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"'''One Night in Bangkok'''" is a song originally sung by [[Murray Head]] on the 1984 [[concept album]] for the musical ''[[Chess (musical)|Chess]]''. Its music was composed by former [[ABBA]] members [[Björn Ulvaeus]] and [[Benny Andersson]], with lyrics written by [[Tim Rice]] & [[Björn Ulvaeus]]. |
"'''One Night in Bangkok'''" is a song originally sung by [[Murray Head]] on the 1984 [[concept album]] for the musical ''[[Chess (musical)|Chess]]''. Its music was composed by former [[ABBA]] members [[Björn Ulvaeus]] and [[Benny Andersson]], with lyrics written by [[Tim Rice]] & [[Björn Ulvaeus]]. |
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The release topped the charts in many countries, including [[West Germany]], [[Switzerland]] and [[Australia]]. It peaked at #3 in both [[Canada]] and the [[United States of America|United States]], and at #12 in the [[UK]]. It is the last [[show tune]] to chart in the American top five to date. |
The release topped the charts in many countries, including South Africa, [[West Germany]], [[Switzerland]] and [[Australia]]. It peaked at #3 in both [[Canada]] and the [[United States of America|United States]], and at #12 in the [[UK]]. It is the last [[show tune]] to chart in the American top five to date. |
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== Lyrics and music == |
== Lyrics and music == |
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Revision as of 18:41, 12 August 2010
| "One Night in Bangkok" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Merano" |
"One Night in Bangkok" is a song originally sung by Murray Head on the 1984 concept album for the musical Chess. Its music was composed by former ABBA members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, 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 #3 in both Canada and the United States, and at #12 in the UK. It is the last show tune to chart in the American top five to date.
Lyrics and music
The song is mainly a pop song, though when released it could have been classified as dance music. The choruses (variations on the phrase "One night in Bangkok...") were sung by Swedish artist Anders Glenmark. The verses could be described as a spoken rap by Head, a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek denunciation of the city's moral corruption and comparative glorification of the intellectual purity of chess: e.g., "the queens we use would not excite you."
The song's lyrics contain a number of Bangkok-related references, among them the "muddy old river" (the Chao Phraya River), the "reclining Buddha" (the Wat Pho statue) and Yul Brynner (who played the King of Siam in The King and I).
Track listings
- 7" single
- "One Night in Bangkok" — 3:54
- "Merano" by The London Symphony Orchestra & The Ambrosian Singers — 7:08
- 12" maxi
- "One Night in Bangkok" — 5:38
- "Merano" by The London Symphony Orchestra & The Ambrosian Singers — 7:08
Personnel
- Arranged by Benny Andersson and Anders Eljas
- Conductor : Anders Eljas
- Engineer : Michael B. Tretow
- Choruses sung by Anders Glenmark
- Producer : Benny Andersson , Björn Ulvaeus , Tim Rice
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada[1] | Platinum | May 1, 1985 | 100,000 | |
| France[2] | Silver | 1985 | 200,000 | 413,000 |
| Germany[3] | Gold | 1985 | 250,000 |
Charts
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Cover versions
- A dance version of the song was recorded by Robey in 1984, which peaked at #5 on the US Billboard Dance Chart, before the success of the original version.
- Steve Vai incorporated part of the song in his 1996 Fire Garden Suite.
- An instrumental version was recorded by Hank Marvin, as a medley with 'Variations', in 1997 on his album Hank Plays the Music of Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber.
- Norwegian singer Jan Werner Danielsen covered the song on his 1998 album Music Of The Night.
- Swedish pop group A*Teens recorded a cover of the song for their 2003 album New Arrival.
- Danish boy band C21 released a cover of the song as a single in September 2003.
- In 2005, the track gained new popularity in Europe, thanks to a remix by the dance act Vinylshakerz. The producers sampled the chorus of the song and turned it into a modern dance track. The remix became a success in several European countries, and found its way into clubs throughout the spring of 2005.
- DJ Antoine, a Swiss DJ, covered the song for his album Live in Bangkok in 2008.
- An a cappella version of the song was recorded by the Austrian a cappella group Safer Six.
- In 2010, the track was sampled by Mark Knight in his single, Devil Walking.
References
- ^ Canada certifications cria.ca (Retrieved September 4, 2008)
- ^ French certifications See: "Les Ventes" => "Toutes les certifications depuis 1973" => "HEAD Murray" Infodisc.fr (Retrieved September 4, 2008)
- ^ German certifications musikindustrie.de (Retrieved September 4, 2008)
- ^ a b c d e f g "One Night in Bangkok", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ RPM Top 100 (April 20, 1985)
- ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ a b c Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved September 4, 2008)
- ^ 1985 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved September 4, 2008)
- ^ 1985 Canadian Singles Chart [1]
- ^ 1985 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved September 4, 2008)