Throwback Thursday: Boyz II Men “Motown Philly” (Video)

If you had told me in eighth grade that Boyz II Men would essentially fall of the face of the Earth I would have laughed at you. No one was bigger then then Boyz. No one. Although the sweet harmonies of the Boyz almost impossibly managed to disappear, today I wanted to harken back to a happier time. A time when everyone had a flat top fade, Boyz II Men were just starting out and the sounds of "Motown Philly" were in the air.



The Refined Take:

1) Ok, my new mission in life is to learn the dance they do at the beginning of the video and bust it out at every possible house party and wedding. Come on. You know you'd want me at your party. You know you would. Even if I accidentally break your lamp doing that jump-spin move.

2) I love how there was a time when it was not only socially acceptable but fresh for grown men to wear shorts that came out to mid-thigh with black dress socks, loafers and sweater vests. There's no way any major r&b star wears anything even close to that now, no way.

3) The next time I'm in Philly I'm going to do a "Motown Philly" tour and visit Temple University, dance under the bridge and eat at Geno's Steaks. And if I wasn't so afraid of being beaten up by Philly residents I'd do it in the aforementioned mid-thigh shorts. Anyone else in?

4) The best part of this video is easily at the 3:05 mark when the Boyz break it down a capella and just harmonize ("Yo, see if this one moves ya"). No one does that anymore, and frankly I'm hard pressed to think of a group that even could. In other words, old school Boyz II Men would crush Day 26. Just crush em.

5) Not to sound prude in my old age, but in retrospect I'm shocked teachers let DJs play Boyz II Men at middle school dances. I mean, I felt some of my first breast on the dance floor while "I'll Make Love to You" played. Thank you Boyz II Men, thank you. I am forever in debt to you.