How to Be a ... Zillionaire!
| How to Be a... Zillionaire! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by ABC | ||||
| Released | October 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1984–1985 | |||
| Genre | New wave, dance-pop | |||
| Length | 37:52 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Producer | Martin Fry, Mark White | |||
| ABC chronology | ||||
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| Alternative covers | ||||
 International commercial release cover |
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 Record club and initial CD cover |
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| Singles from How to Be a... Zillionaire! | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Smash Hits |   [1] |
| Allmusic |  [2] |
| Robert Christgau | B−[3] |
How to Be a...Zillionaire! is an album by the band ABC. It was released in the autumn of 1985. Four singles were released from this album, "(How to Be A) Millionaire" (UK: 49, US: 20), "Be Near Me" (UK singles chart: 26, US Billboard Hot 100: 9), "Vanity Kills" (UK: 74, US: 91), and the fourth was "Ocean Blue", (UK: 54). The album peaked on the UK Albums Chart at 28 and on the Billboard 200 at 30.[4][5]
Released editions
Original British promo pressing
On the cover the album's title is in the foreground lit up like a spotlight against a tri-tone background on which various quotes of the album's lyrics can be seen. There is also a drop shadow behind the title.
No dialogue at the start of the song "Vanity Kills". Eden (see band line up in next section) does the harmony vocal on the song "Ocean Blue". Guitars completely absent from Side Two/Tracks 6–10. No cursing from Eden in the song "A to Z". Four seconds of silence between "A to Z" and "(How to Be a) Millionaire". Eden performs the breakdown vocal and plays the instrumental solo in the song "(How to Be a) Millionaire".
International commercial release
On the cover the spotlight effect is gone. The tri-tone background is rotated 180°. There is a third layer of elements on the cover consisting of animation artwork, specifically storyboards for the "Be Near Me" and "(How to Be a) Millionaire" music videos.
Dialogue at the start of the song "Vanity Kills". Same mix of "Ocean Blue" as on previous pressing. Guitars prominently present on side two/tracks 6–10. Eden is censored in the UK pressing in the song "A to Z", but uncensored on the US pressing. "A to Z" immediately segues into "(How to Be a) Millionaire". Session musician David Williams performs the breakdown vocal and plays the instrumental solo in the song "(How to Be a) Millionaire".
Record Club and initial CD version
On the cover the Spotlight effect is retained. Solid blue background.
Dialogue at the start of the song "Vanity Kills". Same mix of "Ocean Blue" as on the initial pressing. Eden is uncensored in the song "A to Z". Same segue between "A to Z" and "(How to Be a) Millionaire" as on previous pressing. Session musician David Williams performs the breakdown vocal and plays the instrumental solo in the song "(How to Be a) Millionaire".
2005 version
The cover is a recreation of the cover to the international commercial release.
Dialogue at the start of the song "Vanity Kills". Same mix of "Ocean Blue" as on the initial pressing. Guitars prominently present on side two/tracks 6–10. Eden is uncensored in the song "A to Z". Same segue between "A to Z" and "(How to Be a) Millionaire" as on the previous pressing. Session musician David Williams performs the breakdown vocal and plays the instrumental solo in the song "(How to Be a) Millionaire".
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Martin Fry and Mark White.
| Side one | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Fear of the World" | 3:50 |
| 2. | "Be Near Me" | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Vanity Kills" | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Ocean Blue" | 3:36 |
| 5. | "15 Storey Halo" | 5:36 |
| Side two | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "A to Z" | 2:49 |
| 2. | "(How to Be A) Millionaire" | 3:34 |
| 3. | "Tower of London" | 3:36 |
| 4. | "So Hip It Hurts" | 4:17 |
| 5. | "Between You and Me" | 3:16 |
| Additional tracks on initial CD pressing | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 11. | "Fear of the World" (In CinemaScope) | 4:40 |
| 12. | "Be Near Me" (Munich Disco mix) | 5:27 |
| 13. | "(How to Be a) Zillionaire" (Bond Street mix of "(How to Be a) Millionaire") | 6:05 |
| 14. | "Vanity Kills" (The Abigail's Party mix) | 5:08 |
| Additional tracks on 2005 version | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 11. | "(How to Be a) Trillionaire" (Harajuku mix of "(How to Be a) Millionaire") | 3:38 |
| 12. | "What's Your Destination?" (B-side to UK version of "Be Near Me" single) | 3:38 |
| 13. | "Vanity Kills" (USA remix) | 5:40 |
| 14. | "Vanity Kills" (The Abigail's Party mix) | 5:08 |
| 15. | "Ocean Blue" (Pacific Mix) | 3:40 |
| 16. | "Judy's Jewels" (B-side to "Vanity Kills" single) | 2:03 |
| 17. | "Fear of the World" (in CinemaScope) | 4:40 |
| 18. | "Tower of London" (instrumental version) | 3:38 |
Chart performance
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart[6][7] | 36 |
| German Albums Chart[8] | 58 |
| UK Albums Chart[9] | 28 |
| US Billboard 200 Chart[10] | 30 |
Personnel
- Martin Fry – vocals
- Fiona Russell Powell (aka Eden) – vocals, record scratching
- Mark White – E-mu Emulator II, Fairlight CMI, synthesizers
- David Yarritu – spoken voice
Additional personnel
- Gary Moberley – Fairlight CMI
- Don Snow – piano, synthesizers
- Keith LeBlanc – rhythm beatbox programming, drums
- Skip McDonald – guitar
- Chris Whitten – drums
- David Williams – guitar
- David Palmer – hi-hat cymbal, drums on "Ocean Blue" on the Record Club/Initial CD version
- Guy Barker – trumpet
- Brad Lang – bass
- Alan Carvell – background vocals
- Jackie Challenor – background vocals
- Lorenza Johnson – background vocals
- P.P. Arnold – tertiary backing vocals on "Ocean Blue" (all pressings except Record Club/Initial CD version)
Production
- Martin Fry – writer, producer
- Mark White – writer, producer, arranger
- Martyn Webster – chief engineer
- Julian Mendelsohn – mixing and second engineer
- Mark Stent – assistant engineer
- Paul Corkett – assistant engineer
- Dietmar Schillinger – assistant engineer
- Heff Morales – assistant engineer
- Mike Drake – assistant engineer
- Paul Wright – assistant engineer
- Charles Harrowell – assistant engineer
- Ian Cooper – analogue mastering engineer
- Daryl Easlea – digital pre-mastering and album sequencing
- Gary Moore – digital mastering engineer
- Nick Knight – photography
- Keith Breeden at Design KB – art direction
- Alan Best – animation art
- Ted Hall – animation art
- Peter Care – dialogue and photo modelling director
- Anne Dudley – string arrangement on "Ocean Blue" (record club/initial CD pressing only, uncredited)
- Ross Bagdasarian – string concertmaster on "Ocean Blue" (record club/initial CD pressing only, uncredited)
References
- ↑ "Mills, Simon (25 September 1985). "Album Reviews". Smash Hits. Vol. 7 no. 19 (EMAP Metro). p. 59.
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "ABC: How to Be a...Zillionaire!" at AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "ABC: How to Be a Zillionaire!". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19344/abc/
- ↑ "How to Be a...Zillionaire! Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles" at AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ↑ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "Results – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "charts.de". charts.de. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19344/abc/
- ↑ ABC. "ABC – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
External links
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