This song is one of many that takes me back to the first home I lived in. I remember my dad’s stereo system and the rack of vinyl albums he had on it. My dad and mom often played records on weekends as the cleaned the house. I wish I could remember the album that this one was on, but I can’t. It was obviously some sort of “Pop Hits” collection because I remember Steam’s Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye being on it, too.
“Baby, I Love You” was already a hit. In 1964, the Ronettes took it to number 24 on the charts. Andy Kim, however, had the bigger hit with the song (taking it to #9 in the US and #1 in Canada). I have always liked Andy’s version better.
According to songfacts.com: The song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector. Barry and Kim often worked together, and one day Kim was in Barry’s office, where he discovered the sheet music. The song wasn’t big in Canada, so Kim had never heard it before. He started playing it on his guitar, and when Barry heard him, they decided to record it with Barry producing. It was used as the lead single and title track to Kim’s 1969 album.
The thing I love about his version is the sound of it. That entire intro was something that immediately struck a chord with me. It has such a unique sound. Songfacts.com explains just how that “sound” was accomplished:
Kim was ready to quit the music industry when he recorded “Baby, I Love You.” He hadn’t experienced any chart success since “How’d We Ever Get This Way,” which was on his debut album (also titled How’d We Ever Get This Way), released in 1968. Then, while recording “Baby, I Love You,” producer Jeff Barry (who cowrote The Archies’ #1 “Sugar Sugar” with Kim) got so frustrated that he shut the session down and let the band go. He instructed Kim to go to the “big room” of A&R Recording studios and to rent five guitars. Kim sat on a stool in the center of the enormous room and focused on playing guitar while Barry clapped the tempo in the studio. After Kim laid down recordings on the five guitars, and Barry patched those together for the sound we hear in the final recording.
Kim released “Baby, I Love You” on May 24, 1969 – the same day The Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar” went live. The songs were both milestones in Kim’s career. In 1974, he released his biggest hit, “Rock Me Gently.”
When I hear this one, I am taken back to when I am 5 or 6 years old.
Baby, I Love You
Have I ever told you
How good it feels to hold you
It isn’t easy to explain
And though I’m merely trying
I think I may start crying
My heart can’t wait another day
When you touch me I just got to say
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Come on baby na na na na na
Come on baby na na na na na
I can’t live without you
I love everything about you
I can’t help it if I feel this way
And I’m so glad I found you
I want my arms around you
I want to hear you call my name
Tell me baby that you feel the same.
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Come on baby na na na na na
Come on baby na na na na na
My heart can’t wait another day
When you touch me I just got to say
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Come on baby na na na na na
Come on baby na na na na na
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Come on baby na na na na na
Come on baby na na na na na
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 
Thanks for reminding us of this one. I was pretty young when it was out,which is why maybe I forget it even though it was big in Canada (that he was from Canada helped). Great song. Coincidentally just two nights ago I was re-watching a show on Netflix about the Brill Building and Andy Kim was one of the two main hosts, he went to look at the building now and led a bunch of music students in a rowsing version of ‘Sugar Sugar’.
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Oh man I have to watch that!
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It’s part of the ‘This is Pop’s series
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Thanks Dave I was going to ask.
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The episode on country is quite interesting too, Steve Earle has some interesting commentary on there.
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I’ll look it up, hopefully not one of those Netflix shows not available in Canada.
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Wonderful post.
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I loved this song-
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I liked this song a lot back in the day.
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AM Gold! I remember this with the others like Chevy Van, Season in The Sun, etc… I would have never thought it was that many guitars in it.
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