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How to Be a ... Zillionaire!

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(How To Be A) Zillionaire is an album by the band ABC. It was released in January 1985 (see 1985 in music). It contains the hits "Be Near Me", "(How To Be A) Millionaire", and "Vanity Kills". It was a straightforward dance pop album with American punk overtones. Due to the vagaries of the typeface in which the title was rendered, it appears on the sleeve as how to be a...ZILLIONAIRE!

Album cover variations

Three variations exist of the album's cover. They also indicate musical differences in the issues, as described in the next section.

  1. The original British Promo Pressing. The album's title is in the foreground lit up like a spotlight against a tri-tone background on which various quotes of the albums lyrics can be seen. There is also a drop shadow behind the title.
  2. The international Commercial Release. 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.
  3. The Record Club/Inital CD Version. The Spotlight effect is retained. Solid blue background.


Musical differences between the album's pressings

  1. The original British Promo Pressing. 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".
  2. The international Commercial Release. 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 U.S. pressing in the song "A To Z", but uncensored on the U.K. 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".
  3. The Record Club/Inital CD Version. No dialogue at the start of the song "Vanity Kills". An uncredited Steve Vining (a/k/a Theodore Chipmunk II/Melvin Squirrel) does the harmony vocal on "Ocean Blue". There is an orchestral overdub on "Ocean Blue" as well. 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 previous pressing. Session musician David Williams performs the breakdown vocal and plays the instrumental solo in the song "(How To Be A) Millionaire".
  4. Current Version. Dialogue at the start of the song "Vanity Kills". Same mix of "Ocean Blue" as on 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 previous pressing. Session musician David Williams performs the breakdown vocal and plays the instrumental solo in the song "(How To Be A) Millionaire".


Band lineup on this album

Martin Fry: vocals
Mark White: Emulator II, Fairlight CMI, synthesizers
Fiona Russel-Powell a/k/a Eden: vocals and record scratching
David Yarritu: Spoken voice
Gary Moberley: Fairlight CMI
Don Snow: Piano, synthesizers
Keith LeBlanc: Rhythm beatbox programming, drums

Track listing (original LP version but with CD numbering:)

Side One

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

6. A To Z (2:49)
7. (How To Be A) Millionaire (3:34)
8. Tower of London (3:36)
9. So Hip It Hurts (4:17)
10. Between You And Me (3:16)

Additional tracks on initial CD pressing

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

11. How To Be A Trillionaire (Harajuku mix of [How To Be A] Millionaire") (3:07)
12. What's Your Destination? (B-side to U.K. version of "Be Near Me" single) (2:28)
13. Vanity Kills (same mix as on initial CD pressing) (3:28)
14. Vanity Kills (The Abigail's Party Mix) (5:08)
15. Ocean Blue (same mix as on initial CD pressing) (3:40)
16. Judy's Jewels (B-side to "Vanity Kills" single) (2:58)
17. Fear of The World (In CinemaScope) (4:40)
18. Tower Of London (instrumental version) (3:33)

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