Andy Kim: Happen Again (CD Review)

Hunky singer-songwriter Andy Kim, who rose to fame during the late 60's and early 70's with hits such as "How'd We Ever Get This Way," "So Good Together," "Baby, I Love You," "Be My Baby" and "Rock Me Gently" (as well as The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar," which he co-wrote with Jeff Barry), has just released his first new album in more than two decades. Happen Again is proof that great artists, like fine wines, only improve with time. The Canadian-born tunesmith, whose movie-star good looks are still very much in evidence, is in the process of rehearsing for a concert tour of his native country. During the past few weeks, Kim has been doing a fair number of radio, periodical, and web interviews and making personal appearances to promote both the CD and the tour.

On March 30th, the day Happen Again was officially released, Andy Kim and his band put on a great 45-minute performance in the lobby of the AM740 (Zoomer Radio) studios in Toronto, Ontario. The video was streamed live via the Internet and is now available for viewing on the radio station's website. Just head on over to Zoomer Radio's On-Demand page, where you will see a video screen and, to its immediate right, a vertical column of circular graphics. Click on the one that reads The New AM 740 (second one from the top); this brings up a list of available videos, in alphabetical order. Andy Kim's is the first one listed. Click on it, and the video will begin playing on the screen. Relax, enjoy, sing along if you know the words, and hear the magic for yourself. Live and unedited, this concert and interview illustrate beyond a doubt that the man, whom many of his admirers refer to as The Voice, has lost neither his chops nor his talent.

Below is my review of the Happen Again CD, which appears both on Oldies Connection and my Andy Kim Fan Page, in its entirety. A track-by-track review I wrote prior to the CD's wide release can be found on the product page on Amazon Canada, under the heading "Andy Kim Makes it Happen Again."

From Oldies Connection:

Released in March of 2010, singer-songwriter Andy Kim's first new album in more than twenty years makes fans all over the world happy again

Imagine, just for a moment, that you are Andy Kim.

Make believe that you are a singer/songwriter who left your native Montreal as a teenager in the mid-60s, traveling to New York City where you met your musical idol, Jeff Barry; teamed up with him to record several Top 40 hits ("How'd We Ever Get This Way," "Baby, I Love You," "Be My Baby") for his record label and to write a song that would sell in the millions, and become Record of the Year for 1969 ("Sugar, Sugar"); and composed, produced, recorded and released what would become your signature song and an international hit in 1974 ("Rock Me Gently"). Pretend that your songs and recordings endure to this day, continually being discovered by new generations of fans. And imagine that there's probably not an hour that goes by when at least one of your songs isn't playing somewhere in the world.

Now - if you were Andy Kim, what would you do to top all that?

Here's a little secret ...

The first thing you would do to top all that is to NOT try to top all that. If you were Andy Kim, you would continue to write songs in the same way you always have - from your heart and soul and mind and imagination and life and wisdom. You would continue to write songs for the same reason you always have - because songwriting, the sharing of your music and your spirit with the world, is a part of you. It's in your blood. It's in your DNA. You would do it whether or not you made a dime from it, whether or not you became famous through it. You're not setting out to record a million seller or to compose the perfect tune. Probably you're aware that, if you love the end result, there are others who will too. But this is neither your motivation for nor the source of your compulsion.

Then you'd sit down and write:

Do you feel connected
To sentimental times
Before the wall was erected,
And dreams were in their prime?

And, before you're even aware of it, forty years after your teenage self began creating hit records in New York City, you've made it happen again.

It's almost impossible not to love a song with lyrics like those, and the sentiment within those lyrics - from the title track of Andy Kim's first new album in over twenty years - is prophetic. Happen Again is proof that Andy Kim still has the same magic touch that he's always had, and that all he ever needs to do is all he's ever done - just write his songs one heartbeat at a time and let his innate talent take care of the rest. Happen Again is a work of art. It is, quite simply, magnificent.

Andy Kim's Happen Again is available from Amazon Canada. Visit Andy's official website, http://www.andykimmusic.com/, for details. Go to Andy's official MySpace page to listen to the tracks and discover for yourself the genius residing in the music and mind of this kid from Montreal. And, if you only buy one CD all year, make it this one. Yes - it's that good.

Andy Kim - Making it Happen Again

Singer-songwriter Andy Kim, who's best known for hits like "Sugar, Sugar" (songwriter), "Baby, I Love You" (singer), and "Rock Me Gently" (both), has a brand-new CD, Happen Again, coming out tomorrow, March 30th. It is Andy's first new album in over twenty years.

Toronto’s AM740 (Zoomer Radio) is presenting Andy Kim live in concert at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday. If you live in or near Toronto, you can be one of the lucky people to see the show in person in the Concert Lobby at the radio station (on a first-come, first-served basis). They'll even let you bring your camera.  Otherwise, you can listen to the whole thing on AM740 or watch the live webcast on the site.

Happen Again is available on Amazon Canada. You can visit Andy’s official website at http://www.andykimmusic.com/. And check out Andy’s MySpace page to listen to the entire album on his music player!  Watch for my review of this fantastic collection shortly.

Farewell, Maestro

Johnny Maestro, 07 May 1939 - 24 March 2010

Johnny Maestro was born John Mastrangelo on May 7, 1939, in Brooklyn, NY. He first rose to prominence as lead singer of The Crests, one of the first interracial recording groups (consisting of 2 black males, 1 black female, and 1 Puerto Rican in addition to Maestro). After several hits, including their biggest, "16 Candles," Maestro left the group to go solo, eventually joining The Del-Satins. The following year, 1968, The Del-Satins joined forces with a group called The Rhythm Method and became The Brooklyn Bridge (the inside joke being that their act would be "harder to sell than the Brooklyn Bridge"); their first release, "The Worst That Could Happen," became Maestro's signature tune.

Johnny Maestro passed away from cancer on March 24, 2010, in Florida. He was 70 years old.

Johnny Maestro was a singer's singer. He had one of the best set of pipes out there; he was one of the greats. By all accounts, in addition to being a very talented individual, he was a very nice person. I think it's safe to say that there will never be another like him. His passing is a tragic loss for the music world as well as for his family, friends, and many fans. Johnny, you will always be The Maestro to us.  Rest in peace.

Clay Cole RRHOF Petition

Hi, oldies fans,

Those of you who lived in the New York metro area during the 1960s might remember Clay Cole and his eponymous TV variety show, The Clay Cole Show, which aired from 1959 to 1968.  Clay presented many of the rock and roll stars of the era on not just his television program but also on stage (i.e., the Brooklyn Paramount) and screen (Twist Around the Clock).  Clay also hosted The Clay Cole Summer Show, broadcast from Palisades Amusement Park.  Scores of rock and roll singers and groups appeared on Clay's shows.  In 1969, at the height of the hippie movement and psychedelia, Clay walked away from the TV show and virtually disappeared for forty years (although, in reality, he was keeping busy as a writer and producer).  Now, Clay has reemerged to promote his new book, Sh-Boom!: The Explosion of Rock 'n' Roll (1953-1968) and to once again host concerts (now oldies shows) in cities such as Belleville, New Jersey and St. Petersburg, Florida.

Thanks to oldies deejay Ronnie Allen and Jersey Girls Denise Ferri and Bernadette Carroll, there is now a petition to get Clay Cole inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Please visit this page on the Jersey Girls website to read all about Clay Cole's remarkable career and to sign your name to the petition.  Clay not only presented the best acts in the business, he was (and remains) quite a class act himself.  Please take a few moments to show your support for Clay and for the great music of the 1960s he helped bring to the world.  Thank you!

46 Years Ago Today

It was 46 years ago today - February 9, 1964 - when The Beatles made their historic first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. The Fab Four sang five songs on the Sullivan show - "All My Loving," "Til There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "I Want to Hold Your Hand." There were fewer than 800 people in the studio audience - demand for tickets far exceeded the supply - and the show was watched by an estimated 73 million people. Were you one of them?

Jeff Barry: Jeff Barry in the Rock Hall!

Congratulations to Jeff Barry and the late Ellie Greenwich for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

Jeff Barry: Jeff Barry in the Rock Hall!

For Ellie Greenwich, this honor is a posthumous one. Ellie, whose songwriting partnership with then-husband Jeff produced some of the world's best-known songs, passed away on August 26, 2009. Jeff, along with several of his peers (please visit the above link), will be honored at the Rock Hall induction ceremony, to take place in New York City in March of 2010. Heartfelt congratulations to Jeff (whose official fan site is an Oldies Connection "sister site") - this honor is truly well deserved.

Christmas Rocks!!!

It's that time of year again ... and Christmas Rock is online and at your service, here to bring you lyrics to popular Christmas tunes as recorded by the rock and roll artists of the 1950s through 1990s and beyond. There's also a YouTube player featuring a bunch of holiday music videos - or you can click on the link to view the entire Christmas playlist on the YouTube website. Plus there are links to purchase your favorite holiday music and movies, just in time for gift giving! Christmas Rock is a fun place to visit, so kick back, grab a glass of egg nog or apple cider, and click on da link to get there!

The Oldies Connection Blog is Back!

Hello, oldies fans,


After a rather long hiatus (which was mainly spent on launching various new websites and online communities as well as dealing with personal issues and a demanding day job), the Oldies Connection blog is back in action! The Oldies Connection website, which this blog supports, has never gone away; it is continually being updated with news and content. In addition, there is now an Oldies Connection Page on Facebook. The Facebook Page is mainly for posting links to videos and related sites as well as news on updates and additions to the main site. Please check it out and, if you're a Facebook member, feel free to become a fan of the page.

More articles and links coming soon on the Oldies Connection site. Stay tuned. And thanks for your support!

Ron Dante Radio Interview

On October 3, 2007, Ron Dante (The Archies, The Cuff Links) was interviewed by oldies deejay Ronnie Allen for Philadelphia-area radio station WNJC. The show, which features a brief guest "appearance" by yours truly, is now online at the Jersey Girls Sing! website. To listen, please visit the site and click on the link for Ronnie's Radio Page, then scroll down to the October 3rd show. Ron's segment is the second half hour; Charlie Gracie ("Butterfly") is the first.

And while you're there, you might wanna check out some of Ronnie's other terrific interviews - such as those with The Dixie Cups (September 12), Ronnie Dove and Kathy Young (September 26), and Duane Eddy (October 10) - as well as the rest of the Jersey Girls Sing! website which is the official site for Denise Ferri (The Delicates) and Bernadette Carroll ("Party Girl") and is chock-full of photos and music and memories.

Enjoy,

Laura

His Name is Rambeau!

Despite having been a co-writer on a Top Ten hit record in 1964 and enjoying a Top 40 of his own a year later, Eddie Rambeau's name has never been of the household variety. But even if you don't know his name, chances are you've seen or heard this super-talented singer and composer at some point in your life, especially if you're a Boomer like myself. Along with Bob Crewe and Bud Rehak, Eddie penned "Navy Blue" for Diane Renay, as well as her followup record, "Kiss Me, Sailor" (with Rehak). The following year, 1965, Eddie recorded a hit single of his own, "Concrete and Clay." He has appeared on television, acted on Broadway, performed on cruise ships, and is still going strong (and looking good) at age 64. To read my essay, "His Name is Rambeau," please visit the Oldies Connection website and click on the link beneath Ed's photo on the homepage.

Enjoy,
Laura