Color Me Badd? No, color 'em happy!

MANILA, Philippines - Relive the glory days of ’90s R&B music with a throwback cum Michael Jackson tribute concert featuring Color Me Badd back-to-back with All-4-One on Sept. 7 at the Big Dome. These two American all-male vocal groups were among the frontrunners of the R&B rage in the early ’90s and credited to have pioneered the subsequent boy band phenomenon in the late ’90s.

Color Me Badd first exploded into the music scene exactly 20 years ago, becoming a multi-platinum selling group for its soulful and even funky R&B paeans to love and romance.

The group’s hits include I Adore Mi Amor, All 4 Love, Thinkin’ Back and Slow Motion. It is also the group behind the controversial 1991 chart-topper I Wanna Sex You Up which, in Color Me Badd’s official website, was described by the group as both a blessing and a curse.

“This is because people mostly remember us for that song but we actually had a lot of love songs and other hits besides (I Wanna Sex You Up),” founding member Mark Calderon told The STAR in an exclusive phone interview. 

According to its bio, Color Me Badd was formed in the mid-’80s while its members were in high school in Oklahoma. Founding members Mark and Bryan Abrams started out as perpetual rivals in singing competitions. Not too long after, the two decided to band together and form a group with their respective bestfriends, Kevin Thornton and (now ex-member) Sam Watters.

The vocal quartet initially called themselves Take One and started learning the harmonies from various songs, which they presented at school events. It was, however, a chance encounter with a rock star that they found the inspiration to go after their musical dreams beyond their hometown. 

Bryan and Kevin were both working at a local movie theater when they saw Jon Bon Jovi walking in. They excitedly called up the rest of the group, boldly approached the rock star and asked him if he could spare a few minutes of his time to listen to them. After their a capella, Jon Bon Jovi was quoted to have said, “You guys think you’re pretty bad, don’t you? Let’s see how bad you are in front of 15,000 people!” With that, Take One snagged the opportunity to perform in front of some 15,000 Bon Jovi and Skid Row fans at Oklahoma City’s Myriad Convention Center.

Soon after, they met Robert “Kool” Bell of Kool and the Gang, who hooked them up with his management team, and the guys relocated to New York City to begin their foray into the music scene.

Take One’s name was changed and Color Me Badd was born.

The young men signed up with Giant records on Aug.11, 1990 and their first single was part of the soundtrack of the Warner Bros. film, New Jack City, the following year. This was I Wanna Sex You Up, which shot to the top of the Billboard charts. After the overwhelming success of the single, Color Me Badd released its first album, C.M.B, on July of 1991.

From C.M.B came out several other hits, including All 4 Love and I Adore Mi Amor. In 1992, they lent their voices to two soundtracks, Forever Love for the film Mo’ Money, and Got 2 Have U for the ’90s cult teen drama Beverly Hills 90210.

In 1993, when they released their third album (which had them working with David Foster, among others), they scored hits in Time and Chance and Choose. The Diane Warren-penned love song Let’s Start With Forever became widely-played in Europe and Asia.

Out of the fourth record released in 1996, The Earth, The Sun, The Rain, which earned modest airplay in the US, became a huge favorite in Asia-Pacific countries such as Singapore and the Philippines.

In 1998, Color Me Badd was on the verge of signing a management deal with Johnny Wright, who has had managed the likes of boy bands Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Jonas Brothers and solo acts Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, et. al., when its members were feeling restless and wanted to do other things away from the spotlight.

November of 1998, the group went on their separate ways. 

Fast-forward to 2010: The group’s three members Mark, Kevin and Bryan decided to reunite. The group is now minus Sam, who is said to have always wanted to do behind-the-scenes work, and true enough, for the last decade, he has been doing well as music producer and songwriter for such artists as Kelly Clarkson, Whitney Houston, Leona Lewis, etc.

Mark explained to The STAR that, after they enjoyed living their private lives, they felt it was time to return to the scene. The return is also thanks in part to Wright (the guy who nearly signed them up in 1998), who has finally taken them under his wing via his Wright Entertainment Group (WEG).

So, what kept them busy during the last decade? “We spent time raising families and doing other things besides music,” Mark said.

He cited Kevin who became a minister and released a Christian album now available on iTunes. Bryan, on the other hand, churned out a solo album Welcome To Me and became part of a reality show for VH1’s titled Mission: Manband.

“But we never stopped writing songs,” added Mark. “We’re returning to the scene a lot wiser and smarter, but still with the same energy as before.”

The now trio Color Me Badd first tested the waters by having intimate performances in selected areas in the US last year, and the reception has been very positive so far.

Mark said that it’s also a good time to stage a comeback because “soulful singers are back like British singer Adele, and there’s room for more. Music that gives focus on vocals has come back in style.”

Color Me Badd’s concert here with “good friends” All-4-One is one of its official comeback concerts. It will also be a tribute show to the late pop superstar Michael Jackson. Mark said he never met the music icon, who died in 2009, but there was one music awards night wherein he nearly had the opportunity to meet him. “I was really disappointed when I didn’t,” Mark recalled.

 Color Me Badd first came to the country in 1992; the group was brought in then by veteran promoter Renen de Guia of Ovation Productions, also the producer of the group’s forthcoming concert. Mark said they’re excited to return and see all the changes that have happened to the country. Some of the fond memories he recalled to The STAR were drinking coconut juice drinks bought from the roadside, meeting a former president’s daughter and visiting the historical Roman Catholic churches.

He added, “Filipinos are also a very talented bunch, and I can cite Arnel Pineda as example, and they’re the nicest fans around. I always say that wherever we go. We can’t wait to perform in the Philippines again.”

(For details on the concert, call the Smart Araneta box-office and all Ticket outlets at 911-555.)