Bobby Brown-"Don't Be Cruel [Deluxe Edition]" [2CD-Iconoclassic-6/16/2023]

[Motown Eddie]

Info from SecondDisc.com-
Leaving a pop group can be a tricky thing. Will the work you do on your own connect with audiences the same way it did with your bandmates? Ultimately, there's only one way to find out: strike hard and make the music your own. Bobby Brown of New Edition delivered a master class in how to go solo with his second LP Don't Be Cruel [[1988) - and now, thanks to Iconoclassic Records, it's getting its due on disc with a deluxe 2CD edition packed with remixes and rarities.

As one fifth of Boston soul-pop singing group New Edition, Brown delivered to Black and white audiences with charm and a little bit of grit on songs like the Ray Parker Jr.-penned "Mr. Telephone Man." But his outspokenness and bad-boy image - personified by a tendency to upstage his friends with seductive dances on stage - proved to be tricky with the group's infamous parade of challenging managers. In 1985, he was ousted from New Edition and worked with disco mixer John Luongo and Cameo mastermind Larry Blackmon on a solo debut; King of Stage yielded a No. 1 R&B hit in "Girlfriend," but failed to make an impact on the pop charts.

Brown decided to take control in a big way, working with some upstart producers for his next effort. Chief among them were the rising duo of Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Known for their work in the Cincinnati combo The Deele, the duo crafted sleek, electronic grooves of all types for Brown: brash loverboy posturing [the title track], tender come-ons ["Roni"] and rhythmic cuts guaranteed to light a dance floor on fire ["Every Little Step," "Rock Wit'cha"]. Equally crucial to Don't Be Cruel's success was a mission statement courtesy of another R&B upstart: Guy co-founder Teddy Riley. He co-wrote and produced the mighty "My Prerogative," on which Brown addressed his critics head-on with an unbeatable groove that helped form the foundation of the New Jack Swing, bridging the gap between R&B and hip-hop in a manner that would change pop music for good.

Don't Be Cruel [35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition] [Iconoclassic ICON 1063, 2023] [Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada]
Disc 1: Original album and bonus tracks

1. Cruel Prelude
2. Don't Be Cruel
3. My Prerogative
4. Roni
5. Rock Wit'cha
6. Every Little Step
7. I'll Be Good to You
8. Take It Slow
9. All Day All Night
10. I Really Love You Girl
11. Cruel Reprise
12. We're Back
13. On Our Own [Without Rap] +
14. My Prerogative [7" Edit] +
15. Every Little Step [with Rap]
16. Don't Be Cruel [A Cappella]
17. Roni [Cussapella]

Tracks 1-11 released as MCA Records 42185, 1988
Track 12 released on Ghostbusters II [[Original Soundtrack Album) - MCA Records 6306, 1989
Track 13 released on MCA Records single 53662, 1989. Original version from Ghostbusters II [[Original Soundtrack Album)
Track 14 released on MCA Records single 53383, 1988
Track 15 released on MCA Records single 53618, 1989
Track 16 released on MCA Records 12" single 23861, 1988
Track 17 released on MCA Records 12" single 23921, 1988
Disc 2: Remixes

1. Don't Be Cruel [Promo Remix by Louil Silas, Jr.]
2. My Prerogative [Extended Remix]
3. Roni [Pebbarone Mix]
4. Rock Wit'cha [Quiet Storm]
5. Every Little Step [Uptown Mix]
6. On Our Own [Extended Club Version]
7. Don't Be Cruel [Extended] [The Rapacious Mix]
8. My Prerogative [Joe T. Vannelli Light Mix]
9. Rock Wit'cha [Extended Version]
10. Roni [Extended Version]
11. Every Little Step [Extended Version]

Track 1 released on MCA Records 12" promo L33-17538, 1988
Track 2 released on MCA Records 12" single 23888, 1988
Tracks 3 and 10 released on MCA Records 12" single 23921, 1988
Track 4 released on MCA Records 12" promo L33-18055, 1989
Tracks 5 and 11 released on MCA Records 12" single 23933, 1989
Track 6 released on MCA Records 12" single 23957, 1989
Track 7 released on MCA Records U.K. 12" single WMCAX 1268, 1989
Track 8 released on MCA Records U.K. 12" MCST 2094, 1995
Track 9 released on MCA Records 12" single 23951, 1989

[JM27]

This has been pulled for some reason by Iconoclassic [[probably a rights issue) but a limited number of copies had already made it into distribution. Best to get a copy whilst they're still available for normal prices...