All or Nothing (Milli Vanilli album)

Last updated

All or Nothing
All or Nothing - Milli Vanilli.jpg
Studio album by
Released14 November 1988
Recorded1988
StudioFar Studios, Rosbach
Genre
Length45:48
Label
Producer Frank Farian
Milli Vanilli chronology
All or Nothing
(1988)
Girl You Know It's True
(1989)
Singles from Girl You Know It's True
  1. "Girl You Know It's True"
    Released: 27 June 1988
  2. "Baby Don't Forget My Number"
    Released: 12 December 1988
  3. "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You"
    Released: 10 July 1989
  4. "All or Nothing"
    Released: 15 January 1990

All or Nothing is the debut studio album by dance pop duo Milli Vanilli, released only outside of North America in November 1988. All or Nothing was a moderate success, reaching the top 40 in several European countries and number 1 in New Zealand. It originally reached number 37 in the UK, but was packaged together with The U.S.-Remix Album: All or Nothing in 1989 under the name 2×2 and reached number 6.

Contents

All or Nothing was not issued in the U.S. and was replaced by the album Girl You Know It's True (1989), which had a different set of tracks but retained the songs "Baby Don't Forget My Number", "Girl You Know It's True", "I'm Gonna Miss You" and "All or Nothing", all of which would reach the top five in the U.S. charts. [1] However, All or Nothing is available on Apple Music in the U.S. [2]

In November 1990, it was revealed that Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli did not perform the vocals for any of their music and were lip-synching in concert. [3] The 1991 reissue of All or Nothing would add a disclaimer sticker on the cover that explicitly named the singers who provided vocals on the album—namely John Davis, Brad Howell, Charles Shaw and Gina Mohammed [4] —although it omitted the names of Jodie and Linda Rocco. [3] Mohammed went on to garner a bigger role in the follow-up group, the Real Milli Vanilli. [5]

In December, singer-songwriter David Clayton-Thomas sued Milli Vanilli for copyright infringement, alleging that "All or Nothing" used the melody from his 1968 composition "Spinning Wheel", a hit for his group Blood, Sweat & Tears. [6]

All or Nothing was included in Q magazine's 2006 list of the 50 worst albums ever made. [7]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Can't You Feel My Love"3:32
2."Boy in the Tree"
  • T. Gad
  • J. Gad
3:10
3."Money"
4:09
4."Dance with a Devil"
  • Farian
  • P. G. Wilder
  • Newman
  • Jayne Collins
3:12
5."Girl I'm Gonna Miss You"
  • Farian
  • Dietmar Kawohl
  • Peter Bischoff Fallenstein
3:59
6."All or Nothing"
3:19
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Baby Don't Forget My Number"
  • Farian
  • Nail
4:09
8."Dreams to Remember"
  • Farian
  • Kawohl
  • Mary Applegate
3:56
9."Is It Love"
  • T. Gad
  • J. Gad
3:22
10."Ma Baker"
  • Farian
  • Fred Jay
  • George Reyam
4:24
11."Girl You Know It's True" (Maxi Version - Super Club Mix)
  • Bill Pettaway
  • Sean Spencer
  • Kevin Lyles
  • Rodney Hollaman
  • Ky Adeyemo
8:48
12."Hush" Joe South 3:12
Total length:44:58
CD bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Too Much Monkey Business" (Maxi Version)Farian1:48
Total length:45:48

Personnel

Credits adapted from CD liner notes, [8] except where noted.

Milli Vanilli

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI) [19] Gold250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [20] Platinum15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [21] Gold300,000 [22]
United Kingdom (BPI) [23] Silver60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "All or Nothing - Milli Vanilli". AllMusic . Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  2. "All or Nothing - Album by Milli Vanilli". Apple Music . 1988. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Horton, Adrian (15 June 2023). "'People thought they knew the story': the rise and fall of Milli Vanilli". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  4. Milli Vanilli (1991). All or Nothing (reissue) (CD liner notes). Berlin: Hansa Records. 259 458.
  5. 1 2 Vogel, Steve (26 November 1990). "THE REAL MILLI VANILLI STANDS UP". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 25 December 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  6. Maull, Samuel (7 December 1990). "Songwriter-Singer Sues Milli Vanilli for Alleged Copyright Infringement". AP News .
  7. "The 50 Worst Albums Ever!". Q (238). Bauer Media Group. May 2006.
  8. Milli Vanilli (1988). All or Nothing (CD liner notes). Berlin: Hansa Records. 259 458.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Kreps, Daniel (27 May 2021). "John Davis, Real Milli Vanilli Singer, Dead at 66". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  10. "Austriancharts.at – Milli Vanilli – All Or Nothing" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  11. "Dutchcharts.nl – Milli Vanilli – All Or Nothing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  12. "Offiziellecharts.de – Milli Vanilli – All Or Nothing" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  13. "Charts.nz – Milli Vanilli – All Or Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  14. "Swedishcharts.com – Milli Vanilli – All Or Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  15. "Swisscharts.com – Milli Vanilli – All Or Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  16. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  17. "Top Selling Albums of 1989". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  18. "Jahreshitparade Alben 1990". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  19. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Milli Vanilli; 'All or Nothing')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  20. "New Zealand album certifications – Milli Vanilli – All or Nothing". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  21. Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN   8480486392.
  22. "Viva España: Best sellers" (PDF). Billboard . 8 December 1990. p. VE-28. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  23. "British album certifications – Milli Vanilli – All or Nothing". British Phonographic Industry.