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.
One Note Samba
Chris Montez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Built upon a single note
Other notes are bound to follow
But the root is still that note
Now this new note is the consequence
Of the one we've just been through
As I'm bound to be
There's so many people
Who can talk and talk, and talk
And just say nothing
Or nearly nothing
I have used up all the scale
I know and at the end
I've come to nothing
I mean nothing
So I come back to my first note
As I come back to you
I will pour into that one note
All the love I feel for you
Any one who wants the whole show
Re mi fa so la ci do
He will find himself with no show
Better play the note you know
So I come back to my first note
As I come back to you
I will pour into that one note
All the love I feel for you
Any one who wants the whole show
Re mi fa so la ci do
He will find himself with no show
Better play the note you know
The lyrics of "One Note Samba" by Chris Montez convey a simple yet significant message about the power of simplicity and the importance of staying true to oneself. The song opens with the line "This is just a little samba built upon a single note," emphasizing the concept of starting with something basic and building upon it gradually. The second line, "Other notes are bound to follow, but the root is still that note," suggests that although other elements may be added, the original note remains the foundation and essence of the composition. This can be seen as a metaphor for life, where one must stay true to their core values and beliefs even while adapting to new experiences and challenges.
As the song progresses, the lyrics turn romantic as Montez sings about pouring all the love he feels for someone into a single note. This can be interpreted as a reflection of the idea that sometimes, simple, pure expressions of love or affection can be more powerful than grand, complex gestures. The line "Any one who wants the whole show, he will find himself with no show" reinforces the importance of focusing on what one knows and does best, rather than trying to impress others with skills or abilities that may not come naturally.
Overall, "One Note Samba" is a beautifully simple yet profound song about staying true to oneself and expressing love and emotions in a pure and authentic way. The repetitive nature of the melody and lyrics only serves to amplify these messages, emphasizing the importance of focusing on what truly matters.
Line by Line Meaning
This is just a little samba
The following tune is a simple samba
Built upon a single note
Beginning with a single note, the samba is made up of numerous other notes
Other notes are bound to follow
The original note is the foundation, but additional notes are necessary
But the root is still that note
Despite the addition of other notes, that first note is continually fundamental
Now this new note is the consequence
This new sound is a product of the previous one
Of the one we've just been through
It's the result of the recently played note or sound
As I'm bound to be
Just like the new sound is the consequence of the previous, so am I inevitable as a result of you
The unavoidable consequence of you
I am the inevitable product of who you are
There's so many people
There are many individuals
Who can talk and talk, and talk
They talk incessantly
And just say nothing
However, what they're talking about is pointless or insignificant
Or nearly nothing
Their words aren't irrelevant, but they're not important either
I have used up all the scale
I have played every note on the scale
I know and at the end
I used all the notes I know how to play
I've come to nothing
However, I have nothing to show for it
I mean nothing
The sounds I made have no meaning or substance
So I come back to my first note
This brings me back to my original sound
As I come back to you
Just like I come back to the original sound, I also return to you
I will pour into that one note
I will put everything into that first sound
All the love I feel for you
It represents all the love I have for you
Any one who wants the whole show
Anyone who desires the full performance
Re mi fa so la ci do
By playing all the notes of the scale
He will find himself with no show
They will have nothing left to show
Better play the note you know
It is more preferable to stick to what you know
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Antonio Carlos Brasileiro De A Jobim, Newton Mendonca
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind