This film is based on a true story.
To be precise, on different truths and stories.
We want Rob! We want Rob!
You might not believe it,
but it's true:
We once were the biggest stars on the planet.
Translation & adaptation: tb
- I love you brother. - Love you too.
Come on!
And you know why?
Because of you.
Because you loved us.
Okay, I know what you're thinking now.
Milli Vanilli.
Didn't they betray the whole world?
Well,
kind of...
But there's another side to this story.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we're saints.
It was 1989 and we were rock stars.
So... let's be real here, okay?
You probably heard all kinds of things about us.
That we were...
Fakes, frauds, liars, thieves...
Drug addicts, sex addicts...
puppets on a string... Did I forget something?
Rob, I hate to tell you,
but I think most of them never heard anything about us at all.
They are thinking: Who the fuck is Milli Vanilli?
I guess you could say our story began right here.
Without this guy, none of it would have ever happened.
His name is Frank.
And 20 years later Frank hit it big
with a project called
Boney M.
Sounds very good.
Only the violins need to be even more precise:
Listen!
Di-di-di-da. Not like that, just like that!
Good? Um, again!
Everyone fell in love with Boney M.
Including my friend Rob.
Robert!
Robert.
can't you hear
Your father is calling you, come.
there you are. Come in.
This is Robert.
Our son.
Robert, this is Helga, Klaus and Renaud.
They're part of our advocacy group for Africa.
Hello.
May I?
That was pretty much the moment I realized for the first time
why my parents had adopted me.
They wanted to prove something to the world.
Good day.
Carmen?
- Am I related to Boney M? - Nonsense.
Robert, there are many people like you. Just not here.
Your real father is an American soldier.
Really?
Are you sure?
Certain.
How far is America?
Very, very far.
As far as the Moon.
That's one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind.
You gotta understand. With all the music videos
suddenly watching music became just as important as listening to music.
That's why we're perfect for MTV. And MTV was perfect for us.
Fab, you're moving way too fast.
I'm what? How long do you want to talk about the childhood?
They get it man.
At least go to 1986.
Are you in a good mood?
What's up? We are the Bionic Dance Group.
My name is Georgio "Hot Legs".
And on the turntable, we got the one and only Chris Laird.
Let's go!
And fresh from Munich:
Rob Pilatus!
Make some noise for Rob!
- Go Rob! - Go Rob, go Rob, go Rob!
It tastes good.
Mrs. Winkler saw you in the pedestrian zone.
Is this what you want to do with your life?
Robert?
I think it's great that...
music is your passion.
But... walking around the pedestrian zone?
I'm not walking around, Dad, I'm break dancing, okay?
Robert has a show on TV next week, Dad.
Ah, wonderful.
So he can afford his own apartment.
Hans!
If you want, I'll move out, Dad.
Do you want me to move?
Do you!?
Robert?
Where will you be going?
Can I have your Walkman?
Of course.
Hey! Where are you going?
Do you need help?
Fab Morvan?
- The director wants to talk to you on the choreo. - Ok, yeah.
You are Fab Morvan, no?
No, I'm Rob.
Robert Pilatus.
- Ah, okay! The breakdancer... - Exactly.
- I need your address. - At the moment I don't have the address.
Hello.
I'm Fabrice from Paris.
Sorry I'm late. The tram. So slow.
- Are you ok? - No problem at all.
So Rob and Fab! Sounds like a band.
Come with me please.
Eh, no.
Only Fab, coz he's doing the choreography. But I'll catch you later.
Okay, yeah...cool.
Cut! Cut!
Sorry, Stefania.
Rob, no break dance, okay? No top rocks.
Just do the dance. You have to be in sync, okay?
- Fabrice? - Hey, no freestyle, do the choreography.
- You're always late on the one. - Bullshit.
- I'm hip hop. - I live for the beat, okay.
Come on man. It's just a job. Be professional.
I just give them what they want.
Five, six, seven, eight.
One two three four...
- ... five, six, seven, eight. - Don't forget to smile!
... three, four, five, six...
- Are we good? - Okay!
And action!
Masterpiece, right?
I prefer girls, actually.
Yeah, me too.
- So what are you doing here man? - Dancing.
- Why not dance in Paris? - I was, but...
...there are ten thousand dancers like me.
Here, I'm the only black guy.
I thought...
So, Rob and Fab.
Really does sound like a band don't you think?
Can you sing?
I'm okay.
I want to take lessons but they're expensive.
My mom, she thinks dancing, music, that's not the real thing.
- Tell me about it. - Some day I'm going to make her proud.
I'm gonna be somebody.
I like your jacket, by the way.
Can I try it on?
Super, Frank.
Wonderful.
That's great.
Need a better microphone?
I could get the mic that Stevie Wonder used here.
- You knew Stevie and I were here... - Yes.
- Yes? - Are those your kids?
It's the neighbor's.
I really don't have time.
Mr. Farian,
Boney M. is a worldwide phenomenon.
They were equal to the Queen...
Heh.
Only in the USA does no one know about them.
Does that hurt you?
No why? That's because of the label.
What do you make of the accusations that Boney M. are just dancing dolls?
- Where are you from? - From the Saarland Cultural Committee.
Listen, I've done interviews with Rolling Stone,
on Time Out... and nobody asked such nonsense.
Liz is first soloist and Marcia sings and Bobby does brilliantly.
- Have some respect for that! - Do you have respect for that?
There are arguments about money.
The interview is over. Is enough.
Final.
One more question please.
Please.
Do you have a job for me?
- What's your name, again? - Ingrid.
But my name is Milli.
Milli?
And.
Very cool.
And now something really cool.
So pretty!
I love the jacket.
Let's act like you're a real superstar.
And louder!
I love you guys.
We send these pics to all agencies in town.
And...
We did get some jobs.
But it wasn't enough at all.
Sometimes we had to steal food from the supermarket.
Luckily, Georgio let us stay in his family's garage.
Yeah.
I don't know where all of this is going.
What do you mean?
Everything is going great.
Yeah, I'm not going to ask my Mom for money again.
Hey!
Do you believe in us or not?
Do you?
- That's all we need, man. Faith. - No, that's not all we need.
If we really want to be a band, we need to work on songs.
We need a plan.
Yes!
You're right.
But you know what else we need?
- We are not supposed to... - Shh... - Rob. - Quiet.
What if Georgio's parents find us here?
Rob?
Hey!
- What are we doing here? - I want to show you something.
Okay.
Ready?
- What did you just see? - Marilyn Monroe.
Elvis.
Tina Turner.
Look at all these stars.
It's the hair man.
The unique looks.
- Holy shit. - Exactly.
Mother? I'm sorry I haven't called you in so long.
How are you?
Yes, everything is great with us.
We are making progress.
Next week we meet with Frank Farian, the producer of Boney M.
His assistant saw us dancing.
Boney M, mother!
Of course you know them. You know.
But it's the truth!
I would never lie to you, mother. This is the truth!
- Hey, let's... switch the... the jackets, okay? - No. That's my jacket, I keep it. That's it!
- You are such a diva man. - I'm a diva, really?
- Yeah! - It took you like forever to get dressed.
- Calm down. - You calm down.
- Let me do the talk. - Stop!
Wow! Yes, well done, baby.
Any soup?
You know, when I was little, this is all we ever ate, yeah?
Potato soup.
We were very poor, so yeah, I -I learned to make something out of nothing.
Season it with little ingredients. Make the perfect mix, you know?
Like your music.
I love your hair. Is it real?
No.
And yours?
Frank, we practiced some new dance moves for you.
You're gonna love it.
Better than anything on MTV.
I'm not looking for dancers.
And I'm not looking for singers either.
I am looking...
...for stars!
We got a song for you.
We need a lawyer, Rob.
- I don't even understand the words! - Fab!
This is Frank Farian! The producer of Boney M.
He worked with Stevie Wonder!
- And you heard the song too. - Yes, I love the song.
It's incredible.
And they give us 10,000 bucks. Advance!
- 10,000! - He hasn't even heard us sing.
He believes in us. He sees the stars in us, Fab!
Guys?
You care for some ice cream?
So,
if we sign this one,
what's gonna happen next?
What happens next? Nobody knows what happens...
You work on the song, do a photoshoot
and we take the whole package to our German label.
And hopefully, they like you.
Yeah.
One last thing Frank.
- The Name of the project? - What about it?
It's great.
"Top deck", like top deck of a ship... you know?
Top Deck? It's a top name. "Top Deck!"
To be honest, I don't like it either. I think it's a little...
German.
I am german! Not everybody studied politics like you.
- Frank, sit down... - You're making me anxious.
I make music for the people. And I'm not ashamed of it.
Besides, it's just a temporary project name. You could put any name there. Put your name there!
Milli.
Our lucky charm.
I like it.
That's not enough. I think...
there's something missing.
Like what?
Simply perfect!
- Come on, give me your jacket, please. - Man...
This your song, right?
You're singing this?
Yeah. We will be.
I didn't even know you sing.
Why you being so negative Melly? I mean the song is dope.
- It's really wonderful. - Yeah!
- I like the song, I'm just uh... - It's bullshit!
I know this song.
The band's called Numarx.
DJs have this.
They play it all the time on East side.
Why are you lying to us?
Yes, of course the song already exists!
- Didn't.. didn't we mention it? - No, Frank, you did not.
And why should we? It's called a cover version. No big deal!
Guys, listen. Whitney Houston "The Greatest Love of All"
Cindy Laupers "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun":
they are all new versions of other people's songs.
Everybody's doing it.
Everybody.
My friend Hans-Jörg gave this to me as a present. From Jamaica.
And then I made this.
Biggest hit we ever had.
17 weeks number 1.
Guys, as a producer...
Yeah? You gotta see the potential in the song.
- This is exactly the same song. - No, it's slower.
I took the bridge, make it to the chorus, and...
It's a young band from Baltimore.
They're called Numarx.
Tiny label.
Nobody knows them...
- Two DJs showed it to Frank. - And you can just take this song?
You can make your own cover version of any song.
Yeah?
I like the Eric B & Rakim Hip hop that you writed.
- Yes!
... actually um... that's a beat from the 70s. Um, yeah.
The soul searchers. I sampled it, baby.
Take it.
Wow, we...
- We didn't know all that. - And why should you?
That's what this biz is all about...
Illusion.
So...
When are we going to record our cover version of the song?
We... we already did.
It's perfect, you heard it.
Yeah, but...
...we want to sing, Frank.
You told us to work on the song.
I meant the choreography, boys.
One step at a time.
we can- we can try to sing it...
but you know, for now, you are the frontmen.
The performers.
The stars.
And I need you giving it one hundred fifty percent, okay?
Because the people
the listen... with their eyes.
Understand?
Are you sure about the name? It sounds totally stupid.
And the two...
Everyone knows them here in Munich from P1,
but they are only dancers.
Drink?
Markus...Rob and Fab are world class.
The best performers I know can come to the US.
Finally, forget the states. Your sound is too German.
What the? I can take this to any other label and do it.
No, you can not.
What are you doing in Germany belongs to Hansa Records. Have you already forgotten this, Frankie?
But...
Okay.
We will do this. Yes?
We have to have the name changed of course...
Milli? We ourselves will make the recordings:
1000 promotional discs. We do some gigs in clubs and...
take it to Arista.
No vacation! We distribute singles to English DJs.
The Germans don't check that.
And call Chrysalis, in London.
What name?
Yes, Milli Vanilli of course. The name is great!
It's the coolest name in the world!
Fab! We are on TV and the radio at the same time!
Say hi to your mom and give her a kiss from Robert.
Robert salutes you, mother.
Did you receive the money I sent you?
Mother, we're all over Europe on the radio.
Have you seen our video?
That's right, you need MTV for that.
MTV.
It's a television station, mother.
Hello mother.
Robert.
Look how you look?
Oh, the hair?
I've had it like this for a few months.
Look.
He's Fabrice, my best friend.
Our album. We will present it in London next week.
Would you like to hear them?
That's nice, Robert, but... it will be important to us...
...when you actually sing.
Mom.
- I'm not a salesman... - Then what are you?
You are the one in the picture? With a wig?
It's not a wig, mom.
You better go now.
Your father is in a bad mood. They shouldn't see you like this.
Let's meet next week.
Or rather you call, Robert.
We are always here for you.
Have you...
Ever tried finding your real parents?
Wrote a bunch of letters.
No nothing.
If the song
hits big,
I mean like,
real big, like
in America...
maybe my real dad will see our video.
Yeah, maybe.
Let's not ever fuck this up
between us.
We are brothers, Rob.
Forever.
Everything is going so fast.
I know.
It's great.
Do you think there will be any fans?
There'll be some people.
Is this real?
Fab!
Who else lives here?
Wow!
This is crazy.
Fab, check this!
They call this a "minibar".
It's incredible here.
I love these little tiny bottles.
Hah!
And we can order whatever the hell we like man. Room service, baby! Whoo!
- Rob! - Yea.
Come.
CAN WE COME UP?
Wow! Look, look, this could be a really good cover.
Markus, tell me, are you on vacation? Are you sleeping?
Hi Franky, I'm in a meeting with Stefania. Do you know each other?
We need records, Markus. We need to make more records.
- Entering the top 20. - Deutsche Dance charts? Toll.
Not in the German Dance charts, Witzbold.
England. The Official UK Charts. I licensed it to Chrysalis
Not getting anything in Saftladen?
Mr. Farian? So nice meeting you.
I'm a big fan of your music. I love Boney M.
Huh...
Thank you.
Sorry for disturbing your meeting. Um.
Here's my card?
Thank you.
Markus, we have to record records.
To sell them. Do you understand this?
- Yes. - Very good.
Man...
- Record the discs! - Ya!
So you're sure you want nothing to eat?
We're fine.
Do you want some of this?
It's real nice quality. Like, Mick Jagger quality.
No. We're not doing that.
Nu-uh.
Oh? Really?
Never.
Too bad.
It's great for sex.
Farian.
Do you know what's going on here, Frank?
We have inquiries from South Korea, Australia,
from Timbuktu. where the hell are you?
I have to do something else, you talk to BMG.
Why are you whispering, Frank?
- I'm not whispering. - Hell yes.
- I know what's going on, idiot. - Honey, calm down.
Stop telling me "Blah, blah, blah, baby" to stop hearing this.
"Blah, blah, blah, blah, baby."
Now now now...
Pam, pam, pam...
I wrote down the number. Don't forget it, okay?
Great, Brad. Let's double this okay?
Super!
Hm...
I think it is about time you meet the real Milli Vanilli.
You see this guy?
His name is Brad.
Brad Howell.
He is not only an amazing singer,
he plays the keyboards, he plays the drums.
A real superstar...
... in the studio.
But he has asthma.
And...
he likes to eat a lot of cake.
Then we have John Davis.
We used to have a different rapper, Charles, but
he sued me later and... it's a little bit.. it's complicated.
John is not just a rapper.
He is one of the finest musicians I have ever met.
And the Rocco sisters,
Jody and Linda.
Total professionals, very nice human beings...
if they're not in the middle of suing me, which they did later too.
Their voices were elemental to our sound.
By the way, I sang on our songs too.
I sang on every song I ever produce.
And let's not forget the band:
Harry, Bimey,
Helmut, Peter,
Borg...
But honestly: would you have bought our t-shirts?
Screamed our names? Drooled over our hot moves?
Would we have been MTV material, huh?
Ask yourself that.
Hey!
Listen! We just got a fax.
From...
Clive Davis!
Who is Clive Davis?
He's the head of Arista Records: He's Whitney Houston,
Earth Wind and Fire, Sântana...
Aerosmith. Bruce Springsteen.
The most powerful man in the business.
Congratulations, Frank.
Thank you, John.
Hey guys!
It's me
Milli!
- Wake up! - Tell them we'll call back.
She is here!
Hello!
Hey Millie.
Hey!
Why aren't you answering the phone? I've been calling for days.
Uh.
- Hey, Millie. - Hi, Robert.
Seems like you guys are enjoying London.
You don't have to feel embarrassed.
Just be careful with this. Promise me that.
And answer the fucking phone when we call you, please!
Listen up.
We made a deal with Arista Records in New York.
They want to release your song in America.
They even want a whole album from you!
No way...
Get yourselves cleaned up, we're having dinner with Benny Dorn.
A manager from LA
I thought you're our manager.
- Like who else does he manage? - Like...
Michael Jackson.
Seriously, I didn't know they made music like this in Germany.
I thought you guys listened to marching bands and so on...
Oktoberfest stuff!
Guys, when I saw your video, I was totally freaking out. Wasn't I Todd?
Total freakout. He was.
It made me wanna dance! It made me happy!
It made me horny...
And I, I instantly knew: These two guys, they've got it
That unique tone, that rare,
fresh, special something.
Look. I really believe you've got what it takes to conquer the States.
Milli Vanilli can become something
all Americans can fall in love with.
Black, white, gay, straight.
- Boy. You really are hungry, aren't you? - Yeah.
We don't have this in Germany.
- What is this? - It's called sushi, Robert.
It's the Japanese national dish.
Excuse me for a second, guys.
I like Milli
A very sweet lady.
And Frank,
great producer.
But listen: I've been looking at your contract and...
You should be making more money.
A lot more.
Understand?
And you should be living in LA if you want to be successful in the States.
It's my biggest dream to go to America, Benny.
I'm already working on a gig to get you on Club MTV.
I love that show.
- Of course you love that show. Everybody loves that show. - My Mom loves that show!
It's the biggest show on the planet.
And we'll make sure you always have enough of that fine sushi, Rob.
How's that sound?
Everybody's talking about them and their hair.
They are the sensation of the summer all over the planet
and I think it's about time they conquered the States.
Here's Milli Vanilli and "Girl You Know It's True"!
We really were on fire that night, right?
We rocked the USA
and the whole country fell in love with us.
Well, maybe not the whole country.
Oh yea...
- Hello? - Hey Taneshia, it's Bill.
Hi Bill.
I need to speak to Sean or Kevin. It's urgent.
Calm down.
Sean!
Kevin!
Phone call from the gas station.
Ain't that your song?
How can it be on TV, Spen?
I mean he fine though...
Shut up, T.
They stole our song.
Milli Vanilli?
What kinda whackass name is that?
They gonna pay for this.
Big time.
They gonna pay.
Hello?
- We're recording. - Yeah I wanna speak to Larry.
He in Philly.
Did he sell my song to these guys? Huh?
- Without telling us? - I don't know what y'all talking about.
I'm talking about Milli motherfucking-Vanilli.
The-the fucking cornballs with the long braids!
- I don't know anything. - They stole my song.
Come back another time, okay?
- I'm sorry.
- No, no... can I... - I'm sorry.
To Rob and Fab!
Settle down.
Rob, Fab,
I think I speak for everyone here at Arista, including Clive,
who can't be here right now, that uh...
That was one hell of a show on Club MTV!
What a start!
Thank you and uh...
Welcome to America!
Yeah!
We'll hit #9 on the Billboard charts tomorrow.
Just got another massive airplay push with 400 more stations
and we're flooded with PR requests. My fax is burning like a rocket.
So how do you freakin' feel?
Um...
Yeah, it's a great feeling.
We love the USA.
It feels like coming home.
We want to say thank you for your work and for everything you are doing.
- Yeah, well that's wonderful. - Yea.
I love this... thing here by the way.
Can we have it?
Yeah, sure! It's yours. We got plenty.
Cool.
You can cut their accents with a fucking knife, like why didn't anybody say anything about this.
We need to cancel all live interviews, now!
Does Clive know about this?
Oh God.
They definitely need a dialect coach in LA
Strategy-wise, they're black,
but the majority of their fans are white female.
Is this black? White?
R&B? Hip hop? Pop?
I don't know what the hell it is.
But it sure is working.
Oh yeah.
Is this real, brother?
No it's not.
It's a beautiful illusion.
A trap.
- Face it, we are impostors. - We are performers. Showmen.
Do you think everybody can do what we do?
We deserve all this, Fab.
So enjoy the ride.
Come on, enjoy it man.
I'm trying.
It's just a job.
So let's give them what they want. Remember?
We are going to sing, okay?
If not now, then on the second album.
- Frank, he's never going to... - Milli Vanilli is bigger than Frank now.
And the bigger this gets
the more power you and me will have.
We can become Milli Vanilli.
Step by step.
Hey guys! Hey.
I just got off the phone with Benny. He's super excited.
You really delivered at Club MTV.
Apparently even Michael Jackson's a fan.
Wow, bet?
We want to meet him. Maybe we can sing a duet?
Or... triplet?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Well, you know let's not get ahead of ourselves.
But Benny says he's in negotiations for a big tour.
- Sounds great, Todd. - What kind of tour?
You know, like live concerts and stuff.
- And we sing live in this live concert? - Oh yeah!
I mean uh, I guess. I don't know.
So I put some food in the fridge for you guys.
The cleaning lady comes Tuesdays and Fridays at 9.
And you have a meeting at 3 with a dialect coach.
We don't need a dialect coach.
Well, uhh it's been decided. So...
Okay, what we really need Todd is a good vocal coach.
We want to keep working on our singing every day.
Yea, well there's plenty in LA.
Also we'd like to get a Ferrari.
Today?
Let's go!
Ok, we're going to start with a few warmup skills okay? With C...
Good. D.
You do sound a little different than on the record.
As do many.
Is there room for improvement?
Yes.
But first of all, let me just tell you what a joy, what a pleasure it is to work with you.
It is so rare to have superstars that still have the hunger to improve.
You guys are just rad.
- What does rad mean, Ricardo? - Rad's like...
extremely cool,
amazing,
awesome,
Rad.
- Rad. - I like that.
Rad.
Frank.
- Something on your mind? - No, still on 2.
- Have you heard from the guys? - No.
We agreed that they were only promoting the single,
not that they would move to LA!
Here. They have to be HERE where we produce the album!
- You don't even need them for that. - Yea, no shit!
But this raises questions at Arista, in the press, everywhere!
And leaving them alone in Hollywood with those hyenas?
They're taking the butter off our bread. We're losing control!
Don't panic.
- They have to come back! - I'm hearing you!
Come on. Let's go for a walk.
How can I take a walk right now?
- That's right? - Yea.
Slow down.
What's your business in this neighborhood? Why are you runnin'?
We live here, we are jogging.
- Let's see some IDs. - George!
Man, what are you doing?
Don't you know who that is?
I'm sorry, Mr. Richardson.
- Leave them alone. - You got it.
Oh and... great game on Saturday, by the way.
Sorry about that... Neighborhood Patrol...
... it's a disgrace. - I see.
Not a lot of black people live in this area, right?
Welcome to America, baby. I'm Randy, by the way.
- Rob. - Fab.
I know.
If only you could see this, mother. We have a pool, palm trees...
Maybe you can visit us sometimes.
Have you seen our video?
That's right, it's not my voice.
It's all just for show like the hair.
I will sing, I promise.
Come down man, it's so fun right now!
Come on!
I'll call you back later, mom.
Fab, come on, come on my partner.
Come on, my bro.
Alright guys, this is Fab, say hello to Fab.
- Hi - Hello. Hi.
Give her a kiss man, you're from France man.
This is Randy.
Hey you want to say hello to Jenny and Melissa? Huh!
And Ricardo! Come on, it's Ricardo, yeah!
Hello?
Hey good morning! Do you know where Rob and Fab are?
- Can't say... - Okay.
Rob?
Fab?
Do you know where Rob and Fab are?
I think they had to fly to Germany, or something, this morning.
Okay.
I'm Todd, I'm their manager.
Yeah. Sort of...
I'm Lisa, I'm their dialect coach.
Sort of...
Why the grim faces boys?
The next single is already finished.
The album is almost done. It's going extremely well.
Sit down.
If you don't want us to sing, why are we here then?
- Eating potato soup? - Guys.
You're here because this is our base.
You should be here with us.
No,
Our home is in America now.
You should come visit us, guys.
And by the way, Frank, we might go on a big tour there soon.
What?
Come on, Fab, let's go.
Wait, what kind of tour? With live singing? Huh?
- Don't even think about it! - Frank.
- Are you high? - We are lying to our friends.
- Our families. C'est finit. - Fab.
People from the outside will never understand this business. Never.
But we want to be more involved in the music. Producing stuff.
- No way. - Simple, Frank.
We're not going to continue if we don't sing.
But we have a contract.
Fuck the contract!
You can fuck the contract... but then you
have to pay me back all the advance money you spent.
You're renting a Villa in Beverly Hills? You're driving a sports car?
Last month you had room service for 27 people at the Chatât...
Ma-Ma... Cha-Cha...
Château Marmont.
You want to talk about money? Let's talk about money.
We should be making a lot more, we are #1 in the US right now.
No, we're not number 1.
- We're not number 1. - Roxette is no. 1.
We peaked at number 2.
Now, we're number 6.
- You understand? No. 6, not number 1. - Guys.
Calm down.
Frank, why don't we just try the singing.
Let's just try it.
Okay?
Fab is not bad.
- With that French accent. - Work on it.
The single is due out now. Not in 3 years.
Robert.
Aha!
Paradise!
Give them the feeling that we are bringing their voices into a mix...
Mixed.
Very...
...slowly.
Okay, this is bullshit.
I don't remember the particular session.
And actually...
I don't remember ever singing in front of Frank Farian.
- I remember hearing my own voice in the mix from then on - That voice was just in your head.
Whatever, man.
The fact is...
We made it very clear to Frank that we would sing on the the second album,
or there would be no second album.
Looking back, we should have ended it right there.
But we didn't.
Milli Vanilli!
- Milli Vanilli. - Milli Vanilli.
Everybody's talking about Milli Vanilli.
...overnight sensation...
- ...the hottest guys around... - I mean, they seem unstoppable right now!
They have the potential to be among the greatest!
Some are calling them, a sign of the times!
What did you think of Milli Vanilli?
And they became an international phenomenon!
- They're selling millions of records! - Drop the ears, Milli Vanilli!
- But is their hair real? - Who knows.
From India,
New zealand...
Wow, this is the first fan mail from South Africa, guys.
Oh my god, look at these kids.
- I'll send them ten autographs, okay? - Put some money in there too.
Mmm. What your "th" there...
- "ThErE". - Rrr back of the throat.
Hey Rob?
I think you wanna take a look at this one.
Dear Robert, I hope this letter reaches you personally.
My name is Andrew Harrison.
I was stationed in Munich 27 years ago.
I was in a brief relationship with a lady named Sabina,
your mother.
I don't know how serious this is, but uh... do you want me to get in contact?
Harrison.
Hi.
This is Robert.
- Pilatus. - Oh my God, Robert.
I never would expected you to call.
I'm nervous now.
Yeah.
Me too...
Hm...
So...
... you're in Alaska right now, Andrew? - Yes, Anchorage.
Been here for the past four years.
Hey Robert, hey man when I saw your music video.
Man, I was...
I was blown away!
Actually my wife Sheila saw it first. And then she told me about you being from Munich
you know being adopted and all.
- So you're married? - Yeah.
We had a son too, his name's Tony. He's 18 years old.
A very smart kid.
He loves your music too.
tell me how is it
I mean, are you excited? Are you living a nice life?
From that moment on, my Dad and me
we talked every week.
Sometimes every day.
You even were taking less drugs.
We got ourselves a juicer, remember?
We really worked hard on our singing,
our performance.
We really believed we could turn this illusion into reality.
For a while, it felt like a ride into the sunset.
But we were headed for disaster.
Hello?
Frankie! I'm glad I caught you. It's Markus.
- Yeah? - Markus Klein.
I wanted to congratulate you. As of today, we are #1 in the US,
with "Baby don't forget my number".
We're on top of the world, Franky! We are the hammer!
We must celebrate this!
We? Uh...
What do you mean "WE"?
Markus, listen up!
My cleaning lady is more successful than you. Even the chickens...
- ...of my neighbor... - Franky.
- Bye! - We......sigh...
My God...
WE HIT FIRST! I'm really proud...
...Grats!
without you I would be...
I would never have made it.
I know.
Now the next singles have to go to #1. And the album.
Let's make some calls. Call John and Brad.
We have music to make. Come on, let's continue.
I thought we might as well take a break for a few days,
let's go to the mountains or something.
In the mountains, yes? And what should I do there?
No, Milli, we have to make music.
Music, come on!
To the number one song in America.
To Milli Vanilli.
This is what America's all about.
Everybody!
And here's more fabulous news.
The first ever Club MTV tour.
Paula Abdul,
Ton Loc,
and you sweethearts...
We're talking 17 cities in the US.
And not some small venues,
Stadiums! Arenas!
And Frank's not going to be making a lot of money.
You are.
And you, right?
What do you say, boys?
50,000 people screaming your name.
You're gonna love it.
Sounds rad, Benny.
Right, Fab?
Yeah, sure. Big time.
Fabulous, Fab.
And there's something else. Clive and I...
we found your new single.
It's called "Blame it on the Rain". Dianne Warren, she's a genius.
An inspiration.
She wrote it. It was supposed to be for Whitney Houston,
but we decided to give it to you.
Yes.
It's crazy! Get this brother...
They give it to us, because we are bigger,
bigger than Whitney, man!
- It's unreal. - It's just you, there's no rapping this.
Now you're getting a little jealous 'cause I'm the lead singer!
What are you talking about? The lead singer is in Germany, okay?
Yeah.
UNDERSTANDING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
That's our new song. Nice, right?
And Dad, we're going on tour next month, I want to invite you and your family.
That sounds wonderful, I can't wait.
Hey Rob,
There's just one thing I want to talk to you about.
It's a little embarrassing.
- What's going on? - Well you know, Tony...
He's got a very good chance to go to a very good college.
But the fees, oh man...
Hey, do you think you can help out there a little bit, son?
How much you need?
Something like 60,000 would help out a lot.
Uh...
You want $60,000 from me?
As a loan, of course...
I mean Robert, you have my word,
that we'll pay it back.
Rob?
Are you still there, son?
Look...
I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I mean, anything would help.
If you go into half, like...
30...
or 25 or...
What was the name of the base you were stationed at in Munich again?
Umm...
Oh God, it's been so long.
Was it the one right next to the river?
or the one by the mountains?
The river.
It was definitely the river.
There's only one base in Munich.
And it's nowhere near the river.
So fuck you!
"Dad".
Rob?
We all wanted it to be true.
You don't know how it feels man.
Not to know where you from
I'm nobody.
You're not...
You don't need your Dad or whoever to be someone.
You're so much. Just you...
You got balls like no one else man!
And you make things happen. Look at where we are.
My Dad left my family when I was...
...but you're a kid.
I do know how you feel.
A little bit.
Alright, guys... so...
I'm gonna turn on the mics in between songs,
so you can uh interact with the audience.
This is embarrassing.
Noo~, a lot of people use playback or half playback.
It's normal these days. Have a great show!
Hear that? Everybody's faking.
They lipsync to their own voices. That's different.
Is it really?
How you feeling, Michigan?
Are you ready for the next wild thing?
Here's that ice cream flavor you're all craving.
Give it up for Milli Vanilli!
- This is unreal. - This is fucking real.
Let's just show them we deserve to be here.
- Love you, brother. - Love you.
One, two, three, four,
five, six,
seven, eight!
How you feeling, Michigan!
Are you ready?
You couldn't hear the songs. 50,000 people screaming.
The most incredible high.
We felt like gods.
These fucking sandwiches are shit!
What is this huh?
Where is my sushi?!
Hello?
I'm asking you a fucking question!
Hey hey hey! Another fantastic show, boys!
God, look at you!
Oh my God, it was pure magic, absolutely electrifying, it was just brilliant.
I haven't seen such a performance since Prince.
So why we don't have any fucking sushi, then? Huh?
I... don't know. Todd?
I'm sorry...can I have a word with Rob and Fab, please?
- Alone. - What do you want, Gary?
- Just.. just say it, okay? - Who was that tonight?
Screaming "We want some pussy"!?
It's not a 2-live crew concert!
You do know, we've got 10 year old girls in the audience!
Gary.
You should be selling vacuum cleaners or something.
I've been managing tours for 15 years and they'd never have fucking problems like this.
You're constantly late, drunk, high, you hit on every female...
- Paula Abdul complained. - Gary.
I know you mean well,
but let's just think for a moment
Of all those people, you're going to make a wonderful, happy life right now,
because of the hard work that Rob and Fab are putting into their performances
every night.
Let's just think of these people for a moment okay?
Alright?
Now go, and get their sushi.
Oh what the hell, Todd, I thought you said this interview was going to be a positive piece!
Did Rob really say all that. That he's contributed more to music than Elvis?
Bob Dylan?
The fucking Beatles!?
Well, maybe something was lost in translation, I don't know.
Why are you letting them do interviews when they're high?
- Well, they're high all the time... - Yeah, well, stop that!
Don't let them talk to reporters anymore!
Yeah, but what about the Today show and Good Morning America?
I said NO, Todd! Don't you get it?!
Yep, but how am I supposed to do my job if we can't...
I don't want them to speak in public
at all.
Now put Rob on the phone, right now.
Um, they need to rest. Last night was a little...
... wild.
Come on!
MILLI VANILLI: TAPE GETS STUCK AT BRISTOL CONCERT
There's some stuff in the local paper, but nothing big in the major news so far so...
Don't worry about it too much,
I guess.
Maybe we should go to the public.
Come clean.
Have a press conference.
Tell them everything.
Tell the truth.
You really wanna think that through.
Hey, on a more positive note: Nike... they want to make a Milli Vanilli sneaker.
Make the shoe laces look like your braids.
- That's pretty cool, huh? - Oh my God!
You're nominated.
You're nominated for a Grammy. They just announced you on the radio.
Soul II Soul, Neneh Cherry,
Ton Loc and...
Milli Vanilli!
This was supposed to be a German project.
One German single.
Now we're talking about three number 1 hits in the US,
a #1 album worldwide and a Grammy nomination.
They're not going to win.
You know they gotta sing live there, right?
Everybody gotta sing live at the Grammy awards.
You realize that, right?
You know what? It's gonna be funny.
I wanna see that.
I think you should all be proud of your achievement.
I am.
How can we be proud?
When we gotta enter that studio through the fucking back door,
while these two dumbasses get to hang out with Quincy Jones at the Grammy awards?
Brad, you just bought yourself a house.
With an apple tree.
You can bake yourself wonderful apple cakes, right?
I mean, Frank brought all of you together to create this
amazing work of art.
It's great for everybody.
Right?
Andrea and I are grateful for, yeah...
- ...but it's not just about money, Milli. - It's about the music.
And the music just got nominated for a Grammy.
So let's celebrate!
How long is this supposed to go on?
Frank?
When is it enough?
Frank?
The Damn Grammys.
- We knew we didn't deserve to win. - We were scared to win.
It felt so wrong.
So we made a plan.
Everybody has to sing live at the Grammys, so let's do that.
Make it our moment of truth.
We were ready to sing live, no matter what.
Hey guys, uh...
so they're gonna go with the playback.
What?
They're gonna go with the tape.
What do you mean?
- Everybody has to sing live here. - Yea...
They're going to make an exception for you guys.
It's been decided.
Who the hell thinks they can make decisions without even talking to us, huh?
What if we make the decision not to go on stage?
Fab...
There are 50 million people,
waiting for you in front of their TV sets, in a
room full of the world's biggest superstars.
This is the biggest stage you're ever going to get in your life.
So?
And the Best New Artist is...
Milli Vanilli.
Welcome back guys.
Starting out with the most recent topic: yesterday's glamorous Grammy Event...
- You watched it as well, right Kendra? - Oh of course, I was happy to see Miles Davis win.
I just wish Soul II Soul would've won Best New Artist, or Neneh Cherry. Tone Loc.
You don't like Milli Vanilli? I find their accents quite charming, though.
The whole act is fake. You know the rumors, and yesteday they weren't even singing live!
First time in Grammy history, they allowed a band to use playback.
So far, nobody in the industry seems to care.
Oh of course not, Danny, not with all that money coming...
Don't listen to those airheads.
Hey, come on!
You won the damn thing!
You're winners!
Right?
So I talked to Clive and we have a fabulous idea.
We think you should be leaving the US for a while.
Travel the world.
I definitely could use a vacation.
Oh no, we're talking about a world tour.
No other artists.
Just you two darlings.
And we're talking giant venues: Wembley Stadium, open air concerts,
100,000 people, that sorta thing.
We are only doing another tour if we can sing live, Benny.
You understand?
Yeah, whatever works... technical issues...
No, they're not.
We're gonna sing live, or not at all.
We are making the decisions from now on, Benny.
Nobody else.
A world tour? Are you out of your mind?
You can't sing live at the Wembley stadium, it will be a disaster.
What do you know about our singing, huh? You've never really given us a chance, Frank!
And it's not about fucking Wembley, yeah?
Maybe we have to start through smaller arenas, okay, we know
but the point is: we can sing!
Don't you understand now with the Grammy and all,
we need to be extra careful. We keep a low profile!
- Yes? Do you understand? - No more lies, Franky, okay?
This tour will be called "Tour of Truth".
Oh my God!
Arista and Benny are on our side and they want this word as much as we do.
You get that?
They can't even use the word "Milli Vanilli" without my consent!
I am the producer! Do you understand that?
Do you want a second album? Only with our real voices!
And if you don't want that, maybe we should go to the public and tell the whole world,
about this fucking lie?
"I hereby request you to immediately cease and desist from using and applying
the trademark MILLI VANILLI as well as the name "Milli Vanilli" promoting any future tour."
"Subject to a penalty amounting to 100,000 Deutschmarks for each and every case of violation."
Motherfff...
...any negotiations must be completed...
...through attempted blackmail...
... completely unprofessional!
ABSOLUTELY NO WORLD TOUR WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION
No, he's put up walls... he's talking about us being unprofessional!
Guys, this is the fifth time I'm calling
We really need to talk. Just the four of us.
Without Arista, Benny, and other lawyers.
I booked you a flight to Germany.
Please call me...
"$300,000 for any more TV shows..."
... showing to you that all the merchandise and touring income of the world tour...
...will go directly to me!
You can't cross that line!
Don't give in.
They want more money, they want to tour...
and on the next album, to compose and sing their own songs.
...and...
they called from The Washington Post.
They have some questions.
Book me a flight to New York.
Good day everybody, my name is Frank Farian, I am the producer of the band, Milli Vanilli.
I hereby want to announce, that Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan
never sing a single note on their records.
Kio, my friend, how are you?
They didn't sing the lead vocals,
they didn't sing the background vocals.
They sang nothing. They merely lipsynced.
The cat is out of the bag.
Hmm?
The cat is out.
What cat, Kio? We don't have a cat.
To me this whole project was kind of an art project.
A new art form.
It was an artificial band.
The owner wants you to leave.
I'm sorry.
The music was fantastic. The videos and shows were great.
People were happy.
So what's the problem, right?
You know what?
It's all good!
Forget him.
We are free now, Fab.
We can work with other producers.
We have Arista and Benny behind us.
And we still have our fans.
It's not the end brother,
it's a beginning.
Yeah...
Clive Davis and all of us here at Arista are shocked and apalled
at this disturbing news.
Of course we hereby cancel the upcoming world tour
and will remove all of Milli Vanilli's records from our catalogue.
- Thank you. - Like all of you, I feel betrayed.
I sincerely apologize to all the disappointed fans out there.
The world is still a dangerous place. Saddam Hussein...
...who threatened to invade Kuwait.
We interrupt our coverage of the Iraq
War for the latest on the Milli Vanilli scan~
After comparing their talent to icons like the Beatles and Elvis Prestley...
I think it's a joke. I think they should be run out of town on a rail.
The group's producer confirmed what's long been a rumor
the duo never sang a note on their hit album.
You know who I saw at the American Music Awards? Milli Vanilli. And you know something?
They weren't bitter, they were very nice, in fact they brought my car right up front.
I sing better much than you.
No, I sing better than you!
In Phoenix, fans threw their tapes and album into the street,
then steamrolled and destroyed them.
Robert, please call me. I am very worried.
Call me, okay?
I love you.
My son won't eat. He isn't sleeping...
He doesn't want to go to school or to church anymore.
Poor Jeremy here, he's one of many
kids traumatized by this lie.
Dancers who couldn't even sing.
Fueled by the promise of fame...
Liars!
I am scared that there is not anything out there to protect my children from this kind of hoax.
Milli Vanilli, the lipsyncing liars. More details tonight at 11...
Fab?
Is this real?
It is.
We gotta do something.
Settle down, settle down!
Hello guys.
First of all I want to point out
that Brad Howell and John Davis
are the real singers of Milli Vanilli.
- This is getting really weird now. - And...
They should get this Grammy.
We ended it.
Rob and Fab
...ended it.
We did.
We made a deal with the devil.
So to speak.
- What are you doing? - What are YOU doing?!
I called a bunch of people.
We are going...
...to have a party.
Why are we hiding, Fab?
Come on, baby, get dressed.
I'm gonna wear your jacket, okay?
You know what? Don't get sucked into all the negativity, brother.
We're still stars, Fab.
Gotta act like it.
Alright?
Come on, baby, get dressed!
I love you brother, I fucking love you. I fucking love you.
Let's have a fucking party!
I heard Lisa went on tour with New Kids On The Block.
I'm gonna call a limo. I'm going out.
Great.
So, they want you out of the house by the end of the month.
Can you let Rob know?
He hasn't been home in awhile.
Well, I made a list of apartments for you guys, that you could afford.
Thanks, Todd.
Yeah, I'm probably going to go back to Arizona for awhile.
Maybe you guys should think about leaving LA too.
Where should we go, Todd? Another planet?
Okay, guys. Here's the deal:
As you know, I've been working with this lawyer
in Philly for the past few months or so.
- Taneshia, what do you want? - Why? I want to hear this.
So.
The main point is what Farian and Arista did was legal.
I'm not saying it was cool, but...
it was legal.
But since we're members of BMI and ASCAP now,
we're gonna get paid for the publishing rights
and I'm also working on getting a share of the mechanical royalties as well.
How much money we talkin', KG?
I don't know exactly, Spen, but
they sold over 13 million singles. So...
Wow!
And Kevin Liles became one of the most successful music executives ever.
They all became real successful in what they're doing.
DJ Spen, Bill, Ky, Rodney, Juney, Wayne.
And most importantly...
they're all still friends.
Did you call your sister back?
She's been trying to reach you.
Please drink this.
Thanks mom.
Robert.
I'm gonna move out.
You breaking up with me, brother?
No, I'm not breaking up with you.
But I don't. I'm just not going to live together with you anymore.
Yeah?
Do what you gotta do.
Did I tell you about this producer, Maurice?
He says we can use his studio whenever we like.
Maurice is a drug dealer.
You've known him for two weeks and he doesn't have a studio, he has a keyboard.
We can be superstars again, Fab.
I don't want to be a superstar.
We can make movies too.
I have some cool ideas. One is called "Pop Cops".
You and me working as undercover cops for the FBI.
No no no, come on, don't look at me serious.
I'm starting to think you need therapy, not me.
Pop cops.
Whatchu doing here, Vanilli?
Looking for Sunset Boulevard?
Frank.
I need $300,000.
- 300,000... - A bail.
Robert was arrested.
He stole a car. And other things.
We have to get him out.
Can't you do a project with him?
Anything.
I don't care if they were singing or not.
I freakin' love Milli Vanilli.
It was such a great summer.
Yes it was.
He ain't caught a rough time in here.
I'll take you home.
How great that you still have my Walkman.
I wish Dad would talk to me.
I would have explained everything to him.
- And Mom. - Robert.
They were always proud of you.
They really were.
We were all proud of you.
You can live here if you want.
- I... - But without drugs.
I'm leaving for Sri Lanka in three months.
To heal me. Frank pays for it.
Then we go to Frankfurt and...
- We are making a new project. - Robert, what are you saying there?
You are not a singer. You were never a singer.
Stop this crap with the music. Finish with Farian!
You don't need it.
Hey.
You can lead a completely normal life.
A completely normal life.
Okay.
Flight tickets.
Don't lose them, okay?
A bit of reading on Sri Lanka.
It's gonna be great.
And here's some cash.
Frank greets you.
Work on a new song for yourself.
...and, we got a song for you...
Soon.
We are interrupting our current news coverage...
Breaking a news story where Robert Pilatus,
the troubled former pop star was found dead in a Frankfurt hotel on Friday.
The cause of death is still unconfirmed,
but a combination of drugs and alcohol are suspected.
Pilatus struggled with addiction issues in the past.
He was only 33 at the time of his death...
German police are still...
I'm sorry brother.
I couldn't be there for you.
I tried for a long time.
Your sister and I recommended therapy for you, but you wouldn't go.
But then I had to get away, and save myself.
I had to make a fresh start.
You did your best.
I don't know if that's true.
It's not your fault, Fab.
First...
I'd like to play a song for my brother.
For Robert.
In Memory of Robert Pilatus
Fabrice Morvan released his solo album "Love Revolution" in 2003 and continues to work as a singer and songwriter.
He lives in Amsterdam with his wife and four children.
Frank Farian lived in Miami, where he went to the studio and produced music every day until his death in January 2024.
He sold over 800 million records over the course of his career.
Ingrid "Milli" Segieth worked with Frank until the end.
In 2014, she married Frank's best friend, a rock guitarist, with whom she lives near Frankfurt.
Carmen Pilatus lives with her daughter in Munich and is still committed to keeping her brother's memory alive.
Todd Headlee moved to Arizona and became a luxury real estate agent.
Brad Howell continues his career as a musician and singer in Germany. He lives a relaxed life with his wife Andrea, surrounded by apple trees.
John Davis continued his career as a solo artist. Together with Fab Morvan, he created "Face Meets Voice - A Milli Vanilli Experience"
We are grateful for John's great contribution to the development of this film until his death in 2021.
I like your voice.
Singing live finally.
Big crowd, huh?
I think this movie shouldn't end like this.
Let's give them what they want.
One last time.
Girl you know it's true.