Andy Kim was born Andrew Youakim on December 5, 1952 in Montreal, Quebec

http://www.pmpnetwork.com/andy_kim/akim.gif


-- BIOGRAPHY --

Andy Kim came from a hard working Montreal household where the family was involved in the grocery business (and Kim's three brothers still are). Barely into his teens, an ambitious Andy Kim arrived in New York City from Montreal in 1967 with $40 in his pocket and no idea how to pursue his dream of becoming a songwriter. He knocked on doors and soon returned home with the knowledge on how to 'make it'. After writing a handful of songs, he began commuting to New York, doing odd jobs and earning money to make demos.  Eventually, he met producer Jeff Barry and after some intense persuasion, Andy Kim finally got to record the song "How'd We Ever Get This Way?" in December 1967. It was released in April 1968 and made the Canadian and US Top 20 charts. It sold 800,000 copies which confirmed his potential.

The next single was "Shoot 'Em Up Baby" which, despite being banned by certain stations that worried that it was either a drug song, or a song about guns (this was the year that Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. were both assassinated, and sensitivities in the U.S. were high), managed to still sell 1/2 a million copies. A succeeding single, "Rainbow Ride", hit the U.S. Top-20. It was followed by "Baby, I Love You", which hit the Top-5 and earned Kim his first Gold Record selling in excess of 1.5 million copies. This was acknowledged back home in Canada where he won the Top Male Vocalist Juno for 1968.

Kim followed up with another hit called "So Good Together". In spite of the fact that his solo career had taken off Kim continued to work as a songwriter with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. Barry and Greenwich were hired to write songs for Don Kirschner's post-Monkees new pre-fabricated TV cartoon show 'band' called "The Archies". Along with vocalist Ron Dante, the team team co-wrote the show's epidodal theme songs. A number of Barry/Kim compositions jumped from the television to the charts including "Jingle Jangle". But neither writer was prepared for the success of the catchy pop song "Sugar Sugar". The song shot to the top of the charts in 1969 for 8 weeks, was the Record Of The Year in Billboard magazine, and sold a remarkable 13 million copies. It is still one of the best selling records of all time.

In 1969 Kim won a second Juno as Top Male Vocalist for his own solo work. Kim's next triumph would be his biggest - his solo hit "Rock Me Gently" in 1974, which he wrote, produced and released on his own ICE Records label. The song charted for a staggering 4 months and went No.1 globally. In total, Andy Kim had 19 nationally charting singles under his belt - a dozen in the US alone. But the pressures were straining his personal life and he was growing increasingly uncomfortable with his new image as teenage pop idol so he bowed out of the spotlight after some lack lustre releases in 1975/76.

In the late 70s, Kim was signed by super manager Gordon Mills, who also managed Englebert Humperdinck and Tom Jones. Under the direction of Mills, Kim changed his name to Baron Longfellow in 1980. He recorded and released two albums on his own ICE Records which gained national distribution in Canada through PolyGram Records. His first single, "Amour", was a national hit and was nominated for a Juno Award in the 'Song Of The Year' category. Kim continued to record and push himself creatively throughout the '80s. In 1991 he released an independent single called "Powerdrive" under the contracted name Longfellow. The song was played across Canada by campus and progressive rock stations. In all, as a writer, producer and/or recording artist Andy Kim has sold 30 million records worldwide. In 2000 Andy Kim was working on a new album for possible release in 2001. He's collaborating on new material with a number of artists, notably Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies


-- ALBUMS --

* Released under the name Baron Longfellow

Year 1968 1969 1969 1971 1973 1974 1974 1980 1984 1996 2004

Album Title How'd We Ever Get This Way Rainbow Ride Baby, I Love You Andy Kim's Greatest Hits Andy Kim Andy Kim Andy Kim's Greatest Hits <re-issue with additional tracks> Baron Longfellow * Prisoner By Design * Baby I Love You: Andy Kim's Greatest Hits I Forgot to Mention EP


-- SINGLES --

Positions for Canada are based on singles charts.  Both "Amour" and "Hold Me" were big radio hits across Canada. 

As Baron Longfellow, he also appeared on the Canadian Charity single "Tears Are Not Enough" by Northern Lights which went #1 in Canada in 1985 and appeared on the "We Are the World" album

* Released under the name Baron Longfellow
** Released under the name Longfellow

Year 1968 1968 1969 1969 1969 1969 1970 1970 1970 19711971197219721972 19731974 1974 1975 1975 1975 1975 1976 1980 1980 1984 1985 1992 2004

Song Title How'd We Ever Get This Way? Shoot 'em Up Baby Rainbow Ride Tricia, Tell Your Daddy Baby, I Love You So Good Together A Friend in the City It's Your Life Be My Baby I Wish I Were Here I Been Moved Shady Hollow Dreamer Who Has the Answers Love the Poor Boy Oh, What A Day Rock Me Gently Fire, Baby I'm on Fire The Essence of Joan Mary Ann Baby, You're All I Got Give Me Your Love Harlem Amour * Go it Slow * Hold Me * In the Night Machine * Powerdrive ** I Forgot to Mention

Canada #9 #29 #43 -- #1 #15 #19 #73 #6#22#39--#12#69 #42#1 #15 #28 #90 #80 -- #43 -- #88 -- #90 #27 #43

United States #21 #31 #49--#9#36#90#85#17#62#97------ --#1 #28 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

United Kingdom -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ------------ --#2 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

If you're interested, Jason...allow me to 'fill in' the US blanks for you...

'Rainbow Ride' - US #49

'A Friend In The City' - US #90

'It's Your Life' - US #85

'I Wish I Were' - US #62

'I Been Moved' - US #97

As for the British entries...well, that's it!

But what a fine, fine song!

If you're interested, Jason...allow me to 'fill in' the US blanks for you...

'Rainbow Ride' - US #49

'A Friend In The City' - US #90

'It's Your Life' - US #85

'I Wish I Were' - US #62

'I Been Moved' - US #97

As for the British entries...well, that's it!

But what a fine, fine song!







I am very interested.  Thanks for the info Paul :)

It's a shame only just Rock Me Gently made it through to the UK :(

I am very interested.  Thanks for the info Paul :)

You're very welcome!

It's a shame only just Rock Me Gently made it through to the UK :(


Well, it's better to be known for something than nothing at all... ;)

I always think he sounds very much like Neil Diamond on this record...

As for the British entries...well, that's it!

But what a fine, fine song!

You can tell I like the song, as I use one of the lyrics in my signature line!  :D


I always think he sounds very much like Neil Diamond on this record...


I have to agree with you on that!  :)

You can tell I like the song, as I use one of the lyrics in my signature line!  :D


I always said you had taste, young Karen... ;)

I always said you had taste, young Karen... ;)


Awww...thank you, Paul!  ;)

You're very welcome!

Well, it's better to be known for something than nothing at all... ;)

I always think he sounds very much like Neil Diamond on this record...


Technically, you could say he had two UK hits, the other being Sugar Sugar by The Archies :)

"I Forgot to Mention" that Andy Kim is also known for sharing the same birthday as me ;D

Well, it's better to be known for something than nothing at all... ;)

Good point.  :) Something to remember about so called one hit wonders.

I do love Rock Me Gently and Sugar Sugar. Never knew who sang them or that it was the same person.

Rock Me Gently is the only song I know Andy Kim for, and I am glad he did have a career in his home country