New Edition

Released: July 6, 1984

Songwriter: Gary Bell Anne Dudley

Producer: Rick Timas Vincent Brantley

[Verse 1: Bobby Brown, New Edition]
When I'm looking here and there
And I'm searchin' everywhere to find your love
But you play so hard to get
And I haven't found out yet where you are

[Pre-Chorus: Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown]
You'll never find
Just what you got
Here I come
Ready or not

[Chorus: New Edition, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell]
Hide and seek
It's just a game we play
Hide and seek
Swear I'm gonna find you
Sneakin' up behind you
Hide and seek

[Verse 2: Bobby Brown, New Edition]
When I tried so hard to see
How you keep this mystery around our love
Every simple breath you take
Always makes the love we make seem so new

[Pre-Chorus: Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown]
You're up to your
Old tricks again
I close my eyes
And count to ten

[Chorus: New Edition, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell]
Hide and seek
It's just a game we play
Hide and seek
Swear I'm gonna find you
Sneakin' up behind you
Hide and seek
Hi-hi-hi-hide

[Instrumental Break]

[Pre-Chorus: Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown]
You'll never find just what you got
Here I come
Ready or not

[Chorus: New Edition, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell]
Hide and seek
It's just a game we play
Hide and seek
Swear I'm gonna find you
Sneakin' up behind you
Hide and seek

Hide and seek
It's just a game we play
Hide and seek
Swear I'm gonna find you
Sneakin' up behind you
Hide and seek

[Instrumental Break]

[Outro: New Edition, Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown]
Hide and seek
Hide and seek

Hide and seek

Hide and seek
Hide and seek
Swear I'm gonna find you
Hide and seek

Hide and seek
Hide and seek
Sneakin' up behind you
Hide and seek

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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New Edition

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New Edition (1984)

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