Cammy Thomas
In the esteemed words of another iconic 1990’s R&B boy band, Blackstreet, “Let’s take it back, way back, back into time”.
I know it’s hard to imagine, especially for Gen Z Tik tok-ers out there, but once upon a time, mobile phones were rare luxuries for the monetary enriched, face time was non-existent, pagers were a flex, and the 1990’s boy band dominated! In an era where Grime was still over a decade away from inception, and UK R&B and pop artists followed the tuneful templates constructed by our transatlantic cousins, we looked to the U.S to discover and adapt upcoming trends making their way to our shores; slowly. Instantaneous gossip pages such as Shade Borough and real time websites were non-existent, as the internet was in its infancy, and dial up modems were a nightmare.
At the turn of the 20th century, British R&B and Hip Hop groups were heavily influenced by slick U.S productions and American twangs could be heard clearly in 90’s groups, Ultimate Kaos on their single ‘Hootchie Booty’, MN8’s ‘I’ve Got a Little Something for You’, and ‘Deep’ by East 17. These songs provide a gateway to some 90’s British pop/R&B classics. There is no denying that these songs are American adjacent, with the former two having hip hop overtones, and the latter having undertones and tinges of U.S influence, as the song features rapping, and the prominent hip hop element of scratching. Interestingly, Brian Harvey of the group East 17 adopted a hip hop influenced aesthetic during this time, with a distinctive style complete with big gold hooped earrings and a gold tooth to match, a style favoured by K-Ci of the U.S R&B/Hip Hop super group Jodeci, who achieved worldwide acclaim before the Walthamstow wonders emerged.
As with most genres waiting for someone innovative to capture the creativity and energy of an era, bottle it, and bring it to the forefront for the public consumption and enjoyment, there is always a genesis jump off point, and EYC’s rise to prominence was no exception, as all roads with U.S boy-bands, lead to the same block, where the New Kids hung out! Yep, New Kids on the block was where it all began, becoming the first mass media, marketable, modern-day boy-band, formed in 1984 by Maurice Star whose aim was to create a white version of the Black group New Edition. NKOTB were one of the first to combine pop, R&B, and a hint of rap garnering them global mainstream appeal and multimedia opportunities. Their music was bolstered by synchronised choreographed dance moves, preppy boy outfits, and good looks ranging from the non-threatening cute innocent one (Joey McIntyre) and the sexy rebellious one (Donnie Wahlberg), the intention behind having a range of personalities and looks within the group, was to appeal to every adoring fan, giving them someone to latch on to no matter their personal preference, which in turn increased concert ticket and album sales for the group and management alike. (CA=CHING!) The hysteria created by NKOTB in the late 80’s and early 90’s reached fever pitch and the group became a cross marketing kings, with dolls and their very own cartoon created in their likeness. To put it in Gen Z terms – New Kids on The Block ate so that boy-bands who followed the blueprint they laid, such as The Backstreet Boys, Nsync, EYC, Take That, Boyzone, 5ive, MN8 and Another Level, could FEAST.
EYC were sandwiched between NKOTB and Nsync, NKOTB were EYC’s predecessors, and Nsync were their successors within the increasingly saturated U.S boy band market. Here in the UK music execs were following a similar formula to the U.S, and a plethora of boybands blitzed our ears! At the time, all eyes were on the hugely successful UK boybands, Take that and Boyzone, who were releasing catchy, clean cut pop tunes, but some of us were craving the slick R&B harmonies married with pop hooks, and a touch of grit, delivered by disbanded (1994), since reformed (2008) New Kids on The Block, which I’d become accustomed to hearing on releases by the groups Bel Biv DeVoe, Color me Badd, and Dru Hill . Take That and Boyzone were the UK’s answer to the bubble gum pop music machine churning out the Backstreet Boys, which I liked but could not fully relate to, which is ironic as Take That were a Brit born group, as am I, however my aural tastes were fine-tuned by familial surroundings peppering the house with the sonic seasonings of Reggae, Soul, R&B, Jungle, and Rap which were a constant in my household, making me the living embodiment of the adage ‘You are a product of your environment’!
By the time EYC, comprised of singers Trey Parker, Damon Butler, and rapper David Loeffler, literally burst onto the musical landscape, stomping about in combat boots for their debut single ‘Feelin Alright’, I knew they were a bit of me, and the void for polished R&B harmonies with some street swag had been filled, with their rambunctious arrival. Debut single ‘Feelin’ Alright’ did what it came to do, it grabbed your attention and left you breathless from the sheer energy the song contains. with Its shouty chorus, fast tempo, rhythmic kicks, and claps. Razmataz statement horns flare up throughout the song, as though reminding you to pay attention. The rap adlibs and ever-present choreographed dance moves made EYC’s debut a frantic, fun filled, frenzy.
It was not long before EYC’s debut album ‘Express Yourself Clearly’ touched down in 1994, earning the accolade of – the first album I saved all my pocket money to buy…ON TAPE! To this day I treasure that tape, like an old relic discovered in an excavation of Egyptian artefacts from a time gone by! What made EYC such a unique boy-band upon their formation circa 1992, was the fact interracial boy-bands were extremely rare at that time in the U.S, despite the racial diversity of the group with Dave Loeffler, Latin/Irish, Trey Parker, white American, and Damon Butler African American, they did not assign the hip hop elements to the lone black guy in the group, that would have been too predictable, instead it was Latin/Irish Dave Loeffer who added hip hop flavour to the album, which was refreshing and differentiated them from their counterparts. EYC’s debut album is a hidden gem from yesteryear, undiscovered by generation now, and forgotten by generations past, that’s why I’m here to blow the dust off a classic release, to make it sparkle once again and celebrate a great body of work. We revisited anthemic album opener, ‘Feelin’ Alright’, follow up track, ‘Nice and Slow’ is a complete paradigm shift in the albums tone, as the song is a ‘bedroom bop’ complete with seductive but slightly cheesy whispering, and sensual growls which was not out of place in that era, the song conjures images of baby oil, feathered masks, and silken scarlet bed sheets! The arrangement is layered with lingering guitar licks, vocoders, and a four-note synth during the first half of the song, which completely dissipates, until it fades in, and back out again at the songs close, sounding exquisite.
‘Black book’ opens like a film with rapid camera pans focusing on a series of revelations and indiscretions, as we then segue into the cool funk / cool breeze of the song, resplendent with classy piano melisma’s, saxophones, and mid-tempo kicks, as Trey sings about a cheating girlfriend, leading him to remove her from his black book after all her games, note that no one had mobile phones to block a number, and the equivalent in the 1990’s was a black book listing phone numbers of past and present hook ups *gasp*written in pen! Elsewhere on the album we have the romantic, polished pop ballads ‘Remembering You Girl,’ ‘Baby Don’t you Know’ and ‘You Are My Happiness.’ All three songs have a clean pop vocal delivered with sincerity, supported by slick production, with the latter two supersizing on the slush. The trio of songs combine Trey’s crisp pop vocal with Damon’s soulful tones, which he merges with spoken word declarations of love which are frequent throughout the album, these portions could have been inspired by Hip Hop legend LL Cool J’s career defining, spoken word heartfelt love ballad, ‘I Need Love’, released 1987 and saw LL Cool J crossover from raw Hip Hop artist to a bona fide mainstream pop star. The best ballad by far on ‘Express Yourself Clearly’ is ‘One More Chance,’ no not the Notorious B.I.G version, that was still a year away from blessing the airwaves, but the delicately saccharine ballad sung primarily by Damon Butler. The instrumental echoes the tentative request of another chance with a lost love with the plinky plonk hesitance of keyboards, and the sporadic addition of synthesised ‘shimmer and sparkle’ as though cupid decided to switch up his modus operendi and use his arrow as a magic wand to cast iridescent love spells! The sparse instrumental allows Damon’s soulfully sincere falsetto to soar, and the song is spectacularly beautiful.
The album’s stellar success in the U.K and Australia, charting at No 14 in the UK and winning them an ARIA award down under, is attributed to the fast-paced pop songs infused with a dash of Hip Hop, and this is truly where the album excels and cemented EYC as the chiefs of early 1990’s boy-bands. Aside from the hyperactive lead single ‘Feelin’ Alright,’ we also have equally hyper, ‘The Way You Work It,’ which is all drop kick stomping bass, staccato keys, shouts, yelps, and a high-pitched snake charmer flute, it’s a multilayered yet seamless production that commands you to dance. Trey’s tone is pure pop with its elevated pitch accompanied by a hint of gravel, making the catchy lyrics stick to your brain like sonic superglue! ‘Number One’ sung by both Trey and Damon, is big beats and Hip thrusting bass (as seen on their TOTP UK performance, which had all the showmanship of Usher at the Superbowl, sans skates!) The chorus “Baby you are number one in my book girl, you know just what to do to make a guy get hooked…” and the sexual connotations within the song earned them a legion of screaming female fans across the UK.
Penultimate track, ‘Swing My Way,’ sways towards Hip Hop territory, with double time drums, and break beats where we hear Dave rap, although his hip hop ad libs are present throughout the album, hearing him finally spit two eight bars was satisfying. Interestingly, the song has a telephone dial tone pad riff, punctuated by a pounding bass which reminded me how popular telephone interludes were in 90’s R&B and Rap, ala Nas’ ‘Phone Tap’ and TLC’s ‘Crazy, Sexy, Cool’ album. If ‘Swing My Way’ was hovering on the fringes of Hip Hop, then final album track ‘Get Some’ dives deep, fully immersing itself in pounding bass, thumping drums and a halting train engine effect heard as a persistent off kilter wail. Trey’s pop vocals unexpectedly mesh well with the gritty hip hop beat, as he sings ever so slightly out of sync against the songs driving rhythm, shifting his cadence to a teasing tone as he attempts to lure EYC’s fans “To get nasty.” Trey’s subtle vocal shifts add to the ‘thuggish ruggish’ vibe of the track. The chorus is a full circle moment, as it is a shouted call and answer chorus much like the albums opening track ‘Feelin’ Alright.’ ‘Get Some’ gets a West Coast offensive when the legendary 1990’s rap group Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E joins the turn up, to add their distinctive flow, giving the track Hip Hop credibility. ‘Get Some’ is a force of nature on an album packed with pop ballads, and R&B/Pop songs, as there is no other track on the album like it and is reminiscent of 90’s banger ‘Come Baby Come’ by Latin wildcats; K7.
So there you have it! We’ve taken a short trip to the halcyon days of 1990’s R&B and pop boy bands, with a few pit stops along the way for a closer look at the craze! If you’re looking for a sign of the times album to express itself clearly, which also encapsulates an impactful musical era gone by, this album, and all the groups mentioned throughout are worth a listen for a 90’s renaissance.
Photo credits: Main Image EYC album cover – EYC/MCA/Graphic Artist, MN8 – Not found, Jodeci – Not found, East 17 – Getty Images, New Kids on The Block – Neal Preston / Corbis, EYC Black & White – MCA, EYC colour – Paul Rider / MCA
Dine On Grime / Munch on music 