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.
Where Are You Now
Chris Montez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The memory of you I soon recall
We walked in the rain
You kissed me, whispered my name.
Where are you now, my love?
Where are you now, my love?
Full of the wonder of the spring
You taught me that love meant anything
I gave you my heart,
Not dreaming we′d ever part.
Where are you now, my love?
Where are you now, my love?
While I'm sitting here,
Wondering what went wrong
You′ll find your empty arms will tell you
You belong to me,
You'll come to me
And see
You're gonna see
How I′ve been waiting everyday
Just hoping that you′ll come back to stay
But I don't know when I′ll ever see you again
Where are you now, my love
Where are you now...?
Where are you now, my love?
Where are you now...?
Where are you now, my love?
Where are you now...?
Where are you now, my love?
Where are you now...?
The lyrics to Chris Montez's song "Where Are You Now" describe the singer's yearning for a lost love. As the evening shadows fall, he recalls the memories he shared with his former lover. The rain, the kisses, and the whispered name - all of it comes flooding back to him. The second verse touches upon the happy times they shared together; the singer fondly remembers the springtime when he learned what love meant to him. He gave his heart to his love with the hope to never part from her.
But alas, things took a different turn, and the singer was left alone with the question: "Where are you now, my love?" He reflects on the past events, wondering what went wrong. He then goes on to suggest that his lost love will also feel empty without him and will come back to him eventually. The singer longs for the day when she will return, hoping that it will be soon.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are a poignant reflection of the heartache that comes with losing a loved one. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and they capture the deep emotions that come with a broken heart and hopeful longing for reconciliation.
Line by Line Meaning
When shadows of evening gently fall
As the dusk arrives, I remember your sweet memory.
The memory of you I soon recall
I can't help but reminisce about the time we spent together.
We walked in the rain
We strolled in the rain, feeling each other's warmth and entwined in a romantic moment.
You kissed me, whispered my name.
You kissed me tenderly and whispered my name, expressing your passionate love.
Where are you now, my love?
I wonder where you are, my love, and why we got separated.
Life was fine,
I once enjoyed a blissful life with you, filled with joy and splendor.
Full of the wonder of the spring
Our love was as refreshing and delightful as the spring season.
You taught me that love meant anything
Through our shared experience, you taught me that love knows no boundaries or limitations.
I gave you my heart,
I shared my whole heart with you and trusted you with every ounce of my being.
Not dreaming we’d ever part.
I never imagined that we would end up separated from each other.
While I'm sitting here,
As I sit here alone and lost in my thoughts.
Wondering what went wrong
I question the reasons behind our discord and our separation.
You'll find your empty arms will tell you
When you feel the emptiness within you, you'll realize that I'm the only one who can fill that void.
You belong to me,
You are meant to be with me, and our separation is temporary.
You'll come to me
You will return to me eventually.
And see, You're gonna see
When you come back, you will understand and appreciate the depth of my love for you.
How I've been waiting every day
I have been waiting patiently every day, hoping for your return and to be reunited with you.
Just hoping that you'll come back to stay
All I want is for you to come back and stay with me forever.
But I don't know when I'll ever see you again
Although I long to be with you again, I am uncertain when or if we will ever meet again.
Where are you now, my love?
I still wonder where you are, my love, hoping that you will return to me someday.
Where are you now...?
Where have you gone, and why did we have to separate?
Where are you now, my love?
My heart still searches for you, longing for your embrace and your love.
Where are you now...?
Where are you, my love? Please come back to me.
Where are you now, my love?
My heart still searches for you, longing for your embrace and your love.
Where are you now...?
Where have you gone, and why did we have to separate?
Where are you now, my love?
My heart still searches for you, longing for your embrace and your love.
Where are you now...?
Where are you, my love? Please come back to me.
Writer(s): Tony Hatch
Contributed by Zoe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.