THE YEAR IS 1991!
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In the US, this was Boyz II Men’s first single, an expression of their Philadelphia roots and Motown influence. It confused DJs for a few reasons: Many didn’t know how to pronounce the band name, and some thought the song was called Boyz II Men and the group was named Motownphilly, since the words “Boyz II Men” are in the lyrics and the chorus states, “Motownphilly back again.”
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The song tells of the group’s dreams and how they were discovered: backstage at a New Edition concert where they met Michael Bivens, a former member of New Edition and was part of Bell Biv DeVoe, who were a very popular group at the time. Boyz II Men sang him an a cappella version of their song “Can You Stand The Rain” and Bivens, who was an aspiring record producer, got them signed to Motown Records. Bivens shows up in “Motownphilly” doing a rap interlude about the experience.
- “Motownphilly” introduces Boyz II Men with an uptempo new jack swing sound, but they soon became known for slow, harmonizing ballads.
- The section where Boyz II Men show off their vocal harmonies (after Michael Bivens says, “see if this one moves you”) became their signature, and a source of frustration for the group. In their rounds of promotion, they were often asked to sing this part on the spot.
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Boyz II Men formed at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia. The group was originally called Unique Attraction and would practice in the school’s bathrooms due to the excellent acoustics.
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In 1992, Boyz II Men’s “End Of The Road” set a record by staying at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for 13 weeks straight. The decades-old record was previously held by Elvis Presley. In 1995, Boyz II Men broke their own record when “One Sweet Day,” their duet with Mariah Carey, held the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for 16 weeks straight.
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