I am currently going crazy over this song. Yes, you’ve guessed it! I’ve been blown away by another hidden gem. And funnily enough, it’s another song from the musical Chess. For some reason, I thought that “I Knew Him So Well” was the only big hit to come from that musical. Sadly, I was wrong and I had no idea until today.

As I was researching number 1 hits from the 80s on the Australian music charts, I came across the song “One Night In Bangkok” by Murray Head. The title of the song rang a bell but the singer did not. So I got access to the song and it’s absolutely AMAZING!

Stunning in fact. Very 80s and very European. Which is no surprise given that it was composed by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus who formed the male half and were the masterminds behind ABBA. The synthesisers are literally everywhere in this song and it’s more of a dance than a pop song. And even in 2010, this dance song would still fit in quite well.

There is really nothing that I don’t like about this song. It gets my body moving so easily, it’s extremely catchy and makes me want to go over to Bangkok and see if what the song says about it is indeed true.

If I could criticise this song in any way, it would be that it is way too short. Ok, it’s just over 4 minutes long which is standard, however, you get into the song so much that time flies and before you know it, it’s over and you want to keep on dancing to it. As a result, I hope that some great DJ out there makes an extended remix of this song (at least 8 minutes long) to play at nightclubs over the world. I can guarantee you, it will be a hit again, if it’s done right.

There’s nothing I can say about this song apart from going ahead and listening to it. Show it to your family and friends because this is seriously a song that has been forgotten about. In hindsight, it would have been nice to see Benny and Bjorn make an entire album with songs like this one. But then again, Modern Talking wouldn’t have been able to compete (just kidding!).

Enjoy One Night In Bangkok!

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Given that the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is only days away, I thought it would be appropriate to write about what I consider to be the best World Cup theme song of all time. Just in case you didn’t know, I’m also a massive football fan and when the World Cup comes along every 4 years, there’s nothing on my mind except following each team and watching each game. The Cup Of Life by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin was the theme song of the 1998 World Cup which took place in France and was won by the host nation.

That World Cup was particularly special for me because it was the first time I’d watched a significant amount of World Cup games and followed the tournament closely. I was 11 at the time and the 1 thing that always reminds me of that tournament is The Cup Of Life. It’s also such a catchy and fun song to sing and dance to. It captures the spirit of football perfectly. The game of football and its dynamics and drama is so much like life itself, which probably explains why it’s the most popular sport in the world. It also explains why the World Cup is the Cup of Life.

The song is so good that the theme songs from the 2002 and 2006 World Cups have failed to overcome The Cup Of Life in terms of quality and popularity. The theme song for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa is not too bad, however, when compared to Ricky Martin’s song, it pales in comparison.

There should be a worldwide petition launched to make The Cup Of Life the official theme song for every World Cup. It would certainly save songwriters and singers the embarrassment of not being able to live up to the standard of the 1998 theme song.

This is perhaps not a 90s classic song for many people out there, however, for football fans everywhere, this is a song that will stand the test of time. Even if you’re not a football fan, you should catch some of the upcoming World Cup, even if you just watch the final on July 11. It is the biggest sporting event in the world and it should not be missed.

If you want a comprehensive preview of all the teams and groups, then you should watch my World Cup Preview which I made with a good friend of mine.

In the meantime, enjoy the beauty of The Cup Of Life.

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Licence To Kill – Gladys Knight

Unless you’re a massive James Bond fan, then you have probably haven’t heard of this song. Licence To Kill is theme song of the Bond film of the same name, which was released in 1989. Up until recently, this was one of the Bond films I hadn’t seen and given that I’d heard bad reviews [...]

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Reunited – Peaches And Herb

For me, this is the ultimate reunion song. Reunited is all about 2 former lovers who decide to reconcile and reunite after realizing that they are made to be with each other. It is beautiful. It is majestic. It is just perfect. There’s no wonder this song was a US number 1 hit in 1979 [...]

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I Know Him So Well – Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson

The other day I came across this song as I was listening to an old CD compilation of duets titled “Duets.” It’s a great feeling to find awesome songs which you had either forgotten or never had investigated further in terms of the name of the song and the artists. I Know Him So Well [...]

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