For a moment Milli Vanilli was the hottest musical act in the world. Then came the news that it was just that, an act, and the fall came swiftly and humiliatingly. Now, 30 years on, a look back yields not so much a cautionary tale as a very sad story.
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one in a member f d. I c welcome to stuff. You should know production of I heart, radio, the hey and welcome to the podcast, I'm Josh and there's chuck in years. Jerry too, and this is stuff you should know it's true girl, ooo ooo ooo. I love that you had this idea to do. One on the middle, even at le story, sure
I love that we're doing it yeah and
was surprised about how much the? U S, army, played in the story of merely vanilla. Here, technically, you could say
the? U S, army, produced milly, vanilla initially, yet who will pay?
without it early on their just quite a few references of theirs the army. In now.
turn even still today, but this is a full three decades later,
Millie, vanilla, still generally looked down upon as free?
odds in a sham and just a joke.
but when he one of those stories like everything else, when you really dig into its way more complex way more complicated and even when
to apparent and clear that you got ok, here's the villain
You read our views with the villain at the time you like can make some great points here to its rice, complex
but one thing that I hope you guys get out of this-
is that rob and fab were kids at the time
Never in over their head. Berlin were certainly not responsible for orchestrating
the fraud that was perpetrated through millie vanilla. Now they they did it.
told and, like you said therein,
really twenties?
I have a lot of sympathy for these guys for sure.
Did you too, and I have even more now yeah
So you mentioned the: where would you
I'm a villain, the orchestrator, would
but I call them both technically.
We're talking about a man named frank, fairyland,
He was born as francs. I'm sorry Franz ruther
She. Forty one group in germany, big fan of music,
fan of soul. Music american saw music, yes and
the singer himself,
barely pretty decent singer and sang in clubs where united states army soldiers would
yeah anything. What you'd call today blue eyed soul, but this was before
blue eyed. Soul was acceptable, at least in germany, so he wanted
seeing like the songs of his his heroes, but there are like you,
you shouldn't be doing that. Stop doing that, though, he was thwarted as an actual artists from the gecko any moved into producing in the early seventies and he theirs
quote from him in though in the early nineties, in the midst of all this- and he said you know that
I know another people are figuring out that the producer is now the most important person in the band, not just the artists, and if that didn't reflect the future, then I don't know what does yeah, but he became
im a. He became a pretty successful producer, almost out of the gate, yeah,
I am in europe and then eventually, obviously thanks to mainly vanilla worldwide button in european super successful with a group called by
me you, anyway, capital, em,
they had an exclamation point
terror, bang or something that would be a kind of cool, sir, but inter bank would have been perfect. Actually, yes,
cause you like what is a bony em
but bony and was a group disco, funk,
he described them as euro pop. They were all these things.
In this album came out, and this is
pretty obvious that this lay the girl
more familiar, vanilla because ferrying frank variants,
the songs himself and her
for model singers from the caribbean.
the turing band
between seventy six and eighty five over nine year period, there
studio, albums and
a pretty big in europe. They weren't the huge sing ever, but there
big over there, not here, but he had laid
this groundwork of this model of
hammer someone else singing and other people that had a prettier face
to be on the cover, as the group yeah
the turing as the group to all it and you
clothes that you just you know not mention that kind of thing.
I'm bony m became popular enough that gaining Bobby feral, who was one of the
one of the models who was hired, became the group's actual lead singer, but how
when he went to go into the studio and record tracks after her
left in the album, came out. He'd find that his tracks have been
ray recorded over with varying singing new cell
that was just I was very
in charge, and you decide to go along with it, probably because they sign did not so great contract with them. That's right,
Now we turn to the beginnings of the merely vanilla story. When frank fairyland,
dull, a song basically called girl. You
It's true. I was written by a group of people. There was a baltimore hiphop
group named new marks,
air are ex.
Liberated with a singer from a group called star point name, I guess kai or key eta.
the yellow and then a man a bill pet away, junior who became
a really big personal
in the music businesslike work with J c missy elliot.
Nor kinds of people, but
The time was working at a gas station and got to go.
or with them, which included as part of me,
works a guy cabin kevin.
Who was now the sea.
There are three hundred entertainment, which is a huge,
wrap record label yeah and if you go back and
listen to girl. You know it's true by new marks.
You will recognise it immediately because not only did frank variants steal the song, the winning
Re made it. He remained it really faithfully. He just basis
legal seed. It up a little bit more than new marks was capable of because again it was a really talented producer. But here
it wasn't an interpretation or a rearrangement of girl. You know it's true. He just redid it exact.
Our new marks had done right. So just to put this in perspective.
The fraud that was merely vanilla, started out with the theft of young, their biggest their second biggest had. Actually
in this song. He was able to steal it because it was never a big hit having its own way.
Eight thousand records in in some
regions at the. U s, I think atlanta and fully in chicago, is what libya found no little bit airplane, but
It was not a big saw.
In the united states, but very key studio record.
it was the any label it put it out there
to put it out in europe,
This is where, with his were free,
heard it in germany and was ike makin still. The same is not a problem exactly only
he thousand records no problem here.
So I'm not- I didn't see if he ever saw the permission. There's like alleging that supposedly he wanted to go collaborate with new marks and was either
ignored or was told. No, that's, not us
Clearly, true, there's a lot of stuff here that you just have to take with a grain of salt, because there are a lot of difference.
People with a lot of different self interests that
gave their own version of events so yeah just about everything we say you should probably take with green saw, including that it's entirely possible from what I've read about frank variant,
he didn't try to get in touch with them at all. He decided he was gonna. Take that's on yeah and unite later dewey. I follow later they didn't you
I didn't know that that happened until they heard
millie, vanilla, singing it on the radio. Can you imagine how man, then you would be yeah, they
they get paid later in. They got credit later because a volume
the law suits, but it took that to get that credit and money. So when
frank ferrying,
together his own version of girl. You know it's true,
greece, morven and rob gladys replace.
They weren't even around.
yet they were not part of the group that they had never met frank ferrying at that point,
they were well known around the munich club, seen as being like couple, a hot do:
yeah, who knew how to dance sure,
and I believe this kind of
a ferrying and on to them
we'll see he invited them to come over, but before that we should tackle it.
Bit about robin Pham. Yes, so fast,
Like you said, his name is four brief morgan I was born,
on Guadeloupe pays a caribbean island raised in paris,
evidently was. It was a pretty promising gymnast until a
bray injury from a trampoline accident in nineteen. Ninety three now it just hurts to think about. I know trampolines are so dangerous
They are so dangerous. Everybody. If you have the trampling you haven't heard, are trampling episode, go, listen to it and then sell your trampoline, Ruby S. Rwanda
no way zero away, I'm so couldn't
just paid gymnastics anymore. I turned to dancing so rob
The latest was born in new york city and
the son of a german woman and a u s soldier. Here we go again an african american you, a soldier, but was
I ended up in an orphanage in bavaria and was adopted at the age of four.
by a german couple, and so
he and for greece, have something in common there there to black men.
In the nineteen seventy.
growing up in these, not completely white cultures, but
kind of devoid of a lot of black culture, at least faced
racism from classmates and stuff like that,
and they bonded over this, I think it was rob. You talk
Finally, in his teenage years, Michael j-
became such a big deal, that all of us
All of a sudden like
so even where he was in germany became kind trendy to be.
And he was it like his picked on. I guess, but super handsome guy
was a model, obviously very early on in a dj and break dancer, and a good, not break answer that in nineteen eighty four he went,
new york for a break dancing competition, which is where he met a fab, who is there for a day,
seminar, very fortuitous yeah,
we been more like they didn't meat in new york, rob decided to fly to allay as part of that,
trip to new york. While he was over on the across the pond.
That's where he met for greece right down here
while he was in new york, they I didn't mean in new york were so. It was a very fortuitous chance, meeting
Apparently, you know they they got along in everything, and I I saw
they ran into each other again in munich, idle
they know kept in touch
like that, but either way
they were both back in munich living in the same town. Together, they basically said, let's joint
horses and really knock the socks off of the people at the clubs around here? That's where they didn't mean kansas city, its children
it's like was it new york or l a? Where else? Could it be? It's not kansas city, it's true! No or I dunno. What's another place, they wouldn't have met
two parallel arlington virginia topeka
We can imagine Arlington sit outside a dc there. It places right across the river, so what are they doing in DC
Meeting the president, I would guess model model you, and yet they are doing
breakdown thing for ronald Reagan.
Mother. You was of an interim exercise, sir,
so like you
they met back in Munich. They would eventually get the attention of frank ferrying. Who is obviously Kenneth.
sure like to think he knew everybody in that seen in germany and got in touch with them on new year's day. Nineteen. Eighty eight came together very quickly
add him his studio in frankfurt,
played them grow? You know it's true. They signed
record contract that day, where
which rank variant said, I will put out at least
songs a year by you guys,
as far as robin fabric concerned and I totally believe him. They thought that meant we're going.
Sing, the songs, even though they were great singers they,
so later, so that they didn't read the contract and the fact that they met in signed a contract on new year's day in nineteen. Eighty eight certainly supports that at the very least,
and bring any legal counsel and look at it.
So they just trusted frank variant. They had been looking for singing part, so they just assume that that's what he was saying, we're going to make records with you guys,
That is not what had happened and by this time ferrying already knew. He didn't want robber fab to sing. It wasn't like he had them over heard them signals
I gotta figure something else after he was like
I love your look in you. Guys are going to be the the lip sinking front, men of milly vanilla and I'm just not going to tell you that at first that's right,
What he had really done was, as everybody knows, I think, probably by now, but he hired professional singers to record girl. You know it
true some gentlemen, by the name of brad howl and John Davis, former. U s,
pierce. Yes again, he met them in germany, when Ferris was working there and then another former you a soldier, a Charles shaw's, a guy who did the rap for a portion of that song.
yeah. I was puzzled, unlike
they talking about there.
talking about the work that they have to be speaking about the one part where he just suddenly goes like I'm in love with you
earlier on my mind that
yeah the railing rap sure-
what else is it like rhythmic singing,
Rep is yeah. I dunno about that one yeah. No, that was the rap part. Okay, sorry, Charles Shaw: he did he take his.
You think I did definitely. I definitely did even today, like I'm, not looking down a merely vanilla like short and was not rap
well. They're blondie song was more wraps and then read rather wrapping girl. You know it's true yeah
so, at any rate, those three guys did with it wherever they did on tape
as the real singers slash wrappers slash. How did you describe it? Rhythmic talkers, rhythmic, singers, split rhythmic singers, but
from the get go. It wasn't like: hey we're gonna, be this new band, we're gonna go on tour. I think howl was in his four
These in his was like not going to tour variants was it was just
variants deal from the beginning is anna. Have these two super handsome model guys in there you guys
and the thing and
the day I think they ended up listing them as backup singers. On the record, the guys who really saying it right and that was
that was the arrangement from the beginning
everybody, but robin fab. Yes,
I'm not sure exactly when they figured out that that was that they were not going to be singing
I don't know because when he played them, the song girl, you know it's true the demo allegedly, it was instrumental at that point really interesting.
so that it wasn't like he he's playing this for them. In saying, like you guys, we're just gonna pretend you're doing your singing this lame. I dont know when they figured it out, but it didn't
it very long- and this is like a little
I'd know before we go, take a break
the name Millie vanille come from. What does it mean chuck? Well through knows
There's a bunch of stories. Robin fab said that
mid, positive energy in turkish, which just isn't true, sounds like something you would say for minimum when you're trying to sell records or whatever, but also
did to the words milly, vanilla, sound turkish in any way, shape or form. An of turkish, but did did, doesn't sound predict
the turkish to my now you're. Just not some people said it was a discotheque in berlin by that name. Some people said I'm frank fearing to assistance in grid seeketh.
it was her name was milly and then another
it was said it might have been- and I am not sure about this at all, but it might have been inspired by screechy polity, the great pop english pop band, who is very underrated, I think yeah. They sing that song perfect way. I've got a perfect body to make the girls go. Crazy.
Scalability is great, it is it that's a good song, but I just wanted to take this moment because are so few opportunities to express my opinion of the greatest
Song of the eighties, the entire eightys the entire decade.
His owner of a lonely heart by yes la. I just heard that son
I can it's one of those ones that, like I'll hear it on the radio or in the mall or something cause. You know there's still malls and I will never be like this song. I can listen to that song. Every single time it comes on yeah
so well done is so complex, but it's so catchy those well play. It is just not a perfect song from eighty eighties move yourself. It's a great start.
Yeah great end, great middle yep, the whole sharing. I like, I liked the, but was it there was a series of numbers. I want to say nodded.
whenever that can't be. Oh you. I want to know how many member I liked it, though there that great song, I leave it from there
That's literally, though only song I've heard offer that record.
The underlying my her, the only yes song of ever heard doesn't matter it still the greatest song of the eighties effort. Roundabout, probably isn't go round about you just
lose control without them round a bow,
take a break and we'll talk about the deception right after this
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so in April nineteen. Eighty eight, you said that this all happen. Very quick. Italy is worth pointing out this entire
bang, especially starting from when they they reached the united states till her downfall was less
in two years. Yes, was all compressing just a couple of years and the whole
things started in April nineteen, eighty eight and after four
ferry and had his his completed recording of girl.
robin fab, sorted touring, spain and france, so they were
They were promoting it. There were singing this right, so they acted by this point. Ferrying had said: hey
you guys just go, go out just lip sync to to this.
And then, when we do the next album you guys can actually sing and dance
as one of the big reasons that they bought into it. So by this time, by April nineteen, eighty eight there were well aware was going on here
by the way dear listener. If you hear a gentle funding in the background and of its coming through, but it's not me, bang the debt
There are some construction going on next door and I can't control these people. Third, they basics.
sedentary their minds of their own minds and they have a job to do so, they're doing it, but
it. You may hear like a low level bump every now and then so I can't hear anything alright, so maybe it's not coming through, I dunno
anyway, back to the story of this sort,
was big in germany. Like you said, did you say that
ok was vague in germany became a number one hit in germany and you it was like it.
A thing in europe early on before I got to america and right out of the bat right off the bat
out of the gate in europe
when the sun became a hit shaw,
the original wrapper guy, who just doesn't think wraps basically
to the to the media in europe, is like by the way, that's me and then that gut
shut up, I'm really really quickly. He says it's because he was threatened by frank, ferry and frank
marion says, no,
I paid him like mid.
One hundred fifty grand to keep his mouth shut,
but at any rate, this is the first time that, like the cattle
out of the bag. A little bit and rumors were kind of going around too.
It basically word on a radio station in europe. They
a dj that was like hey, like
You guys, are you really seen in this light sing on the air to prove that you're? Really good singers right, I thought,
described as by the time you know it finally came out very poorly kept secret.
in the music industry yeah. But there
is definitely where would have started for sure, also people
who met them.
And were in the music industry really he's case, did not sing that
They were, they were talked about. Is the HANS
francais sounded icons in france is how one interviewer put it, because they ve
think european accents and apparently
Rob no fab,
His english was so shaky that he just usually didn't talk very much he'd interject a word here or there, but I'm rob spoke for them most of the time. Yeah I mean in their favor,
like the way someone things is not often not the way that they talk right, but it was
It was a fairly thinly veiled scheme. You know it's like a lot of people are Leon were like something
not adding up here. When you interview these guys right exactly, are it so
robin fab, are still beating the strong, and this is something that you'll see is a theme through this whole thing.
they never ever stop asking to sing their own stuff. Very important pleading with
agrarian to let them seeing their stuff. They really wanted to do it. I get the sense that they didn't
great about the arrangement at all.
they wanted to saying they wanted. They thought they were good singers and they want to sing. They also felt like
they were trapped in. I think rob put her fed, put it
is a golden prison now
They don't have enough. Twenty thousand dollar advances fuzzy handcuffs
frank ferry and very early on, and these guys, like two party, there's no there's no two ways around that. So these two twenty
If have your own good lookin hunks, who were suddenly kinder than they started out,
my club scene, and now they were the most popular dudes at the clubs in munich- has money twenty grand each yeah. They didn't
ground for very long, so they
would have oh that back to frank varying and they were like well now,
really stuck like we're, not only kind of
Duped into this, why were fire? I like
you didn't, hear yeah absolute,
we think, as in again like you get a lot of stories from the people involved,
rob said later on that, while,
This was happening in the early days. He got in touch with people from bony am here and they said by the way.
Frank, varying eyes, a rat any he would
let us saying
he sang songs and it was all a big scam, and so
Think early on rob sorted saw the writing on the walls like
we're in this deal where we're probably not gonna get to sing, but there's stuff
was rising in early nineteen. Eighty nine is when they hit the united states
it's. When they signed with a restore records, division of being g, who was the
isn't it a beam? G at the time was Clyde Davis, legendary producer, there's really a document on him by the way that a highly recommend I think here is about
the president of orissa, oh, I thought, use
a bmg. I don't think so. I got there
I thought he was arrested, but yeah you might be right. Will you there
It clive Davis is a legend, no matter who he works for yup and a great documentary on him, and they sign them on the strength of girl.
No it's true released. It is a single at the end of january, nineteen, eighty nine and then repackaged the
european version of the album for the united states as
the album title girl? You know it's true: it's remixes took some songs off, put some on and then release the fall album in
and the dates are important here, just because of how quickly it was in march,
of nineteen. Eighty, nine, ok, so they those
those are released at the end of january nineteen, eighty nine album comes out in march of nineteen. Eighty nine and I referred earlier to girl. You know it's true as there's one of their second biggest hits. It only reach number
two on the billboard charts. I say only but it's
It surprising, because that's the one that everybody thinks of with merely vanilla, maybe
cosette was everyone's introduction to it, but it
virtue in April. So the following months,
overall, the album worldwide
eleven million copies. It is so high
hard to sell eleven million copies of a record. It's a stand,
In seven million of those copies were sold in the united states alone.
So they had a number to hit. In April they had a number one with baby. Don't forget. My number in July had another number one with girl, I'm gonna miss you in september. You may maybe be what's that that video get I watched it to just like it.
Yeah she's like look when you watch the part where he goes
oh I'll, think of it later. But there's a there's like oh
refrain that he keeps hitting throughout the video and he does not lips think it correctly one time in the whole video yeah. Well,
music videos to, though a that website he was a great to be fair true, but there was
yeah, and I guess in hindsight you you're looking for it, so you could see it. Will
you seem to have noticed it pretty early,
and then blame it on the rain was their final number one in november and the
in our nothing was a number four in february of ninety, so they had number one hits in arms.
Number two hidden april. The number one hits in July, cept him
november and then a number four in february the next year. Right. It's that's is
is any banned in the history of music. Yes to five singles release
five in the top five billboard first three number ones is astounding. Like you, I knew milly vanilla was big, but when you see it on paper like that, like you said everything like there's very few
I have ever match that kind of thing, and they were just man, the deaf
son of a flash in the pan. They just came.
An blew up and in blue out in no time at all tune in turn out turn out to be,
What is it show a patron outlook in so
a figure that they would be better served in probably a little more protected and have more leverage if they weren't in germany anymore. Under the literal literal thumb, frank, frank, and so they were.
located to beverly hills just a few months later in june of that year, they does my senior.
price go by the legislature that perspective I was thirteen going into. I was a great nugget
by this time I was listening to
cure in area in the smiths in inaccessible stuff. Like this
I was like starting like eighty
Thirty seven, I started getting into like my little alternative thing called, but I like
everyone knew the stuff he couldn't escape it. I was mtv kid seller. I knew all the songs at where my thing but like I can sing em all still
he world was singing milly vanilla at this time, but papa bay,
Here you get me
did they sign, and this is a pretty detail to with a very big manager-
using manager name sandy gallon of gallon Morey associates.
and you remember him right away was at from
Those dolly pardons manager over the area.
unfortunately manage milly, vanilla and dolly partners. We will still need there really.
all right so
nineteen, eighty nine they have blown up, they became part of the first.
Club. Mtv tour alongside was not was
formation, society toll, mark and power of the war and the good tour couture, but like this,
that started in europe, followed them here and like we mention with the interviews in their accents and broken it
like things-
to go a little south here as well to the point where, by just a few months
are they came here? They stopped doing. Radio and tv interviews is their only do print, but IRAN,
Equally, they were allowed to use their voices for an appearance on a super mario three cartoon,
where they they play themselves, but their kidnapped by bowers daughter and turn into accountants because they won't performed for her, and if you go watch that clips of that that car
tune like while those guys really did not sound anything like they sounded on their heads,
I saw a clip. I'm sure we both want like tons of cliffs, but there was one click where they were trying to prove. They could sing
and they did the subtle archipelago harmony bit and it they were just flat
it was. It wasn't like they were completely tone, deaf or anything.
Fab actually can sing a little bit, but I think rob couldn't sing that great, but they,
though they were quoted.
Harmonizing
In short, it were like
to get a load of that, but it
super flat. It was there was not great, but I think like produce
as I have done more with less with ato june and all that stuff. For sure that is a big thing. That's that's something to kind of like put it into context like this. Is
that may be the world's on traded as to what producers exactly did and in a way,
he kind of established. It is ok to start messing with the people. The talents abilities yeah. It made it
it was the inflection point. Where went from an m
design, talent and creativity to an ability,
the package in artist and seldom in order.
He will blame mtv for this happening in mtv, says: that's absurd right
so we have to talk about what happened in July and again. This is they had through four
your hits after July that year new, despite the fact that
The concert in Bristol connecticut there were
sinking, very
Mostly it skipped aragon hung up or whatever
a girl, you know it's true, others, a very brief clip on it
from a of each one special, I think, behind the music.
other lydia says that variety said it wasn't as dramatic as guy
You know it's girl. He do wits
That's what it showed in the video ran they
It didn't know how to handle it dave, but if they would,
written it out. They probably would have been ok because a lot of like big dancing, performers lips
Can everyone kind of knows this?
parts of their shows, if aid, if they would to stay up there, they might
ok, bye they freaked out in raw
like ran off stage in a panic, basically yeah, totally
it was a downtown julie brown who, I guess, was touring with the club mtv tour, oh yeah
oxfam and going back out- and I was reading a variety article written in twenty twenty about this,
referred to hers jewel.
he downtown brown and I suspect,
that article is room by millennia,
who probably doesn't even though water whatsoever to let him do you remember that yet
I forgot all about that and it is bought into my head. Downtown Julie, brown yeah. What's funny is one of the reasons why she went by downtown julie, brows cause. There is another, equally famous
Julie brown on mtv. At the same time,
The red headed julie, brown, sort and of a weird, my feeling, like PB, adjacent type character.
you nothing it of duty to nude our you know, I'm not look look of Julie brown, then they will find you haven't you right now, yeah I'll, keep talking if you want to go to take
experts, so those like a big deal that bristol connecticut show to them? They felt.
Except that was the beginning of the end and even still later interviews they would point to that is like that was the beginning of the end of millie vanilla. They knew that this. This act,
they ve been carrying on was
ravelling basically, and they
There said that they were. They were up and unhappy nervous scared stress
the entire time and dumb.
The cap, partying beloved people say that they kept party because they were so stressed. I don't know if that's true or not, but
The day is understandable that they would have been kind of stressed
by the way, Julie
I totally recognize her now sure and that's who I
thinking of an eye
said to renewed it was Judy tunisia, the comedian, yet you said Judy. I think I did ok. I think I thought that was
We need to do that, but I totally remember Julie brown now, but she similar in character not quite as like over the top, is Judy tunisia, but similar to the flamboyant yeah yeah fisher juice. Great,
I wasn't wasn t either where, where were you
I was talking about how they were stressed and nervous all the time, and now they felt like this thing was really unravelling in that they called the bristol connecticut, show the beginning of the end user.
for sure. So, while this is going on, like milly, vanilla is having always chart success, but they were never a critical darling. In fact, they were anything people
for sure piled on a lot more after the secret came out.
even before that they became a little bit of a symbol of what serious music critics kind of thought was.
The then unravelling of pop music and how shallow it was, and how alike overproduce
certain arranged, everything was in kind of the worst vote.
And of what pop music ultimately became before it kind, of course, corrected yeah, and a lot of that came from the usual suspects. The rock community who ranged themselves is like the arbiters of what was music and what was not yeah.
another were at this party. I really regret talk.
About whether that was rap or not in the girl. You know it's true sound is essentially the same thing, but
Ass merely vanilla was an easy target even before they were outages is frauds Riah, so
think that made it all the more sweet for the people who were rooting against them to have their wildest dreams come true, Emily, vanilla,
be out. It is fraud slick. There are people rooting against them again, no, like that.
this is a really complicating factor chuck how
much of merely vanilla popularity, then, if the music wasn't that good or bad, you know if you are a music critic, how
millie vanilla is like success,
from robin fab in the work that they were doing when they definitely did some work at the very peak.
They did a hundred and seven cities in an eight month too
That's a lot of work, and also people love.
But like their look, they thought they were hot. They lead their dances that that little
dance move where they
faced one another and just like
yea? At a rain employees,
everyone was doing that everyone did, that dance movie, whether they were serious you're. Not everyone was doing that damp. If so, how? Much of their popularity can you? You know it
bribed to rob and fab, and I would say quite a bit o absolutely
I mean a hundred and seven shows fairly tired from
the big three show swing. That means last year by the way. Thank you Dc Boston. Iter offer fun times yet, whose riches
These guys also didn't do themselves a lot of favours. I think in particular rob
who is a little bit more vocal just because I think he felt more comfortable speaking english run of microphones
and I ve no looking back though, like the guy was probably scared and defensive, but he would say some kind of dumb.
sometimes I get an article early stuff. It wouldn't do many favours as
remember which magazine but one I think I'm there's a quote here where he says musically we're more,
I wanted, then any
Bob Dylan musically we're more.
I wanted then Paul mccartney, Mick
His lines are not clear
he don't know how he should produce a sound?
I'm the new modern rock n roll, I'm the new elvis so rob
and that that was wildly taking out of context.
he didn't say anything like that: the they closed direct
Oh that's right, I know, but the closest that he says he said was that you know Elvis was huge in his generation in their huge in their generation weather
whose misquoted or not. This is a
tension pr disaster area for this,
is least short lived group
So everybody involved there the record label fairy in their managers. All this
that they needed to to go and oppress tour to basically, you know explain this away.
Somebody else decided that they needed a worker,
medley of the beetle
the rolling stones and bob Dylan into one of into their show
if they were going to go forward on it and robin fab or the two that had the sense to be like. That's a terrible idea, we're not going to do that, so they dropped that, but
was how they were going to show
oh, that they didn't think they were bigger than the stones,
the beatles in bob Dylan. By doing it,
Thirdly of their songs at their lives of books. Graded yeah, I think so too, are I was sicker second break.
and were gonna come back in touch with the rest ran after this
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all right, so here's the
question, which is
Libya, titles, the section at who knew what, when gazette sorted the big question so rob and fab
manager, saint gallon club Davis and it
seems like a lot of people on the inside in the music scene knew this was going on.
In the summer of eighteen, eighty nine like while they were putting out
he songs and having these big hits others
getting Todd hadley who used to work for romilly, vanilla, believe he ended up being their manager at a certain point,
the word when they were just robin fab, but he said
You know everyone that was connected to this new, this,
I don't know wake necessarily win, but everybody knew this as
whereas arrested, goes this it will. We didn't know it frank varying again
a better. There was some handshake dealers, something going on here. Is he took he basically
MT very became only say no. I did not receive know anything about this
but everyone knew basically on the inside. Yes, but all of those people publicly said that they did not know I mean, can you imagine the record company being like we had no idea these guys didn't sing on the on the tracks? Yes, but that's what they said
so the
All time remember just bear in mind they kept trying to fight to sing.
their whole sideline was trying to convince frank fairy into let them sing on the next hour right
so finally
I believe that the whole thing came to a head
oh yeah, that was evidence. I'm sorry. There is evidence that shows that at least
Clive Davis from Orissa knew that
it is going on because they see seed among letters from their lawyers, demanding that frank varying let them seeing on the next album? Yes, so it afresh,
two clive Davis wasn't like? What do you mean on the next album? Why? Wouldn't you let him saying if you didn't look into it, that the own bad, the impulse
patient is that he wouldn't have looked into a cause. He knew exactly what that meant bright. So,
well think came to a head with the ninety ninety grammy ceremony. Right. That's right!
They were, you know, obviously going to be a strong contender for best new artisan as
Tori goes, five Davis did
I want to submit them because he knew it was a fraud, but
sandy gowan and the management company said no.
We can submit em they one best. Of course
they won best new artist grammy. Who else would and
they performed at the ceremony, lipstick,
the ceremony they own, the graham is that year they do
and the producer the grammy's was basically later on. Like you know, everybody really things is one of the few times in force
years of doing this, that I've let someone lips thinking, but that is why
things got of
went downhill. I think the grammy's later said, like all
had to do was put somewhere on the record, even in the smallest print
millie, vanilla is, unless you
general singers, but like we can't let you keep these grammy's, so we gotta take em back
right and they actually fully intended to apparently the day after the gum. Grammy's said
we want our grammy's back Michael green, the president of it said we want or grammy's back something
those lines they had already had a press conference scheduled where they intended to give him back. Then I give him back given to the singer right. Initially, they had wanted to, and apparently the grim as you like, do not give those to anybody. It's not up to you to give him the anyone in the question is whether or not they were going to give the green light to the next runner up to us.
number that our own woke in. For me,
society a care member who else, but
you didn't. There was no grammy for best new artist given out for ninety ninety, because milly vanilla was taken back. What could have been and at that press conference
he had their voice coach stand up and say: yes,
These guys can sing. I totally attests to that.
and on the that was worth.
You eat. You mentioned earlier that the kind of like wrapped in sang to seize little snippets too
That was that they could, and it wasn't very good, but that that was
it was a very faithful, hum press coverage. If you watch
they don't seem at all nervous. They seem like
her soaking in the love. Still
I read that that during this time they expected
the music industry to take him back with open arms because they done so much to make milly vanilla huge. That is, did not happen.
so that the grammy
now, who was on november nineteen nineteen nineteen? This happened because five days earlier frank variant,
I only came out because these guys would not start
asking the saying and it
not only annoying to frank varying, but here
in between a rock and a hard place, as I kinda thing even go on anymore, so he figured they can't go on.
press conference, I get to expose everything.
He disclosed it all.
and he said you know, still arrested, know anything about this
an aristocrat. They were vis, disguise vp of operations. Roy lot had a quote where he was like
seven million elms, embarrassing and my embarrassed
but you know I don't mean the end, justify the means, but we sold seven million albums and I'm like dude. That's. The very definition of the end justifies think exactly like you know what that means. Yeah
so
there is a very wide ranging impact from his like we ve kind of talked about, like a lot of people, pointed to this and said see, see like this isn't about the art
the actual music or the creativity here, the talent anymore. It's about packaging people
there is so much so that the data
sing on our mouths, the big thing it living
at the very lips sinking in concert could appointed to everybody from JANET jackson, nepal, Abdul and said they lipstick
do. You can't really sing well when you, when you're doing these incredible choreographed,
it's his throughout the whole, shows of course their lips thinking. It wasn't that it was that they
didn't even sing on the album that they had nothing to do with the music aside from the visuals that that's what
the kind of got everybody by one of the things that a definite links
that this is not a stand alone incident.
and it was well known in the music industry that this happened Martha while she was a part of the weather girls who
great song. It's raining men. She was the one who saying that part from the sea and see music factory hit near they again. They heard a model flesh singer who to sort of pretend like she had done it without her knowledge area.
village people had always been rumoured to have not been the actual singers like that. First
of the village people.
try to find out. If that was true, and I really can t anything definite but a lot
People were doing this kind of thing here and there a lawsuit started with,
people, I think we're just sort of fed up though- and it was the
the eighties, and I think people having styles,
were changing and tastes were changing in their like. We don't want fake music like we, you should start putting.
like truth on labels like this wasn't recorded by this. Like truth and music, labeling fans filed clash at class action law,
it's about milly, vanilla and was it was settled by getting up to three dollars from
the energy in a reserve- you could say like here's like,
particular ears. The album said if the buyer
ferry, and any kind of alluded to this early on and aids?
sort of agree like it was a fraud, but he was also like this is pop music and my
Who cares in europe like? No one cares. It's no big deal like everyone,
amerika got so riled up about this. It might you know these guys
made a couple million bucks.
made money, the guys who really sang it ended up. Making money like who cares right.
Sort of get that had a little bit cause.
there's a lot more things to be getting a half about, but I also get it in a way.
Yeah. I think now we do, but
do now because of the rough transition that we went through very being sought.
Let down by merely vanilla, wasn't let the flier so
robin fab again, they were expecting to this. Basically, beware
come back into the fold pretty quickly that this is basically to speed bump now, where the
anything they were released from this golden prison. They were in. They didn't
be stressed out about people finding other secret any longer.
Finally, they could do their own music
They actually release an album call robin fab
You need a real voices they.
Showed up on our senor hall show to sing live, which they had turned down before, because the are here are senor: harsher required. Performers it to perform, live no lip sinking
now. This is kind of like a triumphant appearance
our senor harsher their album sold two thousand copies in the: u s, and that was it near. It was a big
I did not know until today that they did a cover.
Version on that album of cheap tricks. I want you to want
Oh I didn't know it either. Listen to
I definitely will put so a lot of people like, of course it was a flop. They they were frauds. I
I think that one of the reasons probably
The biggest reason it was a flop is that they really said ninety. Ninety three
ninety ninety one, ninety ninety three words were situated in
two totally different worlds
has never minded come out september. Nineteen, ninety one and no one cared a lick about anything that scene see music factory or blackmail locks.
You ve was putting out all they wanted was more more nirvana and grunge and give it to us gives programme.
It was all that of its all we care about. So I think that that at least accounts
a significant reason why it was such a flop, bad timing for sure
and for a mean that changed all of you,
that's when the metal bands were all I go. What a we was to do now. It was a big transition.
As far as robin fab,
I haven't seen the behind the music. Some pretty sad stuff happened, afterward
rob had a pretty rough life. After that he had a suicide attempts to ninety one.
He was in rehab quite a few times. He was arrested a few times.
They eventually we're gonna get back together and ninety ninety eight to work on something, but on April
haven't? Of that year he was found dead in a hotel
room and everyone basically agrees it.
Next. An overdose of alcohol and pills
in in fab, you know, was
heartbroken and put out a pretty apt statement, I think, was,
millie vanilla, was not a disgrace,
the disgraces. How rob died all alone? Where are the ones that pushed us
the top who made millions, and it's just that,
your story of.
Court of getting used in then kick to the curb
forgotten about me too,
I have been a powerful people exactly so fast,
Actually they were both really like. It
drugs and drinking and fab made it out
that he paid for one of rob stance in rehab screw,
so he made it out he's still things
they into doesnt fifteen. He joined
but John Davis, one of the original singers of merely vanilla
they toured, I think, as face meets voice. You have today
form, some emily, vanilla, songs on tour and
one thing that I am so looking
or to you. I can't even stand. It is applied.
Finally, at long last we're going
get a milly, vanilla, bio pick. You up
Did you see these guys at her play in them? No as a deadline of and texting you.
Now do better in an icy son playing ice cube. I was at hand
that was happening. No, that was in what was then w h, bio pick
Oh, is he in that year he played ice, cube those eyes, cubes kid straight out. Oh no,
cuba thought I thought
you said vanilla ice,
yeah yeah. I can't remember his name, but he was in cocaine. Beer to the movie. You hated that I know vanilla ice bio pic by the way is called cool as ice. Is that a real thing too yeah?
It's not really bio pick buccaneers. Did you see that
Did he ever phone? I do sorry look at
these guys to unknowns. I think they spent years trying to find the right people but
name a been ali. His father and a guy name t John.
Nicky, I'm to pronounce it the
second do and they look
therein costume as merely vanille and its uncanny. How much they look like this guy is definitely has is pretty pretty well. That's all!
I can't wait to see it, so I hope,
going to be good and supposedly a lot of people who are involved in the actual band. Like them or their relatives, or associate or executive producers on this movie too, so it should be pretty authentic yeah. I think.
The icing on top is the executive producer was the
That guy who runs three hundred entertainment. Now he was the original lyricist for girl. You know it's true. Medium is in thy cool burial.
If you want to see something really cute, when you mean I were doing, are merely vanilla research I need to last night, we ran across a channel called africa react, and it's this super cute girl who listens to songs, that she does her for the first time in its
the action videos, but one of the one she did was girl. You know it's true and she gave an official thumbs up to its really kyoto and those are the you got
No one else, our aid, everybody them in time for listener mail.
Get a call, this my husband fell asleep at your show in Boston,
hey guys get tickets to the medford show is excited to see folks live for the first time I have
redeploy to me met me in medford after a few days and a work conference in new york
your seats and just as the lights went down and yell appeared on stage, we left it, your jokes, we
the topic and settled into be educated, much too much
prize a notice. My husband, extry shrink to head bog invent
in beginning to not off about ten minutes now either
yeah. Well, I did my best to keep weeping over
under the guy. Next to us, family
wake up after the second commercial break.
joy, the ending he claims that I've been conditioning him to fall asleep when sufficient to start
but I believe it may have
the let down from
the excitement of the conference in the work trivia about we, both
The great time wouldn't has
to see live again some day, thanks so much for taking a trip up north?
I'm not going to maggie's last name, because her husband may be embarrassing that it's just for maggie ended in the north.
thanks a lot maggie, that's hilarious! The idea of your husband falling
pictures. Normally in it,
It happened in person to because he so you'll love it. I love it two of you,
You like maggie and get in touch with a sweet love it. When people do that, you can send us an email to stuff
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Transcript generated on 2023-12-25.