Boy bands

[ralpht]

This name disgusts me. How I HATE it. I put this thread on the main forum simply because I got to thinking: Does this mean the Four Tops or the Temptations were boy bands? What about any of the classic R&B singing groups, some of which are represented on the SD forum.Were they all boy bands? Give me a break and quit referring to these young singing groups as "bands".
They are anything but that.

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

Hi Ralph,

We must be on the same wave length. I've been thinking about this recently with the new tour of New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, and Nick Lachey's group. All called boy bands. None of them play instruments, so it's a misnomer from the get go IMHO. Bands to me are groups like The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, etc..

I don't know if their managers came up with the term as a way to distinguish them from the vocal group harmony groups like The Temps, The Tops, and many others.

In any case, I agree with you. It's annoying, and the so-called boy bands are all men now. Another problem.

~~Mary~~

[ralpht]

Glad to see you concur, Mary. Maybe we should start a movement: Ban the Boy Band term.

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

Go for it, Ralph!

~~Mary~~:cool:

[Ngroove]

The "Boy Bands" to me, is a pop music term, targetted mainly at pop-music buying demographics, caucasian pre-teens to teens.

I'd say "Boy Bands" are 95% caucasian - from Dion, to Four Seasons, to the Beatles' first two years, to Osmonds, to New Kids on the Block, to Backstreet Boys and N'Sync - with a few R&B / pop crossover exceptions, such as Jackson Five, New Edition, and Boyz II Men.

[blueskies]

I've even heard the term 'band' used when discussing 'girl groups' recently. Is 'girl group' currently a dirty word or something? I've read where they've referred to Destiny's Child as a band. Please!

[Ngroove]

I've even heard the term 'band' used when discussing 'girl groups' recently. Is 'girl group' currently a dirty word or something? I've read where they've referred to Destiny's Child as a band. Please!

The "Girl Group" is mostly just termed to young female harmony acts, from the fifties, until 1965. Nothing "dirty" about it, as Ronettes, Shirelles, Chiftons, and any act involving Darlene Love tops Beyonce any day, in my book!

[blueskies]

The "Girl Group" is mostly just termed to young female harmony acts, from the fifties, until 1965. Nothing "dirty" about it, as Ronettes, Shirelles, Chiftons, and any act involving Darlene Love tops Beyonce any day, in my book!

I totally agree....just don't 'get it' what's "Band" about Destiny's Child unless I really don't understand what band means?

[marv2]

This name disgusts me. How I HATE it. I put this thread on the main forum simply because I got to thinking: Does this mean the Four Tops or the Temptations were boy bands? What about any of the classic R&B singing groups, some of which are represented on the SD forum.Were they all boy bands? Give me a break and quit referring to these young singing groups as "bands".
They are anything but that.

All I know is that if Levi were still here and you referred to his group as a "boy band" , the response with be pretty strong in a negative way........hehehehehehe!

Ralph, I think that refers mainly to groups of young artists say teenaged to early twenties.

[ralpht]

I realize that, Marv. I still think the term is stupid.

[marv2]

I realize that, Marv. I still think the term is stupid.

It is totally stupid. It sounds as stupid as when they referred to Ella Fitzgerals as a "girl singer". I think it was someone's attempt at being cute.

[ralpht]

Good point Marv.

[soulster]

This name disgusts me. How I HATE it. I put this thread on the main forum simply because I got to thinking: Does this mean the Four Tops or the Temptations were boy bands? What about any of the classic R&B singing groups, some of which are represented on the SD forum.Were they all boy bands? Give me a break and quit referring to these young singing groups as "bands".
They are anything but that.

Heh! Well, the term implies "boys", as in teenagers, and you know the denigrating term came up in the early 9os to describe New Kids On The Block, Boys II Men, and The Boys, and later in the decade, NSync, Backstreet Boys, and others. Of course, these groups aren't "bands" at all. None of them play instruments. In the 70s they would have been called "bubblegum".

I guess cases could even be made for The Beatles to be called a "boy band", as they pretty much fit the description in the early 60s. But, no one I know would ever consider R&B groups "boy bands", even if, say, The Jackson 5 [[and the pop group Osmonds) would fit the description.

BTW, I also hate the term. I don't know who coined it, but it sounds stupid. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if they just didn't use the word "band".

I've even heard the term 'band' used when discussing 'girl groups' recently. Is 'girl group' currently a dirty word or something? I've read where they've referred to Destiny's Child as a band. Please!

They got "girl groups" right, but that wouldn't describe the Go-Go's or Bangles, or Klymaxx.

[ralpht]

You probably answered where the term came from at the top of your post, Soulster. All those early groups kind of set the tone to use the word "boy" because of their youth etc. And it grew....

[satipe]

A lot of today's groups are members who did not know each other until someone put them together [[mostly for looks) and coined a name. That is why we do not have groups lasting more than a few years as they were never really friends but just work colleagues. Today, "boy band" is equally important on a magazine and "Win a date with..." which did not really start happening until the 70's with teen magazines. Today's boy bands are more face than talent.

You of all people Ralph should know that the Tempts, Tops, etc. could never have been considered "boy bands" as they have never been measured on looks but always by talent. The difference today is looks come first and talent maybe 14th.

[ralpht]

So sad Satipe. Russ and I discuss the subsitution of real talent, these days, in favor of "flash" and very mediocre vocalizing, unless you like screaming with very limited Soul.

[smark21]

Alliteration probably has something to do with the ubiquity of the term. Though oddly, the term “girl group” has fallen from favor in recent years, though admittedly there hasn’t been a major girl group since the Pussy Cat Dolls faded from view a few years back. Boy Band didn’t really become a widely used term until the 90s with first the popularity of New Kids on the Block, then Take That in the UK, and groups like Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. These groups were heavily marketed to teen girls and while there was some talent in these groups, it was their looks that were marketed more than their voices. Of course they acquired a very cheesy and teenybopper image and in the early 00’s the boy bands imploded. IN the past couple of years, we’ve seen the rise of new boy bands like One Direction and The Wanted. These things seem to go in cycles. However, a more accurate term for such groups should be Guy Groups [[that’s alliterative) or Male Singing Groups [[that sounds very generic). I certainly think of such classic groups as The Temptations and The Four Tops as Guy Groups or Male Singing Groups. But in a way, given how they’re marketed and how members are selected for their fresh, youthful looks, Boy Band works as well, so long as you overlook that they don’t play instruments.

[ralpht]

Yeah Smark. I'm not looking to see anything change. It works for the genre it represents and ultimately markets. So be it.

[ralpht]

But don't expect me to go up to Russell Thompkins and ask how the boy band was getting on.

[Methuselah2]

Well, the terminology seems to have taken hold, I think, because people tend to like classifications for some reason. Boy bands seem particularly targeted at one specific audience--young girls. While groups like the Tops and the Tempts were up for grabs for all, for everyone. Guys that I knew in high school were nuts for The Temptations; I was nuts for The Supremes. In the 60s, it was the music, the style, the moves, and yes, the look. And for some today, it might just be that, as well. But the boy bands all seem to blur to me.

It would certainly be rankling to hear a teen-ager today refer to the Tops and the Tempts as boy bands. One size doesn't fit all. It never does. Funny that the term boy band is meant to be descriptive--and yet those bands seem so non-descript to me. Some of their music isn't bad, some rather catchy. But I can't really tell the bands apart.

Perhaps, in the end, it all has to do with age. My age, actually. Things now register differently than they once did. I can hear a voice like that of Maroon 5's Adam Levine or that of Adele and still take notice because I'm hearing something that sounds special and unique to me. But it doesn't happen often.

It's like when I hear the National Anthem at events--no longer just sung as written; now, it's all about performance, and it's approached as such. By those who can sing--but have to put their spin on it, their mark. Discouraging. Any opportunity at turning something into a performance is taken. It seems so empty. On the order of, well, boy bands, say.

[jsmith]

A true BOY BAND tend to be put together by a 'pop svengali' who is in the game for his own purposes rather than the groups. They tend to hold auditions & recruit a bunch of guys who look right & then teach them to sing & dance, get them signed to a record deal and select what they will sing.
Back in the 50's / 60's no R&B group was formed in that way. It was a bunch of friends hanging out on street corners & trying to harmonise.
So NO, soul groups from back in the day should never be though of as boy bands.
The closest you got was family based outfits and they still don't really fit the 'standard template'.
Guess the 1st soul 'boy band' came about around the time Boys To Men were being formed.

[soulster]

Guess the 1st soul 'boy band' came about around the time Boys To Men were being formed.
However, the first group of young boys specifically created assembled by someone was New Edition way back in the early 80s. Arthur Baker. New Edition was his ride to fame. The positive thing that came out of it were at least three major talents who became successful solo artists in their own right" Bobby Brown, Ralph Trevessant, and Johnny Gill, and hip-hop group Bell Biv DeVoe. And, baker went on to form New Kids On The Block which launched Justin Timberlake's solo career.

[Methuselah2]

I believe Menudo was even earlier--late 70s. With the clock running on each member as they hit a certain age or started to look more mature. Doesn't seem like an easy gig. But Ricky Martin survived it.

[Jerry Oz]

Soulster, I think Timberlake was in N'Sync, not NKOTB. But Baker learned from his experience with New Edition when they decided to do more than the pop music he wanted them to do and legally held onto the name. When he created NKOTB, he put a lot more legal control into the terms of his management that he did with New Edition.

A lot of these ensembles are tightly controlled by their managers as a result of inevitably wanting more of a say in which songs they're going to perform and how much of their own style/personality they should be able to exhibit.

What amazes me is that there are no co-ed groups. How much more of a dynamic sound [[and exploitable market) is available if there is a group with young men AND women in it?

[jsmith]

However, the first group of young boys specifically created assembled by someone was New Edition way back in the early 80s.
I guess I was a few years too late with my comparison. Boyz2Men were named after a New Editon song and first came together about 1988, other boy bands dated from earlier in the 80's.

[smark21]

I thought Maurice Starr was the svengali who created New Edition and then New Kids on the Block? Also, Justin Timberlake was in NSYNC, not New Kids on the Block, which predated NSYNC by at least 10 years. NSYNC and Backstreet Boys were launched by Lou Perlman. Take That, the British boy band of the 90s, launched Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow to stardom.

[smark21]

Soulster, I think Timberlake was in N'Sync, not NKOTB. But Baker learned from his experience with New Edition when they decided to do more than the pop music he wanted them to do and legally held onto the name. When he created NKOTB, he put a lot more legal control into the terms of his management that he did with New Edition.

A lot of these ensembles are tightly controlled by their managers as a result of inevitably wanting more of a say in which songs they're going to perform and how much of their own style/personality they should be able to exhibit.

What amazes me is that there are no co-ed groups. How much more of a dynamic sound [[and exploitable market) is available if there is a group with young men AND women in it?

IN the UK, there was a co ed group called Steps that had a few pop hits in the late 90s including a very cheesy remake of the Bee Gees “Tragedy”.

[soulster]

What amazes me is that there are no co-ed groups. How much more of a dynamic sound [[and exploitable market) is available if there is a group with young men AND women in it?
Then they couldn't target that special demographic: teenie girls. Boys of that age don't seem to be attracted to the same things as girls are. Boys are thinking about having sex with those girls at that point.

[soulster]

I thought Maurice Starr was the svengali who created New Edition and then New Kids on the Block?

You are correct. I got my names mixed up. It was indeed Maurice Starr. Ditto with N'Stink and Timberlake. My excuse is that I was sleepy and did not check my information before posting. Google is my friend.

[Ngroove]

New Kids On The Block which launched Justin Timberlake's solo career.

Not Justin Timberlake, but rather somewhat, Jordan Knight - admittedly, "Give It To You" was the only solo number of his I remember - but I dug it enough, to at least buy a single of it, back in the day, 1999.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijXcYLV1aNg

[Ngroove]

What amazes me is that there are no co-ed groups. How much more of a dynamic sound [[and exploitable market) is available if there is a group with young men AND women in it?

Ace of Base, Real McCoy, S Club 7, and remember this infectious group? [[Beware: click on song, guaranteed to stick in your head, for a LONNGGG time!)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zbi0XmGtMw

[Doug-Morgan]

I'm not enamored by the term "Boy Band" either, but the phemonenon is not new. Whenever I hear anyone decry musical artists who aim at the mostly female young teen audience, I think of Bobby Sherman, David Cassidy, The Archies and about two thirds of the Kasenetz/Katz stable. Music is trendy and the "teenybopper" market is very much so, and if there's disposable income out there for somebody to grab, somebody will do so.

Am I showing my age with "teenybopper"?

[ralpht]

Somewhat, Doug, somewhat.

[soulster]

I'm not enamored by the term "Boy Band" either, but the phemonenon is not new. Whenever I hear anyone decry musical artists who aim at the mostly female young teen audience, ... The Archies and about two thirds of the Kasenetz/Katz stable. Music is trendy and the "teenybopper" market is very much so, and if there's disposable income out there for somebody to grab, somebody will do so.

I know more guys, including myself, who are/were fans of The Archies' music than females. And, the studio group who made up that "band" at one time had Toni Wine. She did the line "I'm gonna make your life so sweet!". But, it was Ron Dante who actually did all the vocals for "Jingle Jangle". Just some trivia for you.:)

Same with The Partridge Family. I always knew more guys who were fans.

[jaybs]

Simon Cowell signed a Boy Band I managed from Liverpool, ITV made a documentary about the group and when we were in his office at the Arista/BMG he argued with me that Boy Bands were a passing phase, so I mentioned the Four Tops and Temptations etc, that argument partly lost he went on to claim you can put any four or five boys on a stage and young girls will scream! well that came true with his current toys One Direction, how are they are having the success in the USA & worldwide is beyond me, they are not that talented as singers! Sadly the Boy Band I managed Cowell played around with their lives for two years, as he gets easily bored and would not release the debut single which was tipped as a Number One for Christmas or release them from the contract, I lost only £73K, that's life! not a favourite person of mine, but does he care lol

[splanky]

I'm with Ralph on this one; it's a stupid term to me but one I'm come to accept as another
creation of the pretenders to greatness. Also though I know most of these guys do not
play a musical instrument, I'm sure they play, quite frequently, with themselves...

[soulster]

I'm sure they play, quite frequently, with themselves... We all do, and those who don't lie about it. :D