Allan Warren. Murray Head. 1972/Wikimedia Commons
Qalam strives to explore the interpenetration of different cultures. To this end, we have decided to launch a series of playlists in which music mediates between different geographical and ideological spaces. Our first playlist is called ‘West to East: One Hundred Best Songs’. It will be updated several times a week, and its curation will focus on how Western pop culture has reflected the realities of the East, whether they are musical, geographical, religious, or political. (The terms ‘West’ and ‘East’ should be taken as broadly and arbitrarily as possible.)
Although in this section we usually try to feature less common and obvious tracks, it's impossible to avoid timeless hits. Specifically, it was impossible to live through the 1980s without being at least briefly caught by this song, written by members of ABBA in 1984 for the sports-themed musical "Chess." However, not many know of the performer; British actor Murray Head, who also starred in the controversial film "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (1971).
In this song, the lyrical hero wants to prepare for a chess match, and none of Bangkok's usual attractions appeal to him – not the statue of the Reclining Buddha, not Somerset Maugham's suite (a long-time popularizer of Thai tourism), not the bars with dancers. Thailand's governmental institutions were quite alarmed by the general manner in which the European songwriters blended their national values in the composition. Due to the offensive combination of Buddhism mixed with the red lights district, the song was banned in the country. So, the scandal at the current Paris Olympics isn't the first time a musical-sporting endeavour has been deemed blasphemous.