All-4-One Returns to R&B With No Regrets

Delious: The first song we did, "So Much In Love," that was like our audition and signing to the label. They were looking for a group to sing that song and when we sang it to them, they loved what we did to it and signed us on that one. "I Swear," obviously, Doug Morris asked us to do that, "Love You Like That" wasn't really a cover at all although it looks that way.

Then the For Real song, they used to open up for us back in the day on the tour. We used to always love that song. There were two songs we used to always sing back in the day, that For Real song and a Harry Connick Jr song called "Between Us" that we'd always sing on the busses.

So on every record, we do an a capella song and we were trying to figure out what we were going to do on this record and what were we going to do Jamie, was it "God Bless the Child?"

Jamie: Yea, it was either "God Bless the Child" which we had worked up a cool little arrangement on, or it was going to be the For Real song. And actually, Delious called me one night and said "Hey! What do you think about doing the For Real song?"I hadn't heard it in years and so I went and listened to it again and thought that would be so, so dope.

It was such a cool arrangement, and those girls would just sing the mess out of that song. It'd be a nice challenge to see if we could even get close to it, and final product man, we're all pretty proud.

Delious: Let me tell you man. That is not an easy song to sing. Difficult, but it's fun, challenging. I love it.

Tony: Friendship before business. We may have different fathers and mothers but we are brothers in the real sense. We would do anything for each other.

Delious: Can I say something for everyone on the net to see this? Alfred and Tony DO sing. I read more things about "What do those other two dudes do?"

I'm like, are you serious? Like me and Jamie can get on the stage and do all the harmonies by ourselves. I mean we sing a capella, it's not like we're in the studio where we can record it all by ourselves. I mean come on guys, they sing.

Maybe not everyone's a lead singer, although Tony has stepped out and done some leads on the record and all that. I just want everyone to know, they sing, they're very valuable to the group.

Tony: Are you sure I'm not supposed to be the accountant?

Alfred Nevarez: I'm the taco driver or something like that right?

Tony: If you can't make fun of yourself, who can?

Delious: And to follow-up on that For Real song, "You Don't Know Nothin," there's no way anyone can say they're not singing because that's a VERY difficult song so obviously those guys are putting their two cents in there.

Jamie: And not only that. The one thing I've always loved about our group, is if you really listen, all of us have distinct vocal sounds. Are voices do not sound alike. There's never been a time I think when we're singing where you're wondering who is singing. Especially like on "Don't Know Nothin." Because on that song, the highest part - and Tony sings all the highest parts - so in that song, the highest part is actually the melody.

So when it gets to the chorus, [singing] "Well you don't know nothing, til you know that I love you" - that's Tony, and if you really listen, I'm the next note underneath him. My voice and Tony's voices are similar that they're not as thick as Alfred and Delious voices, but tonewise, they are different. And in order for us to be known as a really good harmony, a capella singing group, everybody's role is important and everybody has to contribute. Otherwise, Delious and I must be doing some like Bobby McFerrin type stuff and Tony and Alfred's microphones are off, but we're just not that talented.

Delious: And I think also that on paper, because our voices are so different, it really shouldn't work. I think that's the sound that we have and why it does have a little bit of a different sound. Where Tony may have come from that back in the day whole barbershop quartet, and Jamie and I from gospel, but maybe Jamie's got a more pop sounding gospel and I have the more soulful sounding gospel, to Alfred who's got that true bass. A lot of people who say they are bass singers aren't really bass singers, they can't get as low in the bass like Alfred. I think the difference in our backgrounds and the style of music is why we sound the way that we do.

Jamie: Okay I guess I'll start, this is Jamie. If I had to name a few, one of the ones that we listened to all the time is Harry Connick Jr.'s song "Between Us" which did come out in the 90s. "Remember the Time" by Michael Jackson, "Diamonds and Pearls" by Prince, "You Don't Know Nothin" by For Real. "Bended Knee" from Boyz II Men.

Delious: Any of the Boyz II Men songs from that II record were like always our favorites.

Jamie: Especially, I remember when we were making our very first record and the 94 earthquake had hit, and three of us lived out in Palmdale, which was about normally a 45 minute, hour drive from Palmdale to the studio. But it would literally take us three hours, right Alfred, Tony? And we had Brian McKnight's first record on repeat the whole way there, and the whole way back every day.

Tony: Yes, we did. Take 6.

Jamie: And also, on a whole separate note. I just want to ask you if you could do us a favor. I just want people to know that if they want to reach us or if they want to find us, and find out what else is going on with us, they can go to our web site All-4-One.com.

Jamie: I know all artists say this, but honestly, we really believe this with every fiber of our being. This is the best record we have ever put together, as far as being able to listen from the first song to the last song. We really tried our best to make one of those classic records like from some of the artists that we love. And I'm not comparing this record to Songs in A Key of Life, that's one of my favorite records of all time, but one of the things I love about Songs in the Key of Life is that you started at the beginning and just let the record play. And we just tried our best to put together a quality record.