“Gotta blame it on something.
Blame it on the rain that was fallin', fallin'.
Blame it on the stars that shine at night.
Whatever you do, don't put the blame on you;
blame it on the rain, yeah, yeah.”

Milli Vanilli – “Blame it on the Rain”

With their fresh look, which included a preppy mix of blazers, bike shorts, Doc Martens and dreadlocks, it’s easy to understand that Milli Vanilli caused a sensation during the dance-pop explosion of the 80s.  Around the world, Milli Vanilli racked up hits upon hits, achieving an astounding amount of success that many had attributed to their extensive experience as back-up singers, and the magic that happened when they met each other at an L.A. dance club in the mid-80s, or was it Munich?  The story changes almost any time it’s brought up.  Of course, even today, as we come upon two decades after the fact, the mere mention of the band raises hackles.  Together, theirs was the story that would change music history, putting a spotlight on artists and acts around the world to find out who they really were and more importantly, whether it was them singing and performing on the tracks at all. 

Milli Vanilli came together in the mind of famed German music producer, Frank Farian, the genius behind the Euro-disco sounds of Boney M.  Like he’d done before, he was interested in taking the latest trends and fusing them together.  So, why not fuse the hot sounds of the dance music coming out of Europe with hip-hop and rap?  He put together one of the hottest sounding acts of the time, sounding being the operative term.  The army vet and two middle-aged singers just didn’t look the part.  Looking for a marketable image to complete his concept, he found it with two former break dancers / aspiring models, Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan.  Their exotic looks and nearly matching dreadlocks were just the thing, so Farian got them to come on board with the idea, and the rest… well…

All or Nothing, their debut album, was released in Europe in 1988.  American record companies, always looking for the next hot thing, at home or abroad, caught wind of this hot little album, and soon they were signed with Arista who reissued the album in the States as Girl You Know It’s True.  With Pilatus’ and Morvan’s faces plastered on the front and their title track at #2 on the charts, success and attention were imminent.  Their next few singles, “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” “Girl, I’m Gonna Miss You” and “Blame it on the Rain” all went straight to the top of the charts, and their single for the start of 1990, “All or Nothing” went into the Top 5.  On February 22, 1990, Milli Vanilli took home the Grammy for Best New Artist.  But, the ties had already begun to unravel months prior.

In a concert they performed in July of 1989, recorded for all posterity by MTV, their song “Girl You Know It’s True” jammed up, and started to skip.  Now, it’s a well-known fact that many performers, particularly those with intense dance moves as a part of their stage act, do lip synch to previously recorded material.  At the time, it wasn’t something everyone was aware of; yet, the audience in attendance didn’t seem to care and continued to dance along.  But this little incident didn’t sit well with music critics who began to question the duo about their singing.  In addition, comments had been made in the media by Pilatus, comparing Milli Vanilli to some of the greatest music legends of all time, putting themselves up there with the likes of Elvis Presley and Paul McCartney.  The unwarranted bragging certainly didn't win anyone over.  Soon, Morvan and Pilatus were begging Farian to let them sing on the next record.  Instead of going along with their request, on November 12, 1990, Farian announced to the media that the two didn’t sing or perform on the album.  The backlash was immediate.

Within four days, their Grammy was stripped away.  They were dropped by Arista, and worse, their album and masters were deleted from the catalogue entirely.  Record stores weren’t allowed to return these now dead-weight copies, and used record stores refused to take them.  The public felt… well, they felt screwed.

Rob and Fab continued on, pursuing careers in entertainment, though they would never find the success they’d longed for.  After a few attempts flopped, it seemed as though there was no chance for them to redeem themselves.  Finally in 1997, Farian agreed to come back and produce for the two, who would actually be singing, for a comeback album, Back and in Attack.  It seemed, as tiny a possibility as it felt to many, that there was a chance with this one.  Unfortunately, during production, it had become clear that Pilatus has fallen to his various addictions, turning to a life of crime and drugs, turning production into a nightmare.  By the spring of 1998, on the eve of their promotional tour, Rob Pilatus was found dead in his hotel room.  He’d succumbed to the addiction that had haunted him for over a decade and paid the ultimate price. 

At the end of the day, the story didn’t turn out as gloomy as one might have expected.  For the past decade, Fab, now going by his full name, Fabrice Morvan, has been working as a session musician and a disc jockey.  He even continues to write his own music and has performed at music festivals, such as the popular KIIS-FM’s Wango Tango held at Dodger Stadium in 2000.  The word on the street is that there is a film in the works, detailing the incredible rise and fall of Milli Vanilli, proving that interest in the band has hardly waned, as much as anyone might pretend they don’t care anymore.  Seriously... girl, you know it’s true.