Editing Milli Vanilli (section)

==Beginnings, 1988–1989==
[[File:Frank Farian.jpeg|thumb|Frank Farian, the producer of Milli Vanilli. Throughout his career, Farian sold over 850 million records and earned 800 gold and platinum certifications.<ref name="DW-bio">{{Cite news |title=Frank Farian |publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]] |url=https://www.dw.com/en/frank-farian/t-19407609 |url-status=dead |date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120064645/https://www.dw.com/en/frank-farian/t-19407609 |archive-date=20 January 2022}}</ref>]]

[[Rob Pilatus]], from [[Munich]], met [[Fab Morvan]], from [[Paris]], in Los Angeles at a disco and reconnected again in Munich.<ref name="latimes/1990-11-16-ca-4894"/><ref name="Hunt 1989">{{cite web | last=Hunt | first=Dennis | title=Milli Vanilli's Pilatus Was an Outsider, Once | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=23 July 1989 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-07-23-ca-445-story.html | access-date=5 July 2019 | archive-date=5 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705203237/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-07-23-ca-445-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref> They bonded over their experiences growing up in European cities;<ref name="Warner 2018">{{cite web | last=Warner | first=Andrea | title=Girl You Know It's True: the rise and fall of Milli Vanilli 25 years later | website=CBC Music | date=23 January 2018 | url=http://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/12196/the-rise-and-fall-of-milli-vanilli | access-date=5 July 2019 | archive-date=5 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705203249/https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/12196/the-rise-and-fall-of-milli-vanilli | url-status=live }}</ref> Pilatus said, "Maybe it's because we're both black people who grew up in foreign cities that don't have too many blacks."<ref name="Hunt 1989"/> In Munich, they attempted to find work as backing singers, then formed their own act and recorded an album for a small German label that sold a few thousand records.<ref name="Philips 1990">{{cite web  |last1=Philips |first1=Chuck |author1-link=Chuck Philips | title='We Sold Our Souls to the Devil' : In a Wide-Ranging Interview, the Duo Tell the Whole Story About What It Was Like to Live a Lie | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=21 November 1990 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-21-ca-4670-story.html | access-date=5 July 2019 | archive-date=5 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705203237/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-21-ca-4670-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref> According to Pilatus, they struggled financially and lived in a [[Public housing|housing project]].<ref name="PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING">{{cite news |date=21 November 1990 |title=VANILLI THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/11/21/vanilli-the-proof-is-in-the-pudding/501a00d7-827e-4eec-9970-0fbbd5d9cf6c/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705203242/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/11/21/vanilli-the-proof-is-in-the-pudding/501a00d7-827e-4eec-9970-0fbbd5d9cf6c/ |archive-date=5 July 2019 |access-date=5 July 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> 

The German music producer [[Frank Farian]], who had previously created the disco group [[Boney M.]], invited Pilatus and Morvan to his Frankfurt studio to listen to a demo, "[[Girl You Know It's True (song)|Girl You Know It's True]]".<ref name="Philips 1990" /> They told him they could sing it. According to Pilatus, Farian said that he would make them multi-millionaires. <ref name="Philips 1990"/> On January 1, 1988, the two signed a contract with Farian to record 10 songs a year.<ref name="Warner 2018" /> The duo signed without understanding the terms and conditions.<ref name="Philips 1990" /> The duo's singing in the recording studio did not impress Farian.<ref name="FAMOUS FAKE">{{cite news | title=THE PRODUCER'S 'ART'FRANK FARIAN AND HIS FAMOUS FAKE | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=17 November 1990 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/11/17/the-producers-artfrank-farian-and-his-famous-fake/a3721ab4-5ef4-4ee3-b95d-873bc7e51738/ | access-date=5 July 2019 | archive-date=6 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706042224/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/11/17/the-producers-artfrank-farian-and-his-famous-fake/a3721ab4-5ef4-4ee3-b95d-873bc7e51738/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The final mix of "Girl You Know It's True" was finished by studio performers—including [[Charles Shaw (singer)|Charles Shaw]], [[John Davis (singer)|John Davis]], [[Brad Howell]], and twin sisters Jodie and Linda Rocco<ref name="Bronson 2003 p. 753">{{cite book | last=Bronson | first=F. | title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits | publisher=Billboard Books | year=2003 | isbn=978-0-8230-7677-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&pg=PP753 | access-date=5 July 2019 | page=753 | archive-date=1 February 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201073535/https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&pg=PP753 | url-status=live }}</ref>—in March and April.<ref name="Philips 1990"/>

Farian gave his new project the name "Milli Vanilli", with "Milli" taken from the nickname of his then-girlfriend Ingrid Segieth, and "Vanilli" added to sound like the British band [[Scritti Politti]].<ref name="Traxploitation">{{cite web |url=https://traxploitation.com/milli-vanilli |title=Mime & Punishment? The rise and fall of Milli Vanilli |first=Wayne |last=Bennett |website=Traxploitation |date=21 July 2019 |access-date=2 May 2021 |archive-date=2 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502115725/https://traxploitation.com/milli-vanilli |url-status=live }}</ref> By May, Pilatus and Morvan were touring Spain, France and Italy, lip-syncing to the pre-recorded tracks and thrilling crowds with their distinct style — [[spandex]] shorts, thigh-high boots and cornrow hair extensions.<ref name="PEOPLE.com">{{cite web | title=Milli Vanilli's Two Heads Hope Their Grammy Award Puts An End to Silli Vanilli Jokes | website=People | url=https://people.com/archive/milli-vanillis-two-heads-hope-their-grammy-award-puts-an-end-to-silli-vanilli-jokes-vol-33-no-10/ | access-date=5 July 2019 | archive-date=5 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705203240/https://people.com/archive/milli-vanillis-two-heads-hope-their-grammy-award-puts-an-end-to-silli-vanilli-jokes-vol-33-no-10/ | url-status=live }}</ref> According to Pilatus, "We would ask Frank, 'When are we going to be allowed to give some (artistic) input?'. And he would say, 'Yeah, yeah, but right now we need you to go out and do promotion. Of course, you'll get to do it, just work with us'. That's how he strung us along."<ref name="Philips 1990"/> 

"Girl You Know It's True" peaked at No. 1 on the [[GfK Entertainment|German Singles Chart]] and No. 3 on the [[UK singles chart|UK Singles Chart]]. It was also a big success in the United States, peaking at No. 2 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] for the week ending 1 April 1989.<ref name="Billboard Hot 100 - Week Ending April 1, 1989">{{Cite web
  | url = http://www.billboard.com/charts/1989-04-01/hot-100
  | title = Billboard Hot 100 Archives
  | work = billboard.com
  | access-date = 25 June 2011
}}</ref> After "Girl You Know It's True" took off in Germany in the summer of 1988, Farian produced and wrote most of the material on the album ''[[All or Nothing (Milli Vanilli album)|All or Nothing]],'' which was released in Europe in November 1988. "After Frank released the album, he told us that it was too late to stop now", Pilatus said. "Because the single was such a big success, he said, 'Now you have to go through with it. I'll cover you guys. Nobody will find out'. He said, 'Here, I'll give you $20,000 advance money'. We never had a hit before, so we went along with it. We played with fire and now we know, but it's too late." By December 1988, Pilatus and Morvan had both realized that neither of their actual voices would ever be heard on any Milli Vanilli tracks.<ref name="Philips 1990"/>

''All or Nothing'' was a moderate success, reaching the Top 40 in several European countries and No. 1 in [[New Zealand]]. It originally reached No. 37 in the [[UK Albums Chart]] but was packaged together with ''[[The U.S.-Remix Album: All or Nothing]]'' in 1989 under the name ''2×2'' and reached No. 6. ''All or Nothing'' was subsequently expanded and repackaged as ''[[Girl You Know It's True (album)|Girl You Know It's True]]'' for audiences in the United States and released in March 1989. It was a major success, producing five singles, including the title track of the American version, that all entered the Top 5 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Three of these five singles, "[[Baby Don't Forget My Number]]", "[[Blame It on the Rain]]", and "[[Girl I'm Gonna Miss You]]", went to No. 1.<ref name="Billboard">{{cite magazine | title=Rewinding the Charts: 25 Years Ago, Milli Vanilli Made History on the Hot 100 | magazine=Billboard | url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6327680/rewinding-the-charts-25-years-ago-milli-vanilli-made-history-on | access-date=6 July 2019 | archive-date=6 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706032744/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6327680/rewinding-the-charts-25-years-ago-milli-vanilli-made-history-on | url-status=live }}</ref> In January 1990, the album ''Girl You Know It's True'' was certified 6× platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] after spending seven weeks atop the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top 200]].<ref name="Billboard magazine January 13, 1990">{{cite news|title=Billboard magazine January 13 1990|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-01-13.pdf|newspaper=Billboard|date=13 January 1990|access-date=6 July 2019|archive-date=1 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201073627/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-01-13.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It spent 41 weeks in the Top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Top 200 and 78 weeks on the charts overall. It was also certified Diamond in Canada, denoting sales of over a million units there. Milli Vanilli won the [[Grammy Award for Best New Artist|Best New Artist]] award at the [[32nd Grammy Awards]], as well as three awards at the [[American Music Awards of 1990|17th American Music Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1990/amas.htm |title=17th American Music Awards |website=Rock on the Net |access-date=2 May 2021 |archive-date=30 June 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630111817/http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1990/amas.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the duo was not without their detractors, as ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' Magazine named them "worst act of 1989" and ''Girl You Know It's True'' "worst album of 1989".<ref name="Traxploitation"/>