# One Night In Bangkok, what is this about? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395 "2003-04-17T19:32:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rsvp9146](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rsvp9146](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsvp9146)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/1 "2003-04-17T19:32:37Z")
I heard that old 80’s song One Night In Bangkok on the radio today and wondered, exactly what is theis song about? I heard it had something to do with Chess ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/2 "2003-04-17T19:58:56Z")
Yes it’s from an 80’s musical called, oddly enough, Chess. The song is about the World Chess Tournament being held in Bangkok Thailand. And the lysircs pretty much say it all, about how one of the people is very focused and doesn’t want to go out and see the sites, and the bars and the girls but wants to stay focused on his game. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/3 "2003-04-17T20:01:13Z")
[“One Night in Bangkok”](http://www.ram.org/contrib/one_night_in_bangkok.html) is one in a musical titled _Chess_, written by noted lyricist Tim Rice and two former members of Abba, Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. The play’s setting is the World Chessd Championship in Bangkok, Thailand. The song “One Night in Bangkok” comprises the American chess champion’s snooty observations about the city of Bangkok as he cruises the nightlife. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/4 "2003-04-17T20:01:30Z")
It’s a song from the musical **Chess**. The overall musical was based kind of loosely on famous chess players Bobby Fisher and Anatoly Karpov. (I’m not well-enough versed in the actual histories of these players to know how loosely, I hope someone else will come along and comment.) It’s about politics and relationships going on behind the game, taking place between great national players from the US and the USSR, and the defection of the Russian player. (Yes, I know I’m not doing it full justice.) Anyway, an album was released before the play/musical ever went on stage, to drum up money and/or publicity. One of the songs from it (arguably the most popular on the charts) was _One Night in Bangkok_. In this song, one of the main characters (previous champion, the “Fisher” character) is arriving in the city of Bangkok, where the current champions are going to be playing, in order to try to mess with the game through some back-door politicking. In the song, he’s commenting on the city and the match about to be played. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/5 "2003-04-17T20:04:37Z")
And I see that I was just a fraction of a second slower than **bordelond**. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/6 "2003-04-17T20:05:59Z")
I thought during this scene in the play, The American was actually out and about checking out Bangkok’s nightlife, all the while professing how above-it-all he was. Is the ol’ memory fading here? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/7 "2003-04-17T20:06:09Z")
Actually, it’s not the champion who sings that song, it’s the Arbiter, the overseer of the games. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/8 "2003-04-17T20:32:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Actually, it’s not the champion who sings that song, it’s the Arbiter, the overseer of the games. \*\* **Eve** , [are you sure?](http://www.windsorlight.com/shows/chess2001/chess.cfm): > [@](#): > > \*\*Skip ahead thirty years to 1986. Bangkok, site of an international chess match between the U.S. champion and the Russian champion. The Cold War is at its height, and international rivalries are intense. Winner of the games will be World Champion. Both governments have more than a little interest in the outcome. > > The American (a character fashioned after bad-boy chess genius Bobby Fischer) lives up to his reputation as an arrogant, outrageous jerk. The Russian, in contrast, is a pretty level-headed, likable guy. Both players have an entourage of assistants and hangers-on, including “seconds” – people who play chess with them daily to keep them in shape.\*\* Now, in the link contained in my first post, Trumper aka The American is the one singing “One Night”, along with The Chorus. Also, see here]([http://www.actor.force9.co.uk/chess.htm](http://www.actor.force9.co.uk/chess.htm)) – scroll down to Act Two. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/9 "2003-04-17T20:39:43Z")
Nope, I have the London cast album and it’s definitely the Arbiter singing that song—of course, the show was rewritten so many times that might have changed from version to version. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/10 "2003-04-17T20:44:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Nope, I have the London cast album and it’s definitely the Arbiter singing that song—of course, the show was rewritten so many times that might have changed from version to version. \*\* I have the Broadway cast album … and you are correct about the re-writes that occured after the concept album was recorded. That must be the explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/11 "2003-04-17T20:52:30Z")
Well thanks guys, now the Kid Creole song that was lodged in my brain has been replaced by Murray Head! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/12 "2003-04-17T20:53:43Z")
Trivia note: Murray Head, who did the original song, is the brother of actor Anthony Head. It was Head’s biggest hit, though he doesn’t sing a note. Kind of an early rap song. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/13 "2003-04-17T20:55:32Z")
As has been mentioned, the show got re-written a lot. Here is the [Broadway version synopsis](http://www.calpoly.edu/~bmarx/chess/br_synop.html) and the [lyrics](http://www.calpoly.edu/~bmarx/chess/br_lyrics.html), and here is the [London version synopsis](http://www.calpoly.edu/~bmarx/chess/lo_synop.html) and the [lyrics](http://www.calpoly.edu/~bmarx/chess/lo_lyrics.html). ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/14 "2003-04-17T20:59:53Z")
Well, now I’m muddled. I thought the story went as such (though I’ve only read synopses of the play)- American plays Russian. Russian wins, but falls in love with American’s second. Russian defects to America. Thirty years later, Bangkok is hosting chess Worlds. Russian is now American player, facing off against another Russian. American from previous match is the Arbiter/Announcer, thus the lines _“Thank God I’m only watching the game/Controlling it”_. Or am I way off with this? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/15 "2003-04-17T21:06:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flypsyde \* > \*\*Well, now I’m muddled. I thought the story went as such (though I’ve only read synopses of the play)- > > American plays Russian. Russian wins, but falls in love with American’s second. Russian defects to America. Thirty years later, Bangkok is hosting chess Worlds. Russian is now American player, facing off against another Russian. American from previous match is the Arbiter/Announcer, thus the lines _“Thank God I’m only watching the game/Controlling it”_. > > Or am I way off with this? \*\* This sounds like the original concept album recorded in London that **Eve** owns. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/16 "2003-04-17T21:10:26Z")
**Amarinth’s** link to the Broadway synopsis spells out specifically the plot differences between the original concept version and the version actually performed on Broadway: > [@](#): > > Later, in his hotel room, Freddie berates Florence for cooperating with the Soviets. Warning him that she has had enough, she tells him they are expected to meet with Anatoly and Molokov that night. He will have none of it (You Want to Lose Your Only Friend?) and leaves Florence alone to consider her situation (Someone Else’s Story). **Shadowed discreetly by Walter, Freddie explores the seamier side of the local nightlife (One Night in Bangkok).** As **Eve** pointed out above, this is different from the concept album. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/17 "2003-04-17T21:18:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flypsyde \* > \*\*American from previous match is the Arbiter/Announcer, thus the lines _“Thank God I’m only watching the game/Controlling it”_. > > Or am I way off with this? \*\* As concerns **rsvp’s** OP, you (and **Eve** ) are actually spot on. The line _“Thank God I’m only watching the game/Controlling it”_ appears in Murray Head’s 1986 hit version … but those lines **do not** appear in the Broadway version. ---
**Author:** ![LabRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/898d66/32.png) [@LabRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LabRat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/18 "2003-04-17T23:59:33Z")
I own the pre-production album as well. The American is not arbitrating the game. He’s reporting on it. ---
**Author:** ![Payne\_N.Diaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Payne\_N.Diaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payne_N.Diaz)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/19 "2003-04-18T01:01:00Z")
Hey, **LabRat,** you don’t post over on the boards at [excite.com](http://excite.com), do you? (sorry for the small hijack) ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395/20 "2003-04-18T01:29:29Z")
_sigh_ would it be sad to say I own both copies of the soundtrack for “Chess”? The broadway and the other one. (they ar in a box with all my cassettes) I used to be able to sing any and all of the lyrics of the non-broadway (london) albumn. I bet with the music playing I could remember most of the thing. Wow need to go blow off the 8 year dust and give them a listen again. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-night-in-bangkok-what-is-this-about/169395.md?page=2)