The fake factor: Robson and Jerome may have made Cowell's name ... but they needed help to hold a tune

Daily Mail.co.uk By Richard Simpson

Last updated at 1:51 AM on 20th December 2008

 

On the X Factor, Simon Cowell makes a fortune out of telling people they can't sing.

 

Yet we can reveal that the stars who helped make his name, Robson and Jerome, themselves proved a little lacking in the vocal department.

An additional three singers had to be used to keep the pair in tune on their first hit, Unchained Melody.

 

 

As well as kick-starting Cowell's flagging career, the song became an overnight sensation after actors Robson Green and Jerome Flynn performed it in 1995 during an episode of the military drama Soldier, Soldier.

It raced to the top of the charts and became the biggest-selling single of the decade.

Unchained Melody, previously a hit for Jimmy Young, the Righteous Brothers and many more, was number one for seven weeks, sold 1.8million copies and raked in £17million for the record company BMG.

 

When Cowell persuaded the actors to perform it, a string of bad business decisions had left him living with his parents.

But its success transformed him into one of the world's most powerful music executives and helped him launch Pop Idol and X Factor, the latest series of which finished last weekend.

 

Now legendary producer Mike Stock - of hit-makers Stock Aitken Waterman fame - has broken his silence to reveal the truth about how he hired session singer Des Dyer and two others to assist Robson and Jerome.

 

'Des Dyer was brought in to assist with the Jerome part - because his voice and Jerome's were similar,' he said. 'The Robson part was done by a totally different singer and the high note was a totally different guy.'

 

He added, however: 'Robson and Jerome came into the studio and we did the vocals together. So they are singing on the record without a shadow of a doubt.

 

'In all sorts of recording contexts you have to look at the vocal and if it's not quite right you have to put it right. In this case we employed some backing singers to help repair some aspects of the vocal.

 

'It wasn't about being great singers. I've worked with loads of pop stars where the singing side of their attributes was the least important.

'The way they look, the way they were, the things they represented were sometimes more important to the man in the street.'

 

Des Dyer, now 60, failed to benefit financially from the hit and now lives in a modest £300,000 detached house in Northampton.

 

Stock, considered the most successful producer of all time with 100 top 40 UK hits, has admitted having a gagging order placed on Dyer after he threatened to reveal his role, saying 'it was going to blow the whole project apart'.

Dyer's wife Janice said: 'It was the kiss of death for him. We were going to get done if he spoke about it. I'm not saying anything more. We don't want to lose our house.'

 

Robson and Jerome went on to sell a total of 15million singles, albums and videos. At no point since their music careers ended has either man revealed the truth about their lack of singing prowess.

 

They have both now returned to acting full-time. Green now stars in the ITV series Wire in the Blood, while Flynn has been in several films including Best, in which he played footballer Bobby Charlton.

 

Simon Cowell, who is now worth £110million, talks about working with Robson Green and Jerome Flynn in his autobiography, I Don't Mean To Be Rude ... But.

 

He recalls: 'They made me my first million, which was fantastic, not necessarily because of the money but because for the very first time people began to take me seriously.'

 

Yesterday Cowell's spokesman Max Clifford said he could not be contacted as he was on holiday in Barbados.

 

How does this shocking UK Milli Vanilli revelation make you feel about Simon Cowell?

Erm...not surprised at all. It's never been a secret that Cowell's a better manipulator/businessman than a record producer.

I don't think this is really going to affect opinion on him.

It happens EVERYDAY nowadays that "studio singers" are called for studio sessions of big artists.

Not to talk about softwares used to make the voice sound better and more in tune (do you think Britney could hold all of her hits live ? lol).

 

I can't see no big deal really ^_^

In this day and age, when we know so much about how the music industry works, is this really shocking? Backing vocalists are regularly used to "sweeten" poor vocal performances from the lead singers. Des is a fantastically talented singer, regularly used by Pete Waterman as well, and former lead singer of Jigsaw, who did the 70s classic Sky High. And anyway, how did this make Simon's name? He was responsible for Sinitta. I guess you're going to tell me Pearly Gates did her vocals now? :lol:

 

By the way, I swear I posted this before Bert...

It happens EVERYDAY nowadays that "studio singers" are called for studio sessions of big artists.

Not to talk about softwares used to make the voice sound better and more in tune (do you think Britney could hold all of her hits live ? lol).

 

I can't see no big deal really ^_^

 

I agree. There have been so many rumours about Britney, in particular Cathy Dennis singing half of toxic. There were rumours that Cathy Dennis sang some bits of Rachel Stevens' solo work too. There's no end of stories about Posh Spice either.

 

Some of these stories will be made up, but it's clearly a long established industry trick.

 

I don't think it's a coincidence that Peter Kay's singing in the guise of Geraldine McQueen sounds a bit like Gary Barlow either. Come to think of it, it's no secret that the chorus of Take That's "Could it be Magic" was all a session singer, but that was more of a mix-up than an attempt to mask weak vocals.

 

In fact, I'd say that programmes like Pop Idol and X Factor make it less likely that this sort of studio trickery is used. Like them or not, we know what those singers sound like.

 

Sometimes it's more of a time thing than a vocal ability thing. Producers will spend a lot of time mixing a song after the "big star" has finished their vocals, so if they decide to change a bit, they either have to call them back in, or someone gets to pretend to be them. Sometimes the latter is easier.

It’s hardly a shock given Simon Cowell’s discography. Robson & Jerome were signed to sing 1950’s post war songs because they were in the popular TV series ‘Soldier Soldier’ not because of their singing talents or lack of. Besides it’s not as if they totally mimed just got a bit of 90’s vocal enhancement assuming auto tune wasn’t around then! :lol:

 

If the Robson & Jerome project had been ‘blown apart’ at the time and Cowell had failed, some other smuck would have been around to cash in on premium telephone lines and shoddy winners covers singles.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Peter Kay's singing in the guise of Geraldine McQueen sounds a bit like Gary Barlow either. Come to think of it, it's no secret that the chorus of Take That's "Could it be Magic" was all a session singer, but that was more of a mix-up than an attempt to mask weak vocals.

 

I was going to say something about that. I'm sure it's just Gary pitched up. Peter never does it live.

it's just a fact of life really...

 

Cher and Victoria Beckham spring to mind

I was going to say something about that. I'm sure it's just Gary pitched up. Peter never does it live.

 

But to me it sounds nothing like Gary Barlow (there is a female singer credited on the Winner's Song single - and I think if anything it is a studio mix of Peter's voice and her's - because you can hear 'traces' of Kay's speaking voice).

 

Norma

But to me it sounds nothing like Gary Barlow (there is a female singer credited on the Winner's Song single - and I think if anything it is a studio mix of Peter's voice and her's - because you can hear 'traces' of Kay's speaking voice).

 

I think Peter is definitely on the single, but I think it's mixed with other vocals too. Perhaps a woman as well as Gary, but there are a few parts where it sounds very Barlow-esque. Of course, it is possible that if Peter is copying Gary's demo, he might copy his singing style.

 

Whatever the case, I think it's fairly safe to say that it's not just Peter Kay singing.

 

When Robson and Jerome were singing, it was possible for "singers" to go for ages without ever giving any live performances. Even reasonably good vocalists seemed to mime all of the time, so it would have been easier to get away with it. Perhaps because of the success of Pop Idol and X Factor, most pop stars sing live at least some of the time. There are still tricks that can be done with backing tracks and backing singers, but it's not as easy as it used to be.

 

But its success transformed him into one of the world's most powerful music executives and helped him launch Pop Idol and X Factor, the latest series of which finished last weekend.

 

Love how this myth is constantly perpetuated. :rolleyes: Simon Fuller was behind Pop Idol. Cowell has never had an original idea in his head.

 

No shock horror re Robson & Jerome. Most artists connected to Cowell are pre-disposed to miming more than most. Cowell knows sod all about music but a hell of a lot about marketing. Given the gullibility of a lot of the general public it's a strategy that has ensured Cowell his millions. You just have to read on here the number of fans who don't care whether their fav artists sing in tune or don't bother singing at all.

Edited December 20, 200816 yr by truly talented

Hmm... so does that mean Simon will pay for this fraud?

And 'Candle In The Wind' was the best seller of the decade. -_-

 

I don't care really. Was before my time :lol:

Did people not know this?! Matt Stock mentioned this years ago so not quite sure why its 'news' now :lol:

What a ridiculous article! Why on earth would that affect my opinion of Simon Cowell at all?

and people are surprised? A load of big "singers" use auto tune and vocal enhancement. The bit i hate is how Cowell can go and tell someone they cant sing when a minute later hes giving a standing ovation to Britney Spears! i mean..come on!

Cowell has never had an original idea. Cowell knows sod all about music but a hell of a lot about marketing.

 

Brilliantly - and truthfully - put.

 

What a ridiculous article! Why on earth would that affect my opinion of Simon Cowell at all?

 

:rolleyes: ridiculous? eh?

 

The fact that this man made his money on the back of a fraudulent singing act.... only an idiot would say that this doesn't change his/her opinion of him. In fact, back at you - what a ridiculous message :blink:

:lol: Doesn't really change my view of Cowell! I thought he was a tw*t before and think he's a tw*t now.

 

Norma

I think hes hilarious, I like him and people should stop trying so hard to try and make others not like him.

News just in - The Titanic has sunk off the Newfoundland many feared dead

 

 

This stuff has been going on in the industry for decades and always will

 

Dave Clark was such a p*** poor drummer particularly in the earlier days that Clark used to have session musicians do the drumming on DC5 albums and they sold millions of records and the DC5 were still popular and there was never any media outcry that Clark would sell albums and singles with someone else playing drums and it pretending that it was him