In 1983 I went to Boston to photograph the group New Edition for the cover of their British release of the single Candy Girl. We went to their school in Boston where I took this shot.

The group was formed in 1978 by childhood friends Bobby Brown, Michael Bivins,Ricky Bell, Travis Pettus and Corey Rackley, all of whom were living in the Orchard Park housing projects in Boston. They took the name New Edition to signify they were a new edition of the Jackson 5.

They were spotted at a talent show by by singer/producerMaurice Starr, he decided to bring the group to his studio the following day to record what would become their debut album, Candy Girl. Released in 1983 on Starr’s Streetwise Records, the title track went to number one on both the American R&B singles chart and the UK singles chart.

Returning from their first major concert tour, the boys were dropped off back at their homes in the projects and were each given a check in the amount of $1.87. Starr told them tour budget and expenses had taken up all their money. They parted company with Starr in 1984 (Starr responded by promptly creating the group New Kids on the Block( essentially a white teenage New Edition).