BOYZ
II MEN
NATHAN
MICHAEL SHAWN WANYA
At a time when the charts
are overrun with prefabricated teen acts,
it's important to remember when skills
mattered as much as sensation. When
harmonies ruled over hormones. When
before boy bands, there was Boyz II Men. Nathan
Morris, Michael McCary, Shawn Stockman
and Wanya Morris: four
young men who can sing. Sing with an ease
and elegance that comes from feeling it.
Sing with passion and integrity both in
concert and on CD because that's what
real singers do. Four voices. One group.
Doing what they have always known how to
do. Sing.
Since 1992, Boyz II Men
have sold over 34 million records
worldwide, earned numerous awards
including four Grammys, shattered sales
records and reigned as one of the most
beloved vocal acts of our time. On their
fifth CD and their first on Universal
Records, Boyz II Men are prepared to take
that legacy one step further. Nathan
Michael Shawn Wanya contains new songs
written and produced by the group
themselves (with additional help from
She'kspere, Shep Crawford and Mervyn
Warren), that already feel like timeless
classics. Songs that Boyz II Men were
born to sing.
Boyz II Men's new CD is
Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya. The title is
not some misguided attack of ego, but
rather a reaffirmation of purpose.
"Everything on this record is
us," explains Nathan. "It's our
personalities and hopefully because
there's so much of us on this CD, people
will be able to feel it and know
us." "We know it's been three
years since we had an album out and we
thought by calling the new CD Nathan
Michael Shawn Wanya, people would get to
know the individual members of the
group," says Wanya. The goals behind
the CD? Simple enough. "We make
music and there's soul that just
influences all the music we do,"
offers Wanya. "On this album, we
wanted to make music that appeals to our
fans and reaches a new generations of
fans," Michael adds. "We just
wanted to get back to the basics. Get
back to the fundamentals," says
Shawn. Those fundamentals are loud and
clear on the first single, "Pass You By." Written
by Shawn and produced by the group (the
album was executive produced by them as
well), "Pass You By" is a
classic Boyz II Men ballad, filled with
luscious harmonies and a message that
speaks directly to the heart and soul.
"We knew going into this record that
we wanted to make that extra effort to
make songs that stand out," explains
Shawn. "We are very proud of the
song because it's truly from us and it
speaks to so many people." Taking so
much creative control was crucial and
exciting to Boyz II Men. Although they
had always had major input on their
previous albums, they admit that
powerhouse songwriters and producers
shaped much of their sound. Learning from
the best in the biz and adding their own
aesthetic made recording this CD a
challenge well worth taking. And one that
paid off.
Evidence of that is heard
on one of the group's favorite songs
"Dreams." Written
and produced by Boyz II Men, "Dreams" is mature
and knowing, built on a soaring and
instantly memorable melody. Like many of
the songs on the album "Dreams" was a true
collaborative process between the guys.
Although ballads make up the majority of
the CD, these guys also demonstrate that
they know how to get down. Just check out
"Beautiful Women," "Good
Guy" and "Bounce, Shake, Move,
Swing." We hit the clubs like anyone
else," Shawn elaborates, "and
we wanted a little of that flavor on the
record. These will be fun songs to
perform live."
Being able to take it to
the stage, as well as rock it in the
studio has always been a hallmark of Boyz
II Men's success. Serious about their
craft and constantly honing their
trademark harmonies BIIM's dedication to
the art and discipline of singing is in
marked contrast to some of the more
bombastic but digitally enhanced acts.
Notes Nathan, "We work at it and we
started out to be singers- not stars.
Hopefully that intention is still there
and can be felt by the fans."
In the past three years,
BIIM oversaw the construction of and
continue to help run StoneCreek Studios,
a state of the art facility in Gladwyne,
PA and the studio where most of their
current CD was recorded. Wanya started a
label and has signed two artists. Shawn
has formed a movie production company.
His short film for Showtime "17
Again" that he produced and
co-scored, earned critical acclaim at
this year's Aculpulco Film Festival.
Michael took some much needed vacation
time and logged in hours at StoneCreek,
while Nathan remained busy keeping the
group's business affairs in order. Yet
even with their own interests, it's clear
what the main focus is. "Boyz
II Men is all we know,"
Shawn laughs, "because we've been
doing it for such a long time. It's our
main passion and it's what we do better
than anything."
Formed while they were
students at Philadelphia's School for the
Performing Arts, Boyz II Men got their
big break when they made their way
backstage at a New Edition show. The
teenagers sang a capella for New
Edition's Michael Bivins who had a hand
in helping them secure a contract with
Motown. The group's 1992 debut
Cooleyhighharmony spawned the mega-hit
"MotownPhilly" sold over
12 million copies and stayed on
Billboard's pop charts for over one year.
The title track earned BIIM a Grammy for
Best R&B Performance by Duo or Group
with Vocals. The single, "End Of The
Road," which appeared on 1992's
Boomerang soundtrack became one the
biggest-selling singles of all time,
surpassing Elvis Presley's
"Heartbreak Hotel" for length
of stay in the #1 spot.
In 1993, the talented
foursome showcased their patented
harmonies on the platinum-selling
Christmas Interpretations. The next year,
Boyz II Men released II and continued
their winning streak. II debuted at #1,
yielded several smash hits including
"I'll Make
Love To You" and "On Bended
Knee" and nabbed Grammys
for Best R&B Performance by Duo or
Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song.
To date, II has sold over 16 million
copies worldwide.
In between album releases
the group kept up a rigorous and sold-out
tour schedule as well as becoming
fixtures on award shows and industry
tributes. In 1996, the group's duet with
Mariah Carey "One Sweet Day"
shattered more chart records and remained
on Billboard's top slot for a phenomenal
16 weeks, becoming one of the
biggest-selling singles ever. The
following year, Boyz II Men released
Evolution, which debuted at #1 and
contained the platinum singles "4 Seasons Of
Loneliness" and "A Song For
Mama" which also appeared
on the Soul Food soundtrack.
Now with experience and
the respect of fans and the industry
firmly under their belts, Boyz II Men are
readying what may be the most important
collection of their career. Ask the
members of Boyz II Men to place
themselves in the current musical
hierarchy and the answer comes without
hesitation. Speaking for his friends and
partners, Nathan offers, "we're a
singing group." In an age of
phenomenon and hype, the time has come
for something with a bit more soul and
purpose. Four young men. Four spectacular
voices. One sumptuous collection of
songs. Boyz
II Men. A singing group. Nathan, Michael,
Shawn, Wanya.
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