Episode 51: ABC - How to Be a...Zillionaire! (1985) Part 1

 

Even with fifty episodes now under their belts, Brian and Sarah still have plenty of "new old" albums they want to talk about. But how to decide on the next one? Well, Martin Fry of ABC turned 60 on March 9, so it seems like a good time to take a look at a classic ABC album. The one they choose is not the seminal debut album, "The Lexicon of Love," but the band's third effort, "How to Be a...Zillionaire!," released in 1985.

Part 1 - Album History

This album marked yet another departure in both sound and style for ABC. Sarah explains how the  album came to be produced by Martin Fry and Mark White, and she tells the story of the audition process for new band members. Both she and Brian then talk about how and why the new members were ultimately selected. The other notable aspect of this era of ABC was the cartoon imagery. Sarah explains where that originated, and Brian adds to the story with some information he gleaned from friend of the show Andrew Dineley's article in Classic Pop magazine.  Both hosts also share reviews of the album and talk about how the band's new image was received at the time.

Part 2 - Personal History

Sarah goes first with her personal history and, in a rare occurrence, announces that she owned this album before Brian did. This actually puzzles Brian somewhat, because he was a fan of two of the singles and bought the 12-inch single for one of the songs. Sarah explains the circumstances that led to her owning the cassette, and she also shares a story which takes place at a church retreat but involves some of the non-church-friendly lyrics found on the album.

Part 3 - Track by Track

Due to Brian being under the weather during the show preparation, our hosts don't get too far in their look at Side One; only the first two tracks are discussed. But Brian's weakened state doesn't prevent him from providing insightful comments and interesting information about the music, the lyrics, and the one video. Sarah also shares some facts and opinions, both her own and from other sources, and one comment from a review causes Brian to temporarily slip into James Bond podcast mode again-- for which he seems eerily well-prepared. Sarah eventually brings him back to the topic at hand, and they end this episode after discussing "Be Near Me."

Fear of the World Be Near Me

See the video we discuss here:

Be Near Me

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