Boyz II Men 'Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection' album

The first Boyz II Men "best of" package, 2001's Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection, was a gold-certified hit. Now that single-CD, 13-selection album has been expanded to become the two-CD, 34-selection Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection-Deluxe Edition (Universal/Motown Records/UMe), released February 3, 2004.

For the first time, every Top 40 pop or R&B hit from Boyz II Men from 1991-2000, their tenure on Universal/Motown is represented - one double platinum, eight platinum and two gold singles from the original Legacy lineup, and nine more Top 40 R&B hits; plus a second disc of rare remixes, movie tracks and other recordings the fans have craved, each digitally remastered. Included in the acclaimed Deluxe Edition packaging is a 28-page booklet featuring rare, archival photos and two essays chronicling the group' meteoric career.

Disc Two features rare, unedited remixes of "Motownphilly," "Sympin'," "Uhh Ahh," "Thank You," "I'll Make Love To You," "On Bended Knee," "Water Runs Dry" and "Vibin'," each longer than the original album or CD single releases. Also included are more rarities like the Remix Collection-only hit, "I Remember," which went Top 30 R&B; the radio remix of their breakthrough pop hit "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday," which added instrumentation to the LP cut; the Soul Solution club remix of "Doin' Just Fine"; and the bangin' Timbaland Remix of "Can't Let Her Go." Both of the latter cuts were breakout album tracks from the group's last Motown album. Five of these rarities were issued as CD or 12-inch singles only and appear on an album for the first time.

Other Legacy-Deluxe Edition additions are Shawn Stockman's solo hit, "Visions Of A Sunset" (Top 20 R&B) from Mr. Holland's Opus; "Your Home Is In My Heart (Stella's Love Theme)," a duet with Chant? Moore duet produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, featured in the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back; "I Will Get There (Inspirational Version)," a Top 40 hit from the album inspired by the animated film The Prince Of Egypt; "Not Me," the group's contribution to the concept album edition of Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida; and "So Amazing," the ballad from the score version soundtrack of The Hurricane.Each of these film- and theater- related songs now appear on a Boyz II Men album for the first time.

Stockman, Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris and Michael McCary, discovered by New Edition's Michael Bivins, debuted on Motown via Bivin's Biv 10 Entertainment company with Cooleyhighharmony in 1991, and became the most successful vocal group in history. Its platinum, Grammy-winning "End Of The Road," their collaboration with L.A. Reid and Babyface, stayed at #1 pop for a record 13 weeks, and "In The Still Of The Nite (I'll Remember)" (#3 pop) and Grammy-winning "Motownphilly" (#3 pop) went platinum too. The album also included the gold "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday," Top 10 R&B "Please Don't Go" and #1 R&B "Uhh Ahh."

II (1994), featuring further collaborations with Babyface and Jam & Lewis, yielded the platinum, Grammy-winning "I'll Make Love To You," which remained at #1 for 14 weeks, breaking their own record. When the platinum "On Bended Knee" knocked it from #1, Boyz II Men became only the third artist to succeed themselves at the top, after The Beatles and Elvis Presley. II, now Motown's largest selling album of all time, also boasted the gold "Water Runs Dry" (#2 pop) and the Top 20 R&B "Thank You."

"Brokenhearted," a pop chart top 10 for Brandy & Wanya Morris, was originally issued as a solo track on her self-titled debut album in 1995. The rare and long unavailable hit duet version, a.k.a. the "Soul Power Mix," is included on Legacy-Deluxe Edition. Boyz II Men also collaborated with LL Cool J on the platinum, #3 pop, "Hey Lover," in 1995. Another duet recording, "One Sweet Day" with Mariah Carey, topped the pop charts for 16 weeks - again breaking their own record - and went double platinum the following year.

Evolution (1997) spun off the platinum #1 "4 Seasons Of Loneliness," platinum Top 10 "A Song For Mama," and "Doin' Just Fine," produced by Shawn with the group. Moving from Motown to Universal, the group delivered Nathan/Michael/Shawn/Wanya (2000), which featured the Top 30 R&B "Pass You By." In 2002, Boyz II Men moved to Arista Records. Every aspect of the legacy that has ensured their place in music history can be heard only on Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection-Deluxe Edition.

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Boyz II Men - Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection