New Edition

Released: March 15, 1983

Songwriter: Maurice Starr Arthur Baker MC G.L.O.B.E.

Producer: Maurice Starr Arthur Baker

[Intro]
Shake shake shake it
Shake shake shake it

Shake it
And don't break it
It took your mother nine months to make it
Shake it
And don't break it
Ha, ha, ha
Shake it
And don't break it
It took your mother nine months to make it
Shake it
And don't break it
Ha, ha, ha

[Verse 1]
Our whole school's talking, the word has been spread
It's a party affair, everyone will be there
We tell you what the word say is that
All the candy girls of the world will be so sweet now...

[Chorus]
Pass the beat! (Pass the beat)
Pass the beat! (Pass the beat)
Pass the beat! (Pass the beat)
Pass the beat! (Pass the beat)
Pass the beat!

[Verse 2]
Now Mike told Bobby
And Bobby told Ricky
Well, Ricky told Ronnie
And Ronnie told Ralph
That we're candy boys with soul
About to rock the party, let's go
Let's move along, be strong
Just dance, take the chance
Got the feelin', I really get the feelin'
Keep givin'

[Refrain]
Rock the party, let's go
Rock the party, let's go
Rock the party, let's go
Rock the party, let's go
Rock the party, let's go
Let's get on with the show

[Chorus]
Pass the beat
Pass the beat
Pass the beat
Pass the beat
Shake shake shake it!

[Refrain]
Shake it!
Don't break it
It took your mother nine months to make it
Shake it
Don't break it
Ha, ha, ha, ha
Shake it!
Don't break it
It took your mother nine months to make it
Shake it
Don't break it
Ha, ha, ha, ha

[Verse 3]
Now we're the poppin' kings
So we must do our thing
Make the ladies talk and scream
Being lean, clean, and mean
Put your pride aside
And let's go with the flow
Let your feelings show
Let's just rock this party
Shock this party
Take this party
Let's make it to the party

Now I heard a word
That the party will be jumpin'
And the bass will be thumpin'
Lookin' forward to somethin' heavy
Maybe we can leave the scene
With the girls of our dreams
And we can all talk together
Forever and ever, and ever
We said that we would get enough
But we can't because our soul's been touched
So let's do what we came here to
And prove that all this talk is true

[Refrain]
Shake it!
Don't break it
It took your mother nine months to make it
Oh, shake it!
And don't break it
Ha, ha, ha, ha
Pass the beat!
Pass it, pass it, pass it, pass it
Pass the beat!

[Outro]
Ronnie's got the beat, yeah (Pass the beat)
Michael's got the beat, too (Pass the beat)
Ricky's got the funky beat (Pass the beat)
Bobby got it
Pass the beat! (Pass the beat)
Ralph's got the funky beat
Pass the beat! (Pass the beat)
Arthur Baker got the funky beat
Pass the beat!
Maurice Starr...
(Pass the beat!)
...got the funky beat
(Pass the beat!)
(The G.L.O.B.E.)
Globe got the funky beat
New Edition
Michael Jonzun got the funky beat
So pass the beat
Pass the beat (Pass the beat)
Come on, just pass the beat
Say pass the beat, Ronnie (Pass the beat)
Pass the beat, Ricky
Say pass the beat, Michael (Pass the beat)
Say pass the beat, Bobby
Say pass the beat, Ralph (Pass the beat)

One, two, three, hit it...
Pass the beat (Pass the beat)
All y'all in the front row, y'all can say it
Come on now, right now, pass the beat (Pass the beat)
Me and Slick's side's the best
And they can say it louder than that
Pass the beat! (Pass the beat)

New Edition is a Boston-based R&B group that was seen as the inspiration of the boy bands that followed them during the 1980s and 1990s. The group initially consisted of Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe. They released their debut album Candy Girl in 1983 after being discovered by producer Maurice Starr. This album yielded the hits “Candy Girl,” “Popcorn Love,” and “Is This the End.” After a financial dispute, New Edition cut ties with Starr and released their second album New Edition in 1984, which features two of their biggest “Cool It Now” and “Mr. Telephone Man.” In November 1985, they released All for Love featuring the hits “Count Me Out” and “A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes)” and one month later released Christmas All Over the World.

Before the end of 1985, the group decided to vote Bobby Brown out of the group for his disruptive behavior. After their 1986 doo-wop cover album Under the Blue Moon, lead singer Ralph Tresvant was considering a solo career as the group’s direction was in question. In 1987, Johnny Gill was added to the group and the quintet went on to create their most popular album Heart Break with producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis in 1988. This album was released on June 20, 1988—the same day as Bobby Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel—and features two more of their biggest “If It Isn’t Love” and “Can You Stand the Rain.”

In 1990, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill and Bell Biv Devoe all went on to have successful hits. Among these hits was the remix to BBD’s “Word to the Mutha,” which was the first song to feature all six members. After a hiatus, all six members came together in 1996 to create the album Home Again, which hit #1 on the Billboard 200 and was a multi-platinum success. After some friction on the Home Again tour, Bobby Brown decided to depart the group again. In 2004, after leaving their longtime label MCA Records, New Edition signed with Bad Boy Records and released the album One Love but they left Bad Boy a year later due to a lack of promotion. The group continues to tour together and sell out shows after 30 years in the business. The group was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 23, 2017—one day ahead of the BET premiere of their 3-night mini-series The New Edition Story.

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Candy Girl (1983)

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