[Jekkienumber24601]

The lyrics suggest to me that the Arbiter should have sung this song and Murray Head demanded Freddie get to do cause he liked it.

"Thank God I'm only watching the game controlling it"

"I get my kicks above the waistline sunshine" compare to "I don't like women I don't take dope"

And also since the Arbiter is the narrator it just seems to make more sense, what do you guys think. Forgive me if this has been talked about before.

[Salome]

The production I was in had Arbiter sing mosto ft he song..freddy came in with the line "siam's gonna bet he witness ot the ultimate test or cerebral fitness.

the number was staged with arbiter being grilled by reportersi nbangkok and freddy staggeringi n drunk and beingm obbed by the reporters..arbiter whisks freddy away as the whore ply there trade.

[AudreyTD]

The London version has Freddie singing it, because the show spans two years - the first is the Championship in Merano when Freddie loses to Anatoly, and Bangkok comes in a year later - when Freddie has given up Chess and has become a reporter (Anatoly is playing a new Russian - Viigand).

The American version has Freddie singing it with the lyrics slightly alterled and that line removed.

I think other versions have Freddie AND Anatoly singing it, and it can be the Director's choice to give it to the Arbiter.

I'm heading to Bangkok on holiday this year - and the guy who played Freddie when we did it will be meeting me over there for a few days...I think we should have tea at the Dusit Thani Hotel (for London Chess fans, who are as sad as I am!)

[Cadriel]

"Thank God I'm only watching the game, controlling it..." was used in the Concept Album and the London production. Because the conceit of the two separate matches was dropped from subsequent productions, a new verse was written for Broadway. (They couldn't use the "since the Tirolean spa had the chess boys in it" line.) The Sydney version has "Bangkok" sung by both leads, with an extra verse sung by Anatoly. The Off-Broadway show has it sung by the Arbiter, which makes some sense of the song. A pity the rest of that show's such a mess. And Stockholm doesn't use the song; there was just a clip from the Concept Album played as a song in a dance hall before "Lämna inga dörrar på glänt" ("Nobody's Side"). The published production scripts both give the song to Freddie in the London and Broadway placements, since they are based on those productions. They don't give any permission or indication to give the song to the Arbiter, but amateur productions do take some leeway with the show and it's probably been done once or twice.

- Wayne

[Jekkienumber24601]

I understand about the london version, I was just thinking about the american version. By the way. How much do Samuel French lawyers really check on your production to see if its fine?

[Cadriel]

[Jim Colyer]

Freddie was not playing by the time they got to Bangkok. He was in control because he brought in the Russian's wife.

[Cadriel]