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Thanks for reading. If you would like to know more, there is a great webpage on this story with lyrics and images here: 78rpmshellacroundabout.com/rose-rose-i-...

74 years later, it is tempting to see the song’s sudden popularity as evidence of the world’s attention turning eastward in the early 1950s, albeit the Western gaze was still informed by colonial-era Orientalist ideas about China and SE Asia, as evidenced by Shanghai Rose's transformations. (7/8)

The song’s sudden popularity came only two years after the Communist takeover of China in 1949. By that time Yao Li had fled into exile in Hong Kong, but Chen Gexin (pictured) remained in mainland China. He was tragically persecuted for his bourgeois background and died in a labour camp. (6/8)

Alternate English lyrics in Petula Clark’s May 1951 version restored Rose to China, albeit the ‘fairest flower of China’ was now a resident of ‘Old Peking’:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mvg... (5/8)

Rival English-language covers were soon recorded. The most successful was Frankie Laine's version, with lyrics by Wilfrid Thomas. Their ‘Rose’ became a ‘Flower of Malaya’, an ‘Eastern Rose’ with ‘almond eyes’, ‘fragrant and slender ‘neath tropical skies’ :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV4a... (4/8)

A copy of the record had been brought back from Asia by BBC broadcaster Wilfrid Thomas and played on his show Record Rendezvous, prompting listeners to request replays. You can hear Yao's version of the song here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP0d... (3/8)

The song had been recorded by Yao Li, ‘the Silver Voice’ of Shanghai, in 1940. It had been composed by Chen Gexin (陳歌辛), a prolific ‘golden age’ songwriter. The titular Rose was ‘dainty’ and ‘fragrant’, but strong of heart and possessing of sharp thorns. (2/8)