Murray Head’s “One Night in Bangkok”

Earlier this evening I was covering an event featuring high school international exchange students who were talking about their home countries.

Then this charming student from Thailand took to the microphone and talked about the city she was from.

Suddenly, these words start running through my head.

“Bangkok, Oriental city
But the city don’t know what the city is getting…”

It was part of the opening of a unique song that played on the airwaves in 1985.

“One Night in Bangkok” was not only an interesting song, but it has an interesting history.

The musical
“One Night in Bangkok” is just a really interesting song. I recall the video being pretty neat too. It was somehow tied into a movie about chess too.

Wikipedia reveals “One Night in Bangkok” was part of “Chess”, a musical and a double concept album. It told the story of a politically driven, chess tournament in the Cold War era, between two grandmasters. One is American, the other is Soviet, and they fight over a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other.

“Chess” has been described as a metaphor for the Cold War. It harkens back to the chess matches between masters such as Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky.

It was also noted the concept album was released prior to the first theatrical production in order to raise money. That album was released in the Autumn of 1984, and the show opened in London’s West End in 1986, playing there for three years.

“Chess” would come to Broadway in 1988, but it would be heavily altered, and survived just two months.

“Chess” continues to be performed, and was revived in 2018 in the West End.

The song
As it turns out, Murray Head, an English actor and singer, raps the verses. Anders Glenmark, a Swedish singer, songwriter, and producer sings the chorus.

The first time I ever heard the song was actually on “Good Rockin’ Tonite” one Friday night, where I just recall chess being played on the screen.

“One Night in Bangkok” went all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It was also number three in Canada on the top singles chart; and number one in Canada on the adult contemporary chart. It was number one as well in Australia, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and West Germany; and number two in Austria, France, and New Zealand.

Parting thoughts
For a long time, I thought “One Night in Bangkok” had something to do with “The King and I”, the long-running musical made famous by Yul Brynner.

The truth is, that’s because it’s the only other song, musical, show or movie that I know that is also set in Thailand.

I remember on “Good Rockin’ Tonite” hearing it was part of what I thought was a soundtrack, but in fact is a musical and a concept album.

I have always been fascinated with concept albums, and I should check this one out, because I really like chess movies too.

In any case, above everything else, “One Night in Bangkok” is the consummate ear worm. It's a song I can’t get out of my head once it’s in there.

Like earlier tonight when that international student was talking about her native Thailand, and more than one night in Bangkok, the city where she lives.