Milli Vanilli

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Milli Vanilli was a pop duo that formed in Munich in 1988, consisting of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. Their music combined pop, rap, rhythm and blues, disco and dance. Pilatus came from Munich, Morvan from Paris. They met in a discotheque in Los Angeles and found each other again in Munich, where they bonded over their experience as Black young men in European cities. The German producer Frank Farian recorded a cover of Girl You Know It's True, a song by Numarx, with session singers such as Charles Shaw and John Davis. When it became a hit in Europe, he asked Morvan and Pilatus to pose as the singers.

Music and breakthrough

In 1988 All or Nothing was released in Europe. Arista Records released it in the United States in 1989 as Girl You Know It's True, with Blame It on the Rain as an extra track. The album spent eight weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 and produced three number one singles. In 1990 they won three American Music Awards and a Grammy.

Influence

Then came the exposure. Because of their French and German accents and a malfunction during a performance, rumours spread that they did not sing themselves. In November 1990 Farian confirmed that other singers had done the vocals. The records were pulled from the radio and the Grammy was revoked. Farian released The Moment of Truth in 1991 as The Real Milli Vanilli. Rob & Fab followed in 1993. Pilatus later died of an overdose. The case changed the discussion about lip-syncing and about what is real in pop music.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1988All or Nothing
• 1989Girl You Know It’s True