Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
EVERY WEEK, WE bring you a round-up of the best longreads of the past seven days in Sitdown Sunday. And now, every weeknight, we bring you an evening longread to enjoy which will help you to escape the news cycle.
We’ll be keeping an eye on new longreads and digging back into the archives for some classics.
Milli Vanilli were on the way to stardom – but then a technical hitch catapulted them to notoriety… Let’s find out more in this archive longread.
(Biography, approx mins reading time)
Performing in front of a crowd of 80,000 at the theme park Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut, in 1989, the duo of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus started with their trademark energy and dance moves. But then their famous chorus came — and suddenly the lyrics repeated endlessly through the venue: “Girl you know it’s, girl you know it’s, girl you know it’s…” The word “true” never came. After all, it wasn’t true. In fact, very little of what Milli Vanilli was about was true at all.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Brilliant brings back so many memories :_)
R.I.P Rob
I’d say the girl knew it was true!
It’s an extreme to not be able to sign at all and speak a different language but many singers who dance and do vocals at the same time rely on ‘assistance’ from the side and some who can’t sing so well rely on autotune. Famously Ringo was replaced on some of the Beatles tracks by a session drummer where it just proved too complicated. The listeners buy into the band and the music but do the band have to play the music? And then you have the Spice Girls who bravely sung their own tunes on their comeback tour but the sound and harmonies were so appallingly bad that many concert goers felt shortchanged. Should they have mimed instead?
@Sean: The big question. While obviously the point is going to see someone live, at the end of the day if I go to a concert I’m going to be singing along and dancing (unless it’s all slow songs but not my type of concert). My enjoyment won’t be hampered by the singer miming.
In theory, I’d like everyone to sing live but if I went to see an act I liked and the choice was them miming or them sounding shit, I’d take miming. Yes, I know, terrible if someone is making a living out of singing when they can’t, but I go to have a dance and sing along, not stand there staring and listening. Most of the time! Not all good acts are brilliant musicians, as much as I used to bang on about only liking ‘REAL music’ when I was younger and thought I was cool
@Mog: I’m the opposite to you. I’d rather have Christy Moore glue me to my chair than pay someone to mime for me.
@Sean: Source please for Ringo replacement?
@JusticeForJoe: I used to say the same, then had a moment of realisation after lots of concerts that I can barely even hear them. It’s not the principle of them singing live I’m enjoying, it’s the atmosphere, the performance, the show, crowd, everything. I’d prefer if they didn’t mime but I’d be more disappointed if they just sounded brutal
@Sean: kylie did the same in Japan years ago.
@Mog: Yeah I see what you’re saying and it’s a valid point, to be fair. Just can’t bring myself to join ya on that side of the road I’m afraid.
These lads didn’t even record the tracks they mimed over though. That deserves slaps.
@JusticeForJoe: This is all just hypothetical, wouldn’t be rushing to buy tickets if I knew they’d be miming but if I was going to something and had to choose between that or terrible vocals :D
Is this not old news ? Didn’t sing didn’t play instruments
@Dorothy Kavanagh: That’s Westlife you’re thinking of.
@Dorothy Kavanagh: Yes..So?
Its an article..Not news
Let us sing on the next album or else!THE END.
The originators of”The lunch box has landed”. Those boys had false voices and large sausages down their under pants.
This sent me down a day long wormhole, watched a documentary, all the live footage and even listened to some of Fabs newer stuff lol. Thanks for this! Remember throwing shapes to a couple of their tunes back in the day. An simpler time. An easier time. When Mtv ruled your life
have your say