"One Night in Bangkok" | ||||||||
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Single by Murray Head | ||||||||
from the album Chess OST | ||||||||
B-side | "Merano" | |||||||
Released | October 1984 | |||||||
Format | 7", 12" | |||||||
Recorded | 1984 | |||||||
Genre | Pop, New Wave | |||||||
Length | 3:51 4:06 (US 7") |
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Label | RCA | |||||||
Writer(s) | Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus (composers) Tim Rice & Björn Ulvaeus (lyricist) |
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Producer | Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice | |||||||
Murray Head singles chronology | ||||||||
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"One Night in Bangkok" is the title of a song originally sung by the British actor and pop-dance singer Murray Head on the 1984 concept album for the musical Chess. Its music was composed by former ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with lyrics written by Tim Rice & Björn Ulvaeus.
The release topped the charts in many countries, including South Africa, West Germany, Switzerland and Australia. It peaked at number 3 in both Canada and the United States in May, 1985,[1] and at number 12 in Head's native United Kingdom.
Contents |
The full version of the song begins with an orchestral intro, "Bangkok", which has oriental styling, but cannot be confused with Thai folk music. This serves as the introduction to Act 2 in the original musical album, and feeds into the first verse of "One Night in Bangkok" itself with an abrupt change in musical style.
The main song has a pop styling, whose lyrics sarcastically juxtapose the Thai capital city and its nightlife with the game of chess. In the original concept album for the musical, the choruses are sung by Swedish artist Anders Glenmark (and by a musical ensemble in the staged versions), while the verses are a rap originally performed by Murray Head as the American chess grandmaster (a character known as Frederick "Freddie" Trumper in the staged versions). Whereas the choruses extol Bangkok's reputation and exciting atmosphere, the American's verses denounce the city, including its red-light district, "muddy old river" and "reclining Buddha".
In the original London production of Chess, the setting for the song is an interview by Freddie, who is in Bangkok to serve as a TV analyst for a match involving his rival, world champion and Russian defector Anatoly Sergievsky. Freddie states a preference for what he sees as an intellectual purity in chess, in stark contrast to the seedier aspects of Bangkok's night life, e.g. "the queens we use would not excite you". His statements suggest a personal lack of interest for the exotic settings typically involved in international chess, preferring to focus on the game itself. In the original Broadway production of the musical, the song appears not at the start of Act 2 but in the middle of Act 1; in this version, the world championship of Freddie vs. Anatoly takes place in Bangkok.
The lyrics also mention actor Yul Brynner, who famously played the King of Siam in The King and I. The "Tyrolean spa" mentioned early in the song refers to Merano in Italy, the site of Act 1 of the musical.
In 1985, Thailand's Mass Communications Organization banned One Night in Bangkok, saying its lyrics "cause misunderstanding about Thai society and show disrespect towards Buddhism."[2]
Peak positions
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End of year charts
Certifications
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Preceded by "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid |
German number one single 18 January 1985 – 25 January 1985 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Shout" by Tears for Fears |
Preceded by "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid |
Swiss number-one single 20 January 1985 – 17 February 1985 (5 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Shout" by Tears for Fears |
Preceded by "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid |
Eurochart Hot 100 number-one single 9 February 1985 – 2 March 1985 (4 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Shout" by Tears for Fears |
Preceded by "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner |
Australian ARIA number-one single 18 March 1985 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "Shout" by Tears for Fears |