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.
Rockin' Blues
Chris Montez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ever since you left me baby I've been so sad and blue
I don't know what to do but cry for you
I've got the rock'n, rock'n, rock'n, rock'n blues
I hear the rumors goin' around that you found someone new
Now honey won't you please tell me, oh is it true
And I'm wonderin' lovin' baby if you, you got 'em too
Just because you were untrue, I hope you do
I've got the rock'n, rock'n, rock'n, rock'n blues
Well I love you pretty baby even though, you know I do
So won't you please come home to me and start anew
Let's rock'n, rock'n, rock'n, rock'n blues
In "Rockin' Blues," Chris Montez sings about the pain and sadness he feels since his lover left him. He expresses his heartache through the use of repetition and figurative language. The repetition of "rock'n blues" creates a sense of rhythm that mirrors the style of music he is referring to in the title. This rhythm can also be seen as a metaphor for the ups and downs of a relationship, with the "rock'n" representing the good times and the "blues" representing the bad times.
Montez also alludes to the idea of rumors and infidelity, asking his ex-lover if it's true that she has found someone else. This adds a layer of mistrust and betrayal to the song, highlighting the pain and uncertainty that can come with the end of a relationship. Ultimately, Montez expresses his love for his ex-lover and hopes for a reconciliation, asking her to come home and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the rock'n, rock'n, rock'n, rock'n blues
I am feeling the rock and roll inspired blues, which are causing me great sadness.
Ever since you left me baby I've been so sad and blue
Since you left me, I have been experiencing intense sadness, characterized by feelings of sadness and despair.
I don't know what to do but cry for you
I feel powerless to change the situation, so all I can do is cry for you and hope that you come back to me.
I hear the rumors goin' around that you found someone new
I have been hearing rumors that you have moved on and found someone new, which is causing me even more pain.
Now honey won't you please tell me, oh is it true
I am pleading with you to be honest with me and tell me if the rumors are true or not.
And I'm wonderin' lovin' baby if you, you got 'em too
I am wondering if you are also experiencing the same rock and roll blues as I am, due to our separation.
Just because you were untrue, I hope you do
Even though you were unfaithful to me, I still hope that you are also feeling the same pain and longing that I am.
Well I love you pretty baby even though, you know I do
Despite everything that has happened, I still love you deeply and want to be with you again.
So won't you please come home to me and start anew
I am begging you to come back to me and start over, hoping that we can overcome the pain and build a better future together.
Let's rock'n, rock'n, rock'n, rock'n blues
Let's embrace the transformative power of rock and roll and use it to overcome our pain and start anew.
Contributed by Levi M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.