Boyz II Men’s Christmas Interpretations is coming to vinyl for the first time in North America. The 1993 album, a collection focused on original yuletide R&B songs, will be reissued on Oct. 4, just in time for the holiday season.
Christmas Interpretations first arrived via Motown Records on Oct. 5, 1993, between Boyz II Men’s multi-platinum debut Cooleyhighharmony and their even bigger smash hit sophomore album II. The holiday collection was co-produced by Boyz II Men and their labelmate Brian McKnight, who himself was ascending through the R&B ranks at the time. McKnight also appeared as a featured guest on “Let It Snow”—not a cover of the traditional holiday song but an original penned by McKnight and the group’s Wanya Morris.
Order Boyz II Men’s Christmas Interpretations now.
The Philadelphia vocal group showed off their knack for harmonies throughout the album, starting with an a cappella rendition of “Silent Night” that’s reprised at the end of the tracklist. Their skills as songwriters were also on display, as most of the songs were written by Boyz II Men members Nathan and Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Michael McCary. It’s an essential listen for fans of the group’s emotional balladry and post-new jack swing R&B, as well as for those seeking songs to add to their holiday playlists.
“We just wanted to express our views of Christmas, reflecting what it meant to us growing up and what it means to us,” the group told The Los Angeles Times upon the album’s release. “We’re incredibly touched by the whole idea of Christmas. We just wanted to share those feelings.”
Boyz II Men are one of the most successful music groups of all time, with more than 60 million albums sold and 11 Billboard top 10 hits, including five chart-toppers. In 1994, they became the first group since the Beatles to replace themselves atop the Billboard Hot 100 when “On Bended Knee” supplanted “I’ll Make Love To You.” The following year, their Mariah Carey collaboration “One Sweet Day” broke the record for most weeks at No. 1 with a 16-week run, a mark that stood for 24 years.
