Far Corporation

Last updated

Far Corporation were a multi-national band created by German record producer Frank Farian, who created the bands Boney M. and Milli Vanilli. The name was shortened from "Frank Farian Corporation", which was originally put together to record a cover of the Paul Simon piece "Mother and Child Reunion" as a charity record and reached the top 10 in several European countries. That group's lineup included members of Barclay James Harvest, Toto, Boney M and Force Majeure.

Contents

History

Far Corporation's primary claim to fame is their cover of "Stairway to Heaven". Far Corporation was actually the first group to make the singles charts with this song as Led Zeppelin had never released it as a single. In fact, it was the only version of the song that charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching #89 in October 1986. [1] [ failed verification ] Some of the musicians Farian assembled included vocalist Robin McAuley, vocalist Henry Gorman, drummers Curt Cress and Peter Bold, and three members of Toto: vocalist Bobby Kimball, keyboardist David Paich, and guitarist Steve Lukather. Far Corporation released its first album Division One in 1985 on IMP/ATCO Records and their cover of "Stairway to Heaven" reached #8 on the UK Singles Chart. [2] It also reached #9 in Ireland and the following year peaked at #16 in South Africa [3] and number 23 in Australia. [4]

Also included on the album was a cover of Free's "Fire and Water" (their second single). [5]

The band was promoted by a full playback performance at German TV ZDF in the show "Rockpop". The show was also attended by Robert Plant, who backstage congratulated Robin McAuley for his great performance. Some rehearsal shots were used for Puma sportswear commercials underlyied by "Live is Life" hit of the Austrian band Opus making the impression of FAR Corporation performing the Opus hit.

A second album, Advantage was completed for a 1987 release, heralded by the new single "One by One". Both this as well as the second single - a cover of Cockney Rebel's "Sebastian" - failed to reach the charts, and the album was eventually scrapped. Two years later, another complete track, "She's Back Again", appeared on the soundtrack to the German TV show "Blaues Blut" in 1989. [6] Two of the album's lost recordings, "Make Believe" and "Big Brother", surfaced as Bobby Kimball duets on Farian artist Jayne (Collins)'s Ambush in the Night album (1989) and Milli Vanilli's second album The Moment of Truth (1991). The rest, bar "One by One", were recycled along with a few new recordings on the group's second release, 1994's Solitude on MCI-BMG. This time they were joined by former Thin Lizzy and 21 Guns guitarist Scott Gorham; included on the album was a cover of the 21 Guns song "Just a Wish". Mostly assembled in honour of Farian's 25 years anniversary as a producer, the album failed to repeat the success of "Stairway to Heaven".

Discography

Division One (1985)

Saxophoninst Mel Collins. Credit on debutalbum Division One Mel Collins (saxophonist).jpg
Saxophoninst Mel Collins. Credit on debutalbum Division One
Bobby Kimball of Toto. Singer and for several albumtracks credit as composer Yoso - Atelier 29 septembre 2010 - Bobby Kimball - 1.jpg
Bobby Kimball of Toto. Singer and for several albumtracks credit as composer
Singer Robin McAuley. On the song Rikki Don't Lose That Number credit as one of the leadsingers Robin McAuley in Pyras.jpg
Singer Robin McAuley. On the song Rikki Don't Lose That Number credit as one of the leadsingers
Frank Farian, Founder of Far Corporation, producer, backing vocalist and for several albumtracks partly composer Frank Farian.jpeg
Frank Farian, Founder of Far Corporation, producer, backing vocalist and for several albumtracks partly composer
  1. "Stairway to Heaven" (Led Zeppelin cover) 9:34
  2. "You Are the Woman" 4:33
  3. "One of Your Lovers" 3:44
  4. "Live Inside Your Dreams" 3:32
  5. "Johnny, Don't Go the Distance" 6:34
  6. "Fire and Water" (Free cover) 3:55
  7. "If You Could See You Through My Eyes" 3:48
  8. "No One Else Will Do" 3:30
  9. "Rock 'N' Roll Connection" 3:36

Advantage (1987) - Unreleased album

  1. "One by One" 4:24
  2. "Sebastian" (Cockney Rebel cover) 6:03
  3. "You Never Have to Say You Love Me" 3:40
  4. "She's Back Again" 4:18
  5. "Make Believe" (> Jayne Collins, 1989)
  6. "Big Brother" (> The Real Milli Vanilli, 1991)
  7. "No Alibi" (> John Davis, 1990)
  8. "Full Moon" 4:05
  9. "Hole In The Air"
  10. "Solitude"

Solitude (1994)

  1. "Rainy Days" 4:40
  2. "She's Back Again" 4:18
  3. "Solitude" 4:52
  4. "You Never Have to Say You Love Me" 3:21
  5. "Full Moon" 4:05
  6. "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" (Steely Dan cover) 4:10
  7. "Just a Wish" (21 Guns cover) 4:15
  8. "Hole in the Air" 3:38
  9. "Sebastian" (Cockney Rebel cover) 6:03
  10. "You Change My Life" 3:55
  11. "(Bonus Track) One of Your Lovers [Remix '94]" 3:49
  12. "(Bonus Track) Stairway to Heaven [Remix '94]" 8:46

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boney M.</span> German disco group

Boney M. are a R&B, reggae, funk and disco music group founded in 1974, who achieved popularity during the disco era of the second half of the 1970s. The band was created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the band's official line-up were Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett from Jamaica, Maizie Williams from Montserrat, and Bobby Farrell from Aruba. Since the 1980s, various line-ups of the band have performed with different personnels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milli Vanilli</span> German R&B group

Milli Vanilli was a German duo R&B music act from Munich. The act was created in 1988 by Frank Farian, founder of Boney M., and consisted of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus as the lip-syncing performers, with the two actual main studio singers, Brad Howell and John Davis, and studio singers Charles Shaw, Jodie Rocco, and Linda Rocco, with an unrelated touring band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fab Morvan</span> French singer, dancer, and model (born 1966)

Fabrice Maxime Sylvain Morvan is a French singer, dancer, rapper, and model who was half of the pop duo Milli Vanilli, along with Rob Pilatus. It was later revealed that the two had not actually sung on any of their recordings. After the scandal, the group reformed as Rob & Fab in the 1990s, with limited success. Morvan had a solo comeback in the 2000s, releasing the album Love Revolution in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Farian</span> German record producer and singer (1941–2024)

Franz Reuther, known professionally as Frank Farian, was a German record producer and singer who founded the 1970s disco-pop group Boney M., the Latin pop band No Mercy, and the pop band Milli Vanilli. He frequently created vocal groups in which the publicised members merely lip-synced to songs sung by session members. Farian owned the record label MCI and several subsidiaries. Over the course of his career, Farian sold over 850 million records and earned 800 gold and platinum certifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Pilatus</span> German singer (1965–1998)

Robert Pilatus was a German singer, dancer, and model. He was a member of the pop music duo Milli Vanilli with Fab Morvan.

<i>Girl You Know Its True</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Milli Vanilli

Girl You Know It's True is a 1989 album that served as the North American debut of German R&B duo Milli Vanilli. It is a reconfigured and repackaged version of the group's first album All or Nothing for the North American market. The album was a major success in the US, producing five singles that entered the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100, three of which reached the top position.

Hansa Records was a record label based in Berlin, Germany founded in 1962.

<i>All or Nothing</i> (Milli Vanilli album) 1988 studio album by Milli Vanilli

All or Nothing is the debut studio album by dance pop duo Milli Vanilli, released only outside of North America in November 1988. In 1989, it was repackaged and retitled as Girl You Know It's True for release in North America on the Arista label, with several of the original album tracks replaced and/or remixed. All or Nothing was a moderate success, reaching the top 40 in several European countries and #1 in New Zealand. It originally reached #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 #6. After 1990, due to lip-synching allegations, a disclaimer sticker was added on the cover to explicitly name the singers who provided vocals on the album.

Charles Shaw is an American rapper and singer who, in 1988, performed on recordings credited to Milli Vanilli.

<i>The U.S.-Remix Album: All or Nothing</i> 1989 remix album by Milli Vanilli

The U.S.-Remix Album: All or Nothing is a remix album by Milli Vanilli released in 1989 outside of North America. It contains remixes of tracks from All or Nothing as well as tracks from the group's North American debut album Girl You Know It's True that did not appear on All or Nothing. In the United Kingdom, rather than being given a stand-alone release, the album was packaged together with All or Nothing under the title 2×2. 2×2 was also released in France, where the remix album was available on its own.

<i>The Moment of Truth</i> (The Real Milli Vanilli album) 1991 studio album

The Moment of Truth is the only studio album by the pop group the Real Milli Vanilli, released in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin McAuley</span> Irish singer

Robin McAuley is an Irish singer. He is best known as the vocalist for the rock band McAuley Schenker Group from 1986 to 1993, which saw the band release three studio albums: Perfect Timing, Save Yourself, M.S.G., the live album Unplugged Live, and the Japan-only EP Nightmare: The Acoustic M.S.G. He has made further appearances with Schenker in 2012, and also in 2016 with Michael Schenker Fest alongside original MSG singers Gary Barden and Graham Bonnet, and Doogie White of Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock.

<i>Boonoonoonoos</i> 1981 studio album by Boney M.

Boonoonoonoos is the fifth studio album by Boney M..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girl You Know It's True (song)</span> 1988 single by Milli Vanilli

"Girl You Know It's True" is a song by Maryland-based group Numarx, later made internationally famed by German dance-pop group Milli Vanilli. Released as the lead single from MV's European debut album, All or Nothing (1988), and the duo's American debut album, Girl You Know It's True (1989), the song peaked at number one on the German Singles Chart, number two in the United States and number three in the United Kingdom, becoming one of Milli Vanilli's most successful singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Do You Wanna Bump</span> 1975 single by Boney M.

"Baby Do You Wanna Bump" is a song recorded by German record producer Frank Farian under the name Boney M., and included on the group's 1976 debut album Take the Heat off Me. Released as the first Boney M. single, it became a minor hit in the Netherlands and Belgium, prompting Farian to create a proper group to promote his studio project. In the United Kingdom, the single was released by Creole Records, but went unnoticed.

Brad Howell is an American keyboardist, pianist, composer and singer, known as the singer who provided the vocals for German band Chilly and the actual vocals lip-synced by Rob Pilatus for the musical duo Milli Vanilli.

La Mama is a German pop and disco trio who worked in Frank Farian's studios in the first half of the 1980s. Adapting their name from New York theatre La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, they released three singles and two albums and worked as backing singers on a number of recordings for other artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milli Vanilli discography</span>

This is a discography of Milli Vanilli, a pop/dance music project formed by Frank Farian in Germany in 1988, fronted by Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus.

Grand Prix were an English hard rock and pop rock band, active between 1978 and 1984 and notable for featuring two future members of Uriah Heep.

Girl You Know It's True is a 2023 biographical film about the controversial late-1980s/early-1990s music duo Milli Vanilli, who caused one of the most infamous scandals in international pop music. Simon Verhoeven wrote, directed and co-produced the biopic, which was produced by Wiedemann & Berg Film, with Leonine as the theatrical distributor, released in cinemas on December 21, 2023. The movie stars Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali as the lip-synching stage artists Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, respectively, as well as Matthias Schweighöfer as the instigating music producer Frank Farian.

References

  1. Trust, Gary. "Ask Billboard: Hot 100 'Peak' Performances". Billboard . Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 195. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  3. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989" . Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 108. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  5. News item, Sounds , 14 December 1985, p. 3
  6. "Various - Blaues Blut (Original Soundtrack)". Discogs .