One Night in Bangkok Murray Head

The song tells of the meeting of two great chess players, one Soviet and one American, in Bangkok, which is the capital of Thailand. Chess is a musical production that uses a US-USSR chess rivalry as a metaphor for the Cold War, but this song just contains double-entendres about the game of Chess compared to the Bangkok nightlife. The example often used is "I would invite you, but the queens we use would not excite you."
Chess was a musical that premiered in London's West End. This song was written for the 1984 concept album, which was recorded well ahead of the production. The album was very successful considering it was for a musical. The album charted in the Top 10 in the UK, #47 in the US, and #1 in Sweden. Another song from the album, "I Know Him So Well," held the #1 spot in the UK for four weeks in February 1985, being deposed by "You Spin Me Right Round" by Dead or Alive. The Broadway production of Chess was heavily altered and unsuccessful. >>
Along with the rest of the songs from Chess, the music was written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA, and Tim Rice wrote the lyrics. Rice has written for many film and theatrical productions, including the song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" from The Lion King.
A little over 2 minutes into this song, there is a flute solo using a difficult flutter tongue technique similar to that used on many Jethro Tull songs. It was played by a Swedish musician named Bjorn Jason Lindh.
Murray Head is an actor who has been in several movies and stage productions. He is barely out of the one-hit-wonder category because of his 1971 version of "Superstar" from the Jesus Christ Superstar production where he played Judas. It his #14 in the US in 1971.

Before Murray went to Mill Hill he had been at Hampton Grammar School with Paul Samwell-Smith (ex-Yardbirds & Cat Stevens' producer) In 1975 Paul Samwell Smith made a record of Murray's songs for Islands Records. The album Say It Ain't So became a cult album in France. His father was Seafield Head, a documentary maker, and is Mother was Helen Shingler, an actress who played Mrs. Maigret alongside Rupert Davies as Maigret in the 60's TV series of the same name. His younger brother is Anthony 'Little Britain' Head. >>
A dance remix by the German production team Vinylshakerz was released in 2005.
Mike Tyson performs this in the 2011 movie The Hangover 2, which of course takes place mostly in Bangkok. Tyson appears as a surprise wedding guest and takes the stage near the end of the movie.