Chris Montez (born January 17, 1943) is a Mexican-American singer. Initiall… Read Full Bio ↴Chris Montez (born January 17, 1943) is a Mexican-American singer. Initially known as a rock n roll artist, Montez became one of the most important chicano rockers following the tragic passing of Ritchie Valens, his mentor. Montez had a #4 hit in the US with the 1962 single "Let's Dance". Later, he was reinvented as a middle of the road easy listening singer, boasting a slew of Hot 100/Adult Contemporary crossover hits, predominantly renditions of jazz standards such as "The More I See You", "There Will Never Be Another You", and "Time After Time".

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 Very Thought Of You
Chris Montez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The very thought of you and I forget to do
The little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
I'm living in a kind of daydream
I'm happy as a king
And foolish though it may seem
To me that's everything

The mere idea of you, the longing here for you

You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above
It's just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love

The mere idea of you, the longing here for you
You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above

It's just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love

Overall Meaning

Chris Montez's "The Very Thought of You" is a romantic and poetic proclamation of the intense emotions that the singer feels towards his beloved. The opening lines show how the very thought of being with this person is so overwhelming that he forgets about the mundane tasks of life. This daydreaming state is described metaphorically as living "as a king" even though it may seem "foolish" to others. The thought of being with this person provides him with immense happiness and fulfillment.

The longing for his beloved is expressed through the repetition of "the mere idea of you, the longing here for you". The slow pace of time is attributed to the desire to be near her. The imagery of seeing her face in every flower and her eyes in the stars above reinforces how essential she is to his existence. The singer concludes that it is just the thought of being with her, the very thought of her, that brings him such joy.

Line by Line Meaning

The very thought of you and I forget to do
Just the notion of you and I lose track of time and forget mundane tasks

The little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
The basic, necessary actions that are expected of all individuals

I'm living in a kind of daydream
I'm in a state of vivid imagination, detached from reality

I'm happy as a king
I'm incredibly content and satisfied

And foolish though it may seem
Despite it being seemingly nonsensical

To me that's everything
It means everything to me

The mere idea of you, the longing here for you
The very concept of you, and my intense yearning for you

You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
You can't comprehend how time seems to drag on until I'm in your presence

I see your face in every flower
Your image is evoked in every blossom

Your eyes in stars above
I envision your eyes in the celestial bodies above

It's just the thought of you
It's simply the notion of you