Andy Kim

Biography

Androwis Youakim (born 5 December 1946), better known as Andy Kim, is a Canadian pop rock singer and songwriter. He grew up in Montreal, Quebec. He is known for hits that he released in the late 1960s and 1970s: the international hit "Baby, I Love You×Baby, I Love YouJuly 1969 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Baby I Love You2:54A2Walkin' My La de Da3:22A3If I Were a Carpenter3:14A4Let's Get Married2:27A5By the Time I Get to Phoenix2:40A6I'll Be Loving You3:20B1So Good Together3:06B2I Got to Know2:45B3This Is the Girl2:45B4Didn't Have to Tell Her2:47B5This Guy's in Love With You3:00" in 1969, and "Rock Me Gently×Rock Me Gently1974 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksARock Me Gently3:28BRock Me Gently (Part ll)3:28", which topped the U.S. singles chart in 1974. He co-wrote "Sugar, Sugar" in 1968 and sang on the recording as part of the Archies; it was #1 for four weeks in the USA and was "Record of the Year" for 1969.
He has recorded under the stage name Baron Longfellow since 1978 or just as Longfellow in the early 1990s. He continues to perform under his original recording name of Andy Kim.

Life and career

Kim was born Androwis Youakim (Arabic: أندرواس يوآكيم) on 5 December 1946 in Montreal, the third of four sons of Lebanese immigrants. His parents came from the mountains of Lebanon. In his teens, he moved to New York to pursue a career in music in the Brill Building. He recorded as "Andy Kim", using the different last name, though on his earliest releases he used the name "Youakim" in the writing credits.
In 1968, after minor recording successes over the previous few years, Kim released the single "How'd We Ever Get This Way×How'd We Ever Get This WayJune 1968 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1How'd We Ever Get This Way2:29A2Shoot 'em Up, Baby3:00A3Sunday Thunder3:10A4Ordinary Kind of Girl2:29A5Just Like Your Shadow3:05A6Pretty Thing2:26B1Love That Little Woman2:53B2Do You Feel It, Too?2:39B3You Got Style2:39B4You Girl2:30B5Circus2:42B6Resurrection4:04?" on the Steed label; it just missed the U.S. Top 20, reaching #21. He also co-wrote, with Jeff Barry, "Sugar, Sugar" which was a hit single for the Archies, reaching #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and ultimately becoming the RIAA Record of the Year. Kim and Barry wrote more songs for the Archies, and also for the Monkees' album Changes in 1970, which Barry produced.
In 1969, Kim had two hit singles, "Rainbow Ride×Rainbow RideJanuary 1969 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Rainbow Ride2:47A2Please Be True3:08A3Nobody's Ever Going Anywhere3:59A4Baby While You're Young3:36A5I Found Her2:25A6I Want You3:20B1Mr. Music Man3:34B2Foundation of My Soul2:26B3I Wonder If I Care as Much3:07B4Wonderful You2:30B5Gee Girl2:54B6To Be Continued3:17", which made the US Top 50, and "Baby, I Love You×Baby, I Love YouJuly 1969 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Baby I Love You2:54A2Walkin' My La de Da3:22A3If I Were a Carpenter3:14A4Let's Get Married2:27A5By the Time I Get to Phoenix2:40A6I'll Be Loving You3:20B1So Good Together3:06B2I Got to Know2:45B3This Is the Girl2:45B4Didn't Have to Tell Her2:47B5This Guy's in Love With You3:00", which got to #9 in the US and #1 in Canada; it was so popular in Canada, it earned him a Gold Leaf (Juno) Award in 1970 as the country's Best Male Vocalist. "Baby, I Love You" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in October 1969.
Over the next few years, Kim recorded a few minor hits, including "Be My Baby" and "It's Your Life" (in 1970) and toured North America extensively. In the spring of 1974, he released the self-penned "Rock Me Gently×Rock Me Gently1974 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksARock Me Gently3:28BRock Me Gently (Part ll)3:28", which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and to #2 on the UK Singles Chart. "Rock Me Gently" sold three million copies globally, earning Kim his second gold disc.
Kim had shied away from touring for years before then, when he was working with the Steed label. He has said that he had created a person in his music in the vein of a white blond surfer and that fans were shocked to see his dark skin colour and appearance. He had also altered his voice on his earlier records to sound younger.
In 1976, Kim altered the spelling of his pseudonym to Andy Kimm, and released a few singles under that name on his own Ice Records label in 1976 and '77. Shortly thereafter, he adopted the stage name Baron Longfellow and issued the first single ("Shady Hollow Dreamer") under that name in 1978. It was followed by a self-titled album Baron Longfellow with the hit single "Amour" in 1980 and, also under the same pseudonym, in 1984 released Prisoner by Design. Both of these albums met with moderate success. In 1991, Kim again went by Longfellow and recorded the single "Powerdrive", which received radio airplay on several radio stations across Canada.
In 1985, Andy Kim joined his voice to the Northern Lights project, created and organized by Bruce Allen, in order to raise funds for relief of the 1983–85 famine in Ethiopia. With other Canadian artists such as Bryan Adams, Liona Boyd, John Candy, Bruce Cockburn, Burton Cummings, Lisa Dalbello, David Foster, Corey Hart, Dan Hill, Paul Hyde, Geddy Lee, Gordon Lightfoot, Richard Manuel, Murray McLauchlan, Joni Mitchell, Kim Mitchell, Aldo Nova, Oscar Peterson, Mike Reno, Paul Shaffer, Ian Thomas, Sylvia Tyson, Jim Vallance, etc. It followed Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" British project with Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in November 1984. The Northern Lights song Tears Are Not Enough was written by David Foster, Jim Vallance, Bryan Adams, Rachel Paiement, Paul Hyde and Bob Rock and recorded on February 10, 1985 at Manta Sound studios in Toronto.
In 1995, Kim played at the Kumbaya Festival, at which the Barenaked Ladies were also performing. Nearly a decade later, the band's Ed Robertson convinced Kim to come out of retirement. Robertson co-wrote the song "I Forgot to Mention" with him and offered to produce the track. The single was released on a 5-track EP in 2004 which included a re-recording of "Powerdrive".
In March 2005, Kim received the annual "Indie Award" for Favourite Solo Artist during Canadian Music Week. The music video for "Love Is...", released in the summer of 2005, reached #1 at Bravo.ca. In 2005, he co-wrote "What Ever Happened to Christmas" with Ron Sexsmith. The same year, he established the Andy Kim Christmas Show – a live concert at the Mod Club Theatre in Toronto in which a variety of artists were invited to perform mostly Christmas music. The show was produced by Blair Packham from The Jitters. Former MuchMusic personality Kim Clarke Champniss says he came up with the idea for the show.
Kim's band acted as house band for the artists, who donated their time for the show. Proceeds were donated to the CHUM/CITY Christmas Wish. The show repeated in 2006, with a similar lineup. Proceeds from the show went to support the Children's Aid Foundation, and the edited show was aired on Mix 99.9 on Christmas Eve and Day. The Andy Kim Christmas show became an annual tradition. The annual show either took place at the Mod Club or Phoenix Concert Theatre or Massey Hall in Toronto, with proceeds from the evening donated to a different children's charity each year.
In 2007, Kim's music came again into the public eye, as "Rock Me Gently" was sped up slightly and used by Jeep for their Jeep Liberty commercial ("Pouring In"). His name can be seen on the radio display near the beginning of the commercial.
In 2009, Kim was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
In 2011, E1 Music Canada released Happen Again, Kim's first album since 2004.
In 2014, he collaborated with Kevin Drew on the album It's Decided×It's Decided24 February 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Sister Ok3:572Why Can't I4:133It's Emotional4:124Shoot 'Em up, Baby5:045Sail On2:596Heaven Without a Gun4:157(I've) Been Here Before4:038Longest Time4:209Forest Green4:3110Who Came First5:49, released on 24 February 2015 on Arts & Crafts.
On 23 July 2018, Canada's Walk of Fame included Andy Kim on its list of 2018 inductees. He became part of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2019. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2023.