II | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 30, 1994 | |||
Recorded | December 1993—May 1994 | |||
Studio | Kajem Studios, Studio 4 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Doppler Studios, D.A.R.P. Studios, Studio LaCoCo in Atlanta, Georgia The Enterprises, Encore Studios in Burbank, California Flyte Tyme Studios in Edina, Minnesota Larrabee Sound Studios, Skip Saylor Recording, Lighthouse Studios in Los Angeles, California Backroom Studios in Glendale, California Granny's House Studios in Reno, Nevada | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 57:38 | |||
Label | Motown | |||
Producer | ||||
Boyz II Men chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from II | ||||
|
II is the second studio album (discounting their Christmas album) - hence the title - by American R&B quartet Boyz II Men, released on August 30, 1994, on Motown Records. [1] It contained the No. 1 singles "I'll Make Love to You" and "On Bended Knee", the latter of which replaced the former at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making the group the third artist to replace themselves at No. 1 in the United States after Elvis Presley and The Beatles and the first to achieve the feat in 30 years.
"I'll Make Love to You" also spent 14 weeks at the top of the Hot 100 making them the first artist to achieve consecutive double digit runs at the top, with their prior single "End of the Road" topping the charts for 13 weeks and also equaled the record set by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" for the longest run at the top, a record which they held previously with "End of the Road". Other singles released achieved major success, including "Water Runs Dry", which reached No. 2, and "Thank You", which reached No. 21. "Vibin'", however, only reached No. 52. [1]
The spoken track "Khalil (Interlude)" is a tribute to their road manager, Roderick "Khalil" Rountree, who, in May 1992, was shot and killed in Chicago, Illinois while the group was opening for MC Hammer's Too Legit to Quit tour. [1] II became the inaugural winner of the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, first presented at the 37th Grammy Awards in 1995. In 2020, it was ranked number 495 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
According to producer Bob Robinson of the duo Tim & Bob, he and his partner Tim Kelley were asked by Boyz II Men to produce most of II. However, Motown Records then-president Jheryl Busby did not feel comfortable with the idea of two unknown producers dominating a second album from a group that was one of the biggest acts in the world at the time. [1] As a result, Busby brought in Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Babyface to deliver hit singles for the project. Busby insisted on "I'll Make Love to You" being the first single, despite objections from the group- who felt there were songs that could have been much stronger singles. [1] The song became one of Boyz II Men's biggest hits.
Over 20 songs were recorded for II, but most of them never made the final track listing. [1] Two of the songs Tim & Bob produced—"Now That We're Done" and "Can I Touch You"—ended up on 112's 1996 self-titled debut. [1]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Robert Christgau | [3] |
Entertainment Weekly | A [4] |
Rolling Stone | (favorable) [5] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
The album debuted at No. 1 in the Billboard 200 with 350,000 copies sold. It spent a total of five weeks at No. 1 and was the third best-selling album in 1995 in the United States and sold 12 million copies in the United States.
It did not make a huge impact in the United Kingdom, where it only made No. 17 on the UK Albums Chart. A Spanish language version, II: Yo Te Voy a Amar, was also issued. The album also won Best R&B Album at the 37th Grammy Awards. The album was ranked #495 on the September 22, 2020 edition of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. [7]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Thank You" | Michael S. McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Dallas Austin | Boyz II Men, Austin | 4:37 |
2. | "All Around the World" | James Harris III, Terry Lewis, McCary, N. Morris, W. Morris, Stockman, Daddy-O | Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis | 4:56 |
3. | "U Know" | McCary, N. Morris, W. Morris, Stockman, Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson, Curtis Mayfield | Boyz II Men, Tim Kelley & Bob Robinson | 4:46 |
4. | "Vibin'" | McCary, N. Morris, W. Morris, Stockman, Kelley, Robinson | Tim Kelley & Bob Robinson | 4:28 |
5. | "I Sit Away" | Tony Rich | L.A. Reid, Rich | 4:35 |
6. | "Jezzebel" | W. Morris, Stockman, Troy Taylor, Charles Farrar | The Characters | 6:07 |
7. | "Khalil (Interlude)" | N. Morris, Stockman | Tim Kelley & Bob Robinson | 1:41 |
8. | "Trying Times" | W. Morris, Kelley, Robinson | W. Morris, Tim Kelley & Bob Robinson | 5:23 |
9. | "I'll Make Love to You" | Babyface | Babyface | 3:56 |
10. | "On Bended Knee" | Harris III, Lewis | Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis | 5:30 |
11. | "50 Candles" | Stockman, Kelley, Robinson | Stockman, Tim Kelley & Bob Robinson | 5:08 |
12. | "Water Runs Dry" | Babyface | Babyface | 3:21 |
13. | "Yesterday" | Paul McCartney, John Lennon | Boyz II Men | 3:09 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Fallin'" | Brian McKnight, Brandon Barnes | McKnight | 4:09 |
Notes
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [36] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [37] | 5× Platinum | 500,000^ |
France (SNEP) [38] | Platinum | 300,000* |
Japan (RIAJ) [39] | Gold | 100,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [40] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [41] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [42] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [43] | Gold | 100,000* |
United States (RIAA) [44] | 12× Platinum | 12,000,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI) [45] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Label | Format |
---|---|---|---|
United States | August 30, 1994 | Motown | Cassette, CD |
United Kingdom | September 12, 1994 |
MTV Unplugged is the first live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released by Maverick Records in the United States on November 9, 1999. It comprises songs performed by Morissette on the television program MTV Unplugged. Twelve tracks were included on the album, but Morissette also performed "Baba", "Thank U" and "Your House" during the live taping. These were later released as B-sides on the "King of Pain" single release. The first single, "That I Would Be Good", was moderately successful, and two other tracks, "King of Pain" and "You Learn" were released as singles outside North America. As of March 2012, the album has sold 673,000 copies in the U.S.
The English rock group The Rolling Stones have released 31 studio albums, 13 live albums, 28 compilation albums, 3 extended plays, 122 singles, 31 box sets, 51 video albums, 2 video box sets and 77 music videos. Throughout their career, they have sold over 200 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Billboard ranked them as the 2nd Greatest artist of all time. The Rolling Stones have scored 38 top-10 albums on the Billboard 200 and 8 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, they have sold 66.5 million albums in the US, making them the 16th best-selling group in history.
The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album is a soundtrack album from the film of the same name, released on November 17, 1992, by Arista Records. The album's first side features songs recorded by American singer Whitney Houston, who starred in the film, while side two features the work of various artists. Houston and Clive Davis were co-executive producers of the record.
Da Real World is the second studio album by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, released on June 22, 1999, by East West, Elektra, and The Goldmind. The album is noted for adding a raunchier and darker style to Elliott's music, as well as including the overt political use of the term "bitch". The album features guest appearances from B.G., Juvenile, Lil' Mo, Nicole, Beyoncé, Eve, Eminem, Lady Saw, Da Brat, Aaliyah, Big Boi of Outkast, Lil' Kim, MC Solaar, and Redman.
Seal is the second eponymous studio album by British singer Seal. The album was released in 1994 on ZTT and Sire Records and features the worldwide smash hit single "Kiss from a Rose".
"I'll Make Love to You" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written by Babyface, it was released in July 1994 as the lead single from their second album, II (1994). The song was a commercial success, spending 14 weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100. It was also the third best performing song in the 1990s on Billboard, as well as ranking on Billboard Greatest of All-Time chart. "I'll Make Love to You" won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and was nominated for Record of the Year. Its accompanying music video was directed by Lionel C. Martin.
Cooleyhighharmony is the debut studio album by American R&B group Boyz II Men. It was first released in the United States by Motown Records on April 30, 1991. The album was mainly written by Boyz II Men members Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman and extensively produced by Dallas Austin. Cooleyhighharmony's title is a tribute to a real high school in Chicago: Cooley Vocational High School.
Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya is the fifth album by R&B group Boyz II Men in 2000. The only LP issued during the group's brief contract with Universal Records, its title reflects the album's ambitions; unlike previous records, the majority of the tracks were written and produced by Boyz II Men themselves. The two singles, "Pass You By" and "Thank You in Advance", both performed below expectations on the charts.
Evolution is the fourth studio album by American R&B quartet Boyz II Men, released on September 23, 1997. It is their final album released on Motown Records. A Spanish language version, Evolución, was also issued. The Spanish edition won the Billboard Latin Music Award for Pop Album of the Year by a New Artist.
The Remix Collection is a 1995 remix LP for R&B group Boyz II Men, issued by Motown Records. Released against the group's wishes, it began a chain of events that led to the eventual dissolution of Boyz II Men's relationship with Motown.
"On Bended Knee" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. It was written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and released in November 1994 as the second single from the group's second album, II (1994). The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and number two on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart on December 3, 1994. It stayed at number one for a total of six non-consecutive weeks. The accompanying music video was directed by Lionel C. Martin.
Ropin' the Wind is the third studio album by the American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 2, 1991, and was his first studio album to debut at No. 1 the Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart. It was the first album by a country singer to top both of these charts since Kenny Rogers just over a decade earlier. It had four runs at No. 1 between September 28, 1991, and April 3, 1992, spending a combined 18 weeks at the top, eventually being certified 14× Platinum by the RIAA in 1998. In the UK, it reached the Top 50 pop albums list and went to No. 1 for several months on the country charts. It is the last studio album on Capitol Records Nashville until the 1995 album Fresh Horses.
This is the singles discography of American singer Janet Jackson. Janet has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Billboard ranked her as well as the third greatest female artist of all time on Billboard Hot 100 history.
Voodoo Lounge is a studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 11 July 1994. As their first new release under their new alliance with Virgin Records, it ended a five-year gap since their last studio album, Steel Wheels in 1989. Voodoo Lounge is also the band's first album without their original bassist Bill Wyman; he left the band in early 1991, though the Stones did not announce the departure until 1993. In 2009, the album was remastered and reissued by Universal Music. This album was released as a double vinyl and as a single CD and cassette.
The Hits is the second compilation album, and first wide-released greatest hits album, from American country music artist Garth Brooks, released on December 13, 1994, by Liberty.
Circus is the fourth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released in 1995 by Virgin Records. It reached number 10 on the US Billboard 200 and number five on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Kravitz's first top 10 album in the US and second in the UK.
Love Deluxe is the fourth studio album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 26 October 1992 and in the United States on 3 November 1992.
The discography of Brian McKnight, an R&B singer, consists of 15 studio albums, six compilation albums, more than 40 singles, and 19 music videos. McKnight has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide.
This is the discography of R&B and pop vocal group Boyz II Men. Boyz II Men have sold 25 million albums in the United States alone.
All-4-One is the eponymous debut album by All-4-One released on April 12, 1994. It features the Grammy-award-winning hit single, "I Swear".
rolling stone boyz ii men album guide.