Guitarist and vocalist Chris Montez – born Ezekial Christopher Montañez in Los Angeles, California on January 17, 1943 – is best known for the hits “Let’s Dance” (1962), “Call Me” (1965), and “The More I See You.” Raised in a Mexican American family, Chris Montez was influenced by rock, pop, and Latin music, three genres that he would tackle successfully throughout his career. Influenced by Ritchie Valens, he studied musical composition while attending El Camino College in Los Angeles. He released his first two singles – “I Lost My Baby” and “All You Had to Do (Was Tell Me)” – in 1960 but didn’t score a hit until his third single, “Let’s Dance,” released in 1962. The song was a commercial hit and reached number 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and hit number 2 in the UK. His next single, 1963’s “Some Kinda Fun,” wasn’t as successful but did reach number 10 in the UK. That same year, London Records released the album Let’s Dance and Have Some Kinda Fun!, which included his then-most recent charting singles and more. However, the Beatles and the rest of the ‘British Invasion’ movement took over the charts and Chris Montez got lost in the shuffle. Eventually, he signed with A&M Records and, under the production and guidance of Herb Alpert, Chris Montez refocused his attention on soft pop music. He released the single “Call Me,” which became a number 22 hit on the Hot 100. He followed that with the Top 20 hit “The More I See You,” and “There Will Never Be Another You,” which reached number 33. After several more singles, which didn’t perform as well on the Billboard charts and a total of four albums – The More I See You (1966), Time After Time (1966), Foolin’ Around (1967), and Watch What Happens (1968) – Chris Montez left A&M Records. He released several more singles and albums over the years including some recordings for the Latin market but never achieved the same kind of success he had experienced in the ‘60s.
