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Cooleyhighharmony

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cooleyhighharmony
Studio album by
Boyz II Men
ReleasedApril 30, 1991
StudiosDoppler, Atlanta, Georgia; Studio 4, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Soundworks, New York City
Genres
Length40:25
LanguageEnglish
LabelMotown
Producers
Boyz II Men chronology
Cooleyhighharmony
(1991)		 Christmas Interpretations
(1993)
Singles from Cooleyhighharmony
  1. "Motownphilly"
    Released: April 1991
  2. "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
    Released: August 20, 1991
  3. "Uhh Ahh"
    Released: November 26, 1991
  4. "Please Don't Go"
    Released: March 17, 1992
  5. "End of the Road"
    Released: June 30, 1992
  6. "In the Still of the Night (I'll Remember)"
    Released: November 10, 1992
Alternate covers
Cooleyhighharmony (reissue)

Cooleyhighharmony is the debut studio album by American R&B group Boyz II Men. It was released on April 30, 1991, by Motown Records. Following their discovery by New Edition's Michael Bivins in 1989, the group recorded the album as a quartet after Marc Nelson's departure. It blended New Jack Swing with classic soul and doo-wop-inspired harmonies, a style described as "hip hop doo-wop," with production largely overseen by Dallas Austin and additional production from Troy Taylor and Charles Farrar of The Characters. Primarily written by its band members, Cooleyhighharmony's title pays tribute to the real-life Chicago high school, Cooley Vocational High School.[2]

The album received generally positive reviews, with critics praising Boyz II Men's harmonies, timeless ballads, and blend of doo-wop, soul, and New Jack Swing, though some found its slower material routine and its faster tracks less suited to the group. Cooleyhighharmony was a major commercial success, reaching the top 10 in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, and peaking at number three on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was certified nine-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and achieved multi-platinum or gold status in several other countries, with domestic sales approaching seven million copies.[3]

Cooleyhighharmony's original edition produced two US top-five singles, including "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday." Following the album's international reissue in 1992, which added remixes and two new tracks, "End of the Road", became a major international breakthrough for the group. Originally recorded for the Boomerang soundtrack, the song propelled Boyz II Men to global prominence and was joined on the reissue by "In the Still of the Nite (I'll Remember)," originally recorded for the television miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream. A two-disc digitally remastered edition was released in 2009, featuring additional remixes and two previously unreleased tracks.[4]

Background

[edit]

Boyz II Men formed in the mid-1980s at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, initially under the name Unique Attraction.[5] The group eventually settled on a five-member lineup of Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Michael McCary, and Marc Nelson, drawing heavily on the influence of New Edition.[5] In 1989, the group met New Edition member Michael Bivins backstage at a Philadelphia concert and impressed him with an impromptu a cappella performance, leading Bivins to become their manager and help secure a deal with Motown Records.[6] Nelson later departed before the recording of the group's debut album, leaving Boyz II Men as a quartet.[6] For their debut album with Motown, the band combined New Jack Swing production with classic soul and doo-wop-inspired harmonies, a style that became known as "hip hop doo-wop" and established the group's distinctive multi-lead vocal approach.[7] Production of the songs was largely overseen by producer Dallas Austin, with additional production from Troy Taylor and Charles Farrar of duo The Characters.[8]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[9]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[10]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[11]
Los Angeles TimesStarStarStar[12]
Record CollectorStarStarStarStar[13]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStar[14]
The Windsor StarB[15]

AllMusic editor Andy Kellman called the album "a brisk 40-minute set built for front-to-back listening, though the sequencing is more natural with the 'adagio' and 'allegro' halves switched up. For many of those responsible for its multi-platinum status, it is the album of the early '90s."[9] Connie Johnson of The Los Angeles Times praised Cooleyhighharmony for its "silky, coming-of-age style," highlighting "Uhh Ahh" as a standout track and noting the group's appeal to younger listeners.[12] Writing for Record Collector, Jason Draper praised the album as a "stone cold classic," highlighting its close harmonies, quiet storm influences, doo-wop touches, and new jack swing production. He criticized the bonus-disc remixes as repetitive, but maintained that the original album remained "sexy, seductive" and full of emotion.[13]

In a mixed review, Amy Linden from Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Reversing the usual sequence, the album starts with slow jams and saves the faster jams for last, which only serves to highlight how routine the slow stuff is. Don't they know that you start the party kickin', then get down to the grinding?"[11] Rolling Stone rated the album three out of five stars and noted that Cooleyhighharmony balanced the New Jack Swing of "Motownphilly" with nostalgic doo-wop influences, praising the group's ability to make its retro influences feel contemporary rather than simply recreating the past.[14] In a retrospective reviews, Billboard praised the album for helping pioneer the sound of 1990s R&B and highlighted Boyz II Men's "timeless ballads" and vocal talent, while criticizing the album's New Jack Swing material as less suited to the group.[8]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Cooleyhighharmony was a major commercial success, charting in several countries and reaching the top 10 in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. On the US Billboard 200, the album debuted at number 58 before eventually peaking at number three.[16] It reached number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,[17] with domestic sales approaching seven million copies.[18] It also peaked at number four on both the Australian Albums Chart and the New Zealand Albums Chart,[19][20] number seven on the UK Albums Chart, and number 11 on the Canadian Albums Chart.[21] Elsewhere, it reached the top 20 in the Netherlands and the top 40 in Austria, Germany, Sweden, and on a composite European Albums Chart.[22] The album also peaked at number 91 in Japan.[23]

In the United States, Cooleyhighharmony ranked at number 12 on the Billboard 200 year-end chart for 1992 and number 10 on the year-end Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[24][17] Following its continued success, it was also the 45th-highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 decade-end chart for the 1990s.[25] The album received multiple certifications internationally. It was certified nine-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), representing 9 million certified units in the United States.[26] It was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA),[27] platinum by Music Canada and the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RMNZ),[28][29] and gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).[30][31] In Asia, the album was reported to have sold 700,000 copies.[32]

Track listing

[edit]

Original 1991 edition

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Please Don't Go"Nathan MorrisDallas Austin4:26
2."Lonely Heart"N. MorrisAustin3:42
3."This Is My Heart"
Austin3:23
4."Uhh Ahh"
Austin3:51
5."It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
Austin2:51
6."Motownphilly"
  • Austin
  • Bivins
  • N. Morris
  • Stockman
Austin3:55
7."Under Pressure"
  • Austin
  • N. Morris
Austin4:13
8."Sympin'"
  • N. Morris
  • Stockman
  • Austin
Austin4:23
9."Little Things"Troy TaylorThe Characters4:01
10."Your Love"TaylorThe Characters5:50
Total length:40:25

1993 US reissue

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Al Final del Camino"
K. C. Porter5:51
2."Please Don't Go"N. MorrisAustin4:26
3."Lonely Heart"N. MorrisAustin3:42
4."This Is My Heart"
  • W. Morris
  • Stockman
Austin3:23
5."Uhh Ahh" (sequel version)
  • N. Morris
  • W. Morris
  • Michael Bivins
4:15
6."It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
  • Perren
  • Yarian
Austin2:48
7."In the Still of the Night (I'll Remember)"ParrisBoyz II Men2:51
8."Motownphilly" (remix – radio edit)
  • Austin
  • Bivins
  • N. Morris
  • Stockman
  • Camille Hinds
  • Steve Jervier
  • Paul Jervier
3:59
9."Under Pressure"
  • Austin
  • N. Morris
Austin4:13
10."Sympin'" (remix – radio edit)
  • Austin
  • N. Morris
  • Stockman
  • Bivins
  • W. Morris
Rico Anderson3:59
11."Little Things"TaylorThe Characters4:01
12."Your Love"TaylorThe Characters5:50
13."Motownphilly" (original album version)
  • Austin
  • N. Morris
  • Stockman
  • Bivins
Austin3:55
14."Sympin'" (original album version)
  • Austin
  • N. Morris
  • Stockman
Austin4:23
15."Uhh Ahh" (original album version)
  • N. Morris
  • Bivins
  • W. Morris
Austin3:51
16."It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" (Radio Version)
  • Perren
  • Yarian
  • Rex Salas
  • Boyz II Men
3:06
17."End of the Road"
  • Reid
  • Babyface
  • Simmons
  • Reid
  • Babyface
  • Simmons
5:50
Total length:64:23

2009 re-release

[edit]

In 2009, a two-disc digitally remastered special edition of the album was released by Hip-O Select Records. It contains the 1993 reissue version of the album, plus additional remixes and two previously unreleased tracks.

Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Please Don't Go"4:26
2."Lonely Heart"3:42
3."This Is My Heart"3:23
4."Uhh Ahh"3:51
5."It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"2:51
6."Motownphilly"3:55
7."Under Pressure"4:13
8."Sympin'"4:23
9."Little Things"4:01
10."Your Love"5:50
11."End of the Road"5:50
12."In the Still of the Night (I'll Remember)"2:51
13."Uhh Ahh" (sequel version)4:15
14."Motownphilly" (remix – radio edit)3:59
15."Sympin'" (remix – radio edit)3:59
16."It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" (radio version)3:06
17."Al Final del Camino" ("End of the Road" Spanish version)5:51
Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Just a Cover" (previously unreleased)TaylorThe Characters5:24
2."Can't Be Liked" (previously unreleased)TaylorThe Characters5:50
3."Motownphilly" (12" version)  5:39
4."Motownphilly" (12" dub)  4:09
5."Motownphilly" (Quiet Storm Mix)  4:06
6."Under Pressure" (Groovy Remix) (previously unreleased in the US)
  • Austin
  • N. Morris
Austin6:23
7."Under Pressure" (extended remix) (previously unreleased in the US)
  • Austin
  • N. Morris
Austin6:32
8."Sympin'" (Remix)  5:00
9."Sympin'" (remix – radio edit without rap)  4:17
10."Uhh Ahh" (remix)  4:50
11."Uhh Ahh" (sequel version – with French girl)  4:50
12."Uhh Ahh" (sequel version – a cappella)  4:50
13."It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" (gospel version with dedication)  4:15

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Cooleyhighharmony.[33]

Technical

  • Vida Sparks
  • Dallas Austin
  • Michael Bivins
  • Jheryl Busby
  • Dave Way
  • Dennis Mitchell
  • Darin Prindle
  • Chris Trevett
  • Steve Schwartzberg
  • Jim "Jiff" Hinger
  • Mark Partis

Additional personnel

  • Mastering: Chris Bellman
  • Mastering location: Bernie Grundman Mastering
  • Creative director: Michael Bivins
  • Art director: Stephen Meltzer
  • Design: Kaie Wellman
  • Assistant designer: Elizabeth Matbeny
  • Assistant: Darrale Jones
  • Administrative assistant: Dianne Johnson
  • Photography: Butch Belaire
  • Hair and make-up: Helene Andersson
  • Stylist: Agnes Baddoo

Mixing locations

  • Soundworks Studio, New York City
  • Soundtract Studio, New York City
  • Doppler Studios, Atlanta, Georgia

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Certifications and sales for Cooleyhighharmony
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[27] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[28] Platinum 100,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[31] Gold 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[29] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[26] 9× Platinum 9,000,000^
Summaries
Asia — 700,000[32]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Cooleyhighharmony release history
Region Date Format Label Edition(s)
United States April 30, 1991 Motown Standard
November 16, 1993 US reissue
May 26, 2009 Expanded

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "New Jack Swing". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ↑ "Producer Dallas Austin talks about Boyz II Men's debut album, 'Cooleyhighharmony'". Waxpoetics.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  3. ↑ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - September 24, 2015". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony (2009, Expanded Edition, CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Original Band Names of 57 Groups Before They Got Famous". Billboard. May 25, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Boyz II Men Reflect on 25th Anniversary of Iconic 'II' Album: 'A Standard For Real Music'". Billboard. August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Exclusive: Boyz II Men Get Vocal About Doo-Wop, A Cappella And Las Vegas Residencies". Billboard. May 15, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Partridge, Kenneth (February 15, 2016). "Boyz II Men's 'Cooleyhighharmony' at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  9. 1 2 https://www.allmusic.com/album/r2551
  10. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Boyz II Men". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  11. 1 2 Linden, Amy (July 26, 1991). "Cooleyhighharmony Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 1, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2012.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. 1 2 Johnson, Connie (June 30, 1991). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Draper, Jason (July 2009). "Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony". Record Collector. No. 364. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  14. 1 2 Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 100. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone boyz ii men album guide.
  15. ↑ Jones, Owen (February 1, 1992). "Record Review". The Windsor Star.
  16. 1 2 "Boyz II Men Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  17. 1 2 3 "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  18. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (September 30, 2014). "Boyz II Men Talk Incredible 1994 Run: 'A Lot Of It Was a Blur'". Billboard.com. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  19. 1 2 "Australiancharts.com – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  20. 1 2 "Charts.nz – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  21. 1 2 "Boyz II Men Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  22. 1 2 "Hits of the World – Eurochart". Billboard. December 5, 1992. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  23. 1 2 "ボーイズ・II・メンのアルバム売上ランキング". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  24. 1 2 "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  25. 1 2 Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). "1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  26. 1 2 "American album certifications – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  27. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1993 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  28. 1 2 "Canadian album certifications – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony". Music Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  29. 1 2 "New Zealand album certifications – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  30. 1 2 "British album certifications – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 25, 2012. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Cooleyhighharmony Boyz II Men in the "Search:" field.
  31. 1 2 "Japanese album certifications – ボーイズIIメン – クーリーハイハーモニー＋5" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved July 15, 2012. Select 1993年3月 on the drop-down menu
  32. 1 2 "Bon Jovi Proves What 'Faith' Can Do" (PDF). Billboard. December 25, 1993. p. 92. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  33. ↑ Cooleyhighharmony (CD liner). Boyz II Men. Motown Records. 1991.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Boyz II Men Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  39. ↑ Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  40. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1993 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
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