Maxazine presents: Milli Vanilli Essentials (Curated Frank Farian)
Milli Vanilli was a German-French pop duo that rose to global fame in the late 1980s, consisting of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan. The duo was formed by producer Frank Farian in 1988. Their debut album, “Girl You Know It’s True”, was a massive success and featured hits such as “Blame It on the Rain”, “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” and “Baby Don’t Forget My Number”. The album sold over 30 million copies worldwide and earned the duo a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best New Artist.
Milli Vanilli’s image — two handsome men with flashy outfits, dreadlocks, and energetic dance moves — fit perfectly into the MTV era. But behind that image was a scandal: Rob and Fab didn’t sing a single note on their albums. All vocals were recorded by studio musicians. When this came to light in 1990, it caused a media firestorm. The Grammy was revoked, and the duo’s credibility completely collapsed.
Pilatus and Morvan later attempted to repair their image by continuing as real singers under the name Rob & Fab. That project flopped. In 1998, a comeback with new music was planned, but it ended in tragedy: Rob Pilatus died that year at the age of 32 from a drug and alcohol overdose. Fab Morvan then continued with a solo career, with moderate success. Only decades later did the public begin to view their story as more nuanced: as young artists, they had been manipulated by the music industry and their longing for fame. Documentaries and films about Milli Vanilli emerged, including a biopic in 2023.
Milli Vanilli’s success is still present, and their signature style echoes in every track. That’s why, at the end of 2023, we asked producer and the man behind Milli Vanilli, Frank Farian, to translate Milli Vanilli’s musical footprint into a list of 15 tracks, the Maxazine Essentials. Frank was enthusiastic and started working on the list immediately. However, before he could finish it, Frank Farian passed away in January 2024. The list of 15 tracks was never completed, which is why this time we present 10 songs from Milli Vanilli’s musical footprint, compiled by Frank Farian as one of the last things he did before he passed…
