BESAME MUCHO

Created on 20/11/2008
Latest update on 27/06/2023

Artist: Emilio Tuero
Author: Consuelo Velázquez
Year: 1941

Mexican baritone and actor. The female composer was also Mexican. Opening line came from Spanish opera Goyescas (1916) by Enrique Velazquez, more precisely from aria La Maja y el Ruiseñor (The Girl And The Nightingale), inspired by a painting of Francisco Goya (see footnote).

Covers:

1941:

Chela Campos

1942:

Trio Servando Diaz [vocal trio from Cuba for Victor in Puerto Rico]

1942:

Reinaldo Henriquez

1942:

Johnny Rodriguez [in New York for Decca]

1943:

Jimmy Dorsey [n°1 US; vocal: Bob Eberle & Kitty Kallen; English lyrics: Sunny Skylar]

1944:

Andy Russell [top 10 US]

1945:

Xavier Cugat

1945:

Tino Rossi

1945:

Marie-Jose [in French]

1951:

Pedro Infante [in film A Toda Maquina]

1953:

Artie Shaw

1953:

Lucho Gatica [best remembered Spanish version]

1954:

Arthur Rubinstein [as The Maiden And The Nightingale from Goyescas]

1955:

Dick Hyman

1955:

Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé [hit B]

1958:

Richard Berry

1958:

Caterina Valente

1960:

Flamingos

1960:

Coasters [instrumental B-side starring King Curtis inspired the Jet Harris version]

1960:

Wes Montgomery

1961:

Ben E. King

1962:

Jet Harris [Shadows bassist; hit UK]

1962:

Beatles [with Pete Best]

1962:

Yvonne Carré [as Küss Mich Beim Bossa Nova]

1963:

Cliff Richard

1963:

Julie London

1967:

Mina

1973:

Pete Seeger

1973:

Apollo 100 [as instrumental; ripping off Jet Harris' version; hit NL]

1976:

Dalida

1976:

Dennie Christian

1979:

Persuasions

1982:

Carmen McRae [with Cal Tjader]

1982:

Paco Paco

1984:

Christophe [as Dernier baiser]

1990:

Placido Domingo

1991:

Gonzalo Rubalcaba [with Charlie Haden & Jack DeJohnette for Blue Note]

1993:

Koen Crucke

1996:

David Linx

2000:

Laura Fygi

2000:

João Gilberto & Caetano Veloso

2001:

Diana Krall

2006:

Andrea Bocelli

2009:

Harry Connick Jr.

2013:

Natalie Cole [with Andrea Bocelli]

2017:

Yoonie Han [plays Granados' Goyescas on Steinway piano]

Goyescas didn't receive the success it deserved. The opera was created in Paris in 1914, but the première was cancelled when WW I broke out. So the creation was postponed and moved to the Metropolitan in New York, where it was first staged in 1916, with composer Granados and a cast of famous European singers. Their triumph was well deserved but short: on the way back their ship was torpedoed by the Germans along the coast of France. A few survived, but Granados sank like a stone. As paper money was a risky currency in war circumstances, he had been paid in full gold in America, which he probably kept around his waist.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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