How to Be a ... Zillionaire! is the third studio album by English pop band ABC. It was originally released in October 1985, on the labels Neutron, Mercury and Vertigo. The album peaked at No. 28 on the UK Albums Chart and at No. 30 on the Billboard 200. Four singles were released from the album, "(How to Be A) Millionaire" (UK Singles Chart: No. 49; Billboard Hot 100: No. 20), "Be Near Me" (UK: No. 26; US: No. 9), "Vanity Kills" (UK: No. 74; US: No. 91), and the fourth was "Ocean Blue", (UK: No. 54). It is the group's first and only album to feature founder members Martin Fry and Mark White flanked by new members Eden and David Yarritu, the latter two credited merely as "performers" with effectively no or limited musical contribution to the album. The four-piece was also presented in a cartoon form for the album's artwork and promotional videos, and wore outrageous costumes and played false instruments for "live" promotional performances.
In 2005, a digitally remastered CD of the album was released with eight bonus tracks.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from the original album liner notes.
ABC
Martin Fry – lead and backing vocals
Mark White – E-mu Emulator II, Fairlight CMI programming
Fiona Russell Powell (aka Eden) – vocals, record scratching
David Yarritu – spoken voice
Additional personnel
Gary Moberley – Fairlight CMI programming
Don Snow – acoustic piano, Yamaha DX7, synthesizers
Skip McDonald – guitars on "Tower of London" David Williams – guitars on "(How to Be a) Millionaire" Brad Lang – bass guitar Keith LeBlanc – drums, rhythm beatbox programming David Palmer – hi-hat Chris Whitten – additional drums on "15 Storey Halo" Guy Barker – trumpet on "Vanity Kills" Alan Carvell – backing vocals Jackie Challenor – backing vocals Lorenza Johnson – backing vocals Mae McKenna - backing vocals P. P. Arnold – tertiary backing vocals on "Ocean Blue"