Mie Nakao -- Bye Bye Birdie（バイ・バイ・バーディー）

 

Well, let's see...Ann-Margret started off the article for "Begin the Beguine" when I posted it a couple of days ago, and now she's launching this article for "Bye Bye Birdie". I guess out of courtesy then, her name is gonna have to be entered into Labels, especially when I'm planning to have her spearhead a ROY article sometime in the foreseeable future. Welcome aboard, Ann!

In any case, I remember this movie showing up one lazy Sunday afternoon on one of the Buffalo affiliates and it starts off with Ann-Margret's Kim MacAfee singing her heart out for the titular theme of the 1963 comedy "Bye Bye Birdie". Couldn't get more lovelorn bobbysoxer teen than Kim as she vocally pines for her idol, Conrad Birdie. Didn't see the movie end-to-end so I didn't know that a slightly more grown-up Kim sings the theme again to end things.

Back in the 50s and 60s, the earliest aidoru, whether men or women, were usually covering Japanese-language versions of the American and British pop hits. As such, "Bye Bye Birdie" got its cover out in October 1963 and it was recorded by a teenaged Mie Nakao（中尾ミエ）as she also belts it out of the stands. Unfortunately, I couldn't find out who had taken care of the Japanese lyrics.

To emphasize how much time has flown by since Nakao provided hits such as "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Kawaii Baby"（可愛いベイビー）, she's now 78 years old (and still plenty feisty). I actually saw her last night on an NHK edutainment show focusing on senior citizens with the theme being on shared houses. Somehow, I'm not sure if I can really imagine her sharing a house with anyone, though.