Born Andres Rabaj… Read Full Bio ↴Andy Russell (September 16, 1919 - April 16, 1992)
Born Andres Rabajos in Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents, Andy Russell (who took his professional name from one of his idols, Russ Columbo,) acheived his greatest U.S. popularity in the 1940s. As with Columbo and Bing Crosby before him, he started out singing with Gus Arnheim's orchestra at the Cocoanut Grove, but, at only 13, he was so young that Arnheim had to become his legal guardian to permit him to travel out of state.
Possessed of a romantic baritone voice, he sang songs in English and Spanish, his biggest hits being Amor and Besame Mucho (Capitol: 1945). In 1946, he was asked to take the place of Frank Sinatra on the pop music radio program "Your Hit Parade" ( for which Sinatra returned in 1947) which led to increased popularity for the singer. In the early 1950's, Russell appeared on early television with "Your Show Of Shows" with Sid Caesar for NBC, but recorded less frequently. By the early 50's, however, his hits had stopped and Capitol Records began to lose interest in him. Realizing that he commanded more popularity in Mexico than the U.S. he began performing there more frequently.
In the late 1950s, he re-located to Mexico City, and then to Argentina where he had a successful variety show that ran for seven years. He remained a U.S. citizen, however, and still made appearences in the U.S. from time to time. Capitol's Latin American affiliated labels released new material by Andy in the 1960s, after his stint with RCA Victor. He also recorded for Orfeon.
Andy returned to the United States in the late 60s and released two more albums for the parent Capitol label, one of which featured a Billboard Easy Listening Chart hit in 1968. It was a "cover" of label-mate Wynn Stewart's Country hit, It's Such a Pretty World Today, and served as the title song for the LP. Andy also appeared on public television fundraising specials well into the 1980s.
Andy was especially proud of receiving an award from "Nosotros" magazine, acknowledging his special achievements as the first bilingual singer to reach the top of the charts with an Anglo audience and to popularize Latin American songs. He surely paved the way for many other Latino singers, including Vikki Carr and even Ricky Martin!
Andy passed away in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 72.
BĂ©same Mucho
Andy Russell Lyrics
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Andy Russell
Besame, Besame Mucho,
Each time I cling to your kiss,
I hear music divine,
Besame Mucho,
Hold me, my darling,
This joy is something new,
My arms enfolding you,
Never knew this thrill before,
Whoever thought
I'd be holding you close to me,
Whispering "You, I adore",
Dearest one,
If you should ever leave me,
Each little dream would take wing.
And my life would be through,
Besame Mucho,
Love me forever, and make all my dreams come true.
From: Trever girlfriendvideo@webtv.net (Girlfriend Productions)
The lyrics of Andy Russell's song Besame Mucho (meaning "Kiss me a lot" in Spanish) are an expression of the intense love of the singer for his partner. The first line, "Each time I cling to your kiss, I hear music divine" suggests that the kiss is the source of all the emotions and feelings that the singer has for his partner. He asks his partner to hold him and assure him that she will always be with him. For the singer, the experience of holding his partner is new and he is amazed by the thrill that he is experiencing. He never thought that he would be holding his partner so close to him and whispering "You, I adore". The singer expresses his fear of losing his partner, stating that each little dream would take wing and his life would be over if she ever left him.
The singer's emotions are expressed through the use of romantic and passionate language. The repetition of the phrase "Besame Mucho" in the chorus adds to the intensity of the song. The desire of the singer to be loved forever and for all his dreams to come true is an affirmation of the power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Besame, Besame Mucho,
Kiss me, kiss me a lot
Each time I cling to your kiss,
Every time I hold onto your kiss,
I hear music divine,
I feel a divine kind of music playing,
Besame Mucho,
Kiss me a lot,
Hold me, my darling,
Embrace me, my beloved,
And say that you'll always be mine.
And promise that you’ll always be mine.
This joy is something new,
This happiness is a new feeling for me,
My arms enfolding you,
As I hold you in my arms,
Never knew this thrill before,
I have never felt this kind of excitement before,
Whoever thought
I never expected
I'd be holding you close to me,
That I would be holding you so close to me,
Whispering "You, I adore",
Whispering that I adore you,
Dearest one,
My dearest love,
If you should ever leave me,
If you were to ever leave me,
Each little dream would take wing.
Each little dream I have would disappear.
And my life would be through,
And my life would be over,
Besame Mucho,
Kiss me a lot,
Love me forever, and make all my dreams come true.
Love me forever and make all my dreams a reality.
Contributed by Ruby P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rod Nicholson
I love this song, with the English, Spanish blend. Exquisite! Great work!
joseph alexander gemmell
andy russell didn't think he sang well in spanish, according to many quotes. it was his manager's idea. GOOD IDEA! i love his sound, and he did a lot to keep capitol afloat with his hits in the 40's. he had a long career, working also in mexico and argentina. one of my favorites!
John Sientz
Andy was the first pop singer to deliver a song in both English and Spanish. This record gave that upstart Hollywood label named Capitol one of its first big hits ... how fitting it was by a 24 year old young fellow from Boyle Heights.
David Jackson
Herb Alpert's, Phil Spector's among other great's neighborhood. Did not know that about Capitol. Love the building.
Maria Perez
Beautiful. He had a melodic voice.
I remember as a kid I saw a movie with him, he sang. He was good looking with plenty of charms. I read he admire Dick Powell, who was a crooner, also one of my favorite from that era.❤🎶
Tomppa Leinonen
Thank you, this is so lovely song!
Narayan Gautam
excellent !!
Arjun Sensharma
i heard this song in Beverly hills Chihuahua 2