All language subtitles for BEHIND THE MUSIC - 7 - Documentary (2021) -Hr

["Hangin' Tough" playing]

Welcome back
to "Behind the Music."

-Hey.
-Hi. How's it going?

Good, good.

-[makes shuttering sounds]
-Like I'm walking into trouble.

[chuckles]
I'm walking into trouble.

Okay. [sighs] Here we go again.

* We're
the New Kids on the Block *

NARRATOR: They were the pioneers
of the original boyband.

* Hangin' tough *

***

* Hangin' tough *

Five teens from
the tough streets of Boston.

* Are you tough enough? *

We all grew up poor.

We all wondered where
our next meal was coming from.

* Step by step, ooh, baby *

They shot to fame
in the early '90s

with their R&B beat
fused with a pop sound.

That was something
we could never imagine.

* Step by step *

They started doing all the...

* Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh *

...and I was like,
yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

* The right stuff *

The New Kids on the Block

became
an international phenomenon

with adoring fans
who followed them everywhere.

As a teenager,
there's no preparation

for that level of fame.

* Second kiss had a twist *

There was always 150 to 200 kids
in front of my house

just waiting for us to show up.

But life in the spotlight
came at a price.

You get all this fame
and all this money,

and then you can't enjoy it.

And eventually all that fame
took its toll.

We were so young. It was so hard
to, like, know really what

you could take control of
or really what you could say.

The band's personal struggles
were exposed,

and then it all came
crashing down.

There's a million ways
you could tell the story

of why we broke up.

I had a secret to hide,
and by me leaving the group

maybe would set me free.

[intro to "Summertime" playing]

But in 2008,
the New Kids reunited...

Our first step together
in 15 [bleep]damn years, right?

...this time as grown men

who are better than ever...
together.

* And all the good times
we had, baby *

It was
a much, much deeper connection.

We all really needed
each other again.

It took a little bit to,
like, realize we've grown up,

but everyone's personalities
are still the same.

JOE:
* All I wanna do is go back *

Now 13 years
after their original episode

of "Behind the Music" aired...
-[laughs]

-* For the '80s babies *
-...the New Kids are back,

celebrating key moments
in their lives...

* You're still my '80s baby *

Doing this again with family--
it changes everything.

...giving new insights
on their journey...

In our heyday,
we were young kids,

still finding ourselves.

We're all grown up,
and it's so much better now.

* Baby, 'cause you *

...and reflecting on the men
they've become today.

* And I am thankful, you *

As adults, the key to us
staying together

and being a strong unit is that
you let the little things go.

I think with maturity, you learn
to focus on what's important.

This is
"The New Kids on the Block:

The Story Behind the Music."

* I am thankful, thankful,
thankful *

***

For those about to lose
their minds...

I was sitting around my house
one afternoon in quarantine,

and I said I'll write a song,
and magic will occur.

We're entertainers,

so let's put something together
to do our part in helping

people feel a little better.

We can make the best of times.

In the spring of 2020,
the New Kids on the Block...

-* Turn it up, turn it up *
-...released "House Party"...

New Kids on the Block!

...with help from some
of their famous friends.

Boyz II Men!

* Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah *

Big Freedia!

Uh-huh, Jordin Sparks!

* Yeah, yeah *

And Naughty By Nature!

"House Party" is a great example
of the difference between

being in the New Kids then
and being in the New Kids now.

* 'Cause we've waited
long enough *

We take what we do seriously,

but we don't take ourselves
that serious.

-* Let's get it started *
-Oh, oh!

* 'Cause we've waited
long enough *

The New Kids are now mature men

with families
and kids of their own,

just like their fans who have
grown up right alongside them.

You got the grandmothers,
the moms, the kids.

Now it's
a 3-generational experience.

-* Here we go *
-* Ah-ah-ah, oh, oh *

* Here we go, house party *

It's one of the ways we've
evolved from our younger days

in that we just have fun.

This time around,
we know who we are,

and I think that makes us
much more relatable.

* Can you feel the love? *

* Gonna party all night long *

* Come on, stay home *

***

The New Kids on the Block
started their journey together

on the working class streets
of Boston.

Donnie, Danny, Jordan,
and Jonathan all grew up

in the Irish Catholic
neighborhood of Dorchester.

We were all friends
since elementary school.

We were kinda
all in the same classes.

That's when I met
the Knight brothers,

and me and Donnie had already
known each other a little bit,

but we were little kids.

We all grew up poor.
We all couldn't heat our homes.

We all wondered where
our next meal was coming from.

***

My younger, younger years
were incredibly turbulent.

To grow up in a house
with nine kids,

drugs and alcohol
all over the place,

music was just my salvation.

It was a place where I could go
and not just escape

but actually
to bring people together

and create
a happier environment.

***

In the '70s and '80s,
Boston schools

were actively desegregating
their campuses.

So the boys were bussed
to a racially diverse school

in the town of Roxbury.

Not a lot of white kids
were exposed

to different ethnicities
in Boston, and we were.

And we were with kids
of all races,

learning to love and respect
and admire our differences.

Because of their experiences,

the guys were exposed
to cultural influences

that would shape
their musical futures.

Where the party people at,
y'all?

* We want the funk, come on *

-* Give up the funk *
-Just get up off your ass now.

-* We need the funk *
-It's that time now.

* Gotta have the funk *

I would get to school and hear
Parliament-Funkadelic

or you name it,

and it was always
different types of music around.

NEWCLEUS: * Jam on it,
jam on and on, on and on it *

* And if you feeling like
you wanna dance all night *

* Then go on ahead
and flaunt it *

That's when I started popping

and breakdancing
and stuff like that.

Me and Jordan, before we were
in the group together,

we used to battle each other in
different breakdancing groups.

* Jam on it, jam on it,
jam on it *

On my 13th birthday,

I went in to buy my first album.

I ended up being torn
between two albums--

New Edition and Jonzun Crew.

And so I was trying to decide,

and as I started to read
through, like, the liner notes

and stuff, or the credits,

I noticed this Maurice Starr's
name was on both albums.

* Candy girl *

* You are my world *

In 1983, local music producer
Maurice Starr

launched the boyband,
New Edition.

* Candy girl *

* All I want to say *

They had become
a massive success

and the pride of Boston.

Everyone in Boston knew
who New Edition was.

They had that big hit,
"Candy Girl,"

and it was like
the biggest thing ever.

But after an ugly split,
New Edition left Maurice

and his small record label.

It was very hurtful.

I quit the business
for about two weeks,

and I said to myself
after two weeks that I...

I'm not a quitter, so let's
get up and get this thing going.

Now I'm gonna put
five young white kids together.

With the help
of manager Mary Alford,

Maurice began looking for
the perfect group of white kids

who could sing, dance,
and rap.

Mary Alford lived next
to one of my friends.

We went over to Maurice's house.

He walked in the room,
and he's limping around,

using a broomstick
for a crutch.

He said, uh, "You Donnie?"
I was like, "Yeah."

He said,
"I heard you were good."

I said, "Okay." He said,
"I'm gonna make you a star."

And I looked at the broomstick.
[chuckles]

And I said,
"Uh, we'll see about that."

15-year-old Donnie signed on
as the first member

of Maurice's new band with
his 13-year-old brother Mark.

We started taking
singing lessons,

and I would play the drums.

I got fully immersed
in the studio life,

and Mark didn't.

I was walking
the straight and narrow path,

and he was trying
everything under the sun--

drugs, alcohol, you name it.

Slowly, Mark started
to drift away and, you know,

one day, he said, "I'm not--
I'm not gonna do it anymore.

I'm gonna quit."

Maurice said,
"What do you wanna do?

Do you wanna stop,
or do you wanna keep going?"

And I said, "I wanna do this.
This is what I'm meant to do."

And he said, "Okay,
then it's me and you, kid."

***

With Mark out of the group,
Maurice and Donnie

struggled to find
other local teens

who could pull it off.

Trying to find five white kids

doing what I was doing
was not gonna be easy.

The talent pool
was very shallow,

but I had some people in mind.

Donnie gave me a call about, um,
joining this group.

So he was like, "There's
this guy, um, Maurice Starr.

He produced New Edition.

But he wants, uh, like, us
to be famous, you know?"

And I was like, wow.

***

Donnie was always talking to me
about it,

and it just, you know,
it sounded like a fantasy.

And I was like, "I don't know."

He was just like,
"Come on, man.

You got nothin' to lose.
Just come and audition."

Maurice agreed to audition

a few of Donnie's friends
from school,

and the group began
to take shape.

I sang for him a little bit,
and he was like,

"Uh, yeah,
I think you could work, man.

I think you could work."

I went back home and, uh,
I tell my brother Jon--

I was like, "I just went
to an audition with Donnie,

and, uh, uh, the guy said

we can be, like, famous
like New Edition,"

and Jon was like, "Huh?"

He was like,
"Why didn't you bring me?"

I was jealous and kinda like,
"Wait a minute.

You're not gonna
leave me behind."

I told him about my brother,

and Maurice loved the idea
of brothers,

you know, because of, like,
the Osmond Brothers

and The Jackson 5.

But they were missing
the final piece of the puzzle.

Enter 12-year-old
Joey McIntyre,

who came
from a different part of town.

We went on a hunt

for a Michael Jackson-sounding
young white kid,

which is probably the hardest
thing in the world to do,

'cause they don't produce
many of those, you know?

* Baby, you are
the best thing in my life *

I had done a bunch of shows
and loved to perform,

and I guess I had a bit
of a reputation

around my hometown,
and I happened to fit the bill.

Maurice named the newly
assembled group NYNUK.

MAN: [amplified voice]
Let's hear it for...NYNUK!

[girls screaming]

NYNUK. That was completely
Maurice's concept.

We all hated it from the start.

[laughs] Oh, my goodness.

The dumbest name ever--
NYNUK.

People were like,
"Na-nook," "Na-nuke,"

but no one could say
the name right,

and I don't know where
he got it from.

* One, two, three,
in the place to be... *

NYNUK began performing
R&B music

in and around Boston.

The boys worked tirelessly
to make a name for themselves.

We were performing in front
of all-Black audiences,

so that's kind of the route
we thought we were going.

* We know you heard this beat
many, many times *

* But bet you never heard it
with such a vicious rhyme *

The plan was Black audiences
will be surprised

when they see it's white guys,
and they will accept them,

and we will be
a famous R&B act.

* So let me introduce you
to the rest of the crew *

Joe...

-[audience cheering]
-Popeye.

-[cheering]
-Danny.

-[girl screaming]
-GQ!

Each show was like
a monumental event.

It was a constant battle
for us to prove ourselves.

* And we're here to stay *

[laughs]

We were very young.
We were very unpolished,

but boy, you saw the grit.
[laughs]

We were determined.

The odds were
stacked against us.

We were just trying
to find our way

to learn how to win
the crowd over.

***

We just wanted to perform
and continue to get better.

So we didn't really care
where it was

or what it was--
anywhere we could get a show.

We did talent shows.

We did
backyard birthday parties.

Roller skating rinks. Churches.

We performed in--in a jail.

We performed at a few jails.

I mean, Donnie's brother
was there,

so we got to visit with him,
too, while performing.

So that was... [laughs] cool.

Sounds weird, but, like,
the shows actually were great.

We really loved
what we were doing

and just kept pushing forward,

and, you know,
with hard work comes success.

In 1985,
while still in high school,

the band began playing
bigger venues

and started pushing
for a record deal.

Maurice started
calling in favors,

"You know, I got this new group.
They're the white New Edition.

They're gonna be
the biggest thing."

But they didn't wanna hear it.
They told me

to get out of the building,
don't come back.

So I said hmm,
let me go, instead of

through the back door,
through the Black door.

["New Kids on the Block"
intro playing]

So I got this guy,
Larkin Arnold, to listen to me.

He said, "I don't like that--
that name, NYNUK."

He said,
"Would you mind changing it

to 'New Kids on the Block' since
y'all got a song called that?"

* We're
the New Kids on the Block *

* On the block *

It was just natural.
It was perfect for us.

-[intro to "Be My Girl" playing]
-Signed to Columbia Records'

R&B division,

the New Kids on the Block
released

their self-titled debut album
in the spring of 1986,

featuring the single
"Be My Girl."

* Be my girl *

We were in high school.

Who else in the school
got a record album?

This is kinda cool.

If we make a little money,
I could get a scooter

and ride around the city.
That'd be awesome.

But the album made
little impact on the charts,

and the execs at Columbia
quickly lost interest.

From the record company
was like,

"Uh, what are we wasting
our time on this group

that makes no sense?"

The record company was like,

"I think we're gonna cut 'em
off the label."

And we were like...
[clicks teeth]

"We gotta keep going.
We gotta keep going."

[intro to "Hangin' Tough"
playing]

* Whoa-oh, oh, oh, oh *

Given one more chance,

the guys took matters
into their own hands.

* Everybody's always talkin'
'bout who's on top *

And in the spring of 1987,

the group began working
on a new album,

appropriately titled
"Hangin' Tough."

* Hangin' tough *

* Hangin' tough *

* Hangin' tough *

***

* Are you tough enough? *

The second album had
a little more grown-up sound.

It was stuff
we were listening to.

You know, it's gotta be organic.

We were
more creatively involved.

* Just hangin' tough, oh, oh *

Maurice--he'd seen us all

starting to come up
with dance steps,

different styles
and the way we dressed,

how we should present ourselves,
what music we should be doing,

and he'd step back a little bit,
and he goes,

"I could learn something
from these guys."

* Please don't go, girl *

* You would ruin
my whole world *

In April of 1988,

the boys had hit
their late teens

when the first single
from the new album was released.

* I love you *

[whisper] * I love you *

* I guess I... *

But "Please Don't Go Girl"
didn't make the impact

on the R&B charts
the band had hoped for.

* Girl *

We were an R&B act.

We were being marketed
to Black radio only.

We did a video,
and it went to BET.

I could see, yeah, trying
to cross over after you go pop,

but they were trying to go Black
first with these white kids.

That strategy ultimately
was not working.

* Love you *

Even though we put all this time
and hard work into this,

it looked like we just didn't
know it was gonna happen.

Later that summer,

the New Kids' luck
began to change.

One pop radio DJ in Florida
played "Please Don't Go Girl"

on a pop radio station.

The phones lit up.

They called the radio people
at Sony, at CBS,

and they were like,
"You got a hit. You got a hit.

It's a pop record."

The song eventually rose
to number 10 on the pop charts

and became the New Kids'
first commercial hit.

If the guy in Florida would have
not played that record,

there's no telling
what would have happened.

Looking back,
it's kinda funny that it just...

happened by accident.

As the New Kids gained exposure,

they got the chance
of a lifetime--

an audition for 16-year-old
pop queen Tiffany

as the opening act
on her national tour.

They popped
into my dressing room,

and they started doing all
the... * Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh *

And I was like,
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."

I don't have an opening act.

Literally that night
I put them onstage.

Who doesn't like five hot guys
doing their thing

with great music and being
as charismatic as they are?

It was exciting and scary
at the same time.

I mean, here we are,
getting on a bus.

Our parents don't know
where we are.

There was not cellphones
back then,

so it was, you know,
"I'll call you at the hotel"

or something like that.

It was an amazing night
that night to get on a tour bus.

That was somethin'
we could never imagine.

-* Whoa-oh, oh, oh, oh *
-Yes!

This is
a New Kids on the Block party,

and you're all invited.

The tour with Tiffany
got the New Kids noticed

by a fresh group of fans,

and the boys were loving
every minute of it.

* Just get on the floor
and do the New Kids dance *

It just grew from that point on.

I would peek out
and watch their set

before I would go out onstage,
and you know,

it was already crazy.

The girls were screaming
and crying.

* Hangin' tough *

-* Yeah *
-* Hangin' tough *

So, yes, I had a little bit
of a feeling in my heart

that this was gonna be big.

* Hangin' tough *

[song ends, fans screaming]

Are we gonna be
on the cover of "People"?

-Uh...
-No.

-Soon.
-[laughter]

ANNOUNCER: Let's hear it
f-f-f-f-f-for the New Kids...

on...the Block!
-["My Favorite Girl" playing]

We were playing every night

in front of an audience
that was made for us,

that no one really ever
thought about, Maurice included.

* Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh,
oh-oh, oh-oh *

* Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh *

* The right stuff,
oh-oh, oh-oh-oh *

NARRATOR:
Anchored by the hit single

"You Got It (The Right Stuff),"

the New Kids on the Block
had arrived.

* The right stuff *

* First kiss was
the sweet kiss *

* Second kiss had a twist *

* Third and your fourth kiss *

* I don't wanna miss *

By the summer of 1989,

the New Kids
toured with Tiffany again...

All right, what's it gonna be?

New Kids on the Block
or Tiffany?

...only this time, because of
their overwhelming popularity,

they became the headliners.

By the following summer,
I was opening up for them.

The girls had just fallen
in love with their music,

fallen in love with them,
and I'm kind of in the way.

[laughs]

-[screaming]
-* All that I needed was you *

* In my life,
you're so right *

[screaming]

It's like
I remember getting onstage,

and the first, like,
three songs,

you couldn't see anything
'cause all the flashes...

[imitates
camera shutters snapping]

You know, it--
it was just blinding.

And the screams, it's like,

I don't--I don't even know if
the girls even heard the music,

heard anything we said
for the first three songs

'cause they were so loud.

-[screaming]
-* The right stuff *

* You got the right stuff *

* Baby *

* Love the way you turn me on *

[screaming continues]

New Kids on the Block!
[screaming]

This is your second album,
and I just wanna know what--

what changes are there
from the debut album?

It's us. It's not--the other
one wasn't too much us,

and this is us.
-This is more real for us.

I mean, this is where
we come from.

"Hangin' Tough" was

the commercial phenomenon
of 1989,

spawning five top 10 hits

and selling
over 8 million copies.

Almost overnight,

the boys from Boston
became superstars.

[screaming]

We'd be bored, you know,
in some town at the hotel.

"Let's go to the mall."

If you went by yourself,
you never had a problem.

If you have, you know,
two of us, it gets bigger,

and then if a third person
comes along, you're done.

[screaming]

They were scratching
and ripping my clothes off

and yelling in my face.

There was risk of serious
bodily injury back then.

You think little girls aren't
strong. They're very strong.

People knew where I lived.
They'd be at my house,

and my mom's in the kitchen
with, like, 10 fans,

just feeding them cookies.

Once the fuse was lit,
the fuse was it.

It was going,
and it was going big.

There was no stopping.

[screaming]

It was, like,
really over the top,

the adulation,
the excitement,

and it was like, what are
we getting into? [laughs]

On June 5, 1990,
the New Kids released

their third album,
"Step by Step."

* Step by step *

The title track raced
to the top of the charts.

It was the New Kids'
best-selling single to date,

launching them
into international superstars.

* Step by step, err...ah! *

"Step by Step" around the world

sold about
6 million-plus records,

just that song, that single.

* Step by step *

* Ooh, baby *

Now for just two weeks,
they've got the number one album

in the country,
the number one single,

and the hottest video
in the country, too.

* Call it what you want, baby *

***

* Girl, I call it love *

Their popularity was now
at an all-time high.

You know, as a teenager,

there's no preparation
for that level of fame.

New Kids on the Block!
[screaming]

Five guys, boyband,
they're a massive success.

But when you can't, you know,
get up and go to the pool,

or you can't go to the gym,

and as soon as you walk out
the hotel, there's, "Aah!"

all these girls, it's a lot.
It really is a lot.

[hysterical screaming]

They would knock at--
on your door,

2 in the morning,
and they'd have, like,

stuff written on their face
like, "I love Joe."

So they knew where we were at,
and, um,

we came up to our floor,
and it was all five of us.

And the door opened,

and some girl
was standing there like this

in front of the elevator,
and she went...

DANNY: * Never gonna fall
in love again *

Boom! [laughs] And she just--
she just fainted. She was okay.

["I'll Be Loving You (Forever)"
intro playing]

NARRATOR: While most of the guys
were enjoying

the fandom of screaming girls,

Jonathan Knight was struggling
in secret.

JORDAN:
* I'm not that kinda guy *

* Who can take a broken heart *

Nobody knew I was gay.

The '80s were crazy
for all gay people.

Everything was just
so behind closed doors.

* Just as long
as you want me to... *

* Be *

I remember, you know,
one night going to our manager

and just saying, "I'm gay.
Like, what...like, help."

Um, and his reply... [laughs]
was, "You can't tell anybody.

You can't tell the guys. You--
Like, this cannot get out,

or you're just gonna have
all this come crashing down."

***

Jonathan pushed on,

playing the role
of a teenage heartthrob.

You date
the good Catholic girls,

and then you don't have
to sleep with them.

* I think we're alone now *

He even dated Tiffany.

* Anyone around *

Jon Knight and I were
boyfriend and girlfriend

for about a little over
two and a half years.

Tiffany--she's gonna kill me.
It was--It was--She knows now.

-It started out really innocent.
-Kinda innocent.

Just, we were just friends.

It was a really good friendship.

There was nothing ever dirty
about it.

It was great. She's--
She's an awesome person.

He is my heart.
I still love him dearly,

and he was
a great first boyfriend.

As a person, I really,
you know, got him.

What makes you the most nervous?

Girls that I like
make me nervous.

-Really?
-Like, that I really like.

Yeah, I get nervous
with girls, too.

***

Pressured by fame to maintain
his pop star image,

Jonathan also chose
to hide his sexuality

from the other New Kids.

I never really felt that
I would be rejected by them.

I never felt I'd be rejected
by my family.

It was the business aspect of it
that really was, like,

you need to keep shut.

You need to not be seen
going out to clubs,

and you know,
at such a young age,

that's a lot of stress
to put on one person.

I can imagine the pressure
of, like, holy shit,

I'm in, like, a...a boyband.

-[fans screaming in distance]
-Oh, God.

"Girls were supposed to love us,
and here I am. I'm gay."

It must have been...
really difficult.

I never knew anything.

I mean, we were boyfriend
and girlfriend.

We never really talked
about anything like that.

DONNIE: We just didn't know
what he was dealing with,

how much it was impacting him.

It was hard to tune into it

because we were all feeling
different pressures ourselves.

[screaming]

You know, there was always
150 to 200 kids

in front of my house
just waiting for us to show up.

We each had our struggles
with it

'cause we did want to still live

normal lives
when we weren't working.

I continued to wanna go home
and hang out on the corner

like any 16-year-old kid,
and that wasn't a possibility.

***

For years, there was
no escaping the spotlight

for any of the New Kids.

With over 150 products
in the marketplace,

their faces
were literally everywhere.

That's when it started to become
like a machine.

You walk into a store and there
was, you know, marbles and...

-Lunchboxes.
-The bed sheets.

-New Kids on the Block cereal.
-Playing cards and...

Cartoon.

***

The whole merchandise side
of things got out of control.

I never thought it was
too much product out.

I was sitting back thanking God

that these millions
were flowing in.

It happened so fast,
it was like a huge snowball

going down the hill.
We just couldn't stop it.

It wasn't exactly the way
we wanted things to go.

And you walk into a toy store,

and there's these stuffed animal
dolls of you sitting there.

But we were so young. It was
so hard to, like, know, really,

what you could take control of
and really what you could say.

By the time we--

we said, okay, we gotta
start controlling this thing,

it was too late.

We were just grinding
and grinding and grinding,

just 'cause
our business manager's, like,

"You're gonna make money here.
You're gonna make money there."

And it was just like...
[groaning] ugh.

And our spirits
weren't being refreshed.

Yeah, we're gonna send
this one out

to all those nonbelievers
out there

who've been trying to
put us down and keep us down

for the past five years.

JORDAN:
* We don't need your games *

-By the end of 1990...
-We ain't going out like that.

...as the New Kids released
a hip hop-infused remix album

of their biggest hits,
they had earned

an astonishing $115 million
in that year alone,

beating out icons like
Michael Jackson and Madonna.

* Somebody said somebody *

* Worked too hard *

When you're told
you're a millionaire,

and you're like, 21, 20,
you know, and like,

yeah, it was exciting.

* Somebody said everybody's *

* Gonna wait and see *

* What's gonna be is gonna be *

No, I'll never forget
our financial advisor--

he advised us to take care
of our parents

and then put the rest
in the bank.

That was the kind of advice
we were getting early on,

so that kinda has stuck
with us.

-JORDAN: * Yeah *
-DONNIE: Peace!

***

How many people can say
they retired their mom

when they were 19, 20 years old?

All the hard work she did
through all those years,

working nights, cleaning floors,
you know,

taking any job she could

to help keep our family afloat
and raise nine kids, um...

***

You know, um...

***

How can I complain about
missing out on what typical

"teenage life" is when I was
able to take care of my mom?

[fans screaming,
"The Right Stuff" intro plays]

That same year they launched

their most extravagant
live show to date--

the "Magic Summer" tour.

We're huge. We got all the cash
in the world now to spend.

Coca-Cola's sponsoring it.
It's in stadiums.

The sold-out stadiums brought
big-time status to the New Kids,

but even though they were
filling seats,

their inspiration onstage
was fading.

* Worked too hard *

We were so disconnected
from the audience.

I mean, there were people,
like, a mile away,

way, way up high, and it just--
it was awful.

-[fans screaming]
-JORDAN: * Yeah *

I think there is such a thing
as being too popular,

and I really think that
that's what happened to us.

[loud screaming]

By 1991,
the New Kids on the Block

were one of the biggest acts
in the world.

Their fans worshiped them,

but music critics
weren't impressed.

Back in the day,
we took a lot of hits

for singing bubblegum songs,

not really adding anything
to the music world

except for a bunch
of screaming girls.

Donnie really was the one
that took it really personally

and made it his mission
to lash back at these people.

I don't know how much you guys
really care at this point

about critical acceptance.

I mean, I think
everyone in the world

cares about how people
feel about them.

Billy Idol makes
a lot of jokes about us.

To me, I just don't understand
why a 40-year-old man

would spend
so much energy on us.

"Step By Step" was a failure?
It sold 5 million copies.

What--What kind of failure
is that?

When I was 21 years old,
I was mad at the criticism.

When I was 38 in the original
"Behind the Music,"

I was...trying to explain why
I was mad about the criticism.

The criticism was just
overwhelming to me.

I really didn't have the makeup
to ignore it.

You know,
I don't think he was wired

to handle it any differently.

He grew up in Dorchester.
It was a tough neighborhood.

You know, I'm 51 now, and I
love the criticism anyway now.

You know, it's like
that's where I'm at.

I don't hear criticism.

Donnie's image as a bad boy
was fueled even more

in March 1991
when he was arrested

for allegedly setting
a hotel room on fire.

To give us a day off
in Louisville, Kentucky,

is a mistake.

There's nothing to do there,
so, like,

Donnie just sprayed

the fire extinguisher
in his room,

and it was just a prank
'cause he was bored.

He's covered in white powder,
his whole room, him.

I didn't light a fire.
I didn't do any such thing.

In fact, I did the opposite
of light a fire.

But the press reported
a different story.

MALE REPORTER: Investigators say
it happened around 2 a.m.

Is this thing being blown
out of proportion?

Yes, sir, very much so.

NARRATOR: The charges
were eventually dropped,

but for the New Kids,
the story became legend.

MALE REPORTER: Judge Jim Green
did not let Wahlberg go

without getting an autograph

and telling the pop singer
to be careful.

I always felt trapped in hotels.

I always would do
mischievous things,

just because I was bored
and frustrated in hotels.

That I couldn't go out
and do everyday stuff

doesn't mean I have
the right to, like,

leave my hotel room
like a trash heap.

In some ways, it had to happen
for me to grow up a little bit.

Say, oh, oh!

NARRATOR:
Donnie's badass attitude

ignited a spark
in the New Kids' spirit,

when a relentless touring
schedule began to smother them.

You know, there was a time where
they were just pushing us,

pushing us, pushing us.

We were so hot,

so blazing hot
that we had no time.

We would end a tour.
They'd think of a new name

for another tour and just
throw us back out there again.

***

We were going just so fast.

We were working
362 days of the year.

When we would come off tour,
I wouldn't go home.

I would go to Boston
and check into a hotel

and not tell anybody
just so I could sit in silence

and just, you know, be still.

That's what I don't understand
about fame and all that stuff.

You get all this fame
and all this money,

and then you can't enjoy it.

After nearly four years
of constant touring,

conflicts began to arise
among friends.

You start to get
on each other's nerves.

I think we've all thrown blows
at each other.

It was such a humongous thing
for--for a long period of time

and at such intensity
that, you know,

something had to give.

There'd be times where we'd
walk down a hotel hallway,

and like ships in the night,
not even say anything.

We didn't have the coping skills

and the patience
to understand each other

and--and show support.

By 1993, growing conflict
between the guys

was not the only tension
within the New Kids' camp.

After nearly a decade together,

the band began to feel like
producer Maurice Starr

was taking credit
for their success.

You know, pick up a magazine
and see him saying

"Oh, they don't have
to have talent.

They just need someone like me."
You know?

And the things he was saying,

you know, just was not true
and not cool.

But we love him. We wouldn't
be here without him.

We all made mistakes back then.

Maurice is our brother,
and that'll never change.

I think he went through a phase,
you know?

We were getting a lot
of attention.

You know, he wanted to be
known as, you know,

the guy that--
that did it all.

No, I didn't do it all.

If those guys did not have
the energy,

if those guys
did not have the talent,

if those guys didn't have
what it took,

none of this would've
never happened.

***

Now in their 20s
and no longer kids,

in 1994, the renamed "NKOTB"
released their fifth album,

"Face the Music."

***

We wanted to reinvent ourselves.

We had just left
being signed to Maurice Starr,

so we were kinda free.

Like, we were grown up.
We're changing our name,

and we're gonna do things
more how we wanna do it.

It took us, like, two years
to put that record together.

It was too long. It was
a struggle to get the songs

and just who were we
working with.

***

It didn't have the same feeling

as when we had released
other stuff.

The writing was kinda
already on the wall,

like things were changing a bit
in the music business.

The band's mix
of a new producer,

new music, and a new name
was not a winning combination.

As their fans aged
into the grunge era

of Nirvana and Pearl Jam,

"Face the Music" sold less
than 150,000 copies.

People were becoming
so anti-pop.

You know, I felt that.
I felt that coming.

Um...I was like,
I-I put in my time.

This is as far as it's gonna go.

Um, it--it's time to move on.

With the pressure of launching
yet another tour,

Jonathan questioned whether

he wanted to be a part
of the group at all.

He'd been hiding his sexuality

and struggling with anxiety
for years.

I had a secret to hide,
and, you know,

by me leaving the group,
maybe would set me free,

and I could just go live
my life.

For Jon,
he didn't decide to leave.

He wasn't in,
and it was back and forth.

He's in. He's out.
He's in. He's out.

So we decided to have a vote.

And we said, "All in favor
of Jon being out of the band,

raise your hand."

And three hands went up,

and Jordan said,
"Majority rules."

The day that they got on the bus
and left

was, like, just--that was--
it killed me, you know?

'Cause I just--I felt like
I let them down so bad.

You know, there's a million ways
you could tell the story

of why we broke up,
and, oh, Jon left.

Like, Jon didn't leave.
The energy left. We all left.

* If you go away *

* If you go away, girl *

* You're taking my heart
with you *

* If you go away *

Danny, Donnie, Jordan, and Joe
soldiered on, but not for long.

They soon canceled
the rest of the tour.

And in June of 1994,

their epic journey
officially came to an end.

* I promise you the world *

You know,
the fans weren't there.

The demand wasn't there.

The desire to go for another
few years wasn't there.

[intro to "Tonight" playing]

* Remember when we said,
"Girl, please don't go"? *

After breaking up,
the New Kids went

their separate ways into
new chapters of their lives.

* For-eh-eh-eh-ever *

But each of them struggled
as they transitioned

from teenage superstars
to aimless adults.

That's really when
it smacked me in my face

that here I am, 25 years old,
no career.

I have no plans

for what I'm gonna do
with the rest of my life.

So I went into a really deep
depression at that time.

It was like a big hangover.

You know, I was a little
depressed because, you know,

working and being creative
is what builds self-esteem,

so when that goes away,
it's hard to handle.

I wanted to go and become
Donnie Wahlberg.

You know, I wanted to go
do all these different things

and be my own man.

I wanted to just grow
into myself.

When you're in a group,
you kinda have to fit in,

and you can't fully be yourself.

Every decision can be yours now.

I think the difficult thing was
we weren't together as a group,

but there was still that
love/hate for us out there,

so, you know, you still get
the jealous guys

yelling somethin' at you
across the street or somethin',

and, okay, man, we were--
we went away now.

So you can, uh,
stop yelling at me.

As they adapted to their
new lives out of the spotlight,

the guys gradually began
to find themselves.

I said, okay, this year,
I'm gonna figure out

how to make $50,000,
and that was my goal.

A friend of mine called me,

saying,
"Do you wanna flip a house?"

We did maybe two houses
our first year

and just kept building on it.

While Jonathan left
entertainment behind,

Danny, Jordan, and Joey
all went on

to release solo albums.

Donnie found himself
in an entirely new career

as an actor.

After breakthrough roles
in "Ransom"

and "The Sixth Sense,"

Donnie immersed himself
in his acting career for years.

* Stop, stop,
let me take a mental shot *

I heard the song
"Click Click Click"

and played it for Jordan
and Joey and Danny

and got the reaction
that I had hoped for.

I loved it, and that was
kinda the spark to

get us back in the studio
and, you know,

get the ball rolling.

* Click, click, click *

I just could picture us
singing it.

It was what we were looking for.

We're grown men, wanting to show
that different side of us,

and it just--
the song suited that.

JORDAN: * My camera loves...
you are fashion *

"Click Click Click" was the one
that really stood out to me

as something that, um,
could be a launch of our sound,

our new sound.

When you're listening
and you get the chills,

you get back in the studio,
and that kinda stuff is,

you know, what it's all about.

* And, girl *

Honestly,
I felt enough time had passed

for that kind of, uh, stigma
to fade away and go...

"Where's the New Kids?"

You know, I definitely
never thought

anywhere along the way
that we would get back together.

It had been 15 years

since the New Kids
had recorded together,

and not everyone was convinced
it would work.

There was a conversation
early on in the reunion of,

you know, was Jon
gonna stay in the band?

Jonathan was unsure
if he would still be crippled

by the same anxiety that
plagued him while performing.

It was a big decision to go back
and just lots of discussions

of what it's gonna be like
and how it's gonna work.

And eventually,
I felt comfortable enough.

Like, we were grown up,

and we're gonna do things
more how we wanna do it.

And I was like...let's go.

[intro to "Summertime" playing]

JOE:
* It's now or never *

In early 2008, the five guys,
now in their mid to late 30s,

assembled for
their first recording session

together since 1993.

Spiffy! Look who else
is spiffy today!

-Whoa!
-What's up?

That first time
was really awkward.

-How you doing?
-How's it going?

You can tell. I'm hugging Joe,
but it's like

"Hey, I don't know you
no more, man."

[laughter]

I haven't seen Donnie

in probably 10 years.

I probably haven't seen Danny

maybe once or twice
in the last 14 years.

And Joe--
I've probably seen him once.

I mean, I didn't know
what to expect.

* Girl, you can bring
your crew *

Yo, yo!

* And I can bring mine, too *

You didn't own it, Joe!
You fucked it up!

I couldn't, I couldn't,
I couldn't.

You fucked it up, man.
What's up, dude?

There's nothing like
getting back in the studio

with the guys,
you know, that first time

and cutting vocals and hearing
our, you know, vocals together.

We have our own sound,

and--and that's--
that's pretty cool.

It took a little bit to, like,
get back into that comfort zone

and to kinda realize,
you know, we've grown up,

but kinda
everyone's personalities

are still the same.

-[laughs]
-All right, guys.

-All right.
-Our first step together...

in 15 [bleep]damn years.

-Right.
-Uhh.

-[laughter]
-But your foot didn't tap.

-Lookin' just like the old days!
-I got two left feet!

DONNIE:
* Turn it up now *

["Dirty Dancing" playing]

As the New Kids prepared
to announce the reunion...

To be back after all that time
in a rehearsal studio,

dancing again together,
it gave me chills.

...they wondered if their fans
would also return.

We came back hard.

We worked.

[applause]

Some of those old fights still
had residue on our reunion,

but I went to a lot of therapy,

and I remember really using
a lot of the lessons I'd learned

in the band--listening better,
talking less.

Do we really wanna take
this picture right now?

Before that first snap,
we could all walk away.

[laughter]

To be fair, I definitely was
dipping my toe in the waters,

check the temperature
of the water.

But I didn't care. I didn't...

have any fear
that it wasn't going to work.

On three.

On three, "NYNUK."
One, two, three.

ALL: NYNUK!

-September 2nd. The Deluxe.
-Check this out.

Ah.

In September of 2008,

15 years since their last album
together,

the New Kids released
"The Block"

and launched a national tour.

* If you ain't got no money,
if you ain't got no money *

We had this lift at the back
of the stage.

-It just lifted us up.
-[fans screaming loudly]

The sound was...
it was deafening.

It--It sounded like a 747.
It was out of control.

* Everybody in the club
right now *

* Just tell the DJ
to turn it loud *

* Dedicate, man,
your favorite song *

* Single ladies,
you can't go wrong *

I'd never felt that
in all our years.

There was history
in those screams.

* Don't matter,
'cause you're here now *

* And the music
you're enjoying *

It was... [laughs]

...the most amazing feeling
I have ever felt in my life.

It was...it just...whoa.

Back in that moment.
It was...Yeah.

It was just so--
It was so special.

* Until the song goes off *

It was immediately apparent that
their fans had gone nowhere.

We just wanna thank all of you
for all the love

over all the years.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

This one is for y'all.

* I'm not that kinda guy *

Everybody has a child inside.
Everybody has an inner teenager.

We get a little older,

but the feelings never,
ever die.

And that's what we represent
to our fans.

* Now let me hear you say *

FANS:
* I'll be loving you forever *

Whoo!

The boys were blown away
by the emotion they felt

being onstage together again.

It was
a much, much deeper connection.

It was
a much deeper understanding

of how important we were
to each other.

We all really needed
each other again.

* You, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh *

It's pretty amazing.
It really is.

I was comfortable with myself,

and here I am back
with these four guys

that have been in my life
since I was a kid.

[fans screaming]

Over the years, Jonathan had
grown more comfortable

with his sexuality.

His family and the band
knew he was gay,

but he hadn't made a point
of revealing it to the public

until 2009 when the tabloid
press threatened to out him.

I was dating my husband then,

and I got a call
from my publicist.

She said that an ex of yours
is about to release pictures

to the "National Enquirer."

***

And it just got to be like,
enough is enough.

Jonathan decided to release
a public statement

revealing he was gay.

The fans totally accepted it,
and we just thought,

it makes the group better.
It makes the group...richer.

One of the truly special things
for me is watching him

take ownership of who he is
and being at peace with that,

not just as a gay man
but as a performer.

I started to realize early on

in the second incarnation
of the band

that the fans saw themselves
more in Jon than in any of us.

TIFFANY: It's never changed
how I look at him.

People were like,
"How do you feel?"

I'm like, how do I feel
about what?

That my friend is gay?

I feel he's fabulous.
That's how I feel. End of story.

[laughs]

Just made me so happy
how far society has come

to realize, you know,
everybody's the same.

We're just a little different.

***

Jonathan is now married.

Rainbow!

Cheetahs.

Rainbow...cats?

And all of the New Kids
have grown into family men.

Jordan and Joey also married
and had kids.

Danny is a grandfather,

and Donnie found
the love of his life

when he married
actress Jenny McCarthy.

I now pronounce you
to be husband and wife.

Donnie, you may now
kiss your bride.

[laughter]

My journey with Jenny
is in some ways similar

to my journey through music.

Every day, I woke up
thinking about the band,

thinking
about moving it forward.

It was part of who I was,

and the same thing
happened with Jenny.

***

[intro to "The Right Stuff"
playing, fans screaming]

That wisdom and mature outlook
has allowed the New Kids

to defy the odds
a second time around.

To date, their reunion tours

have grossed
more than $250 million

and given them the opportunity
to fulfill a lifelong dream.

* Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh,
oh-oh, oh-oh *

* Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh *

There are no words to describe
playing Fenway Park.

It's sacred ground,
so to play a concert there

is beyond, really, the scope
of what the mind can imagine.

* First time was a great time *

* Second time was a blast *

* Third time I fell in love *

* Now I hope it lasts *

* You got the right stuff, ha *

For five guys that grew up
in that city,

rooting for the Red Sox,

it doesn't get any bigger
or better than that.

Also as adults, the New Kids
redefined their relationship

with their fans.

And their annual NKOTB cruise

is one of their favorite ways
to connect.

Every cruise, every song,
every single opportunity

to connect with the fans
is an opportunity

to bring happiness,
not just to them but to me.

* You're still my '80s girl *

It's the best time ever.
I mean, a lot has changed,

just our personal relationship
with fans.

You could talk to people
and ask them

normal, grown-up questions

instead of them just,
you know,

reaching out
to rip your hair out.

TIFFANY: * It's like we never
even left at all *

We've all just grown and matured

and have learned, I think,
to stay very present

and stay very grateful.

My connection with our fans
and being part of this band,

it's why I'm on this planet,

is to be part of this experience
and part of this love.

[intro to "Thankful" playing]

Now well into their 40s and 50s,

the New Kids are far
from old men,

but they are wise enough
to strike the right balance

between their careers
and their personal lives.

I would do anything
for any guy in the group

and have so much respect
and love for them.

I just--I feel lucky just
to have them in my life.

I think we can keep doing
what we're doing,

uh, you know,
as long as the fun is there,

as long as the spirit's there,

as long as the camaraderie
is there.

DONNIE: * I saw a flicker
of light in the darkness *

I think with maturity,

you learn to focus
on what's important.

Doing this again and continuing
to do this with family,

of course it changes everything.

JORDAN: * And when
there's no one around *

* I know I'm not alone, baby *

These are my four brothers.
It's a massive gift,

and I wring every drip
out of it.

I hope we all continue doing
things in life that we love.

It's just the best thing
in the world.

DONNIE: * Oh, whoa *

JORDAN:
* Baby, 'cause you *

-* You're holding me up *
-DONNIE: * Yes, you do *

JORDAN: * You're holding me up,
and I am thankful *

DONNIE: * And I am thankful *

JORDAN:
* You're more than enough *

* You're more than enough *

You know, from the time we were
little boys till now as men,

we got each other's back,

and we're never walking
out there alone.

* Because of you *

* I am thankful, I am thankful *

DONNIE:
* Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh *

I fully expect Jon and Jordan
and Danny and Joey

to be in my life forever.

JORDAN: * I am thankful,
thankful, thankful *

DONNIE: [whispers]
I'm so thankful.

JORDAN: * I am thankful,
thankful, thankful, thankful *

[fans screaming]

* Second time was a blast *

* Third time I fell in love,
now I hope it lasts *

* You got the right stuff, ha *

-DONNIE: Oh!
-* Baby *

* Love the way you turn me on *

Ha!

* You got the right stuff *

-DONNIE: Hey!
-JORDAN: * Baby *

* You're the reason
why I sing this song *

* Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh *

* Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh *