Backstreet Boys
Welcome to the musical
tale of two cities... cities
which could no longer
contain the soulful,
harmonizing hip-hop talents
of five of their most gifted
sons. Ladies and
gentlemen, Backstreet Boys are about to define
1997.
City number one, Lexington, Kentucky, home of
cousins Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell.
From musical families, Kevin and Brian were
heavily involved in state and regional church choirs
as well as the local entertainment scene. During
family visits they harmonized classic doowop hits,
traditional Barber Shop Quartet tunes and the
contemporary hits of their biggest influences, Boyz
II Men, Shai, and Jodeci. By the time they reached
their teens, the boys knew they had something
going on.
City number two, Orlando, Florida. A.J. McLean,
Howie Dorough and Nick Carter saw each other
at auditions all the time. They were solo performers
with solid credentials in musical theater,
commercials, television and film, and as they sat
around waiting to audition for new projects, they'd
find themselves harmonizing an old Temptation
hits, or somebody they'd just heard on the radio.
After awhile, the a cappella singing took on a life of
its own.
Back in Lexington, disillusioned by
his work with a local Top 40 cover band, Kevin
decided to go down to Orlando on a whim. He left
for Florida that very day, had a job as a tour guide
in Disney World the following week, and devoted
the bulk of his time to becoming a professional
singer-songwriter.
Kevin heard about "those guys who harmonize all
the time" from a co-worker who arranged for an
introduction. He was riveted by the a cappella
harmonies he heard the night he met Nick, Howie
and A.J., and was impressed by their dance floor
maneuvers. "Why not team up?" they all thought at
once. The die was cast, and all they needed now
was one more member to fill out the sound. First
thing in the morning, Kevin phoned his cousin Brian
in Lexington, had him called out of class, and told
him about the three singers he'd met the night
before. Next day, Brian hopped a plane headed for
Florida, moved in with Kevin and helped the boys
name themselves after Orlando's landmark
Backstreet Market
People were amazed at the a cappella harmonies
Backstreet Boys could create at the drop of a hat.
No musical instruments or engineering wizardry
were required for this group to create vocal magic
and moods.
Honesty, energy and heart-wrenching harmonies
characterize Backstreet Boys self-titled debut
album. The hook-laden urban pop tracks are a
romantic's delight. "I'll Never Break Your Heart,"
"Anywhere For You" and "Every Time I Close My
Eyes" are powerful ballads that speak straight to
the yearning heart. "We've Got It Going On," "Boys
Will Be Boys" and "Don't Leave Me" are rockin',
uptempo gems. "Tell Me That I'm Dreamin'" offers
a taste of Backstreet Boys' outrageous live
harmonies and "Tender Love" in which A.J.
McLean shares the contents of a letter he's written
with his Backstreet Boys' brothers is a believable
slice of life. Your heartstrings will hip-hop, rock,
swing and ache from total involvement in the
Backstreet Boys experience. "Quit Playin' Games
(With My Heart)" is a romantic midtempo song that
should continue its number one status world wide.
Email: bsb_4ever14@hotmail.com
