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.
Spooky
Chris Montez Lyrics
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I call you up and ask you if you'd like to go with me and see a movie
First you say "No", you've got some plans for the night
And then you stop, and say, "All right"
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you.
You always keep me guessin',
I never seem to know what you are thinkin'
And if some fellow looks at you,
I get confused, 'cause I don't know where I stand
And then you smile, and hold my hand
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
Spooky! Spooky! Yeah - yeah
If you decide someday to stop this little game that you are playin'
I'm gonna tell you all that my heart's been a-dyin' to be sayin'
Just like a ghost, you've been a-hauntin' my dreams
So I'll propose... on Halloween.
Baby, love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
Ah, Spooky!
The song "Spooky" by Chris Montez is a love song about a girl who keeps the singer on his toes, making him unsure of where he stands but still very much enamored with her. The song describes a scene in the cool of the evening when things are feeling groovy, and the singer decides to ask the girl he's interested in out to see a movie. Initially, she says no, but then changes her mind, which is indicative of her unpredictable nature.
Throughout the song, the girl is described as "spooky," which at first might have a negative connotation, but in this context, it means she's unique and keeps the singer on his toes. The lines "Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you" and "Baby, love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you" repeat throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's confusion and affection for this girl.
The song's final lines reveal that the singer is planning to propose to the girl on Halloween, which adds to the song's eerie, playful tone. Ultimately, the song remains open-ended, leaving the listener wondering whether the singer will be successful in wooing the mysterious girl he's so taken with.
Line by Line Meaning
In the cool of the evenin' when evErything is gettin' kind of groovy
It's an evening and everything is relaxing and groovy, so he calls her up to invite her to a movie.
First you say "No", you've got some plans for the night
At first she declines because she has plans for the night.
And then you stop, and say, "All right"
But then she agrees to go to the movie.
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you.
He thinks love is crazy with a woman like her who is mysterious and unpredictable.
You always keep me guessin',
She keeps him guessing because he never knows what she is thinking or feeling.
I never seem to know what you are thinkin'
He is always confused because he can't read her mind.
And if some fellow looks at you,
If another man looks at her,
It's for sure your little eye will be a-winkin'
She'll wink at him to tease him or show that she's interested.
I get confused, 'cause I don't know where I stand
He is confused because he doesn't know where he stands with her.
And then you smile, and hold my hand
But then she smiles and holds his hand, making him feel closer to her.
If you decide someday to stop this little game that you are playin'
If she decides to stop playing this game,
I'm gonna tell you all that my heart's been a-dyin' to be sayin'
He's going to finally tell her how he feels about her.
Just like a ghost, you've been a-hauntin' my dreams
She's been like a ghost in his dreams, always on his mind.
So I'll propose... on Halloween.
He's going to propose to her on Halloween.
Baby, love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
He repeats that love with a mysterious woman like her is crazy.
Ah, Spooky!
He ends the song by repeating her nickname, Spooky.
Writer(s): J.R. COBB, HARRY MIDDLEBROOKS, MIKE SHAPIRO, BUDDY BUIE
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.