8 episodes
Blame it on the Fame: Milli Vanilli Wondery
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- Society & Culture
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3.7 • 9 Ratings
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When Frank Farian first laid eyes on Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, he saw everything he wasn’t. They were handsome, young, and Black. But Frank had something they didn’t. He had power.
So, Frank offered them a devil’s bargain. Almost overnight, Milli Vanilli’s debut album went five times platinum and scored a Grammy nomination. But when the lie at the center of their success started to unravel, Rob and Fab would discover the hard way the difference between star power and real power.
From Wondery, Blame It on the Fame is a story about the lie that shot to #1 and what it cost to tell the truth. Hosted by Amanda Seales.
Listen to Blame It on the Fame on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/blame-it-on-the-fame/ now.
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I Can Make Something Out of That
When Frank Farian comes across a song with hit potential, he hires Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan. But the opportunity comes with a very big catch.
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Listen With Your Eyes
After Milli Vanilli rockets to the top of the charts, Frank devises a plan to keep them there, but it all depends on Rob and Fab staying on script.
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Sync or Swim
Milli Vanilli’s fake singers head to America for a very real tour.
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Best New Artist
Rob and Fab win a Grammy for Best New Artist — but winning one of music’s top honors means they risk losing it all.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse disorder, reach out for help. In the U.S. you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration by calling 1-800-662-HELP.
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For the Record
After Frank exposes them as frauds, Rob and Fab fight to tell their side of the story.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse disorder, reach out for help. In the U.S. you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration by calling 1-800-662-HELP.
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I Can Still Make Something Out of That
As Rob’s life spirals out of control, he gets a surprising offer…but is it another deal with the devil or is it for real?
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse disorder, reach out for help. In the U.S. you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration by calling 1-800-662-HELP.
Special thanks to Wiedemann & Berg Film, creators of the Milli Vanilli biopic “Girl You Know It’s True.”
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Customer Reviews
Still love their songs!
I enjoyed this podcast - the only thing that really bothered me was the host’s speaking. It sounds very choppy and like she’s yelling. There is a reason broadcasters get vocal lessons. Otherwise, a great podcast - such a sad story.
Ultimately a worthwhile listen, however…
It would have been better served by a different narrator, or at least, one that didn’t insert themselves into the story narrative.
The story is compelling enough without having to listen to the narrator’s choice to continually interject with editorialized comments.
I also felt as if the final two episodes attempted to remove Rob & Fab’s personal agency with respect to their role in the ultimate collapse of the group. Many things can be true at once: there are bad faith actors working in Showbusiness. That said, Rob & Fab completely sabotaged their own interests by choosing to believe the fairy tale they were actively complicit with, was in fact, real.
The cognitive dissonance Rob & Fab displayed during and after the fact is just as important to the ultimate backlash they faced, as was the shadiness of Frank Farian
RIP Rob
Uneven Podcast
I kept listening because I wanted to hear the story, but the uneven delivery from the host, as well as the bizarre “scenery sounds”: Airplanes taking off, glasses clinking…. Just strange… came across as a play, not a podcast.
The final episode’s hard pivot to “Plantation”analogy was a whiplash!! Frank Farian was a white guy from GERMANY…. Not from the Southern USA. Fab and Rob were chewed up and spat out by a terrible system… but a slavery comparison!!!
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