- [Host] In the early nineties,
a group of young men exploded onto the music scene,
forever changing the trajectory of R&B and pop music.
They left an unforgettable stamp on the hearts and minds
of millions with their smooth music
and incredible singing talent.
Boyz II Men is Crew Love.
(upbeat music)
A few young men began forming a singing group
after meeting at the Philadelphia School for Creative
and Performing Arts around 1988.
Their love of music and harmony led them to singing together
every chance that they could.
They called themselves Unique Attraction
and eventually changed that name to Boyz II Men
after a New Edition song from their 1988 album, Heartbreak.
Boyz II Men rehearsed their harmonies and dance steps,
and in 1989, they performed at a talent show
on Valentine's Day called, The Magic Show.
The guys had a plan to sneak into Powerhouse,
an annual concert held by Philadelphia's
local radio station, Power 99.
The plan was to sneak in and hopefully meet Will Smith,
who was scheduled to be there.
Instead they ran into Michael Bivins of New Edition,
the group that they admired and acquired their name from.
Boyz II Men immediately stopped Bivins
and started to sing for him.
Bivins gave them a number and began receiving calls
from one of the group members on and off for weeks
asking him to manage their group.
After some resistance, Michael Bivins agreed to take
Boyz II Men under his wing and manage their music career.
The style that was put forth by Boyz II Men
was what Bivins called, hip hop, doo-wop.
The group was new school and had the swag
of the new jack swing artists of the day,
along with a twist of classic R&B.
This style allowed the guys to fit into the emerging music
scene without having to sacrifice the obvious and serious
singing talent they had together.
They would wear outfits like cardigans with bow ties
and baseball caps.
According to their manager, this kind of imagery
would allow them to easily cross over into the main stream.
Boyz II Men stood out and in 1991, their debut album,
"Cooleyhighharmony" was released through Motown records.
The first single "Motown Philly" was a new jack swing record
that actually told the story of their high school dreams
of making it big and how the group and Bivins met.
The album showcased their talent with ballads like,
"It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday."
That ballad, along with "Motown Philly,"
reached the top five on Billboards Hot 100.
The album peaked at number three.
In 1992, a single co-written by Babyface,
called "End of the Road" was released as part of
a motion picture soundtrack for Eddie Murphy's, "Boomerang."
The record spent 13 weeks at the very top of the charts
breaking a record previously held by Elvis Presley
for over 30 years.
Boyz II Men's second album titled "II" was released in 1994.
The lead single was another beautiful ballad
written by Babyface called, "I'll Make Love To You."
The single sat at the number one spot on Billboard
for 14 weeks, shattering their previous record of 13 weeks
with "End of the Road."
The second single, "On Bended Knee" was written by
music legends, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis.
That single reached number one on the hot 100 Airplay chart.
Another single from that album, "Water Runs Dry,"
reached number two on Billboard.
Overall, Boyz II Men's sophomore effort was a huge success.
By 1995, Boyz II Men was the biggest band in music.
In November of 1995, Mariah Carey released the second single
off her album "Daydream."
The song titled "One Sweet Day" was written by Carey
and Boyz II Men.
The song is an emotional love letter to loved ones
who have passed on.
It spent 16 weeks as the number one record on Billboard,
beating Boyz II Men's prior record of 14 weeks
for "I'll Make Love To You."
During Boyz II Men's run in the nineties,
they were also featured on other smash hits like,
"Hey Lover," which was the lead single off LL Cool J's
1995 album, "Mr. Smith."
It was a smart move to release an R&B single as the lead
for a rap album.
The single reached number three on Billboard
and was certified platinum a few short months
after its release.
Boyz II Men continued to release music
through the end of the nineties and into the two thousands.
Around 2003, Michael McCary, better known as Mike Bass,
parted ways with the group.
There were rumors of a falling out between Michael
and the other members of the group.
Michael blames his parting on his health,
revealing a longstanding battle against multiple sclerosis
that affected his ability to perform night after night.
The remaining three members of Boyz II Men
refused to replace Mike.
Instead they figured out how to turn their four part harmony
into a three part harmony and continue to perform
as a three man group today.
They began a Las Vegas residency in 2019
and continue to tour as well.
Their three decades of success is proof of their artistry,
talent, and hard work.
Their legacy is much more than just being a group
of great singers.
Boyz II Men's work led the way for the boy band explosion
of the early two thousands.
Spawning the careers of groups like Nsync, 98 Degrees,
and Backstreet Boys.
Boyz II Men bridged the gap between the early Motown days
and modern R&B swag.
They have sold over 34 million records.
They have won Grammys, Billboard, American Music,
and Soul Train awards.
Boyz II Men is more than just Crew Love,
they are music legends.
(upbeat music)