Bésame Mucho

Consuelo Velazquez is one of Mexico's two famous women songwriters (her distinguished colleaque being Maria Grever). A concert pianist as well as a popular artist, she wrote "Bésame Mucho" in 1941, and it first reached American audiences through Jimmy Dorsey's 1944 hit recording featuring vocals by Kitty Kallen and Bob Eberly, with English lyrics by Sunny Skylar. [As an aside: The Ol'Kunnel made much sport of the English title translation of "Bésame Mucho." He'd ask a sweet young thing to translate the title. She'd say, "Kiss Me Much." The Ol'Kunnel would oblige. (grin)] The disc sold well over a million copies, but a test recording by the young Andy Russell, released that same year, was a big surprise. Andy's bilingual version, sung in his warm and intimate style, made it a jukebox winner and started him on a successful career.


	As a young Naval Aviation Cadet I spent about four days in New York City awaiting assignment to Naval pre-Flight school. It was a four hour wait to get into the theater where Frank Sinatra was appearing, so I opted to see Jimmy Dorsey. I was up in the third balcony of a very packed theater. (after a two hour wait to get in) Jimmy put on a great show, and the drummer "Gene Kruppa" (sp?) was a guest star. He had just gotten out of prison on a "Pot"charge. He held the audience spellbound with a drum number using a match box, and two kitchen matches held close to a microphone. On the last lick of the number he lit the matches. Jimmy Dorsey was married to movie actress Patricia Dane at the time, and he brought her out on to the stage and introduced her. She was wearing a full length mink coat, high heel shoes, and had a small bandage across the top of one of her feet. She gratefully acknowledged the "Hand" the crowd gave her. as she slowly walked off the stage her limp gave her a very provocative swing of her hips. The huge theater was almost deathly silent as a crowd of mostly servicemen watched her. Suddenly someone gave a low wolf whistle, and the crowd exploded in applause and laughter. Jimmy rose to the occasion by saying "Not bad eh ? And with a trombone yet." Remmel aka the Storyteller...

09:50 7/6/2004 (update)