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 More I See You '66
Chris Montez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somehow this feeling just grows and grows
With every sigh I become more mad about you
More lost without you and so it goes
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, and my heart won't try
The lyrics of the song "The More I See You '66" by Chris Montez are a romantic ode to the overwhelming feeling of love. The more he sees the person he loves, the more he wants them. His feelings for them grow with every passing moment and he becomes more lost without them. The lyrics convey the idea that the person he loves holds a special place in his heart, and he can't imagine a life without them. He assures his lover that his arms won't free them and his heart won't try because he knows that they are the only one for him.
The song is a classic example of a romantic ballad with its mellow melody and heartwarming lyrics. The lyrics express the feelings of those who are deeply in love and can't imagine a life without their significant other. The song's theme of everlasting love and devotion has made it popular among generations of listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
The more I see you, the more I want you
Each time I lay my eyes on you, it deepens my longing for you.
Somehow this feeling just grows and grows
My affection for you intensifies continually without any reason or explanation.
With every sigh I become more mad about you
Every time I breathe, it accentuates my craziness for you.
More lost without you and so it goes
My life feels aimless when you're not around and it continues this way.
Can you imagine how much I love you?
I wonder if you can fathom the extent of my adoration for you.
The more I see you as years go by
As time passes and I get to know you better, my love for you escalates.
I know the only one for me can only be you
I believe there's no one else but you who's meant to be my partner.
My arms won't free you, and my heart won't try
I will never let you go, and my feelings for you will never diminish.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MACK GORDON, HARRY WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J
The more I see you, the more I want you
Somehow this feeling just grows and grows
With every sigh I become more mad about you
More lost without you and so it goes
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, and my heart won't try
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, and my heart won't try
🙏🏻♥️🙏🏻
Andrew Wood
my dad played this for my mother when they met, I played it for them when they left this earth
Reichensperger
That's beautiful. Well done.
Andrew Wood
@Reichensperger just because you cant see them does not mean they are gone
Reichensperger
@Andrew Wood You're preaching to the converted.
Chicken Little
@Andrew Wood My wife died last Easter (was taken away from me by God) and I'm not happy about it. It wasn't right. As far as I see it... She's gone forever.
Andrew Wood
@Chicken Little no she is with you, can you see oxygen, no but you know its around you. the spirit is made of energy a proven fact, and as energy cant be destroyed only dispersed she is with you
Jackie Hyland
I love ❤️ this song 🎵 because Chris Montez has an excellent voice
Andy Howlett
I love the backing vocals in this, they sound as though he's invited a few mates around and rehearsed only once. I was at secondary school when this came out and at the age of 64 I still love it. A great but slightly rough sound that always makes me smile.
Gi Gi
Love this song. I’ve been listening to it for over 50 years and will never tire of it. The words are so meaningful. It meant so much to me and my hubby, who’s passed away. 😢💕
Thomas Ottey
He is with you always as long as you remember all the times he was with you. Peace and his love for you will see you through anything.