(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
Andy Kim - "Rock Me Gently"
Hit Number 1: September 28, 1974
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
The song sounded like him and his voice sounded like him. Hell, he even looked like him. When "Rock Me Gently" was being played on the radio and was one of the most popular songs in 1974, everyone probably assumed it was Neil Diamond. The song is basically a Neil Diamond knock-off, and if everyone would have seen the actual singer perform it, they still would have likely thought it was Diamond. That's because the real singer of "Rock Me Gently" is Andy Kim, who hardly had any huge success on the charts. Most of his success was from songwriting, not from singing and performing. But he could have a Neil Diamond alter ego and pull it off amazingly, because the guy was basically Diamond's long lost twin. But things were a lot more rough for Kim than they were for Diamond.
Kim saw his career begin to rise in the late-'60s, and the year 1969 was pretty good to him. He got his first top ten hit that year with "Baby, I Love You", a cover of the Ronettes' song, and he was able to get to #9 with it. (His version is a 7) He was also one of the songwriters responsible for bringing us the irresistible bubble gum smash "Sugar, Sugar" "by" the Archies, a fictional cartoon band. (Kim also leant his voice to the backing vocal section of the song) But then once the '70s arrived, his career cratered. When 1973 arrived, Kim was without a record label, and was forced to start his own, which would be Ice Records. This is where "Rock Me Gently" was made. When Kim started Ice Records, he was strapped for cash, but used a lot of his remaining funds for one last stab at reigniting his music career. He could only afford making a single record, with one A-side and one B-side. That record was, of course, "Rock Me Gently" on the A-side, and the B-side was just an instrumental version of "Rock Me Gently".
Kim was immediately happy with the record, and it was for good reason. Capitol Records, one of the largest labels in the country, happened to hear the record by complete chance. They liked what they heard on the song, and they signed Kim to a deal with their label and distributed the song to nationwide radio. From there, it took off. It took 14 weeks from the time "Rock Me Gently" debuted on the Hot 100 to the time where it hit #1, but I don't think that mattered that much to Kim. He went through three agonizing years of failure, being without a record label and battling financial issues. In 1974, though it was only for one week, he had the most popular song in the nation.
I doubt that Kim meant to impersonate Neil Diamond so much on the record, but hey, it works. Kim sings with the same kind of charisma as Diamond always does; except where Diamond sings with an exuberant gloat on a lot of his songs, Kim sings with a more timid manner on "Rock Me Gently", which is absolutely, 100% the right approach. The narrator of the song is ecstatic for sex, but he's never made love like this before. He wants to be rocked "gently," and wants the woman to "take it easy." The verses have an intense build into the chorus, and once that chorus arrives, it blows you away. "Baby, baby! Rock me gently! Rock me slowly! Take it easy! Don't you know that I have never been loved like this before?!" It's pretty simple, but it's also pretty great. I also love the random Stevie Wonder-sounding instrumental solo in it, which gives the song some fun funk feel. "Rock Me Gently" is your standard piece of '70s pop music, but it has so much more personality to it. The song's clearly about a guy who is about to lose his virginity, and the song reflects the moods. He's nervous, but he's also excited. And Kim plays the character of this guy really well. Also, the song just flat out slaps. It's so much fun.
Kim never replicated the success of "Rock Me Gently", but I don't think that matters. "Rock Me Gently" still has some rotation on oldies radio, and I'm sure this song alone made Kim super rich. I've gotta say, he's earned every penny of his royalties that he got from it. To see someone struggle so hard, and to see them burst onto the scene again with a monster hit, and that monster hit is an absolute banger? I tip my cap to him.
GRADE: 8/10
IN POP CULTURE:
According to Wikipedia, "Rock Me Gently" was used a couple times in TV, but neither of those clips appear to be on YouTube. So instead, here's a cover of "Rock Me Gently" by country artist Michelle Wright, which she released in 1989.
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