Born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez in Los Angeles, California, Montez was brought up in Hawthorne, California. His early musical influences included the latino music played and performed by residents of his neighborhood, as well as Ritchie Valens. After the release of the highly successful "Let's Dance" on Monogram Records, Montez spent several years touring with artists such as Sam Cooke, The Platters, and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, as well as The Beatles, then relatively unknown outside of Liverpool.
Early in 1963, Montez would score another hit with "Some Kinda Fun". Reaching #43 on the charts, the song utilized the same catchy keyboard instrumentation as did "Let's Dance"; fittingly, both were million sellers, and were awarded gold discs. 1963 also saw the release of Montez's only album on Monogram, Let's Dance and Have Some Kinda' Fun!!!. Shortly before Monogram folded, Montez was paired up with Kathy Young, releasing two singles as the duo Chris & Kathy, most notably surf rock classic "Shoot That Curl". While at Monogram, Montez wrote, or co-wrote, several of his own songs, such as "Chiquita Mia", "Let's Do the Limbo" and "No No No".
Two years later, Montez was practically a non-entity in the music business; however, Herb Alpert, co-founder of A&M Records, cordially invited Montez to resume his recording career at A&M. When Montez attempted to replicate his earlier rock 'n' roll success, however, Alpert personally suggested that Montez try a different approach: a middle of the road, soft ballad sound. While not particularly interested in changing his style of music, Montez decided to trust Alpert's instincts.
"Call Me", a cover version of a Petula Clark song, was the first single from his 1966 album, The More I See You / Call Me, earning Montez his biggest hit in years, eventually reaching #22. The song has since become an easy listening standard. The album's title cut, Montez's second single, was a source of confusion for certain radio disc jockeys who were unfamiliar with Montez' past as a rocker; when back-announcing the song, they would often refer to Montez as being female, likely owing to Montez's falsetto singing style. This confusion would be cleared up by the time the album, bearing Montez's pictures on the front and back sleeve, was released.
Montez would record three more albums for A&M: Time After Time (1966), Foolin' Around (1967), and Watch What Happens (1968). Although quite stylistically similar to his first hit album on A&M, they failed to mirror its success, although Time After Time's title cut and "Because of You" both managed to crack the Hot 100. In 1968, Montez departed from A&M on a three-year sabbatical. In 1972, Montez released a big hit single in Brazil, "Loco por ti". By this time, he had returned to his rock roots, albeit with more noticeable pop influence than before.
Two years later, now with CBS Records, Montez released The Best of Chris Montez, a compilation consisting of both old and new material, the newer bearing little to no resemblance to his past hits. While at CBS, he released one more album: Raza: Ay no digas, which fared well in international markets but failed to make an impact in the US. In 1983, Montez released his final album, Cartas de Amor, all of its songs being sung in Spanish. Although his recording career appears to be behind him, Montez is still an active musician, performing to mostly foreign audiences.
In 2008, Frozen Pictures announced plans to make a documentary on Montez's life and career, El viaje musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story. The film, focusing on Montez's multi-faceted musical career and considerable influence, has been previewed at several film festivals, but has not seen domestic release.
Let's Dance
Chris Montez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(One, two, three)
Hey baby won't you take a chance?
Say that you'll let me have this dance
Well let's dance, well let's dance
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too,
But let's dance, well let's dance
Hey baby, yeah, you thrill me so
Hold me tight, don't you let me go
But let's dance, well let's dance
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too
Any old dance that you wanna do
But let's dance, well let's dance
Ok, wail now
Oh, yeah
Hey, baby, if you're all alone
Maybe you'll let me walk you home
But let's dance, well let's dance
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too,
Any old dance that you wanna do
But let's dance, well let's dance
Hey, baby, things are swingin' right
Yes, I know that this is the night
Well let's dance, well let's dance
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too
Any old dance that you wanna do
But let's dance, well let's dance
But let's dance
But let's dance
But let's dance
But let's dance
The song "Let's Dance" by Chris Montez is an upbeat and energetic tune with simple yet catchy lyrics that encourage dancing. The first verse, "Hey baby won't you take a chance? Say that you'll let me have this dance," suggests that the singer is asking someone to dance with them. The chorus, "We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too, Any old dance that you wanna do, But let's dance, well let's dance," reinforces this idea, as the singer is willing to do any type of dance as long as they are dancing with their partner. The second verse, "Hey baby, yeah, you thrill me so Hold me tight, don't you let me go," shows that the singer is enjoying the moment and wants to hold onto it.
Overall, the song is about the joy and fun that dancing can bring, especially when done with someone else. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but the catchy beat and upbeat tone make it a classic party song that still gets people moving today.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey baby won't you take a chance?
The artist is asking the girl to give him a chance to dance with her
Say that you'll let me have this dance
The artist is asking the girl to allow him to dance with her
Well let's dance, well let's dance
The artist is excited about the idea of dancing with the girl
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too, Any old dance that you wanna do
The artist is willing to dance in any style that the girl wants to, and mentions some popular dance styles of the time.
Hey baby, yeah, you thrill me so, Hold me tight, don't you let me go
The artist expresses his attraction towards the girl and asks her to hold him tight
Hey baby, if you're all alone, Maybe you'll let me walk you home
The artist is asking the girl to allow him to walk her home
Hey, baby, things are swingin' right, Yes, I know that this is the night
The artist feels that the night is perfect for dancing and wants the girl to join in
But let's dance
The artist keeps insisting that they should dance together
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jim Lee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidhodgkinson7816
Rapidly approaching 80 this is without doubt my all time favourite record
@frankclements1431
I'm right behind you at 75 1/2. This song peps me up.
@bigdancd
An amazing rock classic that will never grow old.😍🤩👄
@stephenwilliams6451
I can remember learning the twist to this when it was first released. ❤❤❤
@ronnieosullivan7928
This was one of the most popular songs growing up. Lots of good memories.
@rockyroadblues100
Hi Ronnie how are things greets from Ireland
@MarleneInostrozadeBoyle
Muy de acuerdo con usted.(aunque no era de esa época).
@pmasmuth
How cute is Chris Montez !!!!
@colibriverde
Great sound! Timeless music that is still exiting to young audiences. Gracias, Chris!
@paulhogan9027
This song never gets old. Love it.