STARR TIME: Producer Maurice Starr says he...

STARR TIME: Producer Maurice Starr says he hasn’t split from the New Kids on the Block, even though he turned over the mixing board to Teddy Riley and Narada Michael Walden for the group’s new Columbia album, due Oct. 19.

“We’re still together and will be together forever, but we wanted to prove to the world that they can do it on their own,” Starr says, alluding to charges last year that he had actually sung most of the teen-heartthrob group’s recorded vocals.

While Starr still offers a “maybe” when asked about future production work with the group he masterminded, he’s looking ahead to various projects involving the New Kids, including a documentary on his life, which is in production and scheduled to air on the Disney Channel late this year.