Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- ^ "American album certifications – New Edition – Under the Blue Moon". Recording Industry Association of America.