Battle of the soo unfunky its funky: Taco's " Puttin on the Ritz vs. Murray Head's " One Night In Bankok"

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Ok, growing up on 80's radio made me love both of these songs. "
Puttin on the Ritz has a pretty funky breakdown with a tapdancing solo
but Murray Head saying " Siam, is gonna be the witness of the ultimate test of cerebrial fitness" is pretty damn unfunky/funky in my book. Please feel free to stoke this fire.

― Darth Nader, Saturday, 1 November 2003 01:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Putting on the Ritz is fun, and during the breakdown "samples" some old-timey tin pan alley tune that ends on this descending synth thing that sounds just like a moment in "eyes without a face". You'd think that alone would be strength enough to deem it the winner - but no.
One night in Bangkok - Does it get any more sooo unfunky its funky? This paleface workout gets a scalping for less wampum than a wigwam whose roof is on FIRE. Jesus! Christ! Superstar! meets! ABBA! Murray Head's Wonderbread uppercrust pseudo-rap style elocution lesson is one of a kind. My favorite line is the one after you quoted, "This grips me more than woulda muddy old river or reclining Buddha". Deserves to be pumped in perpetuity over a mono ceiling speaker in a Caesar's Palace executive washroom or something.
I imagine both tracks are absolute fucking tumbleweed DEATH on the dance floor, though, so no faking the funk unless it's like bad taste night.

― Dr. Annabel Lies (Michael Kelly), Saturday, 1 November 2003 01:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Trio's Da Da Da is the least funky song every written. It wipes the floor with both of the above tunes, making them sound like James Brown in comparison.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Freur's "Doot Doot" gives "Da Da Da" a run for its money.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I just learned the other day about "Puttin on..." being sung by a guy called Taco. Incredible.

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, Chris, in the unfunkiness stakes, Bananarama's Na Na Hey Hey makes Doot Doot sound only so-so.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Saturday, 1 November 2003 06:00 (twenty-two years ago)

But they're forgiven for "Cruel Summer" Colin, it's one of the funkiest tunes of the decade! Plus having Cookie on drums...

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 07:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Wot about The Look's "I Am The Beat"!??!?

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Saturday, 1 November 2003 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Wot about Captain Sensible's "Wot"?

― mopepope (musicmope), Sunday, 2 November 2003 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)

"wot" rules and should be left out of this.
aside from the above-quoted gems, "one night in bangkok" contains the line "i get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine" which confers best thing ever (unfunky division) status upon it.

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 2 November 2003 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

DIPSET DIPSET DIPSET DIPSET DIPSET DIPSET DIPSET DIPSET

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Sunday, 2 November 2003 18:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I imagine both tracks are absolute fucking tumbleweed DEATH on the dance floor

YOU WOULD BE SO WRONG. You just need the right demographic (aka late 20s/early 30s middle-class Americans in love with pop culture).

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 3 November 2003 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"One Night in Bangkok" is brilliant. It might be smarmiest top 100 poptune made between the Death of Mae West and the Stardom of Madonna.
Theres an inuendo on every other line...and the song is about playing CHESS ferchrissakes! Do you know how hard* it is to write a smarmy pop 'choon about playing Chess?

Note = I mean hard as in 'difficult', not hard as in 'erect'

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Monday, 3 November 2003 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"The queens we use would not excite you"

Come again? :P

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 3 November 2003 16:31 (twenty-two years ago)

One Night in Bangkok wins HANDS DOWN just for introducing one of the most bizzar-o narratives ever into the pop format: the anthem of the elitist, asexual, globe-trotting chess player.

Puttin On the Ritz, on the other hand, is just a predictable tongue-in-cheek synth remake of an older tune. Nothing unexpected going on there.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 3 November 2003 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Taco gets major bonus points for being named Taco, though.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 3 November 2003 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Did Chess ever make it even to broadway? I don't think it ever got produced in Toronto. You'd think the success of Mama Mia would see a revival in anything that Abba ever did.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 3 November 2003 20:11 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.prigsbee.com/Musicals/shows/chess.htm

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 3 November 2003 20:13 (twenty-two years ago)

"April 28, 1988, ran for 68 performances"

Two monthes? And with no cold war about...

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

TO be fair, "ONe Night in Bangkok" was one of the (if not THE VERY) last charting U.S. singles written by Benny and Bjorn of ABBA. And both those guys have had their own distinct idea of "funk" for years before then. Taco was the Louis Bega of his time, basically. not even a shred of funk compared to Murray Head and the ABBA men... however great both songs were.

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and both videos were classic, though the One night in Bangkok video was far more classic.

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:07 (twenty-two years ago)

My life is made much happier by just knowing their is a video for this song, and Sex Dwarf.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, now if the "Sex Dwarf" video could actually be released...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't that what the internet is for Ned?
I can't look for it at work for obvious reasons, and my computer at home is too old for such fancy things as "video" or any search engine that isn't google.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Has it finally leaked? This is a glory and a wonder!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

three weeks pass...

I liked "One Night in Bedrock"

"Barney, Fred and Wilma - don't forget Bet-ty"

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 27 November 2003 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, funny that this thread should be up here now, as I just downloaded two versions of Puttin' on the ritz through Soulseek (Ella Fitzgerald and Terry Snyder, if you careth)
Great, great song!
I've always heard people bun around about how fun Taco's version is, so I guess I should go look for that too.

― Øystein H-O (Øystein H-O), Thursday, 27 November 2003 23:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"Puttin On The Ritz" was just great and nothing but great. One of few Europop hits I would say that about ("In The Army Now" and "Dolce Vita" too though)

In the case of "One Night In Bangkok", the chorus (originally planned for ABBA's followup album to "The Visitors) was great, while the rest was pointless. "The Arbiter" is a really great track from that musical though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 28 November 2003 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"I Know Him So Well", also from _Chess_, haunted my childhood, as it would have done for anyone who grew up in the 80s in Britain whose parents only listened to the most MOR of chart music.

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Friday, 28 November 2003 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

In the case of "One Night In Bangkok", the chorus (originally planned for ABBA's followup album to "The Visitors) was great, while the rest was pointless.

this is so stereotypically geir.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 25 April 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

four years pass...

i really love this song

― Surmounter, Wednesday, 15 April 2009 04:58 (sixteen years ago)

he harmonies are so grate

― Surmounter, Wednesday, 15 April 2009 04:58 (sixteen years ago)

God, how do you expect me to choose between these two????

(But the prize goes to Taco, we all know that.)

― fillibustar superstar! (Abbott), Wednesday, 15 April 2009 16:03 (sixteen years ago)

this is the biggest mismatch ever IMO, murray head by a southeast asian mile

― wassup rockers? (M@tt He1ges0n), Wednesday, 15 April 2009 16:04 (sixteen years ago)

(so a kilometer i guess)

― wassup rockers? (M@tt He1ges0n), Wednesday, 15 April 2009 16:05 (sixteen years ago)

They are both REALLY fun to sing.

― fillibustar superstar! (Abbott), Wednesday, 15 April 2009 16:25 (sixteen years ago)

(obligatory reference to Peter Visti remix of "Puttin on the Ritz")

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 15 April 2009 16:45 (sixteen years ago)

this is the biggest mismatch ever IMO, murray head by a southeast asian mile

OTM. "Puttin on the Ritz" is fine and all but "1 Night" is essentially an ABBA song and we all know that in the battle of ABBA vs. anybody, ABBA wins.

― Just one thing I was thinking about as I was getting on the copter (J0hn D.), Wednesday, 15 April 2009 17:15 (sixteen years ago)

ABBA vs Yolk?

― I can sit in my car all day, and that doesn't make me a car. (HI DERE), Wednesday, 15 April 2009 17:18 (sixteen years ago)

This is so weird. Do Taco even consider their version of "Puttin' On the Ritz" definitive? "Bangkok" is ridiculously great.

― Sundar, Wednesday, 15 April 2009 18:51 (sixteen years ago)

"Live Is Life" by Opus is the least funky song ever, but it's also awful. "One night In Bangkok" is great.

― LeRooLeRoo, Wednesday, 15 April 2009 19:04 (sixteen years ago)

eleven years pass...

The first time I heard "Bangkok," I kept making the face that I make when I like something and am also terribly embarrassed by it. No way this song could come out today, but jesus, I still get the chorus in my head every once in a while.

― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Sunday, 20 September 2020 13:53 (five years ago)

I actually did "Bangkok" at karaoke for my bday 2 years ago ... the lyrics on the monitor had a lot of mistakes so I pretty much ignored it ... I will rep for that song and the original cast recording of Chess: The Musical to like everyone ...

― sarahell, Sunday, 20 September 2020 20:14 (five years ago)

it runs through my head at least once most days

― swing out sister: live in new donk city (geoffreyess), Sunday, 20 September 2020 22:18 (five years ago)

and you can't spell murray head without my head

― swing out sister: live in new donk city (geoffreyess), Sunday, 20 September 2020 22:19 (five years ago)

Flute solo!

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 20 September 2020 22:41 (five years ago)

five years pass...

My wife and I just got back from visiting my brother-in-law and his fiancee in Paris. (All of us Americans, they've been in Paris for about 2 years.)

At one point "Puttin on the Ritz" came up in conversation, and they weren't familiar with the Taco version, so I pulled up YouTube. BIG MISTAKE.

After about 45 seconds, the fiancee turned to me and said, totally flat, "What's good about this?"

Which might make her sound like a huge bitch, but she's not, she's.... a dancer at Le Cr@zy H0r$e in Paris. Hard to think of a group less likely to be impressed by Taco's cabaret schtick. Poor guy never stood a chance.

― Tell me who sends these infamous .gifs (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 12 November 2025 23:58 (three months ago)

taco got eaten

― jennyTina (map), Thursday, 13 November 2025 02:30 (three months ago)

today i learned that "one night in bangkok" was from chess, which i have never heard of.

― jennyTina (map), Thursday, 13 November 2025 02:33 (three months ago)

whenever i feel the need to watch a rendition of "puttin on the ritz" it's the young frankenstein version

― jennyTina (map), Thursday, 13 November 2025 02:36 (three months ago)

A friend's kid was in a high-school production of Chess, and all I remember is waiting for "One Night in Bangkok" and then waiting for the show to end.

― the way out of (Eazy), Thursday, 13 November 2025 02:49 (three months ago)

there's a broadway revival of chess opening this week!

― jaymc, Thursday, 13 November 2025 02:56 (three months ago)

she's.... a dancer at Le Cr@zy H0r$e in Paris

also i just gotta share this made me picture a parisian cabaret with a neil young theme

― jennyTina (map), Thursday, 13 November 2025 03:10 (three months ago)

tbf 'one night in bangkok' kinda rules and taco's 'puttin' on the ritz' absolutely doesn't

― mookieproof, Thursday, 13 November 2025 03:13 (three months ago)

Neither rule, but they’re both really fun songs.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 13 November 2025 03:28 (three months ago)

super duper

― andrew m., Thursday, 13 November 2025 15:06 (three months ago)

I think I made up a corny dance routine to the Taco song in junior high … it was the 80s … I still have a fondness for it. One Night in Bangkok also rules …
I read the NYT article about the Chess Musical revival. One of the actors is quoted as saying that you can’t oversing those songs … and I disagree. … It’s one of those odd musicals where they keep rewriting the script and adding new songs. … and most of the changes are not improvements imo.

― sarahell, Thursday, 13 November 2025 16:35 (three months ago)

I actually would be interested to hear those songs done in a more understated almost folky manner, because they are good songs.

― sarahell, Thursday, 13 November 2025 16:36 (three months ago)

At one point "Puttin on the Ritz" came up in conversation, and they weren't familiar with the Taco version, so I pulled up YouTube. BIG MISTAKE.

Thought you were going to mention how the video that came up was the one with the performers in blackface.

― pplains, Thursday, 13 November 2025 16:56 (three months ago)

^^^ my immediate thought also.

― Kim Kimberly, Thursday, 13 November 2025 17:50 (three months ago)

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