A Deep Dive Into 'Bésame Mucho'

We Look At One Of The Most Famous Songs In Music

What does a classic Bollywood film, The Beatles and one of the most well known Mexican compositions in history have in common?

That’s the peculiar question I answered myself when doing a deep dive into Bésame Mucho (Kiss Me a Lot), the popular Spanish bolero famously performed by the very early Beatles in their Hamburg / Cavern Club days. I’ve always loved the song and their version, and just a little bit of exploration into the song’s history helped me understand why.

And also made me realize I’d heard it before. Kind of!

Written in 1932 by Consuelo Velázquez, the song is one of the most popular songs of the 20th Century and, perhaps, the most important song in Latin music history. Billboard recognized the song as one of the most important Spanish songs of all time.

In 1944, Nat King Cole released an English language version of the song which opened the floodgates. Besides the Beatles, artists that have recorded a cover include Connie Francis, Frank Sinatra, Chris Isaak, Diana Krall, Sammy Davis Jr., Ray Conniff and Tommy Dorsey.

Here’s the official music video from the Mexican rock band Zoé, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2012 -

Here’s a gorgeous version from about ten years ago by Los Panchos!

Here’s a smooth as silk version released just 13 days ago by Saxophonist Alexandra Ilieva -

Finally, here’s a metal / goth version recorded in 2020 by Charro Calavera -

Which do you like the best? There are literally thousands of versions on YouTube!

So, did I mention Bollywood? Right! It occurred to me that I actually own another version of the song, which was released in 1965 as a famous track in the Bollywood romantic comedy Jab Jab Phool Khile (Whenever the Flowers Bloomed).

Performed by the sublime Nanda and sung by one of Bollywood’s greatest singers, Lata Mangeshkar, the track is a variation of the original Besame Mucho. In it, the poor Kashmiri boatman Raja (Shashi Kapoor) comes upon the wealthy but dissatisfied tourist Rita singing the song on a balcony and he, of course, falls in love with her.

I love everything about this version and I knew it sounded familiar. Lata’s voice is to cry for here -

Anyway, that’s my deep dive for the day. I urge you to go to YouTube and find a version that appeals to you!