Trego's Mountain Ear

One of the great things about the internet and youtube is the availability of songs once lost forever in the past.  As a small boy, when Dad’s ship (The General J. C. Breckenridge – AP 176) would steam out, she would leave the dock to the song Shina No Yoru.  The title translates to China nights, or the nights of China – the song was recorded in 1938 by Hamako Watanabe.

I think it was played when Japanese troop transports steamed out for China in those early years of World War II.  The song was closely enough associated with the Japanese military that she did a year in a POW camp before being sent back to Yokohama.   Her 1950 version is online at HAMAKO WATANABE  – SHINA NO YORU  -78RPM COLUMBIA JAPAN 1950 – it was picked up by American GI’s as they moved across the Sea of Japan for duty in Korea – and their lack of fluency in Japanese resulted in the mistranslation “She Ain’t Got No YoYo”.  Somehow the Japanese song became the song played as  the Breckenridge pulled away from the pier as she left the West Coast for Japan.

The picture was taken after 1955 – I know, because in 1955, the ship was taken in for work (she lost her armament) and Dad headed with family for shore duty in Tacoma . . . a base loaded with decommissioned ships, but nowhere playing Shina No Yoru.  Before Dad was assigned to Breckenridge, she had brought my cousins to the East Coast as my uncle was assigned back stateside from occupation duty in Germany. 

It’s nice to be able to listen to the song again.  Click the link – you may enjoy it too.