The Milli Vanilli Story - The Lip Sync Fail That Led To Tragedy! (Excerpt From Mime & Punishment)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 เม.ย. 2021
- Milli Vanilli - One of the biggest scandals to rock the music industry
The Lip Sync Fail that led to tragedy
This is the story of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morven, who found fame in the late 80s as Milli Vanilli, they had number-one records all around the world and even won a Grammy, they achieved worldwide success almost overnight but it fell apart just as quickly.
It all began to implode after a now infamous lip sync fail at a live concert, eventually, for one person it would end in tragedy.
The Milli Vanilli Story is one of the biggest scandals to rock the music industry.
There may be some rough edits, this isn't down to poor editing, it's the result of TH-cam copyright policy, it was either hack out the offending content using the online editor or delete the video entirely. you can watch the whole video with no such edits from the link below.
Taken from the future-length Traxploitation documentary Mime & Punishment • Mime & Punishment - A ... - บันเทิง
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Thank you for doing this story justice. Rob and Fab were kids who got messed over, but got all the blame. I wish Rob was here today to see that people understand it’s usually the executives in charge and the artists get raw deals. It’s such a sad story, I’m glad that Fab has been able to get through it. He’s wonderful to listen to in his interviews.
As far as the comment Rob made about other artists, having English not their first language is so important, I see many of my friends taken out of context or saying something that doesn’t sound right. I don’t know what he meant, but I just get it. With the few seconds floating around of Rob singing terribly, you can catch even Mariah Carey singing awful..I wish we had more of his voice, Fab has said they recorded, but I’m guessing it’s not out there or you’d have found it. I haven’t looked honestly.
Rob and Fab chose to be part of the scam. They were not victims.
I agree! People/agents/ handlers totally did those kids way dirty! While they all got rich off their backs! Then when s**t hit the fan, they threw Rob & Fab to the wolves, so they could look all shiny and clean! But OC as per usual people did not disappoint with the vicious hate! Like they were the only ones doing this at the time? Come on! Lip syncing, sampling, what ever! Look at the CNC music factory fiasco. Shame on whoever is still profiting they have blood on their hands!
@@docsavage8640🤡
They need to make a movie about them
@@tcbtheking01 They do have a documentary.
It’s cool to see Fab singing their old songs live 💖 He looks happy. I wish Rob had gotten to have that experience before he passed.
Yeah tragic story. Glad that Fab is still going.
I found watching that footage really moving, just a shame they both didn't make it to that moment.
@@Traxploitation I used to have little sympathy for them as a kid, but now I feel so fkn bad for them. People were so in the dark about how this happened back then, and largely blamed the Damn boys for it!! They were kids living in the Damn projects who had a pot of gold thrown in their laps. Plus, they worked their asses off and were talented physically (performance wise). It's just a damned shame.
and he can sing perfectly well!
They made it serm that due to the grally he was depressed. Yo they still were n are the faces n dancers of milli vanilli forever
It sucks that Frank was still using lip singers in the form of Gina and Ray. RIP Rob Pilatus and John Davis.
I would not have wanted a refund, you still saw them. They still had talent. Rip rob.
I still like the album!!! I still sing the all the songs. I'm sad to see they got thrown under bus and left to take the blame by a industry that deals in fantasy and ran by criminals!!! R.I.P. Rob Pilatus!!!
Then go thank Brad Howell and John Davis because they were actually singing not these two frauds
@@chucks_88 You are missing the whole point of the video. It is not about who sang the songs, Brad and John or whoever sung did a great job and nobody is denying that. It is about the illusion that was created and how well you can sell it to the masses. They couldn't sell the original singers because they didn't have the look. Rob and Fab had the complete look of what a Milli Vanilli would look like; you couldn't imagine nobody else playing the role. The bad part is they took all the blame for being the faces of an illusion used to make people feel good, sing along and spend money on a recording! Really who gives a Sh** put on another record and turn the volume up!!
You like bad music.
@@docsavage8640 "Blame it on the Rain!!"😂😂
That Farian character didn't seem to suffer any form of consequences. Rob and Fab took the fall and all the hate while he just walked away like "whatever".
The people suing are disgusting. I remember that song being played non stop on the radio and the whole fake outrage. It never mattered to us and sadly the media always has to have a scapegoat to divert the public’s attention to.
👏👏👏
This whole sharade was blown out of proportions back in the day.
I don't think Rob and Fab didn't deserve that kind of backlash!
No they didn’t
I wouldn't dream of asking for a refund best Album I ever bought. With Rob and Fab's great stage presence dancing and good looks combined with John Davis's great Voice it was pure Magic. Thanks for the Wonderful Memories. Rest in Paradise to Rob and John Davis💙🕊🙏😢
Not to mention good looks😊
I, along with some friends and family, saw Milli Vanilli in St. Louis, MO the summer of 1989. This was before the MTV debacle. However, I remember that in no more than a week's time, there was an article written in a local newspaper which had pointed out that anyone at the concert did not actually see Milli Vanilli performing "live." Though the article only pointed out that the pair did lip sync over a music track but didn't imply that they were not the actual, original singers. Fyi, no one who I was with at the concert ever concerned themselves with any kind of refund, nor did we immediately trash our Milli Vanilli CD(s). In fact, I still have the original "Girl You Know It's True" album on CD that was purchased before the scandal broke.
Before watching this video, I had not known the extended details of how the group came to be what it was and all the before and aftermath. Now I am really glad that I never bought into the "hate" aspect of it all. Really, it seems that the true villain in the history of Milli Vanilli is the devil who orchestrated the deal.
Last lil' bit from me, my favorite Milli Vanilli song has always been, "Blame It On The Rain."
Thank you for sharing
Arista Records KNEW they were Fake... but Acted shocked... .. smh
That guy suing as a fan is beyond hilarious lmao
It is so sad how that event took Rob's life. On the other hand, I feel so happy that Fab took a different path and continue to believe in him. He really is an intelligent and nice person.
Love your comment 💜💜💜💜💜💜❤❤❤❤❤❤
Remember the group Snap? C&C Music Factory? Didn't Martha Wash do the vocals for both groups?
She did the vocals for "Gonna Make Ya Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) and the entire Black Black album (except Ride on Time which was an uncleared, uncredited sample of Loleata Holloway) I cover those stories in the full video this is taken from you can watch that here th-cam.com/video/mFWh2HV5T0s/w-d-xo.html or you can watch just the Martha Wash section here th-cam.com/video/eSefwVQVVpU/w-d-xo.html the Story of Snap and "I Got The Power" is a whole other complicated story which I will get to one day :)
They would be huge today. All these hacks using auto tune are horrible.
Frank Farian is just something else ain't he, a proper piece of work. My aunty was one of the original members of Boney M (Maizie Williams) whom Farian also tried to take for fools all because he didn't have the looks to sing his own songs therefore always getting models/actors and studio singers to front his groups/singers.
RIP Rob😇🙏
Like C&C Music Factory, they used a model to lip sync in the videos.
This story is a prime example to how disgraceful the music industry is, them 2 guys were victims, I followed this story right from the very beginning and it was just sad to how it ended for 2 vulnerable victims,
I just realized something, you know what could've save Milli Vanilli ?
If Rob, Fab & the real singers (John Davis & Brad Howell) form a group together. John & Brad does the singing while Rob & Fab does dancing & backup vocals.
Nah. Fans want to believe the pretty faces are the voices.
Well I get your idea and the overall physics of it I see where you're going with that and it's a good foundation for possibly a very successful collaboration......But if I remember correctly the real singers and musicians weren't the song writers....However ...If the singers and musicians had hit songs written or if there were others that wrote those Milli Vanilli songs and ALL parties involved....Except that jerk Farian.....Could come up with a mutual agreement and work together that could very well work...There are even ways to get around the recording/live performance issues as to not be technically deceptive during live performances....Not a bad idea ...Oh and Cam James has a good point as well but that's the WHOLE reason behind your idea !
@@CamJames yep. nobody wanted to see "fat" and "ugly" ppl dance nor sing. everybody had to look good for club MTV, the grind, that usa dance party show, etc. im surprised MTV showed SEAL!
Exactly
What's sad is that this isn't so scandalous in today's shitty pop world
Ur right 🤷♂️It would just be a 24hr story then we'd move on
@@Traxploitation
MV was the 1st to experience "cancel culture."
Exactly, Rob would be rolling in his grave seeing how lip syncing have become a norm in most live performances.
They basically fell on the sword. It's all so tragic. But Fab seems to be doing very well right now! His Vlad interview is really good
@@KingofgraceSARAI guess you missed the backlash from when John Lennon said The Beatles were bigger than Jesus.
They were betrayed by those who created them and who were supposed to help them, they were cruel to them, justice for Milli Vanilli!!
I honestly believe they should give back the Grammy, they didn't give it to anyone else, they should just add the caveat that "Milli Vanilli" is not simply Rob and Fab and the award should go to everyone involved in the record.
@@Traxploitation To do that would tarnish the Recording Academy as an organization. Milli Vanilli was a charade dependent on both Rob & Fab and the studio vocalists to work.
They chose to so it. They were no victims.
@@docsavage8640 well, they took responsibility and the fallout for it.
They chose
I was little, like 6 or something, when this “scandal” happened and I didn’t care because I adored THEM.. their dancing, clothes and wow were they gorgeous! The music was just the accompaniment! I will always love you and miss you Rob and Fab! ❤
I would pay anything to hear their 1997 comeback album" Back in attack!"
Fab Morvan should get the rights from Frank Farian to release the cancelled album
Wow. I knew Rob after the scandal. He told me what happened from start to finish one night, he was very troubled and very needed. This video has given me more insight and closure. One thing that stuck with me that Rob said in 92, If ever he was sent back to Germany that he would kill himself. He died I'm a hotel in Germany. Ferrian was like many producers in the 80's and 90's terrible!! The music industry knew they weren't singing. So many groups weren't sing back then.
They used them! Poor fragile Rob was weak from the start...never having a true sense of self or grounded! He told me he hate the orphanage and the life in Germany...never belonged. Being fake and never knowing who you are is deadly..as well as fame and shame!
Rest in Love Rob.🤍🕊
@@DixonDixon65 Blame MTV and music videos, if you were good looking you sold albums.
Blame it on the phony producer frank farian he’s a piece of 🤬@@haileyshannon7548
The only ones that was hurt by this, were Fab and Rob, especially Rob. So sad
They scammed millions off this and would have kept steeling if that song didn't skip .So stop acting like there 2 were guilt free
Rob and Fab chose to be part of the scam. They were not victims.
@@chucks_88 Frank Farian should have went to jail for planning everything. He set this up before even meeting Fab and Rob. So he was going to steal regardless
Is sad that J.lo committed the same thing and the music industry said nothing as a matter of fact they praised her for it but Milli vanilli they got the Oscars taking from now they got their names dragged through the mud I thought it was fk up what they did to these two, I still like I like they singing I like they dancing.
100% thats what I discuss in the full documentary. th-cam.com/video/mFWh2HV5T0s/w-d-xo.html&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
JLO did sing on the verses but it's someone else singing some choruses. Nevertheless there's little difference and she gets to "sing" at the superbowl while Rob is in the ground. 🤷♂️
@@Traxploitation Ashanti and JLo have two different voices, it's no way you can get away with telling me and want me to bite down on it that J-Lo song 1 verse with her voice on Ashanti song, the only difference is Irv Gotti gave the okay for JLo to pull A Milli vanilli period
I Adore milli vanilli ❤ Jlo sucks 🤮
The biggest scam is that the awards were not then given to those who wrote and performed the music
You're talking about the Nurmax band ?
It’s sad NO ONE had there back when it went to shit! Poor Rob my heart breaks for him, but end the end the shame was too much for him.
I think that at the MTV concert it was a sabotage. Many in the music industry knew about the Milli Vanilli, they were actually not the only group/project to practice the lip syncing at that time.
I'm maybe wrong, but there were a lot of envy and jealousy against them. They sold millions of discs, they were loved by millions of fan and let's not be blind, they were very good looking, getting a lot of attention and admiration from ladies. The backlash against them was very harsh and mean. At least they lived their dream even for a short time.
They did nothing wrong. This is how MOST music is made today, maybe not with a whole group in the background, but with a background track. They were victims who thought they were going to be given a chance to become stars, had signed the contract before they knew better..They were victims.
Rob and Fab were the most beautiful men on TV and a lot of people got happy when they got exposed for lip syncing. Who cares? They were so sexy and performed well. If they were ugly no one would have noticed lol. There was no social media then and now we know that most singers do that on a regular basis.
Rob & Fab didn’t just lip-synced, they were doing it to other people’s vocals. Milli Vanilli had won a Grammy, which was the highest music industry honor, and they completely embarrassed Arista Records and the Recording Academy when the producer admitted that Rob & Fab were a front. Rob & Fab were huge celebrities at the time and it was just such a shocking story for the media, particularly in America. Milli Vanilli had sold a lot of albums and there were bound to be fans that were going to feel conned in some way by the truth.
@@RocStarr913 Fans were ok with the truth. Their manager used them to get richer. Rob and Fab suffered long term. If an artist looks crap (like the real singers) then music won't sell.
@@joannadziokan3267 It didn’t help that no big fish in the music industry wanted to work with them again. They had to sign to a tiny little independent record label and it had little money to print records and promote their music and it ended up going bankrupt.
@@RocStarr913 Yes, I know.
Where there’s a lot of love there’s a lot of hate. A lot of people do not like them for whatever reasons….it was too good to be true for them when it was revealed they didn’t sing on their records. They were savoring the entire scandal.
The performative outrage over Milli Vanilli at the time was more fake than the music itself. Anyone who didn't realize many of the pop bands, at the height of MTV, were prefabricated clearly either weren't paying attention or didn't actually care in the first place.
yea, this was the prime of "scandal" culture, right after they destroyed Michael Jackson
Such a tragic story,
that producer is a con artist no matter how it's told. So good to see Fab rising above and performing. He among John Davis, may he RIP.. showed that it can still be a success while keeping it real.
Fab is a terrific singer: it still baffles me as to why Frank just didn't let him and Rob sing on the albums (which would have prevented the whole fiasco).
@@MRB16th Your so right he is such a terrific singer..but to be fair I don't think he was always a terrific singer. Pretty sure in the begining he wasn't that good.
but he could've probably sang the songs well enough.
I believe that the songs were recorded way before he was in the picture. .. and let's face it they are great recordings.
He probably wouldn't have been as good back then... and they probably didn't have time or didn't want to wait for him to get better.
@@julienceaser Even if his vocals weren't 100%, surely that would have been a workable situation given the backing singers and resources Frank had.
Rob and Fab chose to be part of the scam. They were not victims.
@@MRB16th Because they aren't talented, they aren't good singers at all and Morvan with his thick french accent was actually the first crack in the charade, because people noticed he sounded completely different than on stage.
This wasn't even a unsual thing to do, as especially in Italy it was common to have different people portray the music on stage. Countless projects like Black Box (their biggest hit being Strike it Up). It's not different than the Monkees, C+C Music Factory and countless others. There's usually a good reason why you have to go that way and it usually is because the original musicians sing great, but aren't marketable, while they need a marketable face, which usually lacks the talent. This is what happened here and it was neither the first or the last time Farian did it, he did the same thing with Boney M. in the 70's and La Bouche in the 90's for example.
No idea why this turned up in my feed, but I thought "Oh yeah, I remember that. Let's give it a watch..." And I have to say you made a thoroughly interesting and informative docu which I enjoyed. They were catchy tunes. I felt quite happy for the guy at the end singing the song for real and actually doing a nice job of it. Good for him. The tragedy was touchingly sad. What a story. Thank you.
I'm glad it did turn up, and I'm glad you clicked. You're welcome
@@Traxploitation me too!
The biggest and saddest! Now, John Davis has just passed.
17:48 In Living Color was the 'South Park' of the 90's. They didn't pull punches when they wanted to satirize someone.
They were young and naive and fell for the trap, they wanted the fame and fortune and didn't realise how much they had to sacrifice until it was too late,sadly to this day it shows how cruel and heartless the entertainment industry is and also scary how it is a lesson still not learnt it's why the most "successful" entertainers lives for the most part end so tragically.
Now that everyone knows the truth it’s messed up how the world did them
I remember the day they got caught. All who had their music couild bring it back for a refund. But I kept my cassette. I like the songs and while listening to them, I knew they did not sing the songs. but they were good, that is why I kept the music.
Rob was booked into a Sri Lankan retreat to gain strength. He went out with his buddies to say goodbye and died overnight in his hotel room next to the airport. He probably had a few drinks and that interacted with the drugs he was taking.
It definitely was tragic either way with Rob.
This story is both tragic and triumphant at the same time. I'm sad for Rob but glad to see that Fab has found some peace and success despite everything that happened.
Yo King, I've seen a lot of vids about Milli Vanilli but damn, you did some research and had footage I've never seen before. Great vid, bro. Keep rising, and to Rob & Fab, you tried, but unfortunately you're not the only one's who get tricked by the devil as its still happening to this day. RIP Rob. Fab proved that you still have loyal fans out there. One🙏🏾✌🏾
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. I try to uncover something new or at least come at it from a different angle when tackling these stories. I see a lot of videos on these topics and half the time it seems like theyre just reading from wikipedia! Anyone can do that, so I try to search a bit deeper than just a google search...so I'm glad that the extra effort didnt go unnoticed! :)
I still play mili vanili music this day's they had some dance hits
Thanks for going through the Milli Vanilli story in detail. It's a sad and tragic story that leaves me feeling sad for both of them especially Rob RIP. It looks like Farian took advantage of two young and naive guys and exploited them for his own gains. Not that Rob and Fab are completely innocent but the lure of fame and fortune was too attractive a prospect for them and they got caught up in the hedonism. I still listen to Milli Vanilli now because it's great music and they both seem like really good guys.
This is really sad. The extent I knew about this was that they got caught for lip syncing, I didn’t realize they didn’t sing at all, and how much they really got conned
This is such a tragic story but at the same time up lifting. These two guys have talents but were not given the chance to show it.
They just were naive at the time and trusted someone who did not appreciate their art.
If they were in good hands I believe they can go the distance. I mean they can do their own singing and dance moves they also have the looks too including manners.
They got the dream all worked out. It was sad that no ody got their back during that time. R.I.P Rob and god speed Fab.
the label executives must be held accountable for fraud but the guys were blamed for everything.
its just like britney lipsync for most of her gigs in australia that the oz govt finally passed a law that artists in concerts must perform live or else charged with fraud.
Hello again 👋
That's a very interesting story. I lived in Australia for 10 years, and was there for that controversy.
I don't think any state or federal laws were ever passed concerning this. They talked about it but never did anything. AFAIK. NSW State gov came the closest but all they wanted was artists that lip sync to make it clear to ticket buyers, rather than outlawing the practice entirely.
But you're right, the label executives should take responsibility too. There's no way Clive Davis, who famously refused to sign Whithey Houston until she had personally sang for him, didn't know they weren't the singers. He's also in the past been involved in all kinds of corruption, not least of all payola, he also once threw a really expensive party for his kid and claimed it back from the record label as a business expense. He was investigated for fraud and yet Somehow he managed to stay out of the line of fire on this one!?!? Very fishy!
Wow, I never knew there was such a tragedy behind this story. I was just looking for some information on the scandal and how it actually happened. Thank you very much for this video!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. So glad you enjoyed the video...please check out the other videos, it's all similar stories, other shady tales from the music industry.
@@Traxploitation Absolutely! Sleng Teng is next 🔥
@@EISERMANN80 oh that's a really good one!!
Yes they were used and thrown to the wolves but back in the 80s we loved them and we still do forever Rob and Fab fan
If this happened today, nobody would bat an eyelid. Maybe they should have come clean at the start and said that Milli Vanilli were the frontmen, the singers and the musicians, basically a musical collective.
Frank Farian clearly wasn’t going to do that and Rob & Fab couldn’t do that because they were bound by contract and debt to him.
Coming clean is exactly what killed them, so, no, that wouldn't work. Same reason why the Monkees made a secret out of being a "fake band", or Boney M. (Farian mostly employed "fake bands") or why Kiss generally hides the massive amount of studio musicians actually working on their albums. Ashlee Simpson's lip-syncing scandal happened in 2004 and even several years later, people still made fun of her (and her 2008 album bombed so badly, it ended her music career for good)
@@shadowangel2235 Music is just as much about the image as the actual audio. People want simplicity and a good story, not the facts.
@@CamJames It's only about the image if you're a poptard and reduce music to background noise, i know most people do that, they don't really like actual music and thus the image or the private life of "musicians" is more important to them.
Doesn't change the fact that Milli Vanilli was shit and still would call out today if it happened.
@@shadowangel2235 most people are exactly as you just described. the image is a big part of their enjoyment and the reason they buy concert tickets. brand above band.
Well done I enjoyed this mini documentary.Its a pity that they didn't sing on their music cause their songs were very good.
😆 🤣 😂 the music was godawful formula pop garbage
@@docsavage8640 one persons pleasure is anothers poison
@@docsavage8640 no dude
Poor sods. Talk about being thrown to the wolves once they’d served their purpose and the record company and Farian got their pound of flesh i.e millions and millions of dollars.
Rob and Fab chose to be part of the scam. They were not victims.
In 1989 most people held the belief the singer/performer/artist/celebrity associated to singing or playing the popular song they were known for was actually responsible for creating that tune or album from it's initial recording, to the live stage, television and the awards shows. Milli Vanilli stood-out that year for being exposed singing to a backing track. A practice done long before them, and a practice now embraced in the 20s as common-place for any big name popular act.
This is taken from a longer documentary I made called Mime and Punishment...and you just summarised it perfectly. It covers all the points you mentioned, and more.
th-cam.com/video/mFWh2HV5T0s/w-d-xo.html&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
thats crazy. and you didnt lie.
RIP John Davis.
Such a detailed and well made video. I know about this but you went in at a different angle. Thanks for this.
Glad you liked it! I do try to cover new ground, even with old stories, so \i'm glad the effort is appreciated.
@@Traxploitation Very well explained and much appreciated. I ended up watching a few of your videos. Thanks. 😎
I love the fact that you really do your research before making a video. Kudos.
There are a couple things I've never understood about this story. The first, why didn't people catch on sooner if the duo weren't credited on the original European release of the album? Second, when they had their song start skipping while performing live, why didn't they just claim that they lip synched that particular performance (loads of pop groups do this for TV performances - Top Of The Pops requires it, for instance) but it was still them on the album?
Fab said in an interview that the skipping song had no impact on their career. They even won the Grammy award AFTER that happened. Frank Farian is the one who ruined everything. He told the press Fab and Rod didn't sing.
I remember when it was on the news that these guys didn't sing, nobody really cared anymore, they were already fading away because they were too trendi and once the trend fades you fade with it so all it did was speed up the process. They had a lot of talent but the people in charge exploited them instead of helping them develop until it exploded in their face.
I find it hard to believe no one knew about this in the mainstream. LOL the big wigs knew and used them up until they felt that they couldn’t make anymore money on a high level. Once they knew the ride was about over they threw them under the bus
I have no doubt they knew.
Clive Davis was Head of Arista at the time, he famously personally auditioned Whitney Houston before signing her...i can't believe that same person accidentally signed two Europeans with limited English skills who magically had perfect American accents in recordings and didn't notice...even though he commissioned new recordings for the US release 🤷♂️
They not only knew, they were part of it.
@Tmunch83 and @Traxploitation I'm a longtime Milli Vanilli fan and have done a lot of research on this story over the past decade. Clive Davis absolutely knew what was going on. When the second Milli Vanilli album under Arista called, "Keep On Running", was being recorded, he told Frank Farian, "Whatever you do, don't change the sound." He was referring to the vocals. I've learned that Milli Vanilli's secret was the worst kept secret in the music industry back then. There are various reasons for people keeping their mouths shut, including, the last comment made on this video, about them not being the only imposters in town. You may or may not know that Jennifer Lopez didn't actually sing most of the vocals on a lot of her biggest hits.
@@dbrownthegreat 100% agree.
I worked as a studio engineer throughout the 90s so I've recorded ghost singers for some big pop acts... Take That information how you want 😉...
I've made other videos about other imposters...the list is almost endless.
C+C Music Factory, Black Box (they actually had the video I made about them removed for copyright as it wasn't very flattering) JLO, TLC, Technotronic, The Monkees, Michael Jackson have all had music released in their name with ghost singers actually singing on the recordings...
@@Traxploitation So, so true!!! Money talks... By the way, thank you for such an interesting documentary. Regardless of what happened, I will always be a fan of Milli Vanilli.
@@Traxploitation Clive Davis didn’t really sign them per se. Arista Records was owned by the same German parent company Bertelsmann as Milli Vanilli’s German record label Hansa Records, so Arista was basically mostly their American distributor.
What they should've done to avoid this scandal (IMO): Rob & Fab should've been on the front of the album with the actually singers and band being on the backside. Fleetwood Mac's 1982 album mirage has three of the band members on the front with two of them on the back. Then they would still be properly crediting the real musicians while still having rob and fab as their cover. Have the whole group go up to accept the grammy and have them all on stage to preform. Fabrice can sing, Rob, I'm not so sure of. Still, could have them both as back up vocals, standing in the front and acting as dancers. Everyone would think they're the main singers too. This whole thing could've been pulled off so much better.. But I Farian never thought they would make it that big
I can’t help but wonder if Frank Farian put together Boney M and Milli Vanilli because of his own insecurities. Say what you want about his business practices, but the guy is talented, he was just never allowed to be face of his talents. It wasn’t until he started scheming with that people actually started to take his music seriously. I think the whole lip syncing charade was a way for him to get back at the industry. If he couldn’t have the looks and the talent, then he wanted to make sure that nobody else could either.
Yes, to an extent I think thats true. But by the time Milli Vanilli came out Frank Farian was one of the most successful German producers of all time. He WAS the industry. It wasn't the industry that rejected Frankie Farian the soul singer, the audience simply didnt buy those records. This video is actually from a longer video on ghost singers/miming in the music industry where i go into more detail about Farian and Boney M.... you can watch it here th-cam.com/video/mFWh2HV5T0s/w-d-xo.html you can watch the whole thing there, or just the section on Frank Farian here... th-cam.com/video/SpU3ZGggeoQ/w-d-xo.html&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
Africans dream was to always be the front man or lead singer for his own songs yet he jus never had the looks or personality to be up front so he hired models, actors etc such as my mum's sister Maizie Williams of Boney M fame and would only allow for hers and bobby (farrel) voices to be heard on certain tracks and left out on certain tracks wuth him us in his voice instead, now I understand with Bobby as his English was quite poor and he was never a singer to begin with he was more of a dancer and dj, my aunty is a fantastic singer yet Farian claimed her voice was more of a gospel singers voice than that of a pop stars so on many records her Mic was turned down but she did sing during live shows/concerts etc. She still singing til this day but it's more a gospel and jazz infused type sound and has a few albums as well as doing other tv work like celebrity come dine with me (of course she won) and the o ccassional work out DVD..
Lol damn text lol, I never meant to say African lol it was meant to say Farians dream
They should have given the Grammy to the people who actually recorded the song....I understand that's a collection of individuals but why not ?
I didn't realise circulation of their Rob and Fab album was so small. Picked up a copy on release day from a local store along with one of the CD singles. Probably worth a lot more to me than eBay 👍 Thanks for the detailed video!!
Yeah, people assume it just sold badly. But you can't sell millions if you only have thousands 🤷♂️
Sad story. But let's be honest here.... That All Or Nothing album was very very good. The sound was crazy for the time... Also I don't look at them as one of the biggest scandals in music. They were one of the biggest groups in music for two years. Lip sync or not the fans loved the package... I'm very happy Fab is doing well these days. People can say whatever they want but Milli Vanilli will forever be remembered... RIP Rob.
Really interesting video. I remember when they first appeared in the UK and everyone was fooled. Great to see fab but tragic that Rob didn't survive.
Yeah, i just thought they were cheesy pop didn't really occur to me they weren't singing even when they spoke and had strong accents. I know lots of Europeans who learned English from TV and movies and sound American.
07:25 Rule of life: Don't sign anything you can't take responsibility for!
Most people would not sign a record contract expecting to be used as frontmen.
Frank Farian did the same thing with Boney M when their hits dried up.
Actually Frank Farian IS Boney M. The first Boney M song, Do You Wanna Bump is Frank Farian singing the male and "female" vocals. His voice was pitched down for the male vocals and pitched up for the backing vocals. He then hired models and dancers to mime to his performance, and eventually hired actual female singers, but for most Boney M records the male voice is Farian and Bobby Farrell mimed to his performance.
Here's the video on Frank Farian and Boney M. th-cam.com/video/SpU3ZGggeoQ/w-d-xo.html
I remember the very early 90s as kinda just being an extension of the 1980s, but there was a real shift happening at the same time with the emergence of grunge music…so, the fact that these two were already getting spoofed on SNL by 1990 isn’t all that surprising. They were riding the rim of played out 1980s, when people were starting to move on to the 90s. Reminds me of the kids in school who were still tight-rolling their jeans when everyone else had moved on to wearing the newest trends, like straight leg, bootcut or baggy jeans.
Anyway, well done video!
This channel deserves more subs! big up Lotek!
So it started with a guy copying someone else's hit song beat for beat.... and it only went downhill from there.
18:52
"Top Ten New Jobs for Milli Vanilli"
"Professional Objects of Scorn for Years to Come"
...Well, Lettterman got that part right.
A lot of bad stuff resulted from the fallout of Milli Vanilli. They suffered.
But if they didn’t try to deceive the public in the first place, all of this would not have happened. The producers and those who strung them up should have been punished.
Thank you for the research in this video... I learned a lot and my appreciation for Rob and Fab is real.
still my favorite band
I still have the CD in its original case I bought when it came out. I stashed it away so still in great condition.
Wow! Amazing a piece of history!
I was a kid when the scandal broke. I remember that everybody was mad at them for "faking it", but honestly, I think they could've salvaged the whole thing if they came on the air, apologized for the deception, and introduced the real singers.
Just told everyone it was all an act, and it'll be even more fun now that they're in on it.
They did actually do all that. There was a big press conference where they appologised and offered to return the Grammy, which they did. Frank Farian then introduced "The Real Milli Vanilli" although this was actually a lie as he hired a new singer, that sort of looked like Rob & Fab who wasnt anything to do with the first Milli Vanilli albumand presented him as part of the "Real Milli Vanilli"
That wasn't the reason they coudn't salvage it though, it was already too late by then. The industry had turned on them.
Really nice documentation. Only important aspect that is missing is, that on tour they made huge trouble and wanted to sing live.
Good point!
What kind of trouble?
@@fraufuchs9555 heavy drug abuse, diva behaviour, insisting on singing live instead of playback and so on
@@schubiduba1 I see. Thanks for answering.
I really don't lay all the blame on ROB and FAB - they were given an opportunity to escape to something better. I still lay the blame more on the PRODUCERS than anything...
I "Blame it on the rain" ! :) sorry couldnt resist. 😂
If you're wondering WTF David Letterman was referencing with that "Fact Checkers at 20/20 Buckwheat division" joke, the news program 20/20 had been taken in by an imposter claiming to have played Buckwheat in the Our Gang films, known as The Little Rascals on TV. The real Buckwheat, William Thomas, had recently passed away. After 20/20 aired an interview with the Bogus Buckwheat, George "Spanky" McFarland contacted the program to straighten them out and 20/20 had to issue a major mea culpa. This was a big deal because 20/20 presented itself as a serious, hard news program and got caught having not done the most basic research.
They were puppets
Rob and Fab chose to be part of the scam. They were not victims.
Record labels don't care how these artist's life turn out. It's all about the money and frankly, a law should be in place to guard these artist's mentally. This is pure lying and raw deception from these rich record labels.
Years later, I always thought that it was peculiar that the track skipping is was the “smoking gun” moment of them lip-syncing…as MANY live performances, past and present, are to a recorded track! (especially, if they’re dancing a lot). Why didn’t people/the press just assume that the two, simply, were not singing live???
@@MrDeadHead69 whaaaaaaaaat??? Do tell🫖
Just shared this on KiraTV's channel as he did a video on them. Hoping it gets you some traffic. Just seen the new uploads. Cannot wait to watch them. Happy new Year 🙂
Thanks for sharing!! I have some new videos coming soon, but its a lot of work researching it all, it will be worth the wait I promise!
Loving this channel, currently on a binge, thanks for producing such great content!
Thanks 😊
You're welcome
Its completely possible to not hear an accent when you sing in a language that is not your first.
Might be true for singing, not so much for rapping though🤔
Good interview with Fab. Very interesting person and intelligent
Excellent story. Thank you...
Such beautiful looking men. Disgraceful what happened. I still play their music. As far as I'm concerned, it's their name, so their music. I'm sure there were/are many singers who are fronters. Unfortunately, they were naive. F.F is the real villain
At the end of the day we all learned they were the only milli Vanilli unfortunately for rob it was to late. I can’t even imagine what frank said to them to release another album.
It's sad they couldn't go on to find success with their real voices...that would've no doubt gone down as one of the greatest comebacks ever...Farian is a snake if he did this bullshit..besides them not having council, English wasn't their native language..nobody made them sign but still if Farian played them like this i feel even worse for them and the situation they were baited into..i can't say I'm surprised about Farian though..that's probably 80% of the music industry..as far as those dumbass lawsuits all i can say is It's The American Way
I don't care, I still love milli vanilli
Two members in BAD FINGER committed suicide ,cause Music Industry screwed them over too.
Ooh youre in tune...Full bad finger episode on the way! 👀😎
@@Traxploitation I make music on UTUBE for FREE. So it's all Public Domain. I do it to bring joy to people. Anyway they can SEE ME. So they know I first did the songs
I felt so bad for them. Obviously two 20 year old kids couldn't have orchestrated this mess but they were the only ones who took the fall.
Frank Farian and Clive Davis were behind it... Davis escaped scrutiny altogether!
The truth is “beauty sells” humanity itself fed the lie. Rob and Fab were the face of the group - they had to perform, and that is a talent unto itself. I don’t think the public really cared if they sang or not, they were beautiful humans to watch and the sounds were catchy.
Probably the best explanation of the story on the internet.
THANKS :)
It so sad because with their looks, their dancing and energy, if they had been allowed to use their own voices, they would have been a hit anyway.
They were not good singers.
@@tommym321 neither is Madonna. She certainly is no Whitney Houston but look how far she went. Sometimes it’s as much about stage presence, image and energy as voice.
@@purplepoppyz well I suppose that’s true about Madonna, but I think she is the exception rather than the rule.
@TommyM321 maybe but I see a lot of 'stars' who cant really sing very well but have all the image, looks etc right.
Absolutely! In my work as a studio engineer and producer, I've seen all sorts of people with varying levels of singing ability, and that singing ability always seems to be the least important factor in their success. number 1 is worth ethic! people always forget how important that is. Say what you want about Madonna's voice. she worked her butt off to get where she is. I've worked with tons of amazing singers who got nowhere, they were acutely aware of their talent and thought they could get by on that alone and had terrible work ethic. Turning up late and unprepared to sessions. Then of course, like you said, there is stage presence, attitude, and image. If you're a good singer but don't have those things you'll never be the lead/solo star... you'll have to be a backing singer, session singer, etc.
Fascinating to hear the name Bill Pettaway mentioned at the beginning. Back in the day, I photographed him several times for the Annapolis newspaper. Never forget hanging out in his studio. Great talent and a great guy. Not like some of the other shady dudes in this story.
frank farian was a huge producer, he brought many talents together and made magic that sold milions of records. if you have ever been to a disco, then you have prolly danced to many of his songs. and he took advantage of them to make more money. the plan worked very well for him, AFAIK he was the one who took the biggest cut.
They were just 30 years ahead of their time and the TikTok-world 🤣
Lol, so true!
GIRL YOU KNOW ITS GIRL YOU KNOW ITS GIRL YOU KNOW ITS GIRL YOU KNOW ITS
$2.50 for a concert ticket? Is that all? Wow.....
They would make a killing these days!
So it can be said "The digital Compact Disc (CD) was the nail in the coffin for Milli Vanilli." A 3/4" tape would of kept playing even if it was slightly damaged.
Stuff like this, still won't make me take down all my posters.
Good. You obviously like music for musics sake. The way it should be. 😁
So sad that they were left to face all this alone. The record companies and Frank Farian should’ve been held accountable. So sad Rob was taken away so soon. Love and peace. Fab keep going you’re a shining star in your own right and deserve all that’s good ❤❤❤❤loved you both then and still love you both now