Growing pains: Boyz II Men roll with recording industry punches
With numerous record-breaking, Billboard chart-topping hits, it's safe to say
that the smooth, soulful sounds of Boyz II Men are tightly welded into modern
mainstream pop culture.
But even the most commercially successful R&B group of all time had to shove
down a slice of humble pie to endure the rocky state of the recording
industry.
However, it was that stripping of pride that has been the key to the band's
decade-crossing survival, said Boyz II Men member Shawn Stockman in a recent
phone interview from Los Angeles.
"We didn't disillusion ourselves and think, 'Well, we are Boyz II Men, so we
shouldn't have to do this,' " said Stockman, who will be performing tonight
with Boyz II Men at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre. "We knew that,
considering the change in the music industry, certain things would have to
change with us."
Taking two years off from touring and recording, re-evaluating their careers
and proceeding to play in small clubs and "places that artists of a certain
status wouldn't be seen dead in" were a few of the changes the ultimate boy
band had to make -- changes that are now paying off.
"We are humble enough to do whatever performance a group of people wanted us
to do," Stockman said. "That humility brought us to the point we are now."
Where Boyz II Men is now is a state of constant touring, playing for sold-out
crowds in amphitheaters and arenas across the nation.
It seems that nobody can get enough of "I'll Make Love to You," "On Bended
Knee" or "End of the Road" -- just a few of the group's No. 1 singles.
"The kids that grew up with us are exposing the music to their kids now,"
Stockman said. "It bugs me out when I see a 9-year-old singing 'On Bended
Knee' at our concerts."
Stockman said that people from all walks of life end up at Boyz II Men
concerts, including a variety of races and ages.
"We try not to alienate any group of people -- this music transcends age and
time," Stockman said.
"Pure love and pure soul" are at the heart of every Boyz II Men track, which
is what makes the group so successful, Stockman said.
"Everyone has experienced love of some kind, whether you're 3 and you love
your momma or you're 30 years old and you love your wife," Stockman said. "We
deal with real-life situations, and you can't get more real than that."
Creating albums full of "real" tracks every two to three years, Boyz II Men
hasn't missed a beat since its first album release in 1991
("Cooleyhighharmony").
The group's most recent release was 2007's tribute, "Motown: Hitsville, USA,"
Boyz II Men's take on hit songs released by Motown Records from the 1960s to
the '80s.
The album shows off the sound that has inspired Boyz II Men and rock and pop
artists across the board, Stockman said.
"Motown is the only label that has a sound that people identify it with,"
Stockman said. "We thought this was the right time and people would be
willing to hear and accept the music today."
It seems the group was right, as the album has sold more than a million
copies, which is quite an accomplishment in today's music industry, Stockman
said.
Boyz II Men has plenty of other projects Stockman wouldn't reveal just yet,
but the band will be playing songs from its latest album at tonight's show,
along with its greatest hits and a few more obscure songs.
"Everybody will be singing just as loud as we are -- it's just what we've
come to expect," Stockman said. "So tell everybody to put on their dancing
shoes ... because the crowd goes bananas."
If You Go...
Boyz II Men
When: Tonight at 8
Where: SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre, 745 S. State St., Orem
Tickets: $10-$25
Info: 225-ARTS, www.scera.org
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