UB Celebrates: ‘Boomerang’ Soundtrack 30th Anniversary

30 years ago today, the hottest soundtrack of the year was released “Boomerang.” The soundtrack was the companion to the Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry film, released on LaFace Records.

The album released a remarkable six singles “Give U My Heart,” “I’d Die Without You,” “Love Shoulda Brought You Home,” “7 Day Weekend,” “Hot Sex” and the record breaking Boyz II Men single “End of the Road.”

The soundtrack also introduced another singer who would develop a successful career with LaFace, Toni Braxton. Her self-titled 1993 debut album eventually sold more than 9 million copies.

A year after the Boomerang soundtrack, Toni released her eponymous debut album. The record more than met the enthusiasm that had built up around it prior to its release. With hits like “Breathe Again,” “You Mean the World to Me” and “Another Love Song,”. It also earned Toni a pair of Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

In 1993, after winning a Grammy Award for producer of the year for the Boomerang soundtrack, Face and L.A. dramatically altered the nature of their relationship and the structure of LaFace records. “We have defined our relationship. He’s an executive, so he deals with the ins and outs of the company. I deal with the creative. It was a natural evolution that things would change,” Babyface stated.

L.A. stated to Billboard; “Our first chart success was Damian Dame. Our first platinum success was TLC. And the TLC success came alongside the platinum success of the “Boomerang” soundtrack. That soundtrack included Toni Braxton, who was a brand new artist. We had written several songs for Anita Baker, which she later turned down because she didn’t think they were right for her. Toni had sung the demos for us, so we decided to keep her on the soundtrack. But we had to convince the director. As a result, Toni became a huge star off the “Boomerang” soundtrack.”

With the enormous success of “End of the Road,” Motown executives decided to add that song, a remix and a couple more tunes to a revised Boyz II Men debut. The cover, too, had a facelift – the image of the four teenagers in long trench coats carrying canes was replaced by a playful, preppy foursome sporting white cardigans, bow ties and red baseball caps.

The strategy worked, and “Cooleyhighharmony” continued to sell tremendously around the world. “End of the Road” stayed at #1 on the Hot 100 for 13 straight weeks. “We made the soundtrack deal with L.A. and Babyface, who purposely leaked the record to radio, and the record took off,” stated Michael Bivins, who fought the powers that be at Motown to accept the invitation for Boyz II Men to work with the duo. “That was the last record I actually made with them.”

“End of the Road,” arrived in June 1992, the elegiac song’s tight harmonies gave the Philadelphia quartet — Michael McCary, then 20; Nathan Morris, 21; Wanya Morris, 18; and Shawn Stockman, 19 — more than its first #1 single on Aug. 15, 1992. The song set a record for what was then the longest run atop the Hot 100, at 13 weeks. Although Whitney Houston surpassed the group in 1993 when “I Will Always Love You” pushed the record to 14 weeks, “End of the Road” was just the beginning of Boyz II Men’s run of Hot 100 chart-toppers. The act would rack up four more by the end of 1997, and reclaim its record from Whitney when the group’s 1995 collaboration with Mariah Carey, “One Sweet Day,” spent 16 weeks atop the chart.

The Boomerang soundtrack also featured the first LaFace single recorded for veteran recording artist Shanice with “Don’t Wanna Love You.” “Reversal of a Dog” brought LaFace‘s freshman acts Damian Dame, TLC and Toni Braxton all together on one track.

The album went triple platinum.

L.A, Babyface + Clive Davis “Boomerang” “HITS” Interviews.

How did the “Boomerang” project come to LaFace?
L.A.: It didn’t come to us; we went to it. Basically, we wanted a soundtrack for the label because of the obvious success that soundtracks have, and trying to establish a new label, we sort of wanted to have as many irons in the fire as possible, and a soundtrack is a very good vehicle. So we pursued it. We talked to a few different people to find out what movies were coming out. When we found out about “Boomerang,” with what Eddie Murphy means to the film world and how the movie was described, it seemed to be a good fit. So we went to Paramount and made an offer. It was rough, because obviously there were other record companies competing for it, grandstanding with the kind of artist roster a Sony or an Elektra has. We were sort of being out-competed there. [Laughs.] Actually, we were getting our ass kicked.

So what swung the project in your direction?
L.A.: Our creative camp. The fact that we have the three of us as well as other writers like Dallas Austin and Jermaine Dupree in our camp. Our angle was, we have a very strong creative base built-in, plus we have relationships with all the record companies because of our vast experience as producers so we could get artists from virtually any label. Above and beyond all that was the fact we wanted it so much and had such a passion for it. I think that all helped.

Your liner notes for “Boomerang” say this record was one of the most fulfilling events of your careers. What made it so special?
L.A.: The fact that you have all these great artists and you can go through and work on each project without ever growing tired,bored or feeling like it was getting drawn out. With this one, the variety made it great. And for us to have Aaron Hall and Charlie
Wilson do a song together, two guys from two different time periods — Aaron being from Guy and Charlie from the Gap Band — was particularly fulfilling because you can see how Aaron was influenced by Charlie. To work with talents like Boyz I Men — who are great singers — was fulfilling, too. As well as trying to venture off into different musical directions by including people like P.M. Dawn and A Tribe Called Quest, who are both very removed from what we do. Those are things you just get a joy out of. It’s a challenge to go to the people you’ve developed relationships with over the years, ask them to participate in a project like this and actually have them agree to do it.

What are your goals for LaFace Records?
Babyface: Make a lot of money. And you do that by selling lots of records and building artists.

What are the benefits of being based in Atlanta?
L.A.: Atlanta’s a talent place. We have ten acts that have come out of there. There are acts like Arrested Development coming from
this area. Trends don’t develop in L.A.; L.A. responds to trends. To really be at the forefront of it all, you have to be able to get to
it. Atlanta is becoming what Detroit and Philadelphia were a few years ago, because the talent is actually derived from the area. We were fortunate to be in the foreground because we went there first, or at least we were the first to publicize that we went there, and it’s since become an industry. I don’t know if we knew that when we went, but as it develops, we’ll basically be able to take the credit.
Babyface: [Laughs.] We’ll definitely take the credit.

Clive Davis Interview from “HITS” September 14, 1992.

The deal for LA. Reid & Babyface ‘s LaFace Records has turned out to be tremendously successful for you. How did you all get together?
Clive Davis: The three of us had a very special connection from the moment we met, even though I had never worked with them before. I try to meet al the newly successful songwriters and producers. When we met, they played me the new songs they were wanting for Bobby Brown. I played what I was doing with Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. And in that commonality, where we played each other our own material, a connection was made. It might sound hokey, but it’s true. This was over two or three such meetings, without my even knowing what they had in mind for themselves. They saw my concentration, not just on hit records, but on stars and long-term futures. Because it’s not that we had more hit records than everybody else. The fact is, we built careers. Well, it must have hit home, because ultimately they came to me and said, this is what they want. “We have a very special feeling towards you. These are the deals we’ve been offered, but we believe you can complement what we do with your team of people.” And that was just the way it happened.

How did the “Boomerang” soundtrack come about?
Clive Davis: L.A. and Babyface brought it to me. There’s certainly a risk, if you’re not careful. You end up with the producer as the star and the artist merely the vehicle. In going through the “Boomerang” album, so much of it is arranged, written and produced by LA. and Face, but every cut takes on the complexion of the different artist. You just don’t hear a homogenized, assimilated album and that’s what makes it so great. On the other hand, artists have to learn that they must also fit into vehicles. This is no longer the era of Bette Davis or Joan Crawford star-driven movies. In essence, you’ve got to marry both the star and the vehicle.

Take A Trip Down Memory Lane with the “Boomerang” Soundtrack!