ARE SINGERS 'DANCING HAIR'? DIE-HARD FANS OF MILLI VANILLI DON'T CARE
KATHERINE REINHARD,
The Morning Call
THE MORNING CALL
Ever since they found out that Steve
Pausinger is going to the Milli Vanilli concert tonight at Lehigh
University's Stabler Arena, the guys at Rhoads Press have been giving
the 24-year-old printer a hard time.
His co-workers can't believe that Pausinger likes the dance music performed by the German duo, let alone that he is going to see them in concert.
"They believe what was said in Rolling Stone (magazine). They say they can't sing, that they don't write their music, that they can't even speak English," says Pausinger, an Allentown resident.
Pausinger, however, remains unaffected by the good-natured taunts. "I like their music, basically," he says.
Not since the Bee Gees in the disco '70s has a band generated the kind of die-hard devotion and sheer contempt that Milli Vanilli does.
The song and dance twosome -- Robert Pilatus, 24, and Fabrice Morvan, 23 -- have become public enemy number one to many music critics.
Arsenio Hall has turned Milli Vanilli-bashing into a national pastime by constantly lambasting the group on his television talk show.
At the same time, fans can't seem to get enough of Milli Vanilli. The duo's debut album, "Girl You Know It's True," has sold 7 million copies in the United States. A year after its release, the LP is No. 15 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.
"Milli Vanilli is one of our core artists," says Sue Sherry, a DJ at Laser 104.1, an FM-radio station in Whitehall. "We play Milli Vanilli at least four times a day. Everyone is anxiously awaiting their second album."
For all the fuss, Milli Vanilli's music is neither impressive nor insipid. "It doesn't bother anybody. Everyone can tolerate it," says Gene Bartholomew, owner of Toones Records in Allentown.
So what is at the root of the brouhaha? Perhaps it's the duo's good looks, high-energy dancing and MTV image (bicycle pants and long braids that reportedly cost $750 to style). Even so, the Millis managed to pick up a Grammy award last month for best new artist.
Critics have cringed at the fact that a Grammy would be awarded to "dancing hair," especially since the Millis have been accused of being unable to sing. Last fall, Charles Shaw, a Munich singer who had done backup singing on the album, told the German media that he had sung the lead vocals on the title cut.
Though Shaw later retracted the statement, the accusation seemed plausible because the German-born Pilatus and Caribbean-born Morvan were lip-syncing songs during part of last summer's "Club MTV' tour. And, according to Rolling Stone magazine, the Millis "mumbled" through two Elvis numbers just hours after winning three American Music awards.
Laser 104.1's Sherry says the Millis did their own singing during the "Club MTV" stop in Philadelphia. "Everything sounded right to me," she said.
Bartholomew, who also was at the Philadelphia performance, says the Millis do not sound as good live as they do on record. But Bartholomew says the duo's high-energy dance performance may be the thing causing the problem. He explains that it is difficult to sustain a good voice while doing what amounts to aerobic exercise.
"I saw Janet Jackson. That was her problem," he says.
The controversy over the Millis' singing ability has only been exacerbated by the group's apparent high opinion of itself. In a recent Time magazine story, Pilatus claimed to be more talented than Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger. "I'm the new rock 'n' roll. I'm the new Elvis," he was quoted as saying.
Even fans like Sherry think Pilatus went too far. "Let's face it. Milli Vanilli has one album out. Just because they are making a lot of appearances does not give them the status to compare themselves to the Beatles. That was a statement that was uncalled for."
Jonathan Grevatt, national publicity director for Arista Records, which put out Milli Vanilli's album, says Pilatus was misquoted by Time. Grevatt says the publicity generated by the Time article has nothing to do with the group's refusal to grant interviews.
"They've done a million interviews. That's why they aren't doing any interviews. It reaches a point where doing more interviews is not going to help the band," Grevatt says.
Die-hard Milli Vanilli fans refuse to believe that Pilatus and Morvan would let anyone else sing hits like "Blame It on the Rain" or "Baby Don't Forget My Number."
"I think it's not true. I wouldn't think they would do that," says Becky Heid, an 11-year-old from Macungie who is going to the concert with her friend Jennifer Diehl, 10, and Jennifer's mother, Julia.
As of late yesterday, 90 percent of the tickets to tonight's show had been sold. Tom Makoul, the concert's producer, says it's obvious people haven't taken the accusations seriously. "I don't think the public is easily deceived. If they were not, in fact, more than capable entertainers or performers, the word would have gotten out," Makoul says.
Milli Vanilli, Young MC and Seduction perform tonight at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, and April 20 at the Spectrum. The Stabler show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are expected to be available at the door. For information, call 821-0906 or 867-8202. The Spectrum show begins at 8; for ticket information, call 336-3600.
https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1990-04-13-2748864-story.html
https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1990-04-13-2748864-story.html
His co-workers can't believe that Pausinger likes the dance music performed by the German duo, let alone that he is going to see them in concert.
"They believe what was said in Rolling Stone (magazine). They say they can't sing, that they don't write their music, that they can't even speak English," says Pausinger, an Allentown resident.
Pausinger, however, remains unaffected by the good-natured taunts. "I like their music, basically," he says.
Not since the Bee Gees in the disco '70s has a band generated the kind of die-hard devotion and sheer contempt that Milli Vanilli does.
The song and dance twosome -- Robert Pilatus, 24, and Fabrice Morvan, 23 -- have become public enemy number one to many music critics.
Arsenio Hall has turned Milli Vanilli-bashing into a national pastime by constantly lambasting the group on his television talk show.
At the same time, fans can't seem to get enough of Milli Vanilli. The duo's debut album, "Girl You Know It's True," has sold 7 million copies in the United States. A year after its release, the LP is No. 15 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.
"Milli Vanilli is one of our core artists," says Sue Sherry, a DJ at Laser 104.1, an FM-radio station in Whitehall. "We play Milli Vanilli at least four times a day. Everyone is anxiously awaiting their second album."
For all the fuss, Milli Vanilli's music is neither impressive nor insipid. "It doesn't bother anybody. Everyone can tolerate it," says Gene Bartholomew, owner of Toones Records in Allentown.
So what is at the root of the brouhaha? Perhaps it's the duo's good looks, high-energy dancing and MTV image (bicycle pants and long braids that reportedly cost $750 to style). Even so, the Millis managed to pick up a Grammy award last month for best new artist.
Critics have cringed at the fact that a Grammy would be awarded to "dancing hair," especially since the Millis have been accused of being unable to sing. Last fall, Charles Shaw, a Munich singer who had done backup singing on the album, told the German media that he had sung the lead vocals on the title cut.
Though Shaw later retracted the statement, the accusation seemed plausible because the German-born Pilatus and Caribbean-born Morvan were lip-syncing songs during part of last summer's "Club MTV' tour. And, according to Rolling Stone magazine, the Millis "mumbled" through two Elvis numbers just hours after winning three American Music awards.
Laser 104.1's Sherry says the Millis did their own singing during the "Club MTV" stop in Philadelphia. "Everything sounded right to me," she said.
Bartholomew, who also was at the Philadelphia performance, says the Millis do not sound as good live as they do on record. But Bartholomew says the duo's high-energy dance performance may be the thing causing the problem. He explains that it is difficult to sustain a good voice while doing what amounts to aerobic exercise.
"I saw Janet Jackson. That was her problem," he says.
The controversy over the Millis' singing ability has only been exacerbated by the group's apparent high opinion of itself. In a recent Time magazine story, Pilatus claimed to be more talented than Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger. "I'm the new rock 'n' roll. I'm the new Elvis," he was quoted as saying.
Even fans like Sherry think Pilatus went too far. "Let's face it. Milli Vanilli has one album out. Just because they are making a lot of appearances does not give them the status to compare themselves to the Beatles. That was a statement that was uncalled for."
Jonathan Grevatt, national publicity director for Arista Records, which put out Milli Vanilli's album, says Pilatus was misquoted by Time. Grevatt says the publicity generated by the Time article has nothing to do with the group's refusal to grant interviews.
"They've done a million interviews. That's why they aren't doing any interviews. It reaches a point where doing more interviews is not going to help the band," Grevatt says.
Die-hard Milli Vanilli fans refuse to believe that Pilatus and Morvan would let anyone else sing hits like "Blame It on the Rain" or "Baby Don't Forget My Number."
"I think it's not true. I wouldn't think they would do that," says Becky Heid, an 11-year-old from Macungie who is going to the concert with her friend Jennifer Diehl, 10, and Jennifer's mother, Julia.
As of late yesterday, 90 percent of the tickets to tonight's show had been sold. Tom Makoul, the concert's producer, says it's obvious people haven't taken the accusations seriously. "I don't think the public is easily deceived. If they were not, in fact, more than capable entertainers or performers, the word would have gotten out," Makoul says.
Milli Vanilli, Young MC and Seduction perform tonight at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, and April 20 at the Spectrum. The Stabler show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are expected to be available at the door. For information, call 821-0906 or 867-8202. The Spectrum show begins at 8; for ticket information, call 336-3600.
https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1990-04-13-2748864-story.html
https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1990-04-13-2748864-story.html
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