May 2, 1998 Next hits #1 with “Too Close”
The story of the trio Next follows the trajectory of many memorable R&B groups of the last half century, but the scope and speed of the group’s rise and, ultimately, its fall, is more shocking than most.
Formed by brothers Terry “T-Low” Brown and Raphael “Tweet” Brown, along with R.L. Hugger, Next was formed in the Minneapolis area as a trio that had both songwriting chops and incredible vocal harmony. But all three members came to the group with their personal childhood demons: the Brown brothers coming from a family beset by physical and sexual abuse, and Hugger from one where he battled depression in a household that didn’t support his love of music.
May 2, 1998 Next hits #1 with “Too Close”
The story of the trio Next follows the trajectory of many memorable R&B groups of the last half century, but the scope and speed of the group’s rise and, ultimately, its fall, is more shocking than most.
Formed by brothers Terry “T-Low” Brown and Raphael “Tweet” Brown, along with R.L. Hugger, Next was formed in the Minneapolis area as a trio that had both songwriting chops and incredible vocal harmony. But all three members came to the group with their personal childhood demons: the Brown brothers coming from a family beset by physical and sexual abuse, and Hugger from one where he battled depression in a household that didn’t support his love of music.
But despite some personal baggage, the three members were special together, and were signed by legendary music exec Clive Davis for his Arista label, with iconic singer Ann Nesby helping them to polish their sound and professionalism.
Next’s debut album, Rated Next, was a monster, landing three hit singles. The biggest of these songs was, “Too Close.” Written by the group, along with producer Kay Gee, “Too Close” included racy double-entendres about a man on the dance floor who is feeling the effects of dancing body-to-body with a woman. It was an absolute smash, topping the pop and soul charts and winning a Grammy nod for the group. It catapulted the album to double platinum, and the group to the A-List of R&B stars.
On this day in 1998, “Too Close” began its multi-week reign as the biggest song in the land. And it is still a favorite of 90s soulheads everywhere.