The Beatles‘ fans have been passionately hoping for new music from the band ever since their breakup. Even though deceased, George Harrison and John Lennon’s bond prompts fans to search the internet for remnants of their collaboration. They look for any remnant of a song they may have recorded back in their heyday. Paul McCartney was hesitant for some of the material to be heard by the public. However, the majority of the band’s oddities would end up on their Anthology project.
The Beatles did not intend Anthology to be the long-awaited lost record. Yoko Ono, however, believed it wise to share some of John Lennon’s unfinished songs with the rest of the band. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s induction of Lennon prompted this decision. She collaborated with Jeff Lynne to produce songs like “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love.”
The three-disc set included unreleased snippets of songs and dialogue, complemented by a documentary-style series that chronicled the group’s history. The first part of the band’s career featured a variety of covers from their live set and unreleased songs. However, much of their later material tended to feature rough mixes of masterpieces like “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Hey Jude.”
The new releases included the tape from their rejected Decca audition. The band performed a talent showcase with Pete Best before Ringo Starr’s arrival. Brian Epstein, the manager, received information that a guitar group had no chance of success in the modern era.
McCartney was uneasy with “Besame Mucho” as the last track, though the band freely shared some unresolved issues. With its dramatic approach to their classic sound, McCartney didn’t think the song would improve his standing with the other Beatles members.
Macca refused to lend support to the cliché, saying to Club Sandwich, “In Volume One, there are a few songs that I would have preferred not to be there, like ‘Besame Mucho‘, which portrays me as a cabaret artist, whereas in my soul, I am a rock and roller – although, of course, I have done ‘Till There Was You‘, ‘Yesterday‘, ‘A Taste Of Honey‘ and all these other things.” Macca’s reputation as the band’s balladeer behind their most memorable moments made him disinclined to perpetuate the stereotype.
The group’s early catalog of fierce rock songs, including Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music” and “Roll Over Beethoven,” featured the song. McCartney finally gave in to pressure from the other members of the band. Macca didn’t hesitate to display his acerbic side during the latter part of their career, despite his difficulties as a balladeer.
McCartney produced some of the best rock and roll the group would ever release while they were still in the studio. This includes the heavy metal classic “Helter Skelter.” But that doesn’t mean he lost interest in his show-tune side. During the Get Back project, he even gave a mediocre rendition of the song in between takes. “Besame Mucho” may not be the most iconic song from the band’s early years. However, it does contribute to the narrative of the four Liverpool boys who went on to become global superstars.
