Motownphilly

"Motownphilly"
US 12-inch vinyl single
Single by Boyz II Men
from the album Cooleyhighharmony
Released	April 1991
Genre	Soul [1] new jack swing [1] doo-wop [1]
Length	3:56
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Dallas Austin Michael Bivins Nathan Morris Shawn Stockman
Producer(s)	Dallas Austin
Boyz II Men singles chronology
"Motownphilly" (1991) "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" (1991)
Music video
"Motownphilly" on YouTube

"Motownphilly" is the debut single 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 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. Among the locations are Penn's Landing along the Delaware River and Geno's Steaks at 1219 S 9th Street. ^[2] 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 a drummer, due to his previous relationship with the group from high school.

Critical reception

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 the ever-shifting mix you learn their tale and, if I were Bell Biv DeVoe, I'd prepare to be usurped." ^[3]

Track listings

US vinyl, 12-inch A1: "Motownphilly" (12-inch version) – 4:47 A2: "Motownphilly" (LP version) – 3:52 B: "Motownphilly" (instrumental) – 5:50 US CD maxi "Motownphilly" (12-inch version Edit) – 4:47 "Motownphilly" (LP version) – 3:52 "Motownphilly" (quiet storm) – 4:06 "Motownphilly" (12-inch A) – 5:50 "Motownphilly" (12-inch dub) – 4:08 UK vinyl, 7-inch A: "Motownphilly" (7-inch radio version) – 3:50 B: "Motownphilly" (Philly instrumental) – 3:50

UK vinyl, 12-inch A: "Motownphilly" (12-inch extended club mix) – 5:35 B1: "Motownphilly" (7-inch radio version) – 3:50 B2: "Motownphilly" (Philly instrumental) – 3:50 B3: "Motownphilly" (dub mix) – 4:08 Germany CD maxi "Motownphilly" (12-inch version) – 5:50 "Motownphilly" (7-inch main) – 3:20 "Motownphilly" (12-inch dub) – 4:09 "Motownphilly" (quiet storm) – 4:06

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Motownphilly" Chart (1991–1993) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [4] 32 Canada Retail Singles ( The Record ) [5] 38 Canada Contemporary Hit Radio ( The Record ) [5] 34 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [6] 48 Ireland (IRMA) [7] 16 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [8] 29 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [9] 38 UK Singles (OCC) [10] 23 UK Dance ( Music Week ) [11] 28 UK Club Chart ( Record Mirror ) [12] 84 US Billboard Hot 100 [13] 3 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [14] 4 Zimbabwe (ZIMA) [15] 1

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "Motownphilly" Chart (1991) Position US Billboard Hot 100 [16] 11 US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard) [17] 23

Certifications

Certifications for "Motownphilly"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [18]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for "Motownphilly"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	April 1991	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette	Motown	[ citation needed ]
Japan	August 21, 1991	Mini-CD		[19]
United Kingdom	December 7, 1992	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette		[20]

References

1. Pitchfork Staff (September 27, 2022). "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 21, 2022. ...the track, which features classic soul harmonies over a new jack swing beat, as well as a totally gratuitous doo-wop showcase at the end.
2. Now, Chris Bungo Studios Filming Locations Then and. "Chris Bungo Studios Filming Locations Then and Now". Chris Bungo Studios Filming Locations Then and Now. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
3. Fadele, Dele (November 9, 1991). "Singles". NME . p. 22. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
4. "Boyz II Men – Motownphilly". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
5. Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 49. ISBN   1-896594-13-1.
6. "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 3. January 16, 1993. p. 15. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
7. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Boyz II Men". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
8. "Boyz II Men – Motownphilly" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
9. "Boyz II Men – Motownphilly". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
11. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . December 26, 1992. p. 24. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
12. "The Record Mirror Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). August 24, 1991. p. 8. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
13. "Boyz II Men Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
14. "Boyz II Men Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
15. • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
16. "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-14.
17. "The Year in Music: 1991 – Top R&B Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-18. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved October 24, 2020– via World Radio History.
18. "American single certifications – Boyz II Men – Motownphilly". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 7, 2022.
19. "モータウンフィリー | ボーイズ・II・メン" [Motownphilly | Boyz II Men] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved August 30, 2023.
20. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . December 5, 1992. p. 25.

External links

• "Motownphilly" at Genius