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117-688: The group first saw commercial success in 1991 with the release of their singles " Motownphilly " and " It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday ," both of which peaked within the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 . Their 1992 single, " End of the Road " peaked atop the chart and set a then-record for spending 13 weeks at the position. Boyz II Men later broke this record twice more with the singles " I'll Make Love to You " and " One Sweet Day " (with Mariah Carey ) which, at 14 and 16 weeks respectively, set records for most weeks at number one. When " On Bended Knee " took

234-585: A I–vi–ii–V -loop chord progression in those hit songs ; composers of doo-wop songs varied this slightly but significantly to the chord progression I–vi–IV–V , so influential that it is sometimes referred to as the ' 50s progression . This characteristic harmonic layout was combined with the AABA chorus form typical for Tin Pan Alley songs. Hit songs by black groups such as the Ink Spots (" If I Didn't Care ", one of

351-480: A greatest hits compilation, Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection , to close out their contract. Signing a new deal with Arista Records in 2002, Boyz II Men began recording the Full Circle album, and recruited Babyface for a new single, "The Color of Love". In an attempt to recapture the massive success the group had enjoyed a decade earlier, the album received a significant promotional budget. Arista commissioned

468-404: A Boyz II Men welcome cocktail party, a concert performance by Boyz II Men, an additional fan appreciation concert by Boyz II Men, a photo session with Boyz II Men (in small groups), a formal prom night, a poker tournament, a deck party with Boyz II Men and a guest DJ, a singles mixer, a gift bag, and onboard drawings for other Boyz II Men events. Couples were able to renew their wedding vows in

585-596: A Detroit vocal harmony group called the Matadors, met the producer Berry Gordy , who was beginning to take up new styles, including doo-wop. Gordy wanted to promote a black style of music that would appeal to both the black and white markets, performed by black musicians with roots in gospel, R&B, or doo-wop. He sought artists who understood that the music had to be updated to appeal to a broader audience and attain greater commercial success. Early recordings by Gordy's Tamla Records , founded several months before he established

702-502: A cappella arrangements, used wordless onomatopoeia to mimic musical instruments. For instance, " Count Every Star " by the Ravens (1950) includes vocalizations imitating the "doomph, doomph" plucking of a double bass . The Orioles helped develop the doo-wop sound with their hits " It's Too Soon to Know " (1948) and " Crying in the Chapel " (1953). Although the musical style originated in

819-510: A concert put on by local radio station Power 99 at the Philadelphia Civic Center . They planned to find Will Smith backstage and perform for him. However, while looking for Smith, they happened to cross paths with New Edition member Michael Bivins , who, along with bandmates Ricky Bell and Ronnie DeVoe , had just announced they were forming a New Edition spin-off trio, Bell Biv DeVoe . After they sang New Edition's " Can You Stand

936-474: A distributor in marketing the group on an independent label. They cut six sides, one of which was a doo-wop ballad written by Chessler called " It's Too Soon to Know ". It reached no. 1 on Billboard's national Most-Played Juke Box Race Records chart, and, in a first for a doo-wop song, the record crossed over to the mainstream pop chart, where it reached no. 13. The Du Droppers formed in Harlem in 1952. Members of

1053-447: A drummer, due to his previous relationship with the group from high school. Dele Fadele from NME wrote, "Floating on a cloud through the chequered history of soul , yet inherently modern, Boyz II Men are plotting the new musical map. From Detroit to Philadelphia , this is East Coast style and sass in abundance, mixing and matching MFSB strings, House synth-bass, raps and the ghost of several songs rolled into one. Somewhere in

1170-562: A great effect, and Full Circle , like Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya before it, sold slightly more than 500,000 copies in the US and 1 million copies worldwide. Full Circle became Boyz II Men's final album as a quartet, and their last effort to receive extensive promotion from a major record company. On January 30 , 2003, Michael McCary left Boyz II Men due to chronic back problems resulting from multiple sclerosis (MS) and personal problems. Arista terminated Boyz II Men's contract on April 30 , and

1287-556: A helpful guide, they need not all be present in a given song for aficionados to consider it doo-wop, and the list does not include the aforementioned typical doo-wop chord progressions. Bill Kenny , lead singer of the Ink Spots, is often credited with introducing the "top and bottom" vocal arrangement featuring a high tenor singing the intro and a bass spoken chorus. The Mills Brothers, who were famous in part because in their vocals they sometimes mimicked instruments, were an additional influence on street vocal harmony groups, who, singing

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1404-407: A high tenor singing over the chords of the blended mid-range voices and a strong bass voice. Their lead singer, Sonny Til , had a soft, high-pitched tenor, and like the rest of the group, was still a teenager at the time. His style reflected the optimism of young black Americans in the postmigration era. The sound they helped develop, later called '"doo-wop", eventually became a "sonic bridge" to reach

1521-675: A high-budget music video, shot in four different locales by four different directors: supervising director Little X filmed scenes featuring Michael McCary in India, Hype Williams filmed Shawn Stockman in Tokyo , Benny Boom filmed Nathan Morris in Ghana , and Chris Robinson filmed Wanyá Morris in Puerto Rico and finally all were filmed in New York. The resulting music video had a debut on BET , but failed to have

1638-704: A major outlet for doo-wop performers to be discovered by record company talent scouts. In 1951, Robinson started Robin Records, which later became Red Robin Records , and began recording doo-wop; he recorded the Ravens, the Mello-Moods, and many other doo-wop vocal groups. He used the tiny shop to launch a series of record labels which released many hits in the US. Robinson founded or co-founded Red Robin Records, Whirlin' Disc Records, Fury Records, Everlast Records, Fire Records and Enjoy Records. Arthur Godfrey 's long-running (1946–1958) morning radio show on CBS, Talent Scouts ,

1755-625: A model for success. The Swallows began in the late 1940s as a group of Baltimore teenagers calling themselves the Oakaleers. One of the members lived across the street from Sonny Til, who went on to lead the Orioles, and their success inspired the Oakaleers to rename themselves the Swallows. Their song "Will You Be Mine", released in 1951, reached number 9 on the US Billboard R&;B chart. In 1952,

1872-538: A native of South Carolina, was an independent record producer and songwriter in Harlem who helped popularize doo-wop music in the 1950s. He got into the music business in 1946 when he opened "Bobby's Record Shop" (later "Bobby's Happy House") on the corner of 125th Street and Eighth Avenue , near the Apollo Theater , a noted venue for African-American performers. The Apollo held talent contests in which audience members indicated their favorites with applause. These were

1989-548: A new cover album that covers "artists I don't think people would expect us to cover!" according to Shawn Stockman. Entitled Love , the album was released on November 23 , 2009. The album contains remakes of love songs from outside the R&;B genre. Boyz II Men headlined a "Love Cruise" in honor of their 20th anniversary and in observance of Valentine's Day . The cruise took place February 11 –14, 2011, and traveled from Miami, Florida , to Nassau, Bahamas . Cruise passengers received

2106-447: A part in developing the vocal potential of the doo-wop groups, but Chicago doo-wop was "created and nourished" on the street corners of the city's lower-class neighborhoods. The Chicago doo-wop groups, like those in New York, started singing on street corners and practiced their harmonies in tiled bathrooms, hallways, and subways, but because they came originally from the deep South, the home of gospel and blues music, their doo-wop sound

2223-404: A result of this unfortunate experience, the song helped advance their success. While touring during 1992, Boyz II Men returned briefly to the studio to record the single " End of the Road ," co-written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds , for the soundtrack to Eddie Murphy 's film Boomerang . This song, released as a single on June 30, 1992, became Boyz II Men's biggest hit. It reached

2340-433: A simple beat with little or no instrumentation . Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge , a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables (such as "doo-wop") is a common characteristic of these songs. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was "artistically and commercially viable" until

2457-466: A special ceremony with Boyz II Men. Twenty , named in recognition of Boyz II Men's twenty years in the music business, is a double CD album with thirteen original songs and eight rerecorded Boyz II Men classics. It was released on October 25, 2011. Twenty is the group's fourth release through MSM Music Group. It was released in Japan 13 days before its official US release date with the help of Avex Group ,

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2574-512: A swing-like off-beat , while using the "doo-wop" syllables as a substitute for drums and a bass vocalist as a substitute for a bass instrument. Doo-wop's characteristic vocal style was influenced by groups such as the Mills Brothers, whose close four-part harmony derived from the vocal harmonies of the earlier barbershop quartet . The Four Knights ' "Take Me Right Back to the Track" (1945),

2691-421: A white teen audience. In 1948, Jubilee Records signed the Orioles to a contract, following which they appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout radio show. The song they performed, "It's Too Soon to Know", often cited as the first doo-wop song, went to number 1 on Billboard' s "Race Records" chart, and number 13 on the pop charts, a crossover first for a black group. This was followed in 1953 by "Crying in

2808-522: Is a song by American vocal harmony group Boyz II Men , released in April 1991 by Motown as the first single from their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony (1991). Co-written and produced by Dallas Austin , the song was a success, peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 . Michael Bivins , who co-wrote the song, provides a guest rap during the bridge. The song's title is a portmanteau of two of

2925-530: The 22nd season of the ABC reality competition series Dancing With The Stars . They also did music for an animated adaptation of The Snowy Day . In 2017, the group began starring in television commercials for GEICO Auto Insurance. On June 24, 2017, a section of Broad Street in Philadelphia, from Christian to Carpenter Streets, was renamed “Boyz II Men Boulevard” by the city council. Philadelphia High School for

3042-523: The Boomerang soundtrack. Later, the track was included in a collection of singles produced by Michael Bivins called "East Coast Family, Vol. 1". Shortly after the release of this compilation, Boyz II Men and Michael Bivins parted ways professionally. Boyz II Men continued to work with Babyface and other high-profile record producers over the next several years. After releasing a Christmas compilation, Christmas Interpretations in 1993, Boyz II Men returned to

3159-628: The Cats and the Fiddle 's song "I Miss You So" (1939), and the Triangle Quartette's even earlier record "Doodlin' Back" (1929) prefigured doo-wop's rhythm and blues sound long before doo-wop became popular. In The Complete Book of Doo-Wop , co-authors Gribin and Schiff (who also wrote Doo-Wop, the Forgotten Third of Rock 'n' Roll ), identify five features of doo-wop music: While these features provide

3276-522: The Evolution album, Wanyá Morris developed a polyp on his vocal cords , and the group was forced to postpone part of the tour until he recovered. McCary's multiple sclerosis meant that he was unable to participate in most of the group's dance routines. Boyz II Men were nominated for 2 Grammys in 1998: Best R&B Album for Evolution and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for " A Song for Mama ". In 1999, Motown's parent company, PolyGram ,

3393-745: The Motown Record Corporation in January 1959, were of either blues or doo-wop performances. " Bad Girl ", a 1959 doo-wop single by Robinson's group, the Miracles , was the first single released (and the only one released by this group) on the Motown label—all previous singles from the company (and all those following from the group) were released on the Tamla label. Issued locally on the Motown Records label, it

3510-611: The Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. They, along with Bruce Tate and Curtis Williams, recorded the song "Earth Angel" (produced by Dootsie Williams), which rose to number one on the R&B charts in 1954. Most of the Los Angeles doo-wop groups came out of the Fremont, Belmont , and Jefferson high schools. All of them were influenced by the Robins , a successful R&B group of the late 1940s and

3627-464: The best selling singles worldwide of all time, and "Address Unknown") and the Mills Brothers (" Paper Doll ", " You Always Hurt the One You Love " and "Glow Worm") were generally slow songs in swing time with simple instrumentation. Doo-wop street singers generally performed without instrumentation, but made their musical style distinctive, whether using fast or slow tempos , by keeping time with

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3744-538: The 1950s doo-wop groups, and the Flamingos, who had national hits as well. In 1945, Joe Von Battle opened Joe's Record Shop at 3530 Hastings Street in Detroit; the store had the largest selection of rhythm and blues records in the city, according to a 1954 Billboard business survey. Battle, a migrant from Macon, Georgia, established his shop as the first black-owned business in the area, which remained primarily Jewish up to

3861-401: The 1950s to its a capella vocals; the romantic style of the doo-wop groups appealed to them, as it was reminiscent of the traditional ballads and harmonies of Mexican folk music. In 1960, Art Laboe released one of the first oldies compilations, Memories of El Monte , on his record label, Original Sound . The record was a collection of classic doo-wop songs by bands that used to play at

3978-880: The 1950s who formed in San Francisco, or by other groups including the Flairs , the Flamingos (not the Chicago group) and the Hollywood Flames . Many other Los Angeles doo-wop groups of the time were recorded by Dootsie Williams' Dootone Records and by John Dolphin's Central Avenue record store, Dolphin's of Hollywood. These included the Calvanes, the Crescendos, the Cuff Linx, the Cubans, the Dootones,

4095-725: The Belmonts, and "Barbara Ann" by the Regents. Johnny Maestro, the Italian American lead singer of the interracial Bronx group the Crests, was the lead on the hit " Sixteen Candles ". Maestro said that he became interested in R&B vocal group harmony listening to the Flamingos, the Harptones , and the Moonglows on Alan Freed 's radio show on WINS in New York. Freed's various radio and stage shows had

4212-575: The Bronx . Judy Craig , fourteen years old, was the lead singer, singing with Patricia Bennett and Barbara Lee, both thirteen. In 1962, the girls met songwriter Ronnie Mack at the after-school center; Mack suggested they add Sylvia Peterson, who had sung with Little Jimmy & the Tops , to the group. The group was named the Chiffons when recording and releasing their first single, " He's So Fine ". Written by Mack, it

4329-469: The Bronx, who attended the Catholic St. Anthony of Padua School in the Bronx , where they were trained to sing Gregorian Chants . Their first recording was "He's Gone" (1958), which made them the first pop rock girl group to chart. Their second single, "Maybe" hit the charts, No. 15 on Billboard ' s Hot 100. In 1960, the Chiffons began as a trio of schoolmates at James Monroe High School in

4446-662: The Bronx; his mother was from North Carolina. Crier was a founding member of a doo-wop group called the Five Chimes, one of several different groups with that name, and sang bass with the Halos and the Mellows . Many years later he observed that there was a shift in the music sung on the streets from gospel to secular rhythm and blues between 1950 and 1952. New York was also the capital of Italian doo-wop, and all its boroughs were home to groups that made successful records. The Crests were from

4563-496: The Chapel", their biggest hit, which went to number 1 on the R&B chart and number 11 on the pop chart. The Orioles were perhaps the first of the many doo-wop groups who named themselves after birds. The sexual innuendo in the Orioles' songs was less disguised than in the vocal group music of the swing era. Their stage choreography was also more sexually explicit, and their songs were simpler and more emotionally direct. This new approach to sex in their performances did not target

4680-517: The Creative and Performing Arts, where the members of Boyz II Men were once students, is on this section of Broad Street. In August 2017, it was announced that Boyz II Men would release a new album titled Under the Streetlight in the fall. The album, a collection of covers from the 1950s, along with one original track, "Ladies Man," was released on October 20, 2017, debuting and peaking at number 58 on

4797-656: The Elegants , the Mystics , the Duprees , Johnny Maestro & the Crests , and the Regents . Some doo-wop groups were racially mixed. Puerto Rican Herman Santiago , originally slated to be the lead singer of the Teenagers , wrote the lyrics and the music for a song to be called "Why Do Birds Sing So Gay?", but whether because he was ill or because producer George Goldner thought that newcomer Frankie Lymon 's voice would be better in

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4914-459: The Flamingos ' "I Only Have Eyes for You", and the Jive Five " My True Story ". Teenagers who could not afford musical instruments formed groups that sang songs a cappella , performing at high school dances and other social occasions. They rehearsed on street corners and apartment stoops, as well as under bridges, in high school washrooms, and in hallways and other places with echoes: these were

5031-583: The Grammy was awarded to singer-songwriter Marc Cohn . "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" were number 1 R&B hits and top five U.S. pop hits. In 1992, Boyz II Men joined MC Hammer 's high-profile 2 Legit 2 Quit Tour as an opening act . While traveling the country, their tour manager Roderick 'Khalil' Rountree was murdered in Chicago , and the group's future performances of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" were dedicated to him. As

5148-542: The Impalas , whose " Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home) " was a hit in 1959. Chico Torres was a member of the Crests, whose lead singer, Johhny Mastrangelo, would later gain fame under the name Johnny Maestro. Female doo-wop singers were much less common than males in the early days of doo-wop. Lillian Leach , lead singer of the Mellows from 1953 to 1958, helped pave the way for other women in doo-wop, soul and R&B . Margo Sylvia

5265-847: The Jaguars, the Jewels, the Meadowlarks , the Silks, the Squires, the Titans, and the Up-Fronts. A few groups, such as the Platters and Rex Middleton's Hi-Fis, had crossover success. The Jaguars, from Fremont High School, was one of the first interracial vocal groups; it consisted of two African Americans, a Mexican American, and a Polish-Italian American. Doo-wop was popular with California Mexican Americans, who were attracted in

5382-928: The Lower East Side in Manhattan; Dion and the Belmonts, the Regents, and Nino and the Ebb Tides were from the Bronx; the Elegants from Staten Island; the Capris from Queens; the Mystics, the Neons, the Classics, and Vito & the Salutations from Brooklyn. Although Italians were a much smaller proportion of the Bronx's population in the 1950s than Jews and the Irish, only they had significant influence as rock 'n' roll singers. Young people of other ethnicities were listening to rock 'n' roll, but it

5499-465: The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. On January 13, 2014, the trio appeared at the end of an episode of How I Met Your Mother titled " Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra ", performing an a cappella version of the show's song "You Just Got Slapped". Their eleventh album, titled Collide , was released on October 21, 2014. In 2016, the trio appeared in Grease: Live as the Teen Angels and sang Beauty School Dropout . Wanyá placed 4th for

5616-399: The Rain " for him, Bivins and everyone in attendance, including other celebrities, were impressed. He then gave the group his number and told them to call him. Nate eventually called him, and he agreed to manage and help produce the group. The delay before recording their own material and reported personality conflicts led founding member Marc Nelson to leave the group, making Boyz II Men into

5733-431: The Real Thing ", " Mercy Mercy Me "), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (" The Tracks of My Tears "), and even Boyz II Men themselves (an a cappella version of "End of the Road"). Commercially, Motown found some success. It peaked at number 6 on the US R&B chart and was certified Gold in the UK. The album was also a critical success. For the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009, Boyz II Men received two nominations for

5850-590: The Stars . DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold danced a quickstep to the song. The group is featured on a re-imagined version of Take That 's song Love Ain't Here Anymore from their number one selling album Odyssey . Howard Donald revealed during an interview with Magic Radio that "he fulfilled a dream when they recorded this song". On December 15, 2018, the group staged a concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with Filipina singers Kyla , Yeng Constantino , KZ Tandingan and Angeline Quinto titled Boyz II Men with DIVAS. Motownphilly " Motownphilly "

5967-402: The Streetlight , was released in 2017. Boyz II Men have received four Grammy Awards . The group, originally named Unique Attraction, was formed in 1985 by Michael Grimaldi, Nathan Morris, and Marc Nelson at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) along with fellow schoolmates George Baldi , Jon Shoats, and Marguerite Walker. In 1987, Wanyá Morris, who sang in

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6084-469: The Swallows released "Beside You", their second national hit, which peaked at number 10 on the R&B chart. Some Baltimore doo-wop groups were connected with street gangs, and a few members were active in both scenes, such as Johnny Page of the Marylanders . As in all the major urban centers of the US, many of the teen gangs had their own street corner vocal groups in which they took great pride and which they supported fiercely. Competitive music and dance

6201-408: The US Current Album Sales chart. On January 4, 2018, the group was featured in a new track released by Charlie Puth , titled " If You Leave Me Now ", created for Charlie Puth's album Voicenotes . On September 6, 2018, the group performed at the NFL 2018–2019 season kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. On October 2, 2018, the group performed "Ladies Man" on ABC's Dancing with

6318-399: The United States after World War II was the most popular form of rhythm and blues music among black teenagers, especially those living in the large urban centers of the East Coast , in Chicago, and in Detroit. Among the first groups to perform songs in the vocal harmony group tradition were the Orioles , the Five Keys , and the Spaniels ; they specialized in romantic ballads that appealed to

6435-415: The aim of getting signed to a record deal. The city of Chicago was outranked as a recording center in the United States only by New York City in the early years of the music recording industry . During the late 1940s and early 1950s, independent record labels gained control of the black record market from the major companies, and Chicago rose as one of the main centers for rhythm and blues music. This music

6552-454: The album Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA (Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Ribbon in the Sky"). In 2008, Boyz II Men's three members appeared on Celebrity Don't Forget the Lyrics and created a sensation with their performance. They earned $ 500,000 for their two nominated charities; the appearance also generated interest in their next release. In 2009, Boyz II Men announced plans for

6669-466: The band were experienced gospel singers in ensembles dating to the 1940s, and were one of the oldest groups to record during the era. Among the Du Droppers' most enduring songs are "I Wanna Know" and "I Found Out (What You Do When You Go Round There)", which both reached number three on the Billboard R&B charts in 1953. Frankie Lymon, lead vocalist of the Teenagers , was the first black teen idol who appealed to both black and white audiences. He

6786-412: The biggest Japanese independent record label . Originally, Boyz II Men announced a reunion with original member Michael McCary for the Twenty album. On September 6, 2009, at a concert in Virginia Beach , Virginia, Stockman announced that their upcoming 20th anniversary album would "include all 4 members", sparking a tremendous applause. But soon after that announcement, McCary declined and did not join

6903-585: The constraints of the built environment , to live in certain parts of New York City of the early 1950s. They identified with their own wards, street blocks and streets. Being effectively locked out of mainstream white society increased their social cohesion and encouraged creativity within the context of African American culture. Young singers formed groups and rehearsed their songs in public spaces: on street corners, apartment stoops, and subway platforms, in bowling alleys, school bathrooms, and pool halls, as well as at playgrounds and under bridges. Bobby Robinson ,

7020-455: The critics were more receptive to Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya than they had been to its predecessor, the LP sold only 500,000 copies in the US, 1 million copies worldwide, and although its two singles, "Pass You By" and "Thank You in Advance," received media attention, neither became hits. Boyz II Men departed from Universal in 2001, ending their relationship with the company that brought them to international stardom in 1991. The label released

7137-447: The dances Laboe organized at Legion Stadium in El Monte, California , beginning in 1955. It included songs by local bands such as the Heartbeats and the Medallions . Laboe had become a celebrity in the Los Angeles area as a disc jockey for radio station KPOP , playing doo-wop and rhythm and blues broadcast from the parking lot of Scriverner's Drive-In on Sunset Boulevard . In 1962, Frank Zappa , with his friend Ray Collins, wrote

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7254-417: The doo-wop song " Memories of El Monte ". This was one of the first songs written by Zappa, who had been listening to Laboe's compilation of doo-wop singles . Zappa took the song to Laboe, who recruited the lead vocalist of the Penguins, Cleve Duncan, for a new iteration of the group, recorded it, and released it as a single on his record label. Early doo-wop music, dating from the late 1940s and early 1950s,

7371-474: The doo-wop style during the late 1950s. Doo-wop groups also formed on the west coast of the United States, especially in California, where the scene was centered in Los Angeles. Independent record labels owned by black entrepreneurs such as Dootsie Williams and John Dolphin recorded these groups, most of which had formed in high schools. One such group, the Penguins, included Cleveland "Cleve" Duncan and Dexter Tisby, former classmates at Fremont High School in

7488-509: The early 1960s and continued to influence performers in other genres. Doo-wop has complex musical, social, and commercial origins. Doo-wop's style is a mixture of precedents in composition, orchestration, and vocals that figured in American popular music created by songwriters and vocal groups, both black and white, from the 1930s to the 1940s. Such composers as Rodgers and Hart (in their 1934 song " Blue Moon "), and Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser (in their 1938 " Heart and Soul ") used

7605-601: The ever-shifting mix you learn their tale and, if I were Bell Biv DeVoe , I'd prepare to be usurped." Shipments figures based on certification alone. Doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop ) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to

7722-423: The group re-signed with Universal Records and released the LP Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA through the Decca Records label. The LP is a cover album featuring songs from the Motown Records catalog, co-produced by Randy Jackson of American Idol fame. The Motown album includes covers of songs by The Temptations (" Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) "), Marvin Gaye (" Ain't Nothing Like

7839-419: The group rehearsed in the high school's bathrooms, in the corners of their schools, and other local areas. At CAPA, they were mentored by LaDeva Davis . Finding inspiration in New Edition 's harmonies and routines, they eventually renamed the group "Boyz II Men," after New Edition's "Boys to Men," from the 1988 album Heart Break . After performing at a Valentine's Day party at school in 1989, they snuck into

7956-419: The group was signed as the Teenagers with Lymon as lead singer. The song quickly charted as the number one R&B song in the United States and reached number six on the pop chart in 1956, becoming the number one pop hit in the United Kingdom as well. The Willows , an influential street corner group from Harlem, were a model for many of the New York City doo-wop acts that rose after them. Their biggest hit

8073-401: The group's independent tour. In 2005 Boyz II Men recorded a CD with Anderson Cameau called "Apocalypse", a project meant to benefit Haiti . In 2006, Boyz II Men's seventh studio album, The Remedy , was released exclusively in Japan, where they found a thriving fan base. In other regions, The Remedy was made available online through the group's website on February 14 , 2007. In mid-2007,

8190-447: The group's main musical influences: 1960s Motown and 1970s Philly soul . The accompanying music video for the song was filmed in various locations in the group's hometown of Philadelphia . Two new jack swing groups, Another Bad Creation and Bell Biv DeVoe , are mentioned in the lyrics. They appear briefly in the video, as does Sudden Impact, a short-lived R&B group organized by Bivins. Additionally, Questlove appears briefly as

8307-419: The late 1940s and was very popular in the 1950s, the term "doo-wop" itself did not appear in print until 1961, when it was used in reference to the Marcels ' song, "Blue Moon", in The Chicago Defender , just as the style's vogue was nearing its end. Though the name was attributed to radio disc jockey Gus Gossert, he did not accept credit, stating that "doo-wop" was already in use in California to categorize

8424-517: The late 1940s. Young aspiring performers would gather there in hopes of being discovered by the leading independent record company owners who courted Battle to promote and sell records, as well as to find new talent at his shop and studio. Battle's record labels included JVB, Von, Battle, Gone, and Viceroy; he also had subsidiary arrangements with labels such as King and Deluxe. He supplied Syd Nathan with many blues and doo-wop masters recorded in his primitive back-of-the-store studio from 1948 to 1954. As

8541-600: The late 1950s and early 1960s, many Italian-American groups had national hits: Dion and the Belmonts scored with " I Wonder Why ", " Teenager in Love ", and " Where or When "; the Capris made their name in 1960 with " There's a Moon Out Tonight "; Randy & the Rainbows , who charted with their Top 10 1963 single "Denise" . Other Italian-American doo-wop groups were the Earls , the Chimes ,

8658-614: The latest hits in hopes that the store owners' connections with record companies and distributors might land them an audition. A King Records talent scout discovered the Swallows as they were rehearsing in Goldstick's record store. Sam Azrael's Super Music Store and Shaw's shoeshine parlor were also favored hangouts for Baltimore vocal groups; Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun auditioned the Cardinals at Azrael's. Some groups cut demos at local studios and played them for recording producers , with

8775-493: The lead, Santiago's original version was not recorded. To suit his tenor voice Lymon made a few alterations to the melody, and consequently the Teenagers recorded the song known as " Why Do Fools Fall in Love? ". Racially integrated groups with both black and white performers included the Del-Vikings , who had major hits in 1957 with " Come Go With Me " and " Whispering Bells ", the Crests, whose " 16 Candles " appeared in 1958, and

8892-442: The lyrics. Particularly productive doo-wop groups were formed by young Italian-American men who, like their black counterparts, lived in rough neighborhoods (e.g., the Bronx and Brooklyn), learned their basic musical craft singing in church, and would gain experience in the new style by singing on street corners. New York was the capital of Italian doo-wop, and all its boroughs were home to groups that made successful records. By

9009-566: The music. "Doo-wop" is itself a nonsense expression. In the Delta Rhythm Boys ' 1945 recording, "Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin", it is heard in the backing vocal . It is heard later in the Clovers ' 1953 release "Good Lovin'" (Atlantic Records 1000), and in the chorus of Carlyle Dundee & the Dundees' 1954 song "Never" (Space Records 201). The first hit record with "doo-wop" being harmonized in

9126-616: The nonsense phrase as vocalized by the bass singers, who provided rhythmic movement for a cappella songs. Soon, other doo-wop groups entered the pop charts , particularly in 1955, which saw such cross-over doo-wop hits as " Sincerely " by the Moonglows , " Earth Angel " by the Penguins , the Cadillacs' "Gloria", the Heartbeats' "A Thousand Miles Away", Shep & the Limelites' " Daddy's Home ",

9243-483: The number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 15, remaining for a record-setting 13 weeks, until November 14, 1992. The success of "End of the Road" instantly transformed Boyz II Men from up-and-coming R&B stars into mainstream music celebrities. A revamped Cooleyhighharmony was reissued during 1993, with "End of the Road" added as a special bonus track, but "End of the Road" initially appeared only on

9360-463: The number one spot away from " I'll Make Love to You ," Boyz II Men became the third musical act, after the Beatles and Elvis Presley , to replace themselves atop the Billboard Hot 100. These achievements gave Boyz II Men recognition as Billboard magazine's biggest boy band from 1987 to 2012. Boyz II Men continued to perform as a trio despite McCary's departure. Their latest studio album, Under

9477-430: The only spaces with suitable acoustics available to them. Thus they developed a form of group harmony based in the harmonies and emotive phrasing of black spirituals and gospel music. Doo-wop music allowed these youths not only a means of entertaining themselves and others, but also a way of expressing their values and worldviews in a repressive white-dominated society, often through the use of innuendo and hidden messages in

9594-459: The pivotal recording mogul in the Detroit area, Battle was an important player in the independent label network. Jack and Devora Brown, a Jewish couple, founded Fortune Records in 1946 and recorded a variety of eccentric artists and sounds; in the mid-1950s they became champions of Detroit rhythm and blues, including the music of local doo-wop groups. Fortune's premier act was the Diablos , featuring

9711-400: The popular music of African Americans, treated it as their own, and were an appreciative audience for black doo-wop groups. Similarities in language idioms, masculine norms, and public comportment made it possible for African American and Italian American young men to mingle easily when societal expectations did not interfere. These cultural commonalities allowed Italian Americans to appreciate

9828-598: The project. As a trio, Boyz II Men performed as special guests on VH1 's highly rated VH1 Divas Celebrate Soul concert. Boyz II Men contributed a cover of Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel 's song " Snow Drop " to their 2012 tribute album. On January 22, 2013, the group appeared on The View along with New Kids on the Block and 98 Degrees to announce their joint tour that took place in summer 2013. As of February 20, 2013, Boyz II Men announced that beginning March 1, 2013, they will stop touring and begin performing shows at

9945-482: The quartet that found international fame: Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanyá Morris, and Shawn Stockman. Boyz II Men's first album, Cooleyhighharmony , was released on Motown in 1991 and was produced by Michael Bivins. Cooleyhighharmony ' s drum-heavy new jack swing sound and multi-layered sampled backdrops were similar to that of Bell Biv DeVoe 's own work, but featured classic-soul styled vocals in place of BBD's rapping and brassier singing . This style

10062-641: The refrain was the Turbans ' 1955 hit, "When You Dance" (Herald Records H-458). The Rainbows embellished the phrase as "do wop de wadda" in their 1955 "Mary Lee" (on Red Robin Records ; also a Washington, D.C. regional hit on Pilgrim 703); and in their 1956 national hit, " In the Still of the Night ", the Five Satins sang across the bridge with a plaintive "doo-wop, doo-wah". The vocal harmony group tradition that developed in

10179-471: The release of the collection because they felt the compilation did not represent Boyz II Men's best work. After the label released the album without their permission, there was a dispute between the company and the group. Boyz II Men initiated their own recording company Stonecreek (which released material by artists such as Uncle Sam ), and they arranged for Stonecreek's distribution by Epic Records , not Motown. Boyz II Men's third studio album, Evolution ,

10296-466: The remaining three members took a temporary hiatus from the music industry. After a year out of the spotlight, Boyz II Men created the independent label MSM Music Group (distributed through Koch Records ), and released the Throwback, Vol. 1 LP in 2004. The album is a collection of covers of classic R&B and soul songs such as The Dazz Band 's " Let It Whip ", Michael Jackson's " Human Nature ", and, as

10413-466: The school's choir along with the members of Unique Attraction, joined the group and became a permanent member as a freshman. In 1988 Baldi, Shoats and Walker left the group due to graduation. They then recruited Shawn Stockman after seeing him perform a solo in the school's choir. After an encounter in a school bathroom, Michael McCary started singing along with the group and eventually became the group's new bass singer. With their permanent lineup of members,

10530-529: The sexual fantasies of teenagers in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The nonsense string of syllables, "doo doo doo doo-wop", from which the name of the genre was later derived, is used repeatedly in the song "Just A Sittin' And A Rockin", recorded by the Delta Rhythm Boys in December 1945. By the mid-1950s, vocal harmony groups had transformed the smooth delivery of ballads into a performance style incorporating

10647-426: The singing of black doo-woppers in deterritorialized spaces, whether on the radio, on records, at live concerts, or in street performances. Dozens of neighborhood Italian groups formed, some of which recorded songs at Cousins Records, a record shop turned label, on Fordham Road. Italian American groups from the Bronx released a steady stream of doo-wop songs, including "Teenager In Love" and "I Wonder Why" by Dion and

10764-472: The single, Bobby Caldwell 's "What You Won't Do for Love". For this record, Nathan took on the bass lines as well as the baritone vocals that he sang when Boyz II Men was a quartet. Throwback, Vol. 1 reached number 59 on the Billboard 200. The group launched an independent tour of North America and Asia in support of the Throwback series. The album sold over 200,000 copies with little to no promotion aside from

10881-521: The so-called " Chitlin Circuit ", which served as a school of the performing arts for blacks who had migrated from the deep South , and even more so for their offspring. In the late 1940s, the Orioles rose from the streets and made a profound impression on young chitlin' circuit audiences in Baltimore. The group, formed in 1947, sang simple ballads in rhythm and blues harmony, with the standard arrangement of

10998-557: The soaring tenor of lead vocalist Nolan Strong, a native of Alabama. The group's most notable hit was " The Wind ". Strong, like other R&B and doo-wop tenors of the time, was profoundly influenced by Clyde McPhatter , lead singer of the Dominoes and later of the Drifters. Strong himself made a lasting impression on the young Smokey Robinson , who went out of his way to attend Diablo shows. In late 1957, seventeen-year-old Robinson, fronting

11115-546: The studio for their highly anticipated sophomore effort. In 1994, II was released. II sold more than 12 million copies in the United States alone, becoming one of the best-selling albums ever released by an R&B group act, and one of the biggest albums of the decade. II later won two awards at the 1995 Grammy Awards , including Best R&B Album . Most of the tracks on II were written and produced by Tim & Bob —Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson (5), Babyface (2) and

11232-564: The success of two teen groups from the Bronx, the Chantels and the Bobbettes . The six girls in the Bobettes, aged eleven to fifteen, wrote and recorded "Mr. Lee", a novelty tune about a schoolteacher that was a national hit. The Chantels were the second African-American girl group to enjoy nationwide success in the US. The group was established in the early 1950s by five students, all of them born in

11349-527: The successful team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (2). Several of II ' s tracks became major singles, among them Jam & Lewis's "On Bended Knee", and Babyface's " I'll Make Love to You " and " Water Runs Dry ". "I'll Make Love to You" broke "End of the Road's" 13-week record at number 1, by spending 14 weeks at the top of the chart (a feat equaled earlier that year by Whitney Houston 's cover of " I Will Always Love You "). "On Bended Knee" replaced "I'll Make Love to You" at number 1, making Boyz II Men only

11466-428: The third act ever to replace itself at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, after Elvis Presley and the Beatles. In 1995, the group appeared as backing vocalists on " HIStory " from Michael Jackson's Grammy-nominated ninth album of the same name . In 1995, Motown issued The Remix Collection , a compilation of remixes of various Boyz II Men songs from Cooleyhighharmony and II . The group itself had opposed

11583-511: The white teen audience at first—when the Orioles took the stage, they were appealing directly to a young black audience, with Sonny Til using his entire body to convey the emotion in the lyrics of their songs. He became a teen sex symbol for black girls, who reacted by screaming and throwing pieces of clothing onto the stage when he sang. Other young male vocalists of the era took note and adjusted their own acts accordingly. The Orioles were soon displaced by newer groups who imitated these pioneers as

11700-621: Was " Church Bells May Ring ", featuring Neil Sedaka , then a member of the Linc-Tones , on chimes . It reached number 11 on the US R&;B chart in 1956. Although they never had a national chart hit, the Solitaires , best known for their 1957 hit single " Walking Along ", were one of the most popular vocal groups in New York in the late 1950s. The heyday of the girl group era began in 1957 with

11817-674: Was "Squirt," Shawn was "Slim," Michael was simply "Bass," and Nathan assumed the name "Alex Vanderpool," after a soap opera character who brandished a nerdy style. Boyz II Men's first single, the Dallas Austin -produced " Motownphilly ," featured a rap cameo by Michael Bivins that tells of how he met Boyz II Men. The single's release was accompanied by a music video that presented the group in hip-hop style. (The video also included cameos from fellow Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts alumni Black Thought and Questlove of The Roots .) Cooleyhighharmony ' s second single

11934-425: Was Italian Americans who established themselves in performing and recording the music. While relationships between Italian Americans and African Americans in the Bronx were sometimes fraught, there were many instances of collaboration between them. Italian Americans kept African Americans out of their neighborhoods with racial boundary policing and fought against them in turf wars and gang battles , yet they adopted

12051-461: Was a New York venue from which some doo-wop groups gained national exposure. In 1948, the Orioles, then known as the Vibra-Nairs, went to the city with Deborah Chessler , their manager and main songwriter, and appeared on the show. They won only third place, but Godfrey invited them back twice. Chessler leveraged a few demo recordings the group had cut, along with the recent radio exposure, to interest

12168-412: Was a Top 10 success, but the follow-up "Can't Let Her Go" underperformed. The global tour began in 1997 to promote Evolution was successful in terms of ticket sales, but behind the scenes, Boyz II Men was wracked by conflicts, with their record label and internal conflicts among the members of the group. Making matters worse, health problems began to take their toll on the group. While on tour to support

12285-666: Was a part of African American street culture, and with the success of some local groups, competition increased, leading to territorial rivalries among performers. Pennsylvania Avenue served as a boundary between East and West Baltimore, with the East producing the Swallows and the Cardinals and the Blentones , while the West was home to the Orioles and the Four Buddies . Baltimore vocal groups gathered at neighborhood record stores, where they practiced

12402-467: Was a vital source for the youth music called rock 'n' roll. In the mid-1950s, a number of rhythm and blues acts performing in the vocal ensemble style later known as doo-wop began to cross over from the R&B charts to mainstream rock 'n' roll. The Chicago record companies took note of this trend and scouted for vocal groups from the city that they could sign to their labels. The record labels , record distributors, and nightclub owners of Chicago all had

12519-635: Was almost always a cappella ; instrumental accompaniment was added when the songs were recorded. The large numbers of blacks who had migrated to New York City as part of the Great Migration came mostly from Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas. In the 1940s black youths in the city began to sing the rhythm and blues styling that came to be known as doo-wop. Many of these groups were found in Harlem . Blacks were forced by legal and social segregation, as well as by

12636-622: Was an a cappella cover of a classic Motown tune, G.C. Cameron 's " It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday " from the 1975 film Cooley High , while "Uhh Ahh" served as the third single. Cooleyhighharmony achieved major success, selling over nine million copies and winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 1992 Grammy Awards . Boyz II Men were also nominated for Best New Artist , along with British singer-songwriter Seal , fellow R&B group Color Me Badd , and dance group C+C Music Factory , but

12753-497: Was born in Harlem, where he began singing doo-wop songs with his friends on the streets. He joined a group, the Premiers, and helped members Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant rewrite a song they had composed to create " Why Do Fools Fall In Love ", which won the group an audition with Gee Records . Santiago was too sick to sing lead on the day of the audition, consequently Lymon sang the lead on "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" instead, and

12870-445: Was bought by Universal Music Group . Amidst the major corporate restructure, Motown was merged with UMG's Universal Records, where Boyz II Men found themselves reassigned. Their only studio LP album for Universal, 2000's Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya , was chiefly written and produced by the group itself, in an attempt to update their sound and ward off critics who questioned the group's reliance on Babyface's hit-making songcraft. While

12987-816: Was dubbed " hip hop doo-wop " by the group and Bivins, who presented Boyz II Men and adolescent R&B group Another Bad Creation to the public as BBD's protégés. From the beginning, Boyz II Men featured all four members as leads, avoiding the usual R&B group arrangement of one or two lead singers and a team of background singers. The multiple-lead arrangement became a Boyz II Men trademark, and it became typical to hear Wanyá Morris' vibrato-heavy tenor , Shawn Stockman's tenor voice, Nathan Morris' baritone , and Michael McCary's bass (often used in spoken-word sections of many Boyz II Men hits) trading bars in each song. The album's liner notes identified unique nicknames for each group member. These nicknames were devised in collaboration with Bivins in an attempt at marketing. Wanyá

13104-725: Was especially popular in the Northeast industrial corridor from New York to Philadelphia, and New York City was the world capital of doo-wop. There, African American groups such as the Ravens, the Drifters, the Dominoes, the Charts , and the so-called "bird groups", such as the Crows, the Sparrows, the Larks, and the Wrens , melded rhythm and blues with the gospel music they had grown up singing in church. Street singing

13221-475: Was licensed to and released nationally by Chess Records because the fledgling Motown Record Corporation did not, at that time, have national distribution. "Bad Girl" was the group's first national chart hit, reaching number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson and Motown Records' president Berry Gordy, "Bad Girl" was the first of several of the Miracles' songs performed in

13338-607: Was more influenced by gospel and blues. Vee-Jay Records and Chess Records were the main labels recording doo-wop groups in Chicago. Vee-Jay signed the Dells , the El Dorados , the Magnificents , and the Spaniels, all of whom achieved national chart hits in the mid-1950s. Chess signed the Moonglows, who had the most commercial success (seven Top 40 R&B hits, six of those Top Ten ) of

13455-662: Was released during 1997 to mixed reviews and sold three million copies, far below the stratospheric success of II ' s ( 12 million copies) and Cooleyhighharmony ( 9 million ). Only one of Evolution ' s singles, the Jam/Lewis-penned " Four Seasons of Loneliness ", reached number 1 on the Hot 100 chart. The second single, the Babyface-helmed " A Song for Mama " (the theme song to the Babyface-produced film Soul Food , )

13572-509: Was released on the Laurie Records label in 1963. "He's So Fine" hit No. 1 in the US, selling over one million copies. Public School 99, which sponsored evening talent shows, and Morris High School were centers of musical creativity in the Bronx during the doo-wop era. Arthur Crier, a leading figure in the doo-wop scene in the Morrissania neighborhood, was born in Harlem and raised in

13689-567: Was the lead singer for the Tune Weavers . Like other urban centers in the US during the late 1940s and early 1950s, Baltimore developed its own vocal group tradition. The city produced rhythm and blues innovators such as the Cardinals , the Orioles , and the Swallows . The Royal Theatre in Baltimore and the Howard in Washington, D.C. were among the most prestigious venues for black performers on

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