II (Boyz II Men album)

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ReleasedAugust 30, 1994
RecordedDecember 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
II
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 30, 1994
RecordedDecember 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
Length57:38
LabelMotown
Producer
Boyz II Men chronology
Christmas Interpretations
(1993)
II
(1994)
The Remix Collection
(1995)
Singles from II
  1. "I'll Make Love to You"
    Released: July 26, 1994
  2. "On Bended Knee"
    Released: November 1, 1994
  3. "Thank You"
    Released: February 7, 1995
  4. "Water Runs Dry"
    Released: April 11, 1995

II is the third studio album 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 World 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]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[2]
Robert Christgau(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)[3]
Entertainment WeeklyA[4]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[5]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStarStar[6]
SelectStar[7]

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.[8]

Track listing

North American edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Thank You"Michael S. McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Dallas AustinBoyz II Men, Austin4:37
2."All Around the World"James Harris III, Terry Lewis, McCary, N. Morris, W. Morris, Stockman, Daddy-OJimmy Jam & Terry Lewis4:56
3."U Know"McCary, N. Morris, W. Morris, Stockman, Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson, Curtis MayfieldBoyz II Men, Tim Kelley & Bob Robinson4:46
4."Vibin'"McCary, N. Morris, W. Morris, Stockman, Kelley, RobinsonTim Kelley & Bob Robinson4:28
5."I Sit Away"Tony RichL.A. Reid, Rich4:35
6."Jezzebel"W. Morris, Stockman, Troy Taylor, Charles FarrarThe Characters6:07
7."Khalil (Interlude)"N. Morris, StockmanTim Kelley & Bob Robinson1:41
8."Trying Times"W. Morris, Kelley, RobinsonW. Morris, Tim Kelley & Bob Robinson5:23
9."I'll Make Love to You"BabyfaceBabyface3:56
10."On Bended Knee"Harris III, LewisJimmy Jam & Terry Lewis5:30
11."50 Candles"Stockman, Kelley, RobinsonStockman, Tim Kelley & Bob Robinson5:08
12."Water Runs Dry"BabyfaceBabyface3:21
13."Yesterday"Paul McCartney, John LennonBoyz II Men3:09
International bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Fallin'"Brian McKnight, Brandon BarnesMcKnight4:09

Notes

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for II
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[38] 5× Platinum 500,000^
France (SNEP)[39] Platinum 300,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[40] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[41] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[42] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (Promusicae)[43] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Gold 100,000*
United States (RIAA)[45] 12× Platinum 12,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[46] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

See also

References

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