YAO LEE is gone -- Sang Original CHINESE version of Frankie Laine's "ROSE ROSE I LOVE YOU"

We all know that Frank Sinatra's "My Way" was originally a French song, and "Mack the Knife" was originally German. But can you name a hit song that was originally Chinese? Now you can. 

Until you hear the late (as of today) Yao Lee's high-voiced version, you wouldn't have even thought that Frankie Laine's "Rose, Rose I Love You" had an Asian melody. It seemed more like some dopey number you'd find in "Paint Your Wagon" or "Oklahoma." 

Méiguì méiguì wǒ ài nǐ  with lyrics by Wu Cun and music by Lin Mei, DROPPED (as we Millennials now call it) in 1940. In 1951, British lyricist Wilfrid Thomas turned it into "Rose, Rose I Love You," and Frankie Laine took it to #3 on the Billboard charts. The original was also released on Columbia, with Yao Lee billed as "Miss Hue Lee." (Her real name was Yáo Xiùyún: September 3 1922 – July 19, 2019).

In an ironic twist, Yao Lee was almost considered the Mandarin Peggy Lee, but instead, she began to emulate Patti Page. From the somewhat shrill 78's of the 1940's, her voice deepened and in the 50's, her recordings had a richer tone.  (Well, Gee, even Sinatra's Columbia high voice turned more rugged on Capitol). You can hear the difference in Lee's style as you listen to  "The Spring Breeze Kisses My Face," which opens with an homage to Grieg's "Morning," from the Peer Gynt Suite.

   
China, now RED China, did not appreciate Western influences in their music, and began to ban anything that wasn't a march. Or a traditional melody. In the 50's, Yao Lee re-located to Hong Kong where she could continue singing the kind of music she liked. She continued to record hundreds of songs through the late 1960's, and ultimately retired around 1975. 

While she may be unknown to the English speaking world, her music is still very popular in the Far East, and with new interest in Asian culture, some references to her have appeared in recent films and TV shows. The movie "Crazy Rich Asians" included her song "Ren Sheng Jiu Shi Xi" as background music in one scene. Fans today are saying, "Yao, Yao...we love you."