ABBA-Chess - One Night In Bangkok

Chess (B&B) - One Night In Bangkok



[THE AMERICAN]
Bangkok, Oriental setting
And the city don't know that the city is getting
The creme de la creme of the chess world in a
Show with everything but Yul Brynner

Time flies -- doesn't seem a minute
Since the Tirolean spa had the chess boys in it
All change -- don't you know that when you
Play at this level there's no ordinary venue

It's Iceland -- or the Philippines -- or Hastings -- or --
or this place!

[COMPANY]
One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then the god's a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me

[THE AMERICAN]
One town's very like another
When your head's down over your pieces, brother

[COMPANY]
It's a drag, it's a bore, it's really such a pity
To be looking at the board, not looking at the city

[THE AMERICAN]
Whaddya mean? Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town --

[COMPANY]
Tea, girls, warm, sweet
Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham suite

[THE AMERICAN]
Get Thai'd! You're talking to a tourist
Whose every move's among the purest
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine

[COMPANY]
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me

[THE AMERICAN]
Siam's gonna be the witness
To the ultimate test of cerebral fitness
This grips me more than would a
Muddy old river or reclining Buddha

And thank God I'm only watching the game -- controlling it --

I don't see you guys rating
The kind of mate I'm contemplating
I'd let you watch, I would invite you
But the queens we use would not excite you

So you better go back to your bars, your temples, your massage
parlours --

[COMPANY]
One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
A little flesh, a little history
I can feel an angel sliding up to me

One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Chess
• ABBA
• Benny
• Bjorn
• Frida
• Karen
• Glenmark
• music
• musical
• 1984
• frapistat
• Kultnacht
• benassi
• gees
• khmer
• mamma mia
• medley

[Falcon7001]

1984 would have put this before the stage play Chess actually opened in London, so this is a performance of the "concept" album that came out first. The original "concept" album, the Chessmaster was Murray Head. I notice Benny, Bjorn and Frida are there, but not Agnetha.

[frapistat]

@Falcon7001 Great comment! Chess opened in London's west side in 1986. I think they floated the concept album as a toe in the water. Karin Glenmark of "Gemini" helped round out the chorus in this piece. Agnetha was off busy with her solo career.

[reustle1]

Some how I rember it being Phil Collins who sang it, but that was a very long time ago too.

Regardless, I loved the theater styal setting it was in.

Many thanks for putting it together and sharing it.

[frapistat]

@reustle1 Hi Mark, I remember Phil produced Frida's album "Something's Going On". The singer I think of for this song was Murray Head. Thanks for your kind comment.

[reustle1]

@frapistat This one was well earned, I have lost count on how many times I have watched it over the past few days. I could have confused the artiest, but it don't matter I still loved it.

What play was that segment part of?

Seriously now thinking of getting the DVD of it.

[frapistat]

@reustle1 Hey Mark, glad you liked it. You can get the entire play/sound track on two cd from Amazon. Tim Rice handed the idea of Chess to Benny and Björn of ABBA. I believe he was too busy with Evita at the time of conception, but I'm not totally sure of that. A good part of the lyrics for the songs were done by Björn and approved by Tim. Some great work, no doubt.

[SHAYMCN2]

Great to see this one Rob

Cool 'backing singers'

Nice to see it in good quality too

[diegoesteves2000]

NO COMMENTS!!! MAGNÍFICO!!!!!

[imanol3892]

I have this video in ABBA Thank Tou For The Music from ZDF

[everydayholidayay]

I just got to know that this song was composed by Benny and Bjorn. It's most enjoyable to come to understand more about music. Thanks!

[brianhourigan]

Bad Bad Bad Miming..jesus Milli Vanilli arent this bad at miming

[danny2mil]

The first time I heard this song, I knew there was certain magic to it. This video proves it.

ABBA has always had that magic touch. Thanx for posting this timeless melody.