Boyz II Men Return to Motown Roots
By Nathalie Baret For the Journal
As kids, Nate Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman listened to many of the Motown artists who dominated the AM radio dial throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
As teens, the three young men, who met while attending Philadelphia’s High School for Creative and Performing Arts, wanted to emulate Motown greats like Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5.
“Without the rich influence of the Motown sound (a style of soul music that had a distinct pop influence with a vocal approach steeped in gospel music), Boyz II Men would not exist,” said 36- year-old Stockman of the four-time Grammy-Award winning group Boyz II Men.
“These wonderful artists’ songs were the soundtrack to our lives, you know. And since we were all vocal majors that went to the same music classes and choir, Motown hits really set the standard of how a good song should be. Even today, you can feel these classics have a sense, a purpose; they carry a certain pride and have an overall good feeling about them.”
The Boyz II Men crooners, who formed their harmonious vocal ensemble in 1986 and called themselves Unique Attraction before changing the name, have long proven they can sing the heck out of soul and R&B. Whether performing live, on record or a cappella in front of a charmed audience of 10,000, these three lads can dish it out.
“Not to sound mundane, but what we do (singing) is so easy for us. It’s like breathing. And we enjoy it and have each other to enjoy it with.”
More than 18 years into the game, Boyz II Men have basked in the glow of repeated success, one triumph after another. Three of their No. 1 smashes (“End of the Road,”"I’ll Make Love to You” and the unforgettable, tender duet with Mariah Carey, “One Sweet Day”) broke the record for sitting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart longer than any other songs in history.
How do you challenge that?
“We pick projects that test us,” Stockman said. One that grabbed their attention was the idea of recording a tribute album of Motown favorites that heavily influenced their sound.
“Motown is ‘history’ for us because that’s where it all started for us.”
The group, then a quartet consisting of two vocalists — Nate Morris and Wanya Morris, Stockman, and Michael McCary) also found fame with Motown Records.
“We sneaked in backstage at a (Bell Biv DeVoe) concert and sang for (band member) Michael Bivens. We were big fans, and our intention wasn’t to get a contract; we just wanted to get his opinion. Coincidently, six months before he met us, he had acquired a recording deal with Motown Records for his own production company, so he signed us. Boom. That was it, and we released ‘Cooleyhighharmony’ on the label,” Stockman said about the 1991 debut, which sold 9 million copies.
The threesome’s new “time warp” tribute record, “Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA,” is their 10th release and first studio work since “Full Circle” in 2002. The stripped-down compilation, which exudes an organic feel expertly maintained by live instrumentation that’s augmented by a tight traditional bandstand horn section, was co-produced by “American Idol’s” Randy Jackson. He’s a longtime bass player and well-known producer who’s worked with Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Destiny’s Child and Elton John.
Stockman said picking songs with Jackson came easy because “we all grew up singing to them. So we covered ‘Ribbon in the Sky’ (Wonder), ‘I Was Made to Love Her’ (Wonder), Gaye’s ‘Mercy Mercy Me’ (The Ecology), the Temptations ‘Just My Imagination’ (Running Away With Me), ‘War’ (Edwin Starr), and great soul ballads like ‘Easy’ (Commodores).”
The classic Motown sound fused with today’s soul is what makes this 2007 release one of the best listening R&B CDs to come out in a long time.
“We put our B2M touch to these standards. At the same token, we didn’t want to mess with the original feel too much,” Stockman said. “We kept a lot of the same melody, the same style, vibe and energy of these originals. We were like method actors in the (studio) booth so to speak. We re-enacted the way they actually sounded, and we felt it came out great. For me, it was the most fun I’ve had in years recording an album.”
Boyz II Men
WHEN: 7 tonight
WHERE: Isleta Casino & Resort Showroom, I-25 south, exit 215
HOW MUCH: Tickets are $25 and are available in advance at the Isleta Box Office, 244-8191, online at www.isletaeagle.com or through www.tickets.com
(c) 2008 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.