Andy Kim

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 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?" 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", which made the US Top 50, and "Baby, I Love You", 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", which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Rock Me Gently" sold three million copies globally, earning Kim his second gold disc.

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.

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, 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.

Discography

Albums + List of studio albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions US How'd We Ever Get This WayReleased: 1968 Label: Steed Records — Rainbow RideReleased: 1969 Label: Steed Records — Baby I Love YouReleased: 1969 Label: Steed Records 82 Andy KimReleased: 1973 Label: Uni Records (Uni 73137) — Andy KimReleased: 1973 Label: Capitol Records (Capitol 81739) 21 Andy Kim IIReleased: 1974 Label: Capitol Records (Capitol 81921) — Baron LongfellowReleased: 1980 Label: ICE Records — Prisoner By DesignReleased: 1984 Label: ICE Records — I Forgot to MentionReleased: 2004 Label: Iceworks Records — Happen AgainReleased: 2011 Label: Angel Air Records — It's DecidedReleased: 2015 Label: Arts & Crafts — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums + List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions US Andy Kim's Greatest HitsReleased: 1974 Label: Dunhill Records 190 Reflections: The Best of Andy KimReleased: 1994 Label: Common Folk Records — Baby I Love You: Greatest HitsReleased: 1996 Label: EMI ELECTROLA GmbH Records — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles + List of singles, with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions Album CAN AUS GER UK US 100 US AC "I Loved You Once" 1963 — — — — — — "Give Me Your Love" 1964 — — — — — — "I Hear You Say (I Love You Baby)""Falling in Love" 1965 — — — — — — "That Girl" 1968 — — — — — — "How'd We Ever Get This Way?""Are You Ever Coming Home?" 1968 9 64 — — 21 — How'd We Ever Get This Way "Shoot 'Em Up Baby""Ordinary Kind of Girl" 1968 29 96 — — 31 — "Rainbow Ride""Resurrection" 1968 43 — — — 49 — Rainbow Ride "I Hear You Say (I Love You Baby)" 1969 — — — — — — "Tricia Tell Your Daddy""Foundation of My Soul" 1969 76 — — — — — "Baby, I Love You""Gee Girl" 1969 1 15 — — 9 31 Baby I Love You "So Good Together""I Got to Know" 1969 15 38 37 — 36 — "A Friend in the City""You" 1970 19 — — 90 — "It's Your Life""To Be Continued" 1970 73 — — — 85 — "Be My Baby""Love That Little Woman" 1970 6 36 24 — 17 24 "I Wish I Were""Walkin' My La De Da" 1971 22 — — — 62 40 "I Been Moved""If I Had You Here" 1971 39 — — — 97 — "Love The Poor Boy""A Love Song" 1972 69 — — — — — "Who Has The Answers?""Shady Hollow Dreamer" 1972 12 — — — — — Andy Kim "Oh What a Day""Sunshine" 1972 42 — — — — — "Rock Me Gently""Rock Me Gently Part II" 1974 1 31 33 2 1 40 Andy Kim (Capitol) "Fire, Baby I'm on Fire""Here Comes The Mornin'" 1974 15 — — — 28 — "The Essence of Joan""Rock Me Gently Part II" 1975 28 — — — — — "Mary Ann""You Are My Everything" 1975 90 — — — — — "Oh, Pretty Woman" 1976 — — — — — — "Powerdrive" 1991 — — — — — — "I Forgot To Mention" 2004 10 — — — — — I Forgot to Mention "Happen Again" 2010 — — — — — — Happen Again "Longest Time" 2015 — — — — — — It's Decided "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.