609 Hello Bobby Brown - Don't Be Cruel

Chart  entered  : 30  July  1988

Chart  peak : 42  ( 13  on  re-release  in  1989 )

Number  of  hits : 14

Bobby  was  born  in  Boston  in  1969.  He  formed  a  vocal  group  with  neighbourhood  friends  nine  years  later   which  became  New  Edition. After  competing  in  talent  shows  around  Boston  they  signed  a  deal  with  Maurice  Starr  who  co-wrote  and  produced  their  debut  album  "Candy  Girl"  with  Arthur  Baker  in  1983.

Initially,  they  were more  successful  in  the  UK  when  the  title  track, on  which  Bobby  did  some  of  the  lead  lines,  went  to  number  one   with  its  blend  of  Baker's  electro-funk, rap  ( it  has  a  fair  claim  to  be  the  UK's  first  rap  number  one  )  and  fairly  blatant  Jackson  Five  hooks. However  they  were  perceived  as  something  of  a  novelty  act  and,  like  their  British  counterparts,  Musical  Youth  quickly  faded  as  a  chart  force." Mr  Telephone  Man "  ( their  best  song )  was  their  only  other Top  20 hit  in  1985.

They  were  more  consistently  successful  in  America  but  in  1986  Bobby  was  ejected  from  the group  for  ill  discipline, a  majority  of  the  other  members  forcing  him  out.

Bobby  signed  with  MCA  as  a  solo  artist  and  released  his  first  single  "Girlfriend"  in  October  1986. A  soft  soul  number  with  an  attractive  pleading  vocal  and  soppy  lyrics  it  reached  number  57  in  the  US  but  didn't  chart  here. The  chord  sequence  is  filched  from  Me  and  Mrs  Jones.

Apart  from  a  lacklustre  ballad  "Spending  Time",  the  album  "|King  of  Stage " is   comprised  of   lukewarm   electrofunk  efforts  with  only  the  title  track  having  much  vim. The  album  peaked  at  number  88  in  the  U.S.  and  the  tepid  follow  up  single  "Girl  Next  Door"  didn't  chart.

Bobby  realised  he  needed  to  up  his  game  and  called  on  the  songwriting/ production  duo  of  Babyface  and  L.A. Reid  who  helmed  four  of  the  five  singles  from  his  next  album. "Don't  Be  Cruel"  was  the  first  of  these  and  also  the  album's  title  track.  It's  a  very  effective  example  of  the  style  they  were  developing  which  became  known  as  new  jack  swing  combining  hip  hop  rhythms  with  soulful  singing  ( Bobby  sounding  very  like  Shalamar's  Howard  Hewlett  in  the  bridge  to  the  chorus ). Bobby was  comfortable  doing  rap  as  well  and  switches  between  singing  and  rapping  throughout  the  song; the  rap  interludes  are  backed  by  melodic  keyboards  to  aid  crossover. The  lyrics  about  an  unappreciative  girlfriend  are  a  bit  corny  but  that's  what  you  might  expect  from  a  teenager  anyway. The  song  was  only  a  minor  hit  here  first  time  round  after  reaching  number  8  in  the  U.S.  but  came  back  bigger  the  following  year.