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.
The Girl From Ipanema
Chris Montez Lyrics
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The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah
When she walks, she's like a samba
That swings so cool and sways so gentle
That when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah
How can he tell her he loves her
Yes I would give my heart gladly
But each day, that she walks to the sea
She looks straight ahead, not at he
Tall, (and) tan, (and) young, (and) lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, he smile - but she doesn't see
(Doesn't see)
(She just doesn't see, she never sees him)
The lyrics to Chris Montez's "The Girl From Ipanema" paint a picture of a beautiful, carefree woman walking through the streets of Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As she walks, she exudes a certain energy that is described as being like a samba - cool, gentle, and rhythmic. Each person she passes can't help but be captivated by her presence, letting out an involuntary "ah" as they watch her go by.
But there's one person in particular who watches her with a certain sadness. The singer himself is in love with this girl from Ipanema, but he knows that she doesn't feel the same way about him. As she walks towards the sea each day, she looks straight ahead, not noticing him or his love for her. He longs to tell her how he feels and give his heart gladly, but he knows it's a futile effort as she just doesn't see him.
The lyrics of "The Girl From Ipanema" not only paint a vivid picture of a beautiful woman walking through the streets of Rio, but also explore the bittersweet nature of unrequited love. The juxtaposition of the joyful "ahs" of onlookers with the sadness of the singer who longs for her affection creates a nuanced and emotionally resonant song.
Line by Line Meaning
Tall and tan and young and lovely
The girl from Ipanema is a tall, tanned, young and beautiful girl.
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
The girl from Ipanema walks around the neighborhood.
And when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah
People around the girl admire her and make sounds of appreciation as she passes by.
When she walks, she's like a samba
Her walking style is like a samba dance that looks cool and gentle.
That swings so cool and sways so gentle
The girl's movements while walking is exactly like a cool and gentle swaying.
That when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah
People around her still admire her as she passes by due to her graceful walking style.
(Ooh) But he watch her so sadly
The writer watches the girl with sadness in his heart.
How can he tell her he loves her
The writer wants to admit his love to the girl, but finds it difficult to find the right words for the confession.
Yes I would give my heart gladly
The writer would feel happy in giving his heart to the girl.
But each day, that she walks to the sea
Everyday she walks towards the sea.
She looks straight ahead, not at he
The girl doesn't look at the writer while walking towards the sea.
Tall, (and) tan, (and) young, (and) lovely
The girl from Ipanema is tall, tanned, young and attractive.
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
The girl walks every day around the neighborhood.
And when she passes, he smile - but she doesn't see
The writer smiles as the girl passes by, but the girl doesn't notice him at all.
(Doesn't see)
The girl is not aware of the writer's presence or actions.
(She just doesn't see, she never sees him)
The writer feels invisible around her and knows that the girl never notices him.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Gimbel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius De Moraes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind