Boy Band Series: Boyz II Men, Part 1

Motownphilly's back again -- and we are SO here for it!

Our Boy Band Series continues with a group that prefers not to be put in that category (sorry, we didn't know until we were deep into our research) -- Boyz II Men. 

Tune in to hear how the Boyz met, what drives their harmonic sound and what they are up to today.

Don't miss part 2 of the episode, where we'll delve into the lives of the members. 

Leave us a glowing review wherever you listen to podcasts, and connect with Generation In-Between: A Xennial Podcast at all the places below:

Patreon

TikTok

Instagram

Facebook

Email us at generationinbetweenpodcast@gmail.com

Request an episode topic here

Transcript

Motownphilly Cold Open

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Motown Philly's back again. Do a little East Coastwing. That was pretty good. Hey. Welcome everyone to Generation in Between. If eighth grade U sang bangers like I'll make love to you while debating whether you should call that crush on your family's corny kitchen phone. This intro is a disaster. Why would you drink coffee during my intro? You know. You know me. Eighth grade. Have some background music for a phone call. I'll make love to you. Wow. Okay, we're here. We're here. And um, if you understand any of those things, you might be a Xennial boys to men fan, and we are too. Hi, I'm Katie. And I'm Danny. And you're listening to Generation in Between, a Xennial podcast, where we remember, re-listen, relearn, uh, re-watch sometimes. Revisit. Revisit. I thought I said that. No, I didn't. We do a lot of nostalgic things, and um, and you are catching us on a real good day, friends. And um, we are in the middle of our boy band series. Yeah. And uh, if you haven't listened yet, we have a two-part on The New Kids on the Block. And today we're gonna be talking about Boys to Men. Yes. Which is very exciting. Um, but first let's let's talk about the disaster that is us this morning. You go first. First, first, we'll apologize for my apologies. Uh murdering not in a good way. Wait. Well, because you know, sometimes people be like, I murdered that lyric. I've never I've heard like you killed that, you slayed that, but I've never heard murdered. Oh, I have. Well, anyway, well, you're cooler than me. Well, no, I'm not. It's maybe it's just kind of more dramatic. I don't know. I don't know. No, that's not true. But we did a bad job. We did a very bad job. We're sorry. We anyway. We love that song though. It's just a very crazy morning. Katie's in the middle of a tech week for a show she's producing. Um, I have a nice blue star on my face, a zit patch. By the way, these are the best when you have a zit that's popping, and you can just pop this on, so then you don't have like pus going everywhere. I mean, it's great, it's it's a gift to society, these things. Like, I was like, man, I wish I had had those when my face was like, Oh, the same. And it does help with the inflammation because they're hydrocoil, it does uh colloid or whatever, and it doesn't get rid of them, but I feel like it helps with the swelling. But what I like them for is when it's like, y'all know, I mean, I am 45, still dealing with zits. It's so stupid, but y'all know when you have a zit and it's like about to pop, and like you'll be out somewhere, and it pops when you're out somewhere, and then it's like so gross. So I like them to just pop that on there and cover it. Although then you walk around being 45 with a blue star, and you're like, I'm just so used to seeing them now. Maybe if I have some 18s in my house, but like I love that teenagers have just been like, this is acceptable. We're just gonna wear colorful stars and shapes on our face when we have zits. And I'm like, it is a how I mean they do serve a purpose. They do. But like, for instance, when I was teaching class last night, I was like, it's gonna pop while I'm teaching class. Or I know it's gonna be like draining all over my face when I'm like teaching class, and that's disgusting. So I was like, let me just put a little star on. So, anyways, and Katie is just bless her heart. But she did have a very sweet note from her daughter on her computer this week. Yeah, I opened my laptop and there's this note that says, I love you, mama, TT. So sweet. And um, she's been a little busy B this week because she's writing a play. That's so cute, and is just doing all the things. I don't know where she gets this from, but she's building set pieces. She's she I said, Um, who's the director? She said, Oh, I am. Oh, duh. She's the director, but she's also in it. I'm the director, the producer, the writer, and the star. And the set builder. And the set builder. The carpenter. Well. And painter. So she is having a great time. So she was borrowing my laptop last night to type up some edits to her script. And um, she left me a cute little note, which was nice. That's sweet. I really needed it. Okay. I have my little coffee mug. It's this trust. We're just a mess. Trust in the process. Just St. Marie got me that. We'll just give her government out there again. Always say her full name, but I I just love her name. I know. It sounds so official. And if not her, someone in her family will be famous. It might be her. It might be her husband. Five of them. It might be her children. It could be any of them. It could be their cat. It could be Bobo. Oh, bless it. So like little baby. I I think it's okay if I say her name because in like, you know, everyone will be like, oh yeah, though them. Wow, they knew. We probably should ask people though before we say her. Yeah. Because we've been saying people's names all the time. We do be. We do be. So Jen. So sorry. Maybe I'll text I will text her. I don't think she'll care. I don't think she'll care. But I'll be I'll be careful next time. Okay. So we when we did New Kids on the Block, Danny researched it and she brought me some trivia questions. So actually, before we do that, let's quick just talk about our experience with Boys to Men. We'll talk about more as we go through. But um, what was like the first song you remember hearing from them? Or do you have like a memory of Boys to Men in the early 90s? Okay, so I was talking to Tori about this because he was a huge boys to men fan. Like he was not really about it when I was doing the new kids research. He was just like, okay, whatever. And um, but I was those videos you sent me to watch, one of them was the video from Motown Philly, which y'all, if y'all remember that video is so good because they're going through their hometown and all their little local places, they're at their old school, and it's such a good, fun video. And he was like, Oh, okay, well, I can get on board because boys to men, he's like, I was a huge fan. And I think what I remember most about boys to men songs, first of all, their harmonies are like the I I could listen to them harmonize all day long. They're just it's so good. Their voices, the four of their voices all together just meld so well. I don't know, it their harmonies, but I also remember middle school dances. Yeah, boys to men. When you said eighth grade, I was like, yes, yes, yes. I middle school dances and boys to men go hand in hand for Xennials, like they just do. Somehow, like slow dancing when you're 12 to I'll make love to you. And I went to a private school. And so all the in seventh and eighth grade I did. I went to a Lutheran school, but what would happen is every month a different private school between the Catherine Catholic and Lutheran schools would hold a dance. Oh, I remember the Catholic schools doing that where I was like a little fundraiser, and you'd pay, I don't know, five dollars to go or something. And so they would all no matter where this dance was, you'd be hearing boys to men. That was the slow dance fiction. Well, they had a lot of good slow songs. They did. So, like, I mean, end of the road, so good. That one still kind of makes me cry. I was listening to Hard to Say Goodbye on the way here, and I was like, and let me turn that shit off. Then the one they did with Mariah. One sweet day. Oh man. Stop. And yeah, wow, and those were just a few of them. There's so many. But anyway, that's my memories. What about yours? Same. Besides that. Like I said, the the school dances. I remember having, I'm sure it was through a CD club. I remember having Motow Philly and two. Two, yeah. Yeah, I remember listening to two a lot. That was my favorite. I may have had the Christmas album. I still have that CD. Two. Uh-huh. Ooh, that's a good one. I still have it in my little foldy thing. I love it. Yeah, and I don't like associate any like specific like relationship or anything with that because they by the time I was high school age, those songs have been out for a while, a lot of those big ones. So um, but yeah, the middle school dances and just thinking that they sounded so good and their voice, and remember they had cameos on so many shows. They did. Like Fresh Prince and um I think they were on Different World. Yep. And I just remember seeing them on shows all the time. But they're singing, like, I don't know. I even while I was listening to it this morning on my way here, I was like, harmony is like for people who are not singers, har singing in harmony with people is hard, especially when there's it's a four-part harmony, and that's it. Nobody else helping you. When you're in a choir or something, you at least have somebody else that's at least one or two people singing the part you're on. When it's just you, it's like barbershop quartets, which is what they call, you know, like not what they are, but no, but it's that idea. That idea, I think that it's it's really tricky because if you're off, everybody's off. Absolutely. You if you are trying to harmonize with somebody who is not singing what they need to be singing, you can't save it. No, you cannot. Even one note is off, it's it's so noticeable. Yeah. When there's one person per line, right? I mean, even in like musicals and stuff, if you're in a song where that happens and you happen to just be the only person on a line because maybe it's a duet or a trio or it's just a small group, it's you know, it's a lot of pressure to be able to sing those. But when it's done right, it sounds great. Yeah. There's something to one voice per part, I think, right? That makes it like like with them, with Boys to Men, when it's right, which for them it always is. Right. Gosh darn it. Well, I mean, they work their asses. They do sound that good. They do. I mean, yeah. But that that's not a harmonizing like that is a is a skill. Like it is not just some natural thing. I mean, some people can naturally hear harmonies, but like to sound good with other people. Right. Ooh, that's exactly. I do remember trying to harmonize with them to try to find the different parts. Obviously, probably not in the same octave. I was probably above them, but like trying to find those different parts, obviously, not with them. Well, I mean, they even their tenor stuff isn't isn't super high. Every now and then they have a little falsetto, but they they're they sing lower. But anyway, okay. Well, we have good memories of boysmen. Okay, A plus. So here comes the trivia. I bet Troy will know all of them. I'm not gonna know any of them, I probably you're gonna know the first one. Where were they founded? Philadelphia. Yeah. So that was the first one. I thought that was a trick question. That's what I lost. Nope, nope, nope. Um, what year were they formed? What would be your guess? I'm gonna guess I'm gonna say 87. 85. Okay. So kind of like with new kids, a little bit before we would have thought. How many albums do they have? These are studio albums. They have so many. I was looking at them today on Apple Music. Okay, because they have a few Christmas albums too, which I don't know about. They have one, they had one album I was listening to that it was them singing like um old doo-wop songs. Yeah, 1950s songs. Oh my god. So good. I don't know. I'm gonna guess. Let's see. I'm gonna say 15. That's right. Hey! 15. Yeah, wow. And the only reason I know that is because I was like looking the scroll. So you would have known it's more than like five. Right. It's like a lot. Um, do you know how they got their name? It's from um a song. It's from a new edition song. Yeah, that's right. There was a new edition song, a hit, actually, called Boys Two Men, T-O Men, and that was on a 1988 album. So they were founded before that um in '85 under a different name, which we'll get to. But um Boys to Men had a Boys to Men, yeah. So they changed it. They changed it just like new kids changed theirs from Nanook. Nanook. That's so terrible. I'm so glad they died. I'm glad in both cases they did. When you hear this other name, it's fine. But Boys to Men is good. Yeah, yeah. Plus, then they could use the two for that album. I know. That was not that I still can see that album cover. Yep. I know, me too. It's blue, it's blue with a yeah and the twos coming through like smoke. So good. All right, so a little more about them. They, as we said, they are a vocal, they're actually classified as a vocal harmony group. Love that, which makes sense. From Philadelphia, informed in 1985. Right now, they are a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris, tenor Juanye Morris, and tenor Sean Stockman. Oh. Uh, previously, it was a quartet, including bass singer Michael McCarey. He officially left the group in 2003 due to some health issues, which we're gonna talk about. So he's the bass. He was my favorite. They are this is crazy. I looked up like if they're currently touring, they're actually gonna be in Orlando in April at Walt Disney at um the Four Seasons Resort for some like event. You can buy tickets to it though, but it's the three of them. I didn't I didn't realize the fourth one. Yeah, he was my favorite bass, and a lot of people just started calling him bass. He used to always be like, Hey girl. Yeah, on like all the I loved it. He did a lot of the spoken words stuff. Yeah, it was I mean, he sang the harmonies. Of course, yeah. One thing about the group is that there isn't a lead singer, right? They all kind of toggle, but a lot of people think it's that one guy, uh, Sean, probably. Yeah, um, he does arguably have more lead parts than everyone, but they all do get featured almost on every song. Yeah, they do. And but often the bass would be the speaking part. Is he he's the one that that on Motown Philly is back in school, we used to dream about this every day. Could it really happen? Or do you dream just fade away? My voice cannot run. Sorry. I have no vocal runs. I will tell you a little more about the rap part in that song too. Okay. Um but anyway, there's three of them right now. More on that to come. Okay. So, but they were four. They were four in like their height. But since 2003, it's just been like three of them. Uh so they've won four Grammy Awards, nine American music awards. I wrote them all out, but I'm not gonna read all of them. Um, they did Billboard Music Awards, they won like Artists of the Year, Hot 100 Single of the Year for End of the Road and I'll Make Love to You, RB Artist of the Year, they've won Soul Train Music Awards. And they've also been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. Okay. Yeah, which is pretty cool. Before Nukes. And they were all four there for that. Oh, yeah, they were there. That's fun. Um, some record-breaking achievements, which we'll get into as well a little more in depth. So End of the Road held the number one spot on Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks, which was a w record at the time. 13 weeks, and then they broke their own record with I'll make love to you with 14 weeks. And then they broke the record again with One Sweet Day with Mariah Carey, which was 16 weeks. Woo! And that was written for somebody. Was it for when Beggie died? Um no, that was that um that was a different song. That was a different song. Yeah, it wasn't written for anyone specifically. That was the thing. They've all kind of commented that they like thought of different family members and stuff, but it wasn't for anyone. Okay, so let's talk about how this group was formed. So it's funny because I'm like, oh, boy band series. So Boys to Men has always specifically Sean Stockman, because he's he's the most vocal of the group that's done interviews, still does. They all kind of do, but he's like kind of the guy that people see most often. And he has said that they don't like to be classified as a boy band. Whoops. But um, we didn't know that before we started doing this. And and we love you. So anyway, he he understands, but he said because to him, the boy brand kind of wave. One, it's just kind of a different style of music than what they do, and two, a lot of those groups were manufactured. Oh, and they're not, right? And they were more organically like grown came together on their own. Right. So kind of for those reasons. He's like, We're not really like we don't really belong in that boy band. Well, now I'm like, do we need to take take take them out of this category? Now I don't think he's mad about it. He's not mad. He's just like, I don't think we're the same. He's not gonna come from it'd be like these two like when he's in Orlando, he's gonna be like, I'm going over to the city. I told you we were not a boy band. Knock, knock, knock. Katie and Danny. It's me, Sean Stockman. Can you imagine? I mean, I hope he does. That would be I would apologize. I would apologize profusely and see if he wants to go get lunch. I mean, a Caesar salad. We'll buy you lunch if you're mad. It's gotta be a Caesar salad with Mahi. That's what we do over here. What? Mahi. I'm hungry. Maybe I'll have that later. I think I will have that later. Oh my goodness gracious. Okay. Wait. All things to say, Mahi. I don't know, because when I was thinking of taking him to lunch, I was thinking of the restaurant down the way, long doggers. Yeah. And I always get Mahi on my Caesar salad. Oh, there. So it made sense in my brain. I got you. But you didn't see all those synapsies firing. But now I do. Unfortunately. Okay. So here we go. The group was originally named Unique Attraction. Okay, that's fun. That's not bad. And it was formed in 85 by Nathan Morris and someone named Mark Nelson at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Love that. Which is abbreviated Kappa. Was that the school on Motown Philly? Yes. Yeah, okay. And it is a public mag public magnet high school. Got it. So there's no tuition to go there or anything else, but you do have to audition and be accepted. And they have seven different creative disciplines. Vocal performance is one. Some of the others they have are orchestra, creative writing, and dance. Nice. Yeah. So they all had to audition to go to school there. Okay. So other alumni from that school, some notable alumni include Quest Love and Black Um Black Thought of the Roots. And Leslie Odam Jr. Whoa. So some pretty, pretty big names. So Nathan Morris, which by the way, Nathan and Wanye are not related. Okay, I was gonna ask. Yeah, no, no. They don't, they're not related at all. They just have the same last name. Um, so Morris, Morris and this Mark Nelson guy, they joined with some other schoolmates, George Baldy, John Schultz, and someone named Marguerite Walker to create the original lineup. Is that a girl? I think no, I think it's a man's name. Okay. I don't know if they're from another country or just like that name. I'm not sure. Look, I have my name is Danny. So let's go then. So they added, so that was in '85, and they were just sort of like getting together at school, kind of like throwing some harmonies together, singing songs that already existed, and kind of sort of songwriting a little. So two years later in 87, the group added freshman Juanye Morris. He was in the school choir and he did like a solo and they'd like noticed him and they were like, wow, he's amazing, invited him to the group. But then in 88, Baldy, Schultz, and Walker, so that was Marguerite Walker, left the group upon graduating. Like they were seniors. So they're like, Well, okay, this was fun little group. Go be an adult. But Wany and Nathan kept singing, and they added Sean Stockman, another one in the school choir after they saw a solo that he performed. They invited him to join. So then they had um Michael McCary join. He's the bass. Who he came into this is funny. He came into the bathroom, Michael, and the four of them, because the Mark Nelson guy's still part of the group. So there's four. Okay. And now the bass would be like the fifth guy. And they're practicing in the bathroom. Oh, yeah, because the acoustics. Yeah. Because he had acoustics. And just started like singing with them, just vibing out. Oh my god. I want to go to a performing art school. Right? Harmonize in the toilet. Yeah, just go do it. It was happening in my bathrooms in public school. Oh. It was not harmonizing. No. It was drugs and smoking and vaping and all the things. Yeah. Yeah. So he just started like singing some bass notes, some like beats, and so they invited him to join. What? Tell me, did I do something weird when I said beat? It was really funny. No, you can't. He said bases and like beats. For y'all that are just listening and not watching, Katie did this really funny like hand movement that I don't know. It tickled my fancy and made me laugh. I don't know. It just was really. That was me getting down to the beat. That's how we would look if we tried to go in the bathroom and drop some beats. This is what it would look like. No one would join our group. They'd be like, okay, we're out. We're out here. It'd be like, never mind. I'll hold it. Okay. I love that though. So he just walked in and they're he they were singing and he just joined. Well, did they not have a bass already? Or he just like took over somebody's line? No, I don't think they had a bass. Okay. I think they were all tenor baritones. Oh. Oh, okay. Bringing in the low notes. Yes. And so it was around this time. So now there were the five of them that they were so heavily inspired by New Edition that they went ahead and renamed themselves Boys Two Men from that new edition song from the 1988 album. So this is crazy. So one night in so again, they're just singing at school, singing after school, no gigs or anything like that. So in 1989, they performed at a Valentine's Day party at their high school. Cute. Really fun. They snuck into a concert put on by local radio station Power 99 at the Philadelphia Civic Center. Somehow they either there's some accounts that said they were like singing for like different security guards and stuff, and then there's some that said they just kind of like found their way backstage. Oh, that's fine. I don't know which never happened nowadays. Never, but in the 80s, absolutely. So they were looking for Will Smith. They were trying to find him. Oh, because this is like DJ Jazzy Jazz and Will Smith. Yeah. And Philly. Fresh Prague Day. The connection there. So they were trying to find him, but as they were looking for him, they crossed paths with new edition member Michael Bivins. What? Yeah. On the spot, they started singing um an a cappella rendition of new editions, Can You Stand the Rain? Oh my God. And Bivens was like so impressed. He had no experience as a manager, but he was like, I want to help you guys. Nice. Gave them his number and invited them to call him sometime. Well, of course. They start calling him. They'd be like running home. Yeah. They're like, uh, we're gonna start calling you now. Uh called him repeatedly. Of course. I would agree. I'd be such a stalking dude. Um, and eventually they had a meeting, and Bivens like basically became their manager to help them get recorded. Can you imagine like your idol? Like they named their group after one of New Edition's songs, and you meet somebody in the band sing one of their songs for them, and they're like, I'm gonna manage you now. Yeah. And then you become freaking boys to manage. Listen, talk about stars aligning in the universe throwing you a card. Right. Like cool, it would have been cool to find Will Smith, and maybe he would have offered to manage them. I have no idea, but like it's it sounds like they never did run into him that night. And wow. Pretty cool. Pretty cool, pretty cool. So um he actually was able to get them signed to a huge major label, Motown Records. And that um is where they went ahead and started to record their first album. That was in '89, you said? Uh-huh. Okay. 89. Um, so and then Bivens from New Edition started to really kind of enjoy managing and actually started picking up some other artists along the way. I think Joe Dissee was one that he ended up managing as well. Well, and then they had, well, and you'll probably talk about this. Then there was the whole East Coast family, which was another bad creation, Bell Biv DeVoe, Bel Biv DeVoe and then like a bunch of other groups too. Yeah, because you know at the end of O'Town Philly, they're like ABC B B D. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. The East Coast family. The East Coast family family. But then they had, and in the video they show them all, and there was like a bunch of other groups. I was like, who's that? Like there was some um, there's another like like white boy band in there too called something. I can't remember, but anyway. But you'll you'll put they did actually sing some background vocals for Another Bad Creation Um while they were still recording their first album. So it took a while to do, and so it was a delay, and then they had some of their own material that like the record company didn't want to record, and all of this led to Mark Nelson leaving the group. He was one of the people. Oh, because I forgot there was even five of them, right? So there was the four that remain. So he left, and he was an adult by then, they weren't. Oh they were like all they're all around the same age, like at this point, they're all like 16, 17, but he was 18. So he left, and he later has said, Oh, I just like thought we had a bad contract and this and that, which maybe they did, but uh yeah. Oh, what a regret! Like that would be so horrible. So, do you remember the RB group as yet? They did a cover of it. It's hard to say, I'm sorry. Vaguely, vaguely. And um last night. Don't remember last night. I go ahead. I don't want to sing it. No, I don't know what it is. I'm too embarrassed. Oh my god. All the things we've done on the book. Last night I was. Do you remember? Obviously, no, I need you to sing it. I'm not going to. I'll tell you if everyone out there knows the song, we literally talked about poo last time. It's no, this is worse. I just don't want to say it. It's very direct. Oh my god, you're so funny. But anyway, he was part of that group, which did see some success at like 99, 2000, like short-lived. As yet. As yet. Okay. Was the song about sex, Katie? Is that right?

SPEAKER_01 25:13

You want to sing it?

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Yes, it was. And it was much stronger wording than I'll make love to you. Just leave it there. Everyone listen. And then what it what if I'm thinking of the wrong song? Oh my god, that's a good thing. Not even as yet better.

unknown 25:27

I sang the wrong song.

Debut Era Singles And Big Awards

SPEAKER_00 25:28

Not even better. Anyway, okay. Okay. We're moving on. Um, so he he kept doing music, but was out of uh boys to men. Okay. So then they move forward as the quartet that we all know them as. Um, I already talked about the boy band thing. Oh, but I have a quote from Nathan Morris about that when I said they didn't really like being lumped under the boy band umbrella. His quote is we created our own entity and our own image. We wanted to be together. Uh, he said, wherever we went, we always wanted to make sure people knew where we were from. We wanted them to know that Philly was about what Philly was about and what it meant to us. It was a badge of honor to us that we carried everywhere. Oh. I think that's really sweet. So, okay, so their first album then is Cooley High Harmony. Yes. And that came out in '91 when it was finally released. And it was already like a hit. The style was dubbed Hip Hop Doo-wop. Oh, yeah. I guess. By the group and Debbie. Hip hop doo-wop. I don't know what I am doing. It's just the whitest thing, friends. Get me a dance floor. I think I'm ready. Get you a dance floor. I'm ready to jam out, guys. With these moves. I'm gonna drop a beat. I'm gonna drop a beat. It's gonna be fine. Listen, it's okay. We are what we are, and we're saying it the way that we are supposed to say it as true. As ourselves. As ourselves, correct. So I already sort of mentioned this, but they have all four members as leads. So they were trying to avoid the typical RB group arrangement where it was like one or two lead singers, and then everybody's a background singer. So that can be hard though. I would think so too. Because, you know, in a quartet, you all have vocal parts, right? Uh-huh. And this is from me who is a low singer. You don't sing a hardly ever melody, you're only singing harmonies. So maybe that's why the bass had all the speaking parts. Yeah. It's hard to sing like a melody that low. Right. Yeah. I'm sure. I'm sure that's why. But now I'm trying to think. Did he have any songs where he was singing? Like lead? It does. It just says he was often featured in spoken word sections. Okay, all right. So I would love that. That would be really great. I would love to just have the spoken word. Who is it? Um Barry White, who sings solo. Oh, yeah, he sure does. So maybe. My darling uh can't get enough. YOLO baby. Yeah. That's that was terrible. So that might be one I'll have to uh look into a little more. And there, you know, there's listeners already going, yeah, because he sings that one part in the one song. So thank you, listeners. You're amazing. Uh, but we don't know what that is right now. Oh god.

unknown 28:07

We've got to do better.

SPEAKER_00 28:08

Look, I've got freaking. No, I feel you. 11 or 12. I know you do. I know. Yeah. Look, I get it. I get it. I stopped listing every single album's tracks because we'd be here for four hours. You'd be here for four hours. I was like, we'll just do the main ones. Yeah. All right. So their debut single was Motown Philly.

unknown 28:23

Oh.

Tour Tragedy And Chart Records

SPEAKER_00 28:23

And the rap cameo is Michael Bivens. Oh. That's right. That's right. That's right. And Belbert DeVoe. Yes, exactly. And the singles release was accompanied by a music video that we talked about. It was really fun. You guys should definitely look it up. It was it was just fun to watch. There's so much, there's so I would love to like have a play-by-play of every scene because there's so many Philly things thrown in there. Like you can see little snippets, like even some of like there's like a can that's probably like a local something or other. So, anyways, it's a fun video. Yeah, they did a really good job with that video. And um, their second single on that one was It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to yesterday. I didn't realize that was that album. I thought it was the other one. It's it's that one. And then their third single is called Uh uh. Yeah, yeah, you know what I'm talking about? Yeah, I'm not singing that. Uh-uh, me either. That didn't that wasn't as popular. Oh, really? It was so popular, but not as much as those other two. Okay. So the full track list from this first uh CD or album was Please Don't Go, Lonely Heart. This is my heart. Uh-uh. It's hard to say, probably easier to sing. It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday, Moton Philly, Under Pressure, Simpin. Uh huh. I'm that one on the way here. I love that one. Little Things and Your Love. Love it. And it sold over nine million copies, and it won the Grammy for Best R B Performance by a duo or group at the 1992 Grammy Awards. Woo! And they were also nominated, okay. So this is crazy. They were nominated for Best New Artist there against Seal, Color Me Bad, and C C C is it C and C Music Factory. C and C Music Factory. But the Grammy went to singer, songwriter Mark Cohn. Who's that? I don't know. Who the hell is that? C-O-H-N is his last name. So none of those people won Best New Artists. What? Is this some guy we don't even know who it is? I don't know who it is. Same. So then they joined, oops, they see the I can't use my computer either. It's not just you. Um they joined to put that on. It's like in your lap and like your mind hunch over and stuff. It's warm. Like a little heating pad. Okay. Which is probably shouldn't be warm, but it's alright. Don't worry. Um, don't worry. It's totally fine. Uh so in 1992, they joined MC Hammer's Too Legit to Quit tour as the opening act. So fine. Alongside Joe Dicey. So those were the two of the tours. I know. So this is wild. I I don't remember this at all, and I feel like I've never read it until I did this research, but maybe you'll remember. While they were traveling on that tour, their tour manager, Boys to Men's tour manager, Roderick Khalil Roundtree, was murdered in Chicago. What? At a hotel. So the story is that there were three men trying to break into his hotel room because apparently he kept a ton of cash. That's how he paid performers. Wow. Which I guess kind of back then makes sense. Like if you were in town and you were paying like musicians. Was he an older gentleman? I think so. Because my stepdad still likes to pay for cash for everything. So they he believed they were trying to rob him, and maybe they were. And he ended up getting shot and killed. Yeah. While they were on tour, while they were on tour, yeah. Um, and his assistant was there too, but he wasn't hurt. So the songs, future performances of It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday have all been dedicated to him. I know. And they had they've said, like all four of them, that he was like awesome and like kind of served as their sort of stand-in father uh on these tours, you know, like he was really um a good influence on them. And if you think about it, because I was looking up, of course, at the end, looking up more. Are there more controversies I missed? Are there other things? And really they're pretty clean-cut group. Like they have not. I would say I don't remember a lot of drama. They're they've just always kind of done what they're supposed to do and not really gotten a lot of drama. There's one or two like personal things with a couple of them, but nothing related to the group where there was ever any sort of kind of drama or anything strange like that. Not even the member who leaves, which we'll talk about. But so at the end of that tour, they returned to the studio and recorded the single end of the road, which was, I didn't realize this, co-written and produced by Babyface, who ended up doing a lot of stuff for them. Yeah. And it was actually written for Eddie Murphy's film Boomerang. Oh, that's right. Yeah. I forgot it was in that mood. It reached the number one position um within a month of being released, and then that it was there for 13 weeks. Wow, that's crazy. Pretty cool. So then this was interesting because remember how when we were talking about the new kids when their second album was really popular, then people kind of started buying the first album. They revamped Cooley High Harmony to include um End of the Road in it. Oh, and resold it. Resold it with it's like a bonus track or whatever. Yeah. Extended version. Exactly. Whatever. Smart. So, and it also included uh East Coast Family. Uh let's see. Oh no, I'm sorry. The song was included on a different album as well that Michael Bivens put together that had bits and pieces of his like groups called East Coast Family Valley, which is probably all the ones I just probably all the ones you just listed. But there was more on there. I didn't realize there were so many. I thought it was just the three. And if you think about it, Boys to Men kind of started that for them. Yeah. Maybe they were already thinking about it. Wait, wasn't well, Belle Bub Devoe was already happening. Yeah, that's true. Because that they were new edition until like Bobby Brown left, and then it was the three of them. Yeah. Yeah. And then I think ABC was before. I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know either. Well, because they were all in their video, and that was their first single, so they must have all they were already existing. Yeah, that's true. So maybe they were just kind of elevating them from that point, I guess. Because what happened was they ended up parting ways with Bivens, and again, I looked to see if it was like dramatic or anything. It really wasn't. Bivens just wanted to start his own label. Oh. And they couldn't get out of their low town records. And I don't think they wanted to, because like things like that. Well, that's a huge label, yeah. So he just kind of left, and like they're still friends today, and all the things. So they kind of parted ways with him. They did release a Christmas compilation, it was called Christmas Interpretations. I had that too. Oh yeah, but that's so good. I love me a Christmas album. Me too. And oh, them singing Christmas songs? Come on. And then two was released in 1994, sold 12 million copies just in the US. Let alone the rest of the 94. I was in high school already. I kept thinking I was in middle school, but I guess that checks. Yeah. It won two awards at the Grammy Awards in 95, including Best RB album. So here's the track list for that one. Let's go. Thank you. All around the world, you know, Viben, I Sit Away, Jezebel. And then they have one called Khalil, and it's an interlude. And that was the name of the guy, their manager who was killed. So I don't remember that. I don't know if it was just like a short little something. Well, if it's an interlude, then yeah, that's it's just something small, yeah. Trying Times, I'll make love to you, Unbended Knee, Fifty Candles, Water Runs Dry. Water Runs Dry. Love that song. Yesterday. A lot of their songs are sad AF. I know. I've just I forgot that. Seriously. Yeah, so sad. And Fallen. And most of them were written and produced by Tim Kelly and Bob Robinson, Babyface, and the team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Oh, that's a fun name. Jimmy Jam. Jimmy Jam. I was like, I feel like I know that from somewhere, but yeah. You'd be knowing Jimmy Jam. Okay. Maybe just from this. If I had some. If I was like a record producer or something, I would make up a stupid name. Like just because that's fun. Because then that's the name that's on all the things. Yeah, and it's fun to say. Because obviously that's not his real name. No. Oh, wait, what if it is though?

unknown 36:36

It could be.

SPEAKER_00 36:37

But then his name would probably be James Jam. Right? Some people name is Jimmy without it being a really? Well, wow. I didn't know that really bothered you. Yeah, I don't like that for some reason. That really That's like being the name of Larry. Oh, well, now it holds a different meaning. Anyway. I still love Larry Appleton. Perfect Stranger's fame. Wait, isn't that the name I said I don't like Larry? Or I said I say that. No, you said Gerald. Gerald. Well, now I don't like Larry either. Add that to my list. And Larry's usually short for Lawrence. Really? Yeah. Oh. Not always, but. And that one doesn't bother me as much as Jimmy. I mean, that was a real. I mean, my name's Katie. That's it. See? My name's Amy. That's it too. Well, it doesn't bother me. But you hate on Jimmy's. She said no. Your name is James Jim. Okay. James Jim. This is where I draw the line. It cannot be. Cannot be, Jimmy. Okay. So on that album, Babyface actually wrote and produced I'll make love to you and Water Runs Dry. Aw, fun. Yeah. I love Babyface, first of all. Also, that's a fun name, too. Yeah. What is Babyface? Yeah.

unknown 37:52

What?

SPEAKER_00 37:53

Look, my computer be giving me trouble. You do. He still has a babyface. I know. He has such a good voice, too. Oh my gosh. But I think that makes sense. Like, if you yourself are a good singer and understand music, you probably can write. But you'd it it also is a bit of a leap to write for four-part harmony. Right. Like, even if you have help getting the lines down, you have to hear it in your head and know. And those two songs especially, like, oh yeah. It's intricate. So he, yeah, that's that's quite a skill. You go baby face. You go baby face. So I'll make love to you broke um End of the Road's 13-week record, spending 14, and then On Bended Knee replaced I'll Make Love to You at number one. It wasn't as long though, so it didn't break the record. And it made Boys to Men the second act ever to replace itself as number one. Love that. Uh behind the Beatles. They had done that. They had to play number ones at the same time. That's what it was. That's what it was. But yeah. So like if there's somebody else who knocks you out of number one for even a week and then you have number one again, it doesn't count because it's not consecutive. So that's what that was. That's kind of cool. Yeah, that's really cool. In 95, they were backing vocals on history from Michael Jackson's ninth album. Holy cough. That was like a hair bomb. Do you need some water? That was like dust came out. You need to get that looked at. That was weird. Dust came out. What was that? Sorry, everyone. I should do a social clip and make that where dust comes out of your mouth. That is what it sounded like the right it did. It sounded like. Oh my goodness. All right. Well, as long as Eric Cobwebs I know now since you cut that out. We're doing okay. All right. And then they um in '95 Motown issued the remix collection, which was remixes of various Boys to Men songs from Cooley High Harmony and two. I mean, you remember when that was like all the craze remixing all the songs, and they were probably just trying to sell more CDs. Sometimes I don't be liking the remix. No, because then I like Madden 2. Well, I liked it the other way. Right. The group itself actually didn't want Motown to release it. They didn't like the remixes, but they didn't really have a choice. Well, yeah. And so after they released the album, basically without their permission, there was a dispute, and Boys to Men actually left and started their own recording company, Stone Creek.

unknown 40:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

And Stone Creek, everything they've made on Stone Creek has been distributed by Epic Records. Not Motone. I don't know. I would assume they just got to the end of their contract and they were like, We don't like that you did that and just didn't resign or something. Well, and they had enough experience where they wanted to try it themselves. Who knows? Who knows? Not us. We researched it. Not us. We research and we don't know. We can only know so much, guys. I would guess that's it though. Probably. Because they're not 16 doing their first album anymore. Right, right. And look, they are like working with babyface and people like that. Well now they have enough connections. They've got enough connections, yeah. And such clout that like Epic Records will be like, sure, we'll take it, you know. So uh 95 was also the year they appeared with Mariah Carey in One Sweet Day. That was from her fantasy album. Oh, we know Katie loved that one. Love that one. I love that one. And that was the one that was um Billboard's top 40 number one, 16 weeks in a row. Man, her voice with their voices, let's go. So good. So, so good. And then their third, so from there, those are like really like the big boys to men hits. Yeah, right. Everything from there, they'll have a little something here or there, and they're similar to the new kids on the block where they've never really stopped working. I mean, were they when they were on the Super Bowl when? When was that? A few years back. Yeah, it was a couple years ago. Were they did they were they part of like when Snoop came on and they had all the people? I think that's when it was. Okay. They were part of that one. Yeah, fun fact. My tap teacher now. Uh huh. Uh her name's Cassidy. She was one of the backup dancers for Snoop in the halftime show. What? Oh, in the in the halftime show? I know. Oh. Listen. That's so cool. I want to sit her down and ask her all about it, but I'm sure she probably doesn't want to talk about it that much. But why not? I mean, maybe it's cool. Isn't that amazing? Take her out for a coffee. I know. I just want to know all the story.

unknown 42:23

Yeah.

Evolution Era Pressure And Health Issues

SPEAKER_00 42:23

I just think it's so crazy. And she's so young. She's like 23 or something. I don't know. Wow, that's really cool. I don't know. What a fun experience, right? To be young. Yes. And a backup dancer at the Super Bowl. Like, like that. That was ever in the clouds for us. In the clouds. In the stars. You're maybe in the clouds. You're reaching for the stars. You're reaching for the clouds. You're like, you know what? If you don't reach for the clouds, I mean, that was never a possibility for us in our entire life. But I love to hear stories. Like Susie, I love to hear all Susie's stories when she worked in Vegas and stuff. It's just fascinating. It is cool. It's just fascinating. And they work their asses off that too. Like it's a lot of work to be a professional performer on any level. And the things you got to put your body through. Mm-hmm. It's wild. Hats off to them. Couldn't be me. Hats off. Well, look. Couldn't be either of us. I'm just trying to reach for clouds. We aren't even reaching for stars anymore. Okay. Or planets. I mean, clouds, clouds are more attainable. They are. They're closer. I like clouds. You can see them. I mean, you can see stars, I guess. But not really. All right. Here we go. Third studio album, Evolution. Do you remember that one? Yeah. Released in 97. It sold three million copies, which is still a lot, but the one before it was like nine million. So big. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it wasn't quite as popular. And what year was this? This was 97. So things were kind of changing. Things were changing in general. Right. For music. And it had Had four seasons of loneliness on it. Do you remember that one? That made it to the number one spot briefly. And then a song for Mama. Remember that one? It was in the movie Soul Food. Oh, yes. Okay. That one was really good. See, another heart, another heart. Another heart. I know. I know. They got those voices though that make it work. So then they took a tour in '97 for that one. And they did sell a lot of tickets because they weren't just singing album songs from that album. They were singing everything. Um, but they were kind of dealing with some stuff behind the scenes. The record label uh was, you know, didn't love that it wasn't as successful, epic, like the distributor. The health problems started to take their toll. So Wanye developed a polyp on his vocal cords, and they had to postpone part of the tour till he recovered. I know that. Understandably. Yeah, because listen, y'all, the only way you heal vocal polyps is resting completely. You can't you can't sing, you can't talk, you cannot make anything for those vocal cords to vibrate. You can't even whisper. Because fun fact, that's worse for your voice. Yeah. You have to do breath talking. You know how to do that? No, it's so weird. I the I had to be coached on how to do that when I had my vocal polyps. So you take a breath and you I can't do it anymore, but you have to say something with just your breath so your vocal cords don't move as much. Because when you're whispering, your vocal cords are still going, you're just not as loud. Right. It's the weirdest thing. But anyway, you can't even breath talk. But that's when when you're allowed to try and make noises again. You start with breath talking. Makes sense. Then then you do, you know, whatever talking, you can't speak over a certain volume, but it takes a while before you're able to sing again. Yeah. And so I can't imagine having those while you're on tour. I know. Because there ain't nothing you can do. Like, no, nothing. Yeah, so they had to postpone. And then so around this time, uh, the bass singer, Michael McCary, he was um it ended up being he has MS, multiple sclerosis. But he didn't know it. No. Which most people don't actually do it. And then once he did know, he actually didn't share it with the group for many, many years. So he had left the group, and it was years later that he actually told them why. So that's why he left. Yes. So they were feeling, and this is just such commentary on chronic illness, too. And this isn't necessarily their fault, but they were viewing his behavior as lazy and not like he wasn't wanting to do the dance numbers, but he was having mobility issues and pain, undiagnosed at the time. Right, because a lot of times with MS, it's silent for a while. You don't know what's going on. And you're young usually when your symptoms start, so you don't think. I mean, hearing like Selma Blair is one who's talked about it, Christina Applegate. Yeah. Like, I'm just thinking of people in recent mind who've shared their journey with MS. And it sometimes it takes a long time before you finally get that diagnosis. Yeah. And then because it presents as a lot of other things. Oh, yeah, 100%. And everyone's different how it presents as well. Exactly. So it turns out that's what was going on. Oh, bless it. So just you know, and they all still get along great now and everything, but you can imagine just the conflict of that, like and feeling all that pressure of trying to live up to what you've already done, and now here's someone who can't sing, and here's someone who can't dance, and your album's not doing as well. So there was a little bit of conflict there, but they were nominated for two Grammys in '98 for the best RB album for evolution and then the best RB vocal performance for a song from Mama. Okay, so they still out, they still out here. Um, so let's see. Okay, so Boys to Men ended up back under Motown's label, but they were um bought by Universal Music Group. Doesn't matter that much, but in 99 they went back over there. She's like, never mind. I just know that. I'm like, I'm reading this, I'm like, who cares? So they went there. Um I feel that like that's interesting to know because the record industry is is like that. Is fickle and you you kind of float around sometimes and in and out, and sometimes contracts suck, and then you go back and they don't suck as bad. And right. But look, I gotta know. I I've been around, guys. You're like, no, this is important that we that we discuss the same thing. I mean, when you shoot for the clouds, I know you're gonna land. I feel like in the case. We mean to start making shirts of all the dumb crap we say with dumb phrases. I don't know if we can we need to Sarah. That's that's not then good for you to um tell us. Tag like our scribe. Because she remembers all the dumb stuff we say. Yeah, or just disable a notebook with you, Sarah and just read it to the clouds. That's but we what was another one we had not too long ago? That's something you do things wrong. Oh, we do things wrong. Yeah. That one. There's definitely something else too, but those two came to mind. All right, great. So moving along, and they made a 2000 album called Nathan, Michael, Sean, Wan Ye. And it was written and produced mostly by the group itself. They were trying to update their sound, ward off critics who questioned the group's reliance on babyface. I'm like, I don't care. I'm gonna rely on babyface. Wait, what do you mean? Like, they decided the four of them were going to write and produce their album because there were critics saying that babyface did all that for them. Who cares? I don't care. In most pop music, people ain't writing their own. No, but I'm sure that wasn't the only reason, but that was something that had been out there, so they just decided. But the album didn't do very well. Oh boo. Um well, it's kind of not a great name, guys. Yeah, it's like just their names. Just their names. Like, think of how great Cooley High Harmony. I love that. And two, even evolution's pretty cool. But then just your names, I don't know. We could just call this a Katie Danny podcast. Let's do it. It'll be fine. People will know what they're getting. Okay. Will they though? I don't know. They'll still be surprised. Or disappointed or disappointed, or both at the same time. So the critics actually really like this album, but it only sold half a million copies. I gotta go listen to it. I do not remember this uh at all. I need to ask my husband. The two singles that came out on it were Pass You By and Thank You in Advance. I vaguely remember Pass You By, and I listened to that one last week, but I couldn't even like sing it right now. And then the other one I didn't remember at all.

SPEAKER_01 50:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 50:41

So I'm not sure. Then they left Universal in 2001. Um, and the label still released a greatest hits compilation Legacy, the Greatest Hits collection, and that kind of closed out their contract with them. Okay, so that was their last thing. That was their last thing with them. So now, similar to the new kids, there's just now a smattering of things that they're doing, doing, doing all this time, right? So they obviously have several more albums. The color of love. Now from here on, the other, the one guy left. Yes. So the color of love was their first album that he was not on. Michael Michael. Okay. So that was the official departure of him and his host history of them. Hey girl. Yeah, that guy. You can't even make your voice go that low. Oh, you did. Okay. Hey girl. All right. I can do it. I can do voices. No, I just say because you have such a like a high princess voice. I'm actually really flattered that you said that about me saying that note because I've been working to expand my lower range. Oh, okay. I don't think I could sing what I just said. If you can speak it, you can sing it. Expanded my lower range by like three notes in the past six months. That's really crazy. Can I tell you something since we're talking about notes? You know, my Katie was my vocal teacher until um I had to stop because of money. You know, yeah. I'm gonna come back eventually. Yeah. So my breaking part, my breaking note is that high C, yeah? Yeah. Do you know I have to sing it? You do? And every every time I have to sing by myself on that Henneger stage, I have a high C. But yeah, just in the Queen Vivian part. Yeah, okay. But okay, I can do it now. Yay! I can do it. I can do it. Does it sound great? Not really, but it doesn't sound as bad as it used to. So look at us. Look at us. You're singing low, I'm singing high. We got this. So you know my theory about that note. I think I've told you when you've about Kelly Clarkson in that note. Maybe I haven't told you. Oh, yeah, me and Kelly Clarkson are the same. That note, so if you read music, we're talking about C4. She's saying high C, but most of the time. Oh no, it's okay. Four drink of high C is C5. Yeah, no, no. We're talking about C above C above middle C. For an Alto 2, that's a high C bitches. Well, and it's in a lot of people's break. That is my break too. 100%. So Kelly Clarkson, when she holds out a note like any of her songs, like Since You've Been Gone, uh Breakaway, like all of those, it's always that note. And my theory is I love Kelly Clarkson, first of all. But my theory is that she figured out she's the only person in the world that can sing that note well and so good. And so she just puts it in all her songs because nobody else can do it as good as her. Get it, Kelly. I know. Because I'll be like listening and I'll be like, it's that C. And then I'll like play it and hit the key. And it is. And she can just she can sing it, and depending on what she's singing, if it sounds high or it sounds low, it she just and I'm like, she figured out that she can do this skill that most people can't do. People can sing that note, but most people don't sound great on that note for whatever reason. It's too high, it's too low, it's in their break. People being like women or female vocal cords, whatever. But she's got it. And she's like, I'm just gonna take this. That's because she all the way to the bank. She literally can sing anything, as she has proven on her show, where they just give her a song. She can fucking sing anything. She can. What? Yeah. So now you guys are gonna hear that C4 every time you listen to Kelly Clarkson. I know every time I say hi C, I should say hi C for me. The C above middle C. That one, that one. And it is, you know, it is high. It is high for Alto 2s. You're right. Are you an Alto 2 or an Alto 1 though? I feel like you're an Alto 1. I'm gonna claim an Alto 2, but I can No, I mean, whatever. It's it is what it is. I got you. Well, good for you getting higher and me getting lower. I know. What is gonna be a good thing? All right, so wait a minute. Why do you want to sing lower? I just want to. Okay. I um I'm trying to expand my range higher too, but I'm already sing high. I'm already so high that there's like physically only so much. Oh my god, what a bitch. But I already sing so high there I can't do more. I've done I've done enough. I've done enough. I think I've done enough on the high note. I'm just kidding. That's great. Part of it is I just when I sing with my students, I want to be able to sing most of the range that my students can sing. Okay, I get that. So if I get women who are alto one, alto two, or young men. Yeah. Um, I I obviously can't sing all of the men's notes, but I try to get as much as I can if I'm helping them with something. So that's part of it. And then part of it was the show I did in January. I sang low for some of it. Not lower than I'm able to do, but like close a couple times. Yeah. I had to, not a lot, but I had to dip down. But that's not your comfort zone, yeah. It's not. And so I was like, huh. I want to get those notes stronger. And as I did, I just started working on the lower stuff. I just wanted to look at you, girl. Yeah, look at me. You know, soon to come alto two in a musical near you. Hey, yeah, no, they're not they're not gonna put you. They'd be like, we need you in the sopranos, bitch. Get back up there, yeah. Okay, and they probably put you in second soprano because nobody likes being there because nobody it's hard as fuck. It's hard. I like singing second soprano, but it's hard. It's hard. It's hard to do that. I think that's harder than Alto, honestly. They're both hard. I think second is harder. I think I do. I think what makes second so hard is they move more than Alto. That's what that's what it is. Alto Alto sing uh like the note I sang in Diana. I swear I sang two notes the whole show. Right. Whereas second soprano, you're usually moving as much as the melody line, just not. And none of it sounds right. None of it like specially, no, it doesn't. It's not intuitive. It's intuitive. Watch. I'm gonna walk in there and Karen's gonna be like, Danny, no, nothing. Second Soprano, Danny. No, no, no, no. I can't sing that. She'd be like, you're gonna be right where you always be. Except for that C. Except for that C. Except for that C. All right. So the Color of Love. Um, so that Michael had left, Michael left. They put out this one, yes, and they did like this crazy uh music video shoot for the lead single, The Color of Love. And I'm saying that because it filmed them in different areas. So, like Sean Stockman, they filmed in Tokyo, Nathan Morris was in Ghana. What? Wanye was in Puerto Rico, wow, and then they filmed in New York City, so it was just like big budget, whatever. That's so fun, and it debuted on BET, but it really didn't like do that well. All that worked for that video, all that worked, and they sold about a half a million copies of the album. Um, let's see what else. There's just a lot of other stuff on different albums here that I put down, but um they in 2007 they it created their own independent label again. But I've heard of this one, MSM Music Group. I feel like I've heard of that one. I look at you. Like, hello? I'm supposed to know all the things about the record industry. I thought you were the record industry expert based on earlier. So I thought you might I've never heard of them. Um and they released something called Throwback Volume 1 in 2004. Something called. Something. Well, it was an album to be more specific. And it was covers of classic RB soul songs. Yeah, that's what I was listening to. Yeah. Oh, it's so good. Yeah. They were singing that song Stay. You know it's on Dirty Dancing. Oh, wow. Jeez. I thought that was really good. Oh, in her vision. Oh, look at that. You heard me pop up into those head notes. I love that. That was really seeing that was above C4. I know, but you know what it is. If I'm in a character voice, I can do it. Yeah. Well, there you go. That's all you need. Character voice. You got it. Unless you remember my vocal audition where I sang like a mouse. I was not there. But I remember the same thing. No, but I told you. Yes. And I can just imagine.

unknown 58:33

Okay.

Covers Comebacks Vegas And Pop Culture

SPEAKER_00 58:34

But you've got a good part, so I don't think it was bad. I don't think it was bad. An elf. Let's go. Oh, to answer your question about the bass lines then. So who sang it then? It was Nathan Morris in the group. Because he was baritone. So they don't. So like on that album with just the three of them, he took the bass. They popped them down. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah. So then they were just a three-part harmony, not a four. Yeah. And they still are to this day. And they remain remain. Um and the album reached 59 on the Billboard 200. So not too great. But like you said, it has really good music on it. Um sold about 200,000 copies. Okay. Which, you know, again, not great compared to before, but better than zero. Better than zero. They recorded a CD in 2005 called Apocalypse. Oh, okay. And it was, yeah, it was meant to benefit Haiti after the hurricane. Oh, oh, yeah. It's like a benefit album. I was like, what happened then? I remember. Um, then they released one exclusively in Japan in 2006 because they have like a huge fan base over there. Okay. And it was available online in 2007 here. Okay. But like the actual CD was there. Uh, let's see. Mid-2007, they re- they came back to Universal Records. Wow. And released the album Motown A Journey Through Hitsville, USA. Love that. I love that too. And it's a cover album as well. And it was co-produced by Randy Jackson from American Idol. Yeah. This is probably the one you heard because they had songs from The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson. So the one before that was covers of like more modern things. Oh, never mind. Michael Jackson and stuff like that. So this was more of the throwback one to like um classic moth artists in their songs. Uh, and it found some success. It was number six on the RB charts and was certified gold in the UK. They have a pretty big international following. Love that. Yeah, I love that too. Um, they received two nominations for the album, too, uh, for the Grammys Best RB album they didn't win, and best RB Performance. They in 2008, the three of them appeared on Celebrity, Don't Forget the Lyrics. Do you remember that show? Yeah. They were on there. God, we would do so bad. So bad. We would do so bad on that show. We had to look at the first two lines of Motown Philly for our intro today. And I think, like, is there an S? Well, because I thought, I thought for years it was doing a little East Coast slide. And it's not. It's swing. It's swing. Katie knew it. East Coast swing. They ended up winning and they earned half a million dollars for two charities. Wow, okay. And then it kind of boosted interest in them for their next release, which came out in 2009. Um, and that was another cover one, and they covered songs that were outside, it was called entitled Love, and it was love songs outside the RB genre. Oh, fun. They did like country songs and stuff like that. Oh, yeah, okay. So they kind of popped out their genre. That's fun. That is fun. I like that they just like try different things. They're like, oh, let's cover stuff. Let's cover things that aren't RB. Well, when you're that vocally talented, you can fucking sing anything. Voice of men can probably sing anything just like Miss Kelly Clarkson. That's what I was gonna say. They can sing anything. Yeah. Like she can sing every genre. I will listen to them sing anything, just like I will listen to Miss Kelly Clarkson sing anything. And I think maybe that's part of the allure, right? Like you're like, yeah, sing. It doesn't have to be brand new, original, whatever, just like sing something I already know and I love your voices. Exactly. Which I think is fun. That's what that's the appeal of Kelly Clarkson and her Kelly Oki stuff too. It's so funny. Because you know the songs, but it's really fun to hear her sing them, or if she sings with the artists. We need boys to men. Okay. Right? Do we? Yes. Because think how fun that would be to listen to them harmonize like some crazy stuff. That'd be fun. Right? Like a solo song. Boys to men. We should go to Orlando and tell them next month. And they'll be like, thank you for that idea, two middle-aged white ladies. If Sean doesn't show up and get mad at us for calling him a boy band first. Right, right, that's true. Right. So in 2012, they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Yay. And all four of them were there for that. Oh, I'm glad they let him come back. So they have like eventually he got his diagnosis. And so they have a good relationship now. They do. Good. And they've all said, like, well, so was he what happened when we were young? Like, was he on the Super Bowl with them? I don't think so. Okay. No, I remember because there was like a whole thing people were asking for who it was. Yeah. And despite the fact that like that is known now, it's not like a hugely known fact. Yeah, I didn't necessarily like if you didn't look it up, you might not know. Yeah. Because they're all very respectful of like him. So the only person that ever talks on it is him. Yeah. None of them will talk about it. Right at least so. Which I think makes sense. Yes. So this is so fun, and I'm sad that somehow we missed it.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:26

Oh no.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:27

In 2011, Boys to Men head headlined a love cruise in honor of their 20th anniversary. A love cruise. In observance of Valentine's Day. Because remember, they sang at that Valentine's Day thing the night that they snuck into the concert. Oh, I love this. They traveled from Miami to the Bahamas. Here is what the passengers received: a Boys to Men welcome cocktail party, a concert, a fan appreciation concert. Okay, so I guess there were two.

unknown 1:03:55

Two concerts.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:58

A photo session in small groups. Love this. A formal prom night, a poker tournament, a deck party with boys to men, and a guest DJ, a singles mixer, a gift bag, and onboard drawings for other boys to men events. And couples were able to renew their wedding vows in a special ceremony with boys to men. Can you imagine? I love this. What if you like married your eighth-grade sweetheart and then you could renew your vows with uh that's adorable. That's so, so cute. That is an action-packed cruise, by the way. Action-packed. Action-packed. And that same year they came out. It probably was. It was a romance cruise. I I was like, I was like, I wonder how many uh babies got pregnant. Yeah, I was thinking that's after that cruise. Yeah, yeah. So that same year they came out with 20 is the name of their album, which honored the 20 years in the in the business. Yep, it had 13 original songs and eight re-recorded Voice to Men classics, but it didn't have Michael. So I would I would not want to want to hear that. Well, that must have been hard for them because they had to probably rework all those harmonies they've been singing. They probably had to like it they might as well be original because yeah. And even now when they perform, I'm sure they've had to redo it. Yeah, they've had to relearn it. Um they had announced a reunion with Michael for that 20 album, but then it kind of fell through because he ended up just not being well enough and he declined and he didn't join the project. So it was released without him. In 2011, they performed a special guest on VH1's highly rated VH1 Divas Celebrate Soul concert. I don't remember that, but that sounds really fun. Um, they contributed a cover of a Japanese rock band on their tribute album. What? That's what it says. Okay, 2000 celebration. I don't know anything else about that. 2002. Oh, let me see. They had a Vegas residency. Oh, that's right. In 2013. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And that was at the Mirage. And multiple performances each week. And it ran until 2018. It ran for five years. Wow. I was in Vegas two or three times during that during that span. For work. For work. I went for my sister-in-law's birthday too. But I don't remember them being there. Well, there's so much happening in Vegas. There's so much happening, I remember. Yeah, that's true. And then they, as you mentioned, back in their heyday, they were in a lot of TV shows, but they were also on an episode of How I Met Your Mother. And they performed an a cappella version of the show's song, You Just Got Slapped. Oh, that's so fun. Yeah, that's really fun. And then they released their 11th album called Collide in 2014. Damn, they've been working. That's what we still go in. So it's like 2016. They appeared in Grease Live. They were the Teen Angels. Isn't that amazing? Oh my God. We have to go back and rewatch that. I didn't watch that. They sang beauty school dropout. Oh, let's go. We have to watch that. We have to. Um, and then Wanye was on the 22nd season of Dancing with the Stars. He plays Fourth. Hey. It's pretty good. And I don't know if you remember them from the Geico commercials. Yes. They they filmed some of those. This is fun. In 2017, a section of Broad Street in Philadelphia was renamed Boys to Men Boulevard, and their school is in that section. Oh the high school that they went to. Yeah. So there's like all these pictures of like the ribbon cutting and like how fun to have a street named after your group. That's so fun. Like that's like an address now. I love that. Boys to Men. Is it Boulevard or District? Uh Boys to Men Boulevard. Yeah, fancy. Um, and then they released another album, and this was covers from the 1950s. Okay, so which the fuck one did I listen to? What song did you hear? Stay. Stay. That was probably the Motown one. Who originally said a little bit longer?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:00

Please let me stay.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:03

Isn't that uh oh, that might not have been Motown then? Isn't that the four seasons? I don't know. Katie, I don't know. You don't need to be asking, and I'm not gonna know it's gonna drive me crazy. Well, I don't know. They have a lot of cover albums, apparently. I know. So I don't know which one you listen to. Which number one I was listening to was good. Um and that peaked at number 58. Oh, in 2018, they were on a new track released by Charlie Pooth titled If You Leave Me Now. Oh. Yeah. So that's probably a cover too, right? 2018. Okay. And then um they performed their song that was that cover album I was just talking about. They had one original song on there called Ladies' Man. Oh, I love that. And they performed it live on Dancing with the Stars in 2018 and People Danced to it. DeBarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold, if you want to know what people that they did a quick step too. People dance to something on Dancing with the Stars? Yeah, it was crazy. Um, oh my goodness, my tummy is doing it again. I heard it. I heard it. Um, they are also like, this is interesting, in the past six or seven years, they've kind of gotten in the K-pop scene. Oh my god, I am brand new to K-pop and I'm so obsessed with it. I know, it's like so late for the game. It's such a rabbit hole. And they love it, I guess. And it's like some of the funnest music. Yeah, and because they have fans all over the world, including people um, you know, in Asia, like they kind of just play into it. So they were at a concert in um where is this? It didn't say where, but with um Filipina singers, so it's the K-pop kind of sound, even though they're not um Korean Korean. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So they announced an Asia tour in 2019, and that was after their um Mirage residency. And then um in two 2021, I thought about trying to watch this. I ran out of time. I think I still will, but they were the focus of the first episode of the Netflix music documentary miniseries This Is Pop. I've watched that, and did you watch theirs? Yeah, I watched it a while ago. And it's called Boys to Men Effect. Uh-huh. They have a I I need to re-watch it though. And essentially, I guess that the episode is about how Boys to Men's contribution to music has kind of been overlooked and understated, like how much they've actually contributed. Uh, and they only interviewed the three members because Michael didn't decline to be on it. Okay, so this is funny. I uh first of all, we've talked about Mass Singer. I know. These are gonna keep popping up. If one of them went on Mass Singer, it might be hard to figure out who they were, but they were all three on. Together? Yes. Oh. So, like, wouldn't you figure that out in two seconds? I probably wouldn't. Really? I listen, we think we would until you're sitting in that seat and they have on furry costumes and you don't know. They were buffaloes. Buffaloes, that's what it says. They were buffaloes and Nick Lachey.

unknown 1:11:04

All three of them.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:07

Nick Lachey was also on that season as a masked thing, and he was Piglet. What is it? Is this animals? Sometimes they're animals, yeah. Because Donnie Wahlberg was what? Cloudlö? That's who he was. Like she gave Yeah, he was a rooster. Yeah, he was a rooster. I mean, I think a lot of them are animals, yeah. That show is crazy. So oh, but they had names. Okay, one of those. Sean played the buffalo named Maroon. Nathan played the buffalo named Olive, and Wanye played the buffalo named Goldie. I don't know why. I don't know why. Um, so what happened was in the first episode there was just one buffalo. And it was Sean, and he sang. And he sang, I just died in your arms tonight. I just died in your arms. Oh, I'd love to see him as a buffalo sing that. So good. We'll have to look it up. So as the season went on, the other two then like joined him. Oh, so see, yeah. So eventually they figured it out. Um, especially if he's singing that song, because that's not something you would place. That's true. And they do do a good job on that show of kind of trying to throw you off the scent. Yeah. Um, for sure. Throw you off the buffalo scent. Here's a piglet and a chicken instead. I'm sorry, a rooster. I'm sorry. Whatever. Whatever. Um, so they became the first group to win a season of the show. Oh. Um, and Nathan Morris was the oldest winner in the show's history at age 53. Get it. You go. Um, so that's kind of fun. We'll have to look up the buffaloes. We're gonna have to. They went back to Vegas in 2024 for a brief residency at the Chelsea. And then um, while they were there, in August of 2024, Michael McCarry made a surprise appearance on stage bass with Boys to Men, and he was hugged by all the members. He did not sing, but it was the first time he'd been seen publicly with them since 2012, and that's when they received the Hollywood Walk of Fame star. And he hadn't really been with them in the years before that either. There's supposedly a Boys to Men biopic um happening. Ooh, it's in development right now. They actually, it's the same company that produced Bohemian Rhapsody. Oh, that was such a good movie. So good. Oh man. Uh fingers crossed that we see that soon. For 2024's Christmas season, they came out with a charity Christmas album called A Philly Special Christmas Party. Yeah, I was listening to that too. It's super good. And there's uh like a new song on it. It's Christmas time in Cleveland Heights. Yeah, okay, cool. Uh, they were part of the show K-poped, performing with K-pop group Black Swan. They performed Roll Up, Motown Philly, and End of the Road. That was in 2025. Um, they so they keep going back to the Chelsea in Las Vegas to the point that people now call it just like a yearly tradition. They're going now and they perform for like a week or two. I love that. It's not really like a residency, but it's more than one concert. It's a guest starring, it's a guest starring thing. Yeah. Appearance. Um wait, when were they on the Super Bowl? I don't even have that in case. I know. I think it's because it's not their own show, maybe. I'm gonna look it up like a talking. You look it up. We have to say that. We do have to. Um, because it was before this. Okay, so just recently, January 30th, 2026, McCarey surprised audiences and performed end of the road with Boys to Men at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during their North American tour with New Edition. These repeated appearances of McCary with his former band late have led to speculation that the full reunion might be in the works. But no one's confirming it yet. Oh, but can he handle it? That's probably what he's trying to figure out. That's probably what he's trying to figure out. Because being at like one concert, I know, like how long's the recovery for that, you know? Like physically and that's the thing with MS, you can't predict how you're gonna feel. I know. So, yeah, you really can't. Well, let me know if you find it. I'm looking, my wifi, I mean, my phone doesn't work good up in up in here. Up in here? Up in here. Um wait a minute. It said they performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in '98. Oh. Wait, I thought it was who I thought they were with Snoop Dogg. Didn't they have a little? I thought they had like a cameo because he had a bunch of people. It said in 98 they celebrated the 40th anniversary of Motow Records.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:25

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:25

They performed alongside Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, the Temptations, and Queen Latifa.

unknown 1:15:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:31

But now, man, we don't worry, we'll find it. Because we're gonna have a part two. So we can come back on it. We are. We can look back, we'll come back to it. So when I got done with everything, yes, I was like, okay, kind of like with the hotel fire situation with Nukes on the block. I'm like, am I missing? What am I missing? Obviously, we see I'm missing a lot, but in my own little space, I was like, what am I missing? So I looked up just controversy, and the only other thing I could really find, and I remember this at the time it happened, in 2017, Chili from TLC was on an interview and made a comment that Boys to Men had said that they didn't need babyface to be famous, or they didn't need him anymore, and that's why they like stopped working with him. And apparently the members of Boys to Men, mostly Wanye, were very offended by this. And like he took to Instagram to be like, one, we never said that, two, we still work with babyface, we've never stopped working with babyface, and he went like off about it. He said, We didn't even like run in the same circles with them, like back at the time she's talking about. I don't know how she would have heard any of that. And then he made a comment, um, because you know, Lisa from the group is has passed away, that Lisa would never say something like that. It was like this whole online feud back in like 2017. So I don't know. It seems like they're fine with babyface, like they're all fine, so I don't know what she was saying. And then I was wondering if, like, out of context, maybe it just didn't make sense because she said they said blah blah blah, but maybe she wasn't quoting them. Right. Maybe it was her opinion. Like, well, they said the da-da-da-da. Like, which is totally different, right? Well, who knows? She may have just been repeating something that was told to her. Right. And then you never know if that's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then like, yeah, and then and then dot dot. So if it was January when McCarry surprised them, maybe he will be in Orlando. Maybe he will. Maybe. I went on their official website and that's where I saw that they're going to be there, and they have a whole list of appearances. They were just there when last year. Well, they were at Epcot. I think it was last year when Shore and I were there. Okay.

unknown 1:17:46

Fine.

Why Their Legacy Still Hits

SPEAKER_00 1:17:47

I think they were there. I mean, we didn't have tickets to go see and watch, but you know, when you walk by, you can like hear. I think was it last year or the year before? I can't remember. Yeah. But they were at the you know how Epcot does like the little concerts. Yeah. Yeah. So they're still out here singing. Good. I have more information for part two on like individual things about them. Um, there's not as uh as much out there about them as like new kids on the block. And I don't know if it's because they're deliberately more private or if just the fan base is different and a lot of like the new kids stuff, people have just gone into rabbit holes to find out about them, or if the new kids have put that out themselves. Well, and not to take it to a deeper level, but during the time they were famous, I mean, during the their heyday, I mean, like Maurice Starr said, he put, you know, after new edition, he got fired. He wanted to form a white new edition because it made the money. Because that was I mean, it's a racist foundation, but that's our country. Yeah. Every industry. I was wondering that when I was like looking into stuff, I was like, I I ended up finding some things, but I was like, there's just not a lot. Which is sad because they're so fucking talented. Yeah. And they're adorable. They are so cute. Okay. Oh, we didn't have to be a good idea. Not like that matters. Not like that matters. Did you have a favorite? Yes, I like the bass. I think it makes sense. Carrie. I like Sean. Okay. I like Sean. That makes sense. I like the bass too. I mean, they're all really good looking and they have amazing voices, so there's that. I think I like people with super high voices or really low voices. I think you do. The extremes. That's where I love low voices. I mean, we've talked about Hades and my. Oh, yeah, true. I like but you know what I used to also like like is um like the 80s hairbands where they would like screech and scream and sing. I love that too. I don't like that so much. That's not my favorite. Love it. Well. Between hairbands, falsettos, balky. I don't think you have a type. I really do. I think you're all over the place. I think I'm all over the place. But I like that. You never know what's gonna happen. You never know what you're gonna say about that. So interesting. All right. Well, that's everything I was really, and I feel like I learned a lot. There's a few things I even want to look up that I didn't get to yet, like that Netflix special. I think that'd be really cool. And um I love boys to men just as much as I did when I started this and totally respect their work ethic, just like New Kids on the Block. Yeah, they're still going out there, like doing it, and uh and they still look so good too. I know, like, ugh, all these all I mean, well, not all, but not all well, the groups we've talked about so far. So far, yeah. She's like, not all. I don't even have an example of who I don't anyway. As I'm sitting here in my like dirty scratch glasses, and she's got a star sticker on his head. I mean, you're like, well, they don't all look good. Like, what of what? Get out of here. But I'm saying, I mean, money does buy you good looks too, sure, which is what we are lacking. And I mean, even touring, even if they're not dancing as much as they were, they're moving a lot. They're still dancing though. Yeah. Listen, get it. Good for them. Get it. Well, stay tuned for part two of Boys to Men and the rest of our boy band series. Yes, here coming your way. Generation in between. Bye, guys. Bye.