If a symbolic baton has been passed from vintage Motown to
the new company, it's wrapped in the smooth, rich harmonies
of Boyz II Men.
Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. said as much at the
dedication ceremonies of the renovated Motown Historical
Museum in Detroit and "The Motown Sound" exhibit at
Henry-Ford Museum in Dearborn. In his comments, Mr. Gordy
specifically thanked current Motown cheif Jheryl Bubsy for
Boz II Men, calling it a group "that could have been as much a
part of the original Motown as it is the current
company."
There's no question that Boyz II Men is the hottest and most
durable group to come out of the Motown stable since the
Commodores during the '70s. Since debuting in 1991, the
Philadelphia quartet has sold more than 17 million copies
of three albums. The latest, II, has sold eight million
and is still in the Billboard Top 10, 44 weeks after its
release.
The group has also been a hit machine, fomr its debut
single "Motownphilly" - appropriatley enough about the
musical common ground between Detroit and Philadelphia-to
its latest hit, "Water Runs Dry," Boyz II Men shares the record,
with Whitney Houston, for the longest run at #1 in
Billboard. Its "I'll Make Love to You" logged 14 weeks in
the top spot.
The way the four Boyz see it, however, such prodigious
success is to be expected from anyone working uder the
Motown banner.
"Just being on the label, you are carrying something of
that tradition on," says Shawn Stockman, 22. "The old
slogan was that Motown was 'The Sound of Young America.'
As young Americans on the Motown label, we're trying to
carry on that tradition."
Mr. Gordy isn't the only figure from Motown's heyday to
think tat group-Mr. Stockman, Michael McCary, Nathan
Morris, and Wanya Morris - is doing a fine job of it.
"I love Boyz II Men," says Otis Williams of the Temptations. "To
me, they epitomize the new sense of music, but they still
do it with class.
"You see a lot of groups coming along with their pants down
across their --, a real sloppy-looking image. Boyz II Men are
doing it the right way. They're doing music they way it
should be made and maintaining the image the way it should
be carried.
"In essence, that's why they're selling a lot of
albums."
Mr. Stockman says the Tempts have become particularly good
friends during the Boyz' five years at Motown. "They call
us the puppies, the little puppies," he says with a laugh.
But it was Mr. Williams and the late Melvin Franklin who
were the first to offer the singers their home numbers and
encourage them to call at any time.
"They really extended themselves," Mr. Stockman says.
"They tell us things like 'never take anybody out of the
group and never put anyone new into the group. It wrecks
it from the view of the listners and consumers.' We value
that because we know what they've gone through-the
different group members, the problems that they had. We
know they know what they're talking about."
"Most of Motown's long-timers have been equally warm, Mr.
Stockman reports. There are words of encouragement,
smiles, even hugs. "They made us feel like they listen to
us and they're digging our stuff," he says.
And why shouldn't they? Boyz II Men's success is only enhancing
the value and image of a company which, after spending most
of the 1980s moribund and out of step, now has one of the
hottest groups of the '90s.
Still, it's as much a charge for the Boyz to be hob nobbing
with musicans that influenced them. Recording back-up
vocals for Stevie Wonder's "Jungle Fever" was a particular
thrill. "I guess we learned from him more musical things
than anything else," Mr. Stockman says.
They had a shorter meeting with Diana Ross during a benefit
concert in Washington. Because it was her show, the former
Supreme didn't have much time to spend with the Boyz.