Do you like this song? #821
Yes I like it, I already know it
Yes I like it, first time listening
No I don't like it, I already know it
No I don't like it, first time listening
Murray Head - One Night in Bangkok 1984
Chess is a 1986 musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of the pop group ABBA, lyrics by Ulvaeus and Tim Rice, and book by Rice. The story involves a politically charged, Cold War-era chess tournament between two grandmasters, one American and the other Soviet, and their fight over a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Chess allegorically reflected the Cold War tensions present in the 1980s. The musical has been referred to as a metaphor for the Cold War, with the insinuation that the Cold War is itself a manipulative game. Released and staged at the height of the strong anti-communist agenda that came to be known as the "Reagan Doctrine", Chess addressed and satirized the hostility of the international political atmosphere of the 1980s.
As with other productions such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita — both of which Rice developed with Andrew Lloyd Webber — a highly successful concept album was released prior to the first theatrical production in order to raise money. In the case of Chess, the concept album was released in late 1984 while the show opened in 1986 in London's West End, where it played for three years. The three principal singers from the concept album, Elaine Paige, Tommy Körberg and Murray Head reprised their roles on stage. A much-altered US version premiered on Broadway in 1988 with a book by Richard Nelson, but survived only for two months. Chess is frequently revised for new productions, many of which try to merge elements from both the British and American versions, but was not revived in the West End until 2019. Chess was revived on Broadway in 2025 with a new book by Danny Strong, and it is scheduled to close on June 21, 2026. Chess placed seventh in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the UK's "Number One Essential Musicals". The concept album became a Top 10 hit in the UK, West Germany, and South Africa, reached #47 on the US Billboard 200, #39 in France, #35 in Australia, and for seven weeks remained at #1 on the Swedish album chart.
For the song "One Night in Bangkok" from the concept album, English actor and singer Murray Head raps the verses as the American chess grandmaster, while the chorus is sung by Swedish singer, songwriter, and producer Anders Glenmark. The release topped the charts in many countries, including South Africa, the Netherlands, West Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Australia. It peaked at number 3 in both Canada and the US in May 1985 and at number 12 in the UK. Whereas the choruses extol Bangkok's reputation and exciting atmosphere, the American's verses ridicule the city, describing its attractions as less interesting to him than a game of chess. These sarcastic denunciations led to Thailand's Mass Communications Organisation issuing a ban on the song in 1985, stating its lyrics "cause misunderstanding about Thai society and show disrespect towards Buddhism".
Murray Head has appeared in a number of films, including a starring role as the character Bob Elkin in the BAFTA award-winning and Oscar-nominated 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday. As a musician, he is most recognised for his international hit songs "Superstar" (from the 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar) and "One Night in Bangkok". He has been involved in several projects since the 1960s and continues to record music, perform concerts, and make appearances on television either as himself or as a character actor. Head's younger brother Anthony Head (20 February 1954 – 1 June 2026) was also an actor, best known for his role as Rupert Giles in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"One Night in Bangkok" received a total of 82% yes votes! Previous Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus polls: #361 "Waterloo", #565 "Dancing Queen", #718 "Lay All Your Love on Me". Previous Tim Rice polls: #6 "Hakuna Matata", #763 "A Whole New World".
