Kyu Sakamoto - China Nights (Shina No Yoru) 1963 45rpm

[TheEx3rgj]

yes brian mathews played this on sounds of the sixties last saturday, i loved it , thanks for posting.

[hebburnmag]

I too was listening to radio 2 must have been the same day as i would,nt have thought this song would be played that often..liked it so much thought i,d search for it and there it was. Love it .

[MrMendonca007]

VERY BEAUTIFUL AND NICE SONG

IVAN MENDONCA

INDIA

[silvicurlytop]

i loveee this version !my father has an old cassette with a more beautiful one though !!! is sang buy a little girl with other children Corus is wonderful! i'll upload it soon!

[SuperOratan]

The best song of Kyu for me ....very very beautiful song Thank you so much.

[Flickchaser]

What memories this triggers!(1962) In a bar,late at night, Kin Village, Okinawa, outside camp Hansen (USMC). Discovered this on their juke box sung by a female vocalist.Fed that box over and over till they would throw me(and my drink)out at closing time.Fell in love w/the Japanese & Okinawan peoples. They had so little materially then but they had heart my friend real heart. How warm they were to me.Got back to the states,no one was intrested in their music or culture so I quit sharing.Thnx much

[dukedopudja]

Of all the songs and music I heard while training and serving in Japan and Korea,this is the one I remember the best.I still listen to it,because it brings back so many memories of my friends and comrades as we heard the Chinese play this on the front lines in 1953.

[JohnBullard036]

This song played over and over and over on Armed Forces Radio in Korea 1953

[ynjlky7121]

Strangely enough, this song was UNRELEASED here in Japan until 2004 when the "Kyu Sakamoto's Memorial Best " CD was released. Probably Toshiba-EMI(nowadays EMI Music Japan) thought it sounded too Chinese for us Japanese.

[AllBobsAllTheTime]

This was originally a song of the Japanese occupation of China, if I recall.

[MrVampiredog]

WONDERFUL

[TillDog65]

i have a japanese music jewlery box that has this song as the tune, im glad i got to hear it because the music box in it broken and i wasnt able to listen to it. A note from the original owner says what tune it is supposed to be and i am grateful because it is a very pretty song and it is a good way for someone as young as i am to learn about some parts of the past. thank you so much for putting up the song.

[mrspenn1611]

@TillDog65 this is haunting. I was born in RAF Changi Singapore back in 55. On return to the UK I noticed that we used to have an oriental jewel box that played this beautiful little tune. As time went by the box broke and was thrown away. I often wondered what the tune was and then, this morning on BBC Radio 2, it was on and being played. Happy days. Now I feel like I have been reunited with my youth . . . .

[theorderoforange]

she aint got no yoyo

[solomonsze]

I like this song very much, also the English, anyone knows the English script?

[graduatedan]

I don't recall hearing this on the radion in 1963, unlike Sukyaki, which was hard to avoid hearing. I've always liked Sukyaki and have grown to love this sweet,fragile tune.Thanks for posting.

[My8883]

RIP. Nice song.

[yneeh018]

i just like the piano tune of this !!!1

[ShintaHimura9]

非常に良い曲

[ItalianWiseguy55]

Heard it for the first time tonight, can't get enough. Bring back the stars of the 50's & 60's, the music is not the same.

[usenetposts]

Just a few bars in and I thought it was promising, but having listened to the lot I think it's absolutely subarashii.

[masterhide]

@usenetposts Subarashii ne... I like dance now.

[Walt554]

I remember this song from the mid 50's when I was in Korea.  Being young GI's we called it, 'She ain't got no YoYo'. It took me this long to find it. Thanks...

[Shodansixtyone]

This is still a beautiful song - Was very big in the 50's - It reminds me of my time at the Kodokan in Japan - It was also one of my Mothers favorite songs. A real classic.

[kh5744]

Calm down, "millionaire394c". The song and the lyrics are from the 1930s when -- yes -- things weren't seen as they are today.

[millionaire394c]

"Shina" or 支那 is highly offensive racist term for China.

[masaaki63]

このシングルはアメリカだけの発売では。初めて聞きました。坂本­九さんの支那の夜、素晴らしい。

[ShintaHimura9]

@masaaki63 どのように良い

[syiu222]

The song Sukiyaki wasn't make famous by Taste of Honey (What a terrible remake!), Kyu's own version made it to Billboard No.1 in 1963. The only Japanese song ever done that. The song is about a man walking with his head down feeling low, nothing to do with the deef dish.

[GonzoGuyy]

@syiu222 I thought the guy was walking with his head up. "I look up so my tears don't fall." I have read several places that is the rough translation of the Japanese to English.

[swhyiu]

@GonzoGuyy Hey thanks for clearing it up. Nevertheless Sukiyaki is the only Asian song that hit the US No. 1 and there are stamps issued in Japan for the song and Kyo Sakamoto. Just marvelous!

[ComedyAgony]

The guy singing the song on this video died in a plane crash in 1985 on a Japanese Airline and before leaving on his trip he left his wife a good bye note.  It's like he knew he was going to die. SCARRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was 43 yrs old when he died. He also wrote the famous song called Sukiyaki made famous by the group Taste of Honey in the 1970's

[Snowcat1521316]

Japanese.

[wonderfuldummy]

I love this song very much and it reminds me a lot of good old days. When this music played, my dad and mom danced together........

[Veevid4u]

Actually, Ue Wo Muite Arukou (aka Sukiyaki) is a different song, also sung by Kyu Sakamoto. Please see my vid "Sukiyaki song: Ue O Muite Arukou, with Lyrics" to hear it, and maybe have fun singing along. Enjoy!

[Tok2Beth]

Lovely classic - reminds me of the good old days. Happy tune and may you R.I.P. Kyu...

Also love the 1963 hit - Sukiyaki. Both are my old time favourite.

[adoganddoug]

remember this song from RAND R IN TOKYO

[jt123egypte]

Better listen to the great version of George de Fretes and the Royal Hawaiian Minstrels!

[alanjazzfan]

Great song and a great artists.

[dynasue77]

Nice song from the orient. I've heard his song Sukiaki many times and this one is just as good. I'd like to get the CD of his music or the 45 single of this song.

[Polyphemus47]

There is a boxed set available of Kyu's recordings. His voice is magical. Enchanting.

[suratnicol]

This was kept popular by waves of GIs passing through Japan during the occupation and the Korean War. 

Old Soldier

[Polyphemus47]

Some of the GIs nicknamed it "She Ain't Got No YoYo". :)

[Carl6231]

I researched the song and it was called Sukiyaki. Great classic song from the 1960's!!!

[vandywilliam]

What a great follow-up to "Sukiyaki" this was! It's among my all-time favorite songs.

[sonoNEKO]

It was called Ue wo Muite Arukou.　Sukiyaki is a kind of Japanese beef dish...

[Carl6231]

This is a very interesting song. What is amazing is that it is on the Capital record label. This song reminds me of the very popular song that became a hit here in the States. I believe this gentleman sang that song too and I believe the song's title was "You stole your heart away from me"

Great singer for sure.

[sonoNEKO]

That was Ue wo Muite Arukou

[Sugarbaby1011314]

Kyu Sakamoto rocks!

[manyfund]

Great song forever .

[Georgewos]

This song was made popular in 1940 in the movie China Nights by Shirley Yamaguchi, She made many movies in Manchuria, China, Japan and America under many different names.

[Polyphemus47]

Thank you! I've loved this song since I first heard Kyu's version in 1963, and have a Japanese 78 version that must date back to the time of the film.

[vandywilliam]

This was such a beautiful follow-up to his No. 1 hit "Sukiyaki." It only reached No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the autumn of 1963, but it's one of my all-time favorites.

[PJDooWop]

He had an amazing voice. I love his unique use of vibrato.