Known as Juan Garcia Esquivel, Juan García Esquivel, Esquivel and Esquivel!… Read Full Bio ↴Known as Juan Garcia Esquivel, Juan García Esquivel, Esquivel and Esquivel!

Juan García Esquivel (January 20, 1918 – January 3, 2002) was a Mexican band leader, pianist, and composer for television and films. He is recognized today as one of the foremost exponents of a sophisticated style of largely instrumental music that combines elements of lounge music and jazz with Latin flavors. Esquivel is sometimes called "The King of Space Age Pop" and "The Busby Berkeley of Cocktail Music." Esquivel is considered one of the foremost exponents of a style of late 1950s-early 1960s quirky instrumental pop that became known (in retrospect) as "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music".

He was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas, and his family moved to Mexico City in 1928 where he studied at the UNAM.
Esquivel is considered the king of a style of late 1950s-early 1960s quirky instrumental pop known today as lounge music. Esquivel's musical style was highly idiosyncratic, and although elements sound like his contemporaries, many stylistic traits distinguished his music and made it instantly recognizable, including exotic percussion, wordless vocals, virtuoso piano runs, and exaggerated dynamic shifts. He used many jazz-like elements; however, other than his piano solos, there is no improvisation, and the works are tightly, meticulously arranged by Esquivel himself, who considered himself a perfectionist as a composer, performer, and recording artist.
His orchestration tended toward the very lush, employing novel instrumental combinations, such as Chinese bells, mariachi bands, whistling, and numerous percussion instruments, blended with orchestra, mixed chorus, and his own heavily-ornamented piano style. The chorus was often called upon to sing only nonsense syllables, most famously "zu-zu" and "pow!" A survey of Esquivel's recordings reveals a fondness for glissandi, sometimes on a half-valved trumpet, sometimes on a kettle drum, but most frequently on pitched percussion instruments and slide guitars.
Esquivel's use of stereo recording was legendary, occasionally featuring two bands recording simultaneously in separate studios, such as on his album Latin-Esque (1962). The song "Mucha Muchacha" makes particularly mind-bending use of the separation, with the chorus and brass rapidly alternating stereo sides.
He arranged many traditional Mexican songs like "Bésame Mucho", "La Bamba", "El Manisero" (Cuban/Mexican) and "La Bikina"; covered Brazilian songs like "Aquarela do Brasil" (also known simply as "Brazil") by Ary Barroso, "Surfboard" and "Agua de Beber" by Tom Jobim, and composed spicy lounge-like novelties such as "Mini Skirt", "Yeyo", "Latin-Esque", "Mucha Muchacha" and "Whatchamacallit". He was commissioned to compose the music of a Mexican children's TV show Odisea Burbujas.
His concerts also featured elaborate light shows years before effects like that became popular in live music. He performed in Las Vegas on several occasions, often as the opening act for Frank Sinatra.
Several compilations of Esquivel's music were issued starting with Space Age Bachelor Pad Music in 1994. The apparent success of these releases led to reissues of several of Esquivel's albums. The first reissues were compiled by Irwin Chusid, who also produced the first CD reissues of Raymond Scott and The Langley Schools Music Project.
The last recording on which Esquivel worked was Merry Christmas from the Space-Age Bachelor Pad in 1996, for which he did a voiceover on a track by the band Combustible Edison. This album also included several obscure tracks from his past sessions. The last CD released during his lifetime, See It In Sound, was actually recorded in 1960, but was not released at the time because the record company believed it would not be commercially successful. When finally released in 1998, it exhibited very unusual and introspective stylings absent from his other works, including a version of "Brazil", played as a musical soundscape of a man bar-hopping where the band plays different renditions of "Brazil" at each bar.
Esquivel also worked as a composer for Revue Productions/Universal Television; where he scored the TV western series "The Tall Man," and wrote the familiar Revue/Universal TV logo fanfare.

Tribute performances (current)

Jan 14, 2011 Boston - Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica - CD Release for "The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel"
Mar 18, 2011 New York City - Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica - CD Release for "The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel" (first-ever live performance of Esquivel's big band studio orchestra music in NYC)

Influences
Kronos Quartet recorded a string quartet arrangement of Esquivel's song "Mini Skirt" for their album Nuevo.

Nature Boy
Esquivel Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'Nature Boy' by these artists:

101 Strings Orchestra & Singers There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Aaron Neville There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy They say…
Abbey Lincoln There was a boy, A very strange, rejected boy, They…
Alessandro Safina; Ewan McGregor This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
Andrew VanWyngarden There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Angela McCluskey There was a boy A very strange Enchanted boy They say he …
Annie Haslam There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Aziza Mustafa Zadeh The greatest thing you'll ever learn Is just to love and…
Benson George There was a boy Very strange Enchanted boy; They say be wand…

Big Star There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Bowie David & Massive Attack This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
Bruno Pelletier There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
C. Veloso There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Carlo and The Band There was a boy a very strange enchanted boy They say…
Céline Dion There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Central line There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Cole Nat 'King' There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Cole Natalie There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Craig Armstrong This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
Darin Bobby There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
David This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
David Bowie ''This story is about love The woman I loved is dead'' Ther…
David Bowie & Massive Attack This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
David Bowie Massive Attack This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
David Bowie/Massive Attack This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
Dawid Bowie and Massive Attack There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Demis Roussos There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy. They say he…
Douglas GamleyAndBob Docker Twin Pianos And Orchestra There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Duane Stephenson Bombs over back that no peace for Palestine Gunshot in kaabo…
Eden Ahbez There was a boy A very strange and chanted boy They said…
Ella Fitzgerald There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They say he…
Ellen Dedrick There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Engelbert Humperdinck There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy. They say …
Esquivel and His Orchestra There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Etta Jones NATURE BOY There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They…
Ewan McGregor This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
Fabio Accardi There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Frank Sinatra & The Jeff Alexander Choir There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Frankie Ervin There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They say he…
Freedy Johnston Waiting for Nature Boy After falling out of bed Pressed hi…
Gandalf There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy. They say …
George Benson There was a boy Very strange Enchanted boy; They say be wand…
Grace Slick There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Halie Loren & Matt Treder There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy. They say he…
Harry Connick Jr. There was a boy A very strange enchanged boy They say he…
Hugh Coltman There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Impressions There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
J. Calandrelli There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They say he…
James Brown Sometimes I get a little lonely And sometimes I get a…
Jamie And The J. Silvia Singers There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They say he…
Jang Keun Suk Doom doom doom doom doom... Doom doom doom doom doom... Loo…
Jason Gould There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Jay & The Americans There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They say he…
Jeffrey Osborne There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Joe Pass There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They say he…
Joe Pass & J.J. Johnson There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They say he…
Joey Aronskind I really wanna be your nature boy (like that?) Just don't…
John Coltrane There was a boy A very strange Enchanted boy They say he…
John Owen-Jones There was a boy, A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Johnny Mathis & Natalie Cole There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Judith Edelman Is it just another day at work in the machine Living…
Kalan There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Karrin Allyson There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy. They say he…
Kerli There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They said he…
King Cole Trio There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Kurt Elling NATURE BOY There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy T…
Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett - www.musicasparabaixar.org There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Leonard Nimoy There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Lincoln Abbey There was a boy, A very strange, rejected boy, They…
Lindha Kallerdahl There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Lisa Ekdahl There was a boy, A very small enchated boy. They say he…
Lizz Wright There was a boy A very strange Enchanted boy They say he wan…
Lorez Alexandria There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Mariama There was a boy A somehow strange, enchanted boy They say he…
Marvin Gaye NAT KING COLE LYRICS Nature Boy :Artist: Nat King Cole -f…
Massive Attack There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Massive Attack & David Bowie This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
Massive Attack And Bjork There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Massive Attack and David Bowie This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
Mina There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Mirabilis There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Moss & Jones True and living, I ain't never heard of limits Nigga's liste…
Moulin Rouge This story is about Love, the woman I Loved is…
moulin rouge. There was a boy …
Moulin_Rouge This story is about Love, the woman I Loved is…
My Ruin There was a boy, A very strange enchanted boy, They say he…
Nana Mouskouri There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy. They say …
Nat There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Natalie Cole There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Nick Cave I was just a boy when I sat down To watch…
Nick Cave & Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds I was just a boy when I sat down To watch…
Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
Nnenna Freelon There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Nuno Freitas There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Philip Bailey There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy. They say …
Pomplamoose There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy They say…
Powderfinger Yeah So much for nature boy, he's moving slowly He's keepi…
Primus I pull the blinds then I take my clothes off Dance…
Radka Toneff There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Radka Toneff & Steve Dobrogosz There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They said he…
Ranee Lee There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Sarah Vaughan There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy They say…
Shirley Bassey There was a boy... A very strange enchanted boy. They say …
SNICK Foley WOO Walk out strutting like I'm Ric Flair WOO Walk out strut…
Steve Dobrogosz There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They said he…
Susy Kane There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
The This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
The "King" Cole Trio There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
The Great Society (with Grace Slick) There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
The King Cole Trio There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
The Nat There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
The Nat King Cole Trio There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
The Real Group There was a boy A very STRANGE ENCHANTED boy. They say he…
Toneff Radka There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They said he…
Tony Bennett There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Tony Bennett; Lady Gaga There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
V6 どこかで聴こえてるラジオから白い波が心のBLUE(憂鬱)をさらってくれるのに誰か逢いにきてくれるまでひと…
Wild Beasts Here comes a boy of all your dreams Fists and fingers…
Wild Beasts㐀 Here comes a boy of all your dreams Fists and fingers…
Will Martin There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
Zoot Sims And His Orchestra There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…
♫♪David Bowie And Massive Attack This story is about love The woman I loved is dead There…
席琳狄翁 Celine Dion There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy. They say he…
羅大佑 There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he…

We have lyrics for these tracks by Esquivel:

05 Who's Sorry Now Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's heart is aching for …
05 Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's heart is aching fo…
09 MAGIC IS THE MOONLIGHT Magic is the moonlight On this lover's dream night As I se…
All Of Me What would I do without your smart mouth Drawing me in,…
Amor Amemos cada segundo juntos Nunca sabemos cuando parar Un te …
Autumn Leaves The falling leaves drift by the window The autumn leaves of…
Begin the Beguine When they begin the beguine It brings back the sound of…
Bye Bye Blues I got a big surprise when I saw you smile I…
Canadian Sunset Once I was alone So lonely and then You came, out of…
Carioca geudongan eotteoke jinaenni mureobojin motaetji geujeo eosae…
Dancing in the Dark Dancing in the dark Dancing in the dark Dancing in the dark…
I Get a Kick out of You I get no kick from champagne, Mere alcohol, Doesn't thrill…
It Had to Be You It had to be you, it had to be you. I…
Johnson Rag Johnson Flood Mississippi Mud Black Bottom I got 'em Lindy …
Lullaby of Birdland Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I Always hear when you…
Magic Is the Moonlight Magic is the moonlight On this lover's dream night As I see…
Misirlou Desert shadows creep across purple sands. Natives kneel in p…
Mucha Muchacha mucha muchacha hello muchacha oh, hello muchacha no no, me…
My Reverie Our love is a dream, but in my reverie I can…
Rhapsody In Blue (Story about a girl) (Story about the world) Suddenly …
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town I just came back from a lovely trip along the…
Speak Low Speak low when you speak, love, Our summer day withers away …
Street of Dreams Midnight, you heavy laden, it's midnight Come on and trade i…
That Old Black Magic Old black magic has me in its spell Old black magic…
The 3rd Man Theme When a zither starts to play You'll remember yesterday In it…
The Christmas Song Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at you…
The Third Man Theme When a zither starts to play You'll remember yesterday In it…
Time on My Hands When the day fades away into twilight The moon is my…
Whatchamacallit Do, do-do Do, do-do Do, do-do Do, do-do Do, do-do Do, do-do …
Who's Sorry Now Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's heart is aching for …
Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's heart is aching fo…

Who's Sorry Now Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's heart is aching for …

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS