Cooleyhighharmony

by Boyz II Men

Overview

No mere breakthrough, 1991's Cooleyhighharmony was one of the decade's biggest debuts, setting Boyz II Men well on their path to becoming what the RIAA certified the most successful R&B group of all time. Their sound, dubbed "hip-hop doo-wop" and aided in large part by the productions and arrangements of Dallas Austin, was a shrewd and flexible mix of contemporary and throwback elements. Fully exploiting the members' stunning vocal chops on ballads as a close harmony group, while hardly washed out when matched with densely layered upbeat material (new jack swing was still in full flight), the group put a mature collegiate spin on what were, at the time, the last two New Edition albums, updating the techniques reminiscent of the doo wop covered on Under the Blue Moon within a set that was as modern-sounding as the singles off Heart Break. It contains that rare mix of hot singles with several album cuts that could have just as easily been hits, the ultimate measure of a release that is both commercially and creatively successful. While the album was carried by four Top Ten R&B singles, two of which -- the swinging, anthemic "Motownphilly" and an a cappella version of the Cooley High soundtrack's "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," the tear duct activator of 1991/1992 -- went Top Five on the pop chart, there is substantial depth. The non-single highlights include the sweet slow jam "This Is My Heart," sonically somewhere between Gwen Guthrie's "Outside in the Rain" and an organic Babyface ballad, and the frantic new jack swinger "Under Pressure," perhaps too much like "Motownphilly" or Dallas Austin's most chaotic Bomb Squad-inspired productions. In its original ten-song form, in fact, Cooleyhighharmony is 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, "Uhh Ahh"'s amusing libidinal melisma notwithstanding. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	03/29/2019
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988031322741
Rank:	80678

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Boyz II Men   Primary Artist
Michael Bivins   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Rap
French Girl   Primary Artist
Rick Criniti   Guitar (Acoustic)
Tony Scott   Rap
Nakia Keith   Voices
Troy Taylor   Bass,Drums,Piano,Keyboards,Percussion
Rick Sheppard   Sampling
Dallas Austin   Piano,Percussion

Technical Credits

Fred Jenkins   Programming,Remix Producer,Overdubs,Remixing
Jim Hinger   Mixing,Engineer
Steve Jervier   Producer
Steve Meltzer   Art Direction
Rex Salas   Remixing
Agnes Baddoo   Stylist
Aaron Bobby Campbell   Overdubs,Programming
Babyface   Composer
Chris Bellman   Mastering
L.A. Reid   Composer,Producer
Christine Yarian   Composer
Fred Parris   Composer
Charles Farrar   Producer
Ricky Walters   Composer
Wanya Morris   Arranger,Composer,Group Member
Doug E. Fresh   Composer
Dennis Mitchell   Mixing,Engineer
Jerry Lee Lewis   Composer
KC Porter   Producer
Marty Stuart   Composer
Nathan Morris   Arranger,Composer,Group Member
Michael McCary   Group Member
Helene Andersson   Hair Stylist,Make-Up
Ryan Null   Photo Coordination
Suzanne de Passe   Executive Producer
Vida Sparks   A&R,Executive Producer
Fredericke Parris   Composer
Troy C. Taylor   Composer
The Characters   Composer
David Roth   Photography
Seth Foster   Digital Remastering
Shawn Stockman   Arranger,Composer,Group Member
Paul Kennerley   Composer
Steve McKeever   Executive Producer
Darrale Jones   Assistant
Paul Jervier   Producer
S. Steve Berg   Mixing,Engineer
Greg Ross   Package Design
Darin Prindle   Mixing,Engineer
Mark Partis   Mixing,Engineer
Michael Bivins   Arranger,Composer,Creative Director
Michele Horie   Art Direction
Daryl Simmons   Composer,Producer
Monty Norman   Composer
Amy Linden   Liner Notes
Dave Way   Mixing,Engineer
Harry Weinger   Producer
Kenneth Edmonds   Composer
Troy Taylor   Composer,Producer,Vocal Arrangement,Rhythm Arrangements
Chris Trevett   Mixing,Engineer
Freddie Perren   Composer
Rick Sheppard   Programming
Camelle Hinds   Producer
Dallas Austin   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Remixing
Rico Anderson   Producer,Remixing,Remix Producer