Frank Wanjiru
JF-Expert Member
- Apr 12, 2012
- 21,838
- 38,729
Frank Farian (18 July 1941 - 23 January 2024), artist, producer, music executive, and father of artist development and music brand marketing. For the benefit of Gen Z, unfamiliar with this music business mogul:
All the Christmas songs, such as "Feliz Navidad," "Long Time Ago in Bethlehem," and classics like "Mary's Boy Child," "Rivers of Babylon," and "Brown Girl in the Ring" (the song converted to the gospel song "Oshey o Jesu, a o mayin o").
The group Boney M was the creation of Mr. Frank Farian, a pop group consisting of three female members and one male member. The male member was a showman who dazzled audiences with electric psychedelic dance. Surprisingly, the bassy vocals performed on stage by this guy were originally sung in the studio by Frank Farian himself.
After the overwhelming success of Boney M, this star-creating genius formed Milli Vanilli, a duo that made the ladies scream everywhere they showed up. Frank tricked the world into thinking these guys could sing. However, the truth emerged that they were only miming to the songs, not the original singers. The real singers behind the recordings exposed them, leading to controversy that spiraled their music career. They disappeared into oblivion, never to be seen again. The "real Milli Vanilli" guys came out with their own album, which turned out to be a huge flop!
The reason I bring up this story is to put a stamp on Frank's credibility as a master of music brand design and development. He created something the world believed in out of nothing. I am sure this feat is studied in music business classes worldwide. Frank seems to have laid the foundation for what labels practice today, where an artist's looks, personality, and fan base are often more important than their talent.
Thank you and farewell, Frank.
Peace
All the Christmas songs, such as "Feliz Navidad," "Long Time Ago in Bethlehem," and classics like "Mary's Boy Child," "Rivers of Babylon," and "Brown Girl in the Ring" (the song converted to the gospel song "Oshey o Jesu, a o mayin o").
The group Boney M was the creation of Mr. Frank Farian, a pop group consisting of three female members and one male member. The male member was a showman who dazzled audiences with electric psychedelic dance. Surprisingly, the bassy vocals performed on stage by this guy were originally sung in the studio by Frank Farian himself.
After the overwhelming success of Boney M, this star-creating genius formed Milli Vanilli, a duo that made the ladies scream everywhere they showed up. Frank tricked the world into thinking these guys could sing. However, the truth emerged that they were only miming to the songs, not the original singers. The real singers behind the recordings exposed them, leading to controversy that spiraled their music career. They disappeared into oblivion, never to be seen again. The "real Milli Vanilli" guys came out with their own album, which turned out to be a huge flop!
The reason I bring up this story is to put a stamp on Frank's credibility as a master of music brand design and development. He created something the world believed in out of nothing. I am sure this feat is studied in music business classes worldwide. Frank seems to have laid the foundation for what labels practice today, where an artist's looks, personality, and fan base are often more important than their talent.
Thank you and farewell, Frank.
Peace
