The first time Motown Records introduced the New York press to Boyz II Men, it was without fanfare at a listening party, set up as a pom atop the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. No fanfare was needed when you sign an act that really had talent, that could move a crowd to tears with one note, and consists of four young men who were as down-toearth as any young man you really got to know in your neighborhood. It didn't hurt that Michael Bivins, already with an impressive track record of his own with BBD, and Another Bad Creation, was the act's producer, manager, and best friend.
When the quartet from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-Michael "Bass" McCary, Wanya "Squirt" Morris, Shawn "Slim" Stockman, and Nathan "Alex Vanderpool" Morris-took the stage, they only perfomred a couple of songs, but it was enough to win the crowd and pique the curiosity of some too often jaded music critics.
What followed was the release of one of the most engaging albums of the last ten years. Cooleyhighharmony didn't just produce hits like "Motownphilly," "It's so Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," "Uhh Ahh," "Please Don't Go," and "Sympin" it revitalized R&B, focusing attention on real singers and focusing attention on real singers and forcing other labels to seek out real singer, not professional lip-synchers. Moreover Boyz II Men proved to older audiences that not all young people were solely about jumpin' and partyin' and that a good few weeks were listening to some of the old records, when they thought the young ones were bored.
Boyz II Men didn't really start platinum soul amony young artist, but they sure made a valuable contribution. You can't deny acts like Whitney Houston, Aaron Hall with Guy, Johnny Gill, and Shanice Wilson, who's been there all along. But what a wonderful crowded field it has become, with groups like Jodeci, Hi-Five, Joe Public, Men At Large, and others celebrating genuine soul.
And even when Boyz II Men stepped away from their own album and lent their voices to the 'Boomerang' soundtrack with "End of the Road," which is also featured on East Coast Family Volume One, the debut compilation from Michael Bivins' Biv 10 Records, they come up with a hit. Fans were searching the Cooleyhighharmony CD for the single, then found out it wasn't there, adding to the sales of the Boomerang soundtrack.
What a year it has been for four guys who always loved to sing and cornered Michael Bivins in Philadelphia, backstage at a show, to prove it to him. They picked up a Grammy earlier this year, joined the Hammer tour, which continued through the fall and have taken time out to record a soundtrack for a TV sitcom.
When Boyz II Men head back into the studio to work on their second album, you can believe the pressure will be on. After selling more than four million copies, they will be expected to duplicate or even better the feat. But remember someone once said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and Boyz II Men need not fix anything; just do some more of that good platinum soul.