The Marvalus View » 2008 » May

Where has the harmony gone? Remember when Boyz II Men stepped on the scene and took the world by storm with their beautiful voices and romantic songs?

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on July 17, 2006 by drbacon89

Sneaking backstage after a New Edition concert, Boyz II Men performed for Michael Bivins, who was impressed with their harmonies and arranged for them to be signed to Motown through a production deal with his Biv Ten record company. Their first album, “CooleyHighHarmony” blew up, selling over nine million copies and winning the group a Grammy for Best R&B performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals. From this album, the hits “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” and “Motownphilly” were born and introduced the world to Boyz II Men.

Then came the classic Christmas album. My Christmas does not start until I hear two Christmas songs: Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” and Boyz II Men’s “Silent Night.” Their rendition of “Silent Night,” with its soaring harmonies and beautiful arrangement puts me right in the mood to celebrate the birth of Christ. Then came the album, “II” which I think has to be my favorite. With producers such as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Babyface, and Dallas Austin, Boyz II Men topped themselves by selling over 12 million albums and winning two Grammys.

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on September 29, 2007 by evilpimping

It was after “II” that Boyz II Men began to see conflicts and problems arise. First they were opposed to the release of the remix album, “The Remix Collection,” which put them at odds with the label. The Boyz set up their own record label, StoneyCreek, and distributed it through Epic, which mounted tensions with Motown. So by the time “Evolution” was released, it sold only 3 million copies, a far cry from the 12 million that “II” sold. Health problems also began to affect the group: Wanya developed a polyp on his vocal chords and they had to postpone a tour until he healed. And Michael was diagnosed with scoliosis and was reduced to sitting on a stool while the other Boyz danced the routines around him.

I have every single Boyz II Men album; I am a faithful stan. You simply cannot beat the harmony and voices of these men who have held up the image of what it means to be a group. Through everything they have gone through, they have stuck together. They have had to make some hard decisions, and have had to face some adversity, but through it all, they still sound as good as they did when they first arrived on the scene. You will always remember Boyz II Men, if for nothing else the impression they left on the music world. It is too bad their talent is lost among the incessant annoyance of ear-splitting noise that is pumped from the radio today.