Reason to Believe

Infobox Single
Name = Reason to Believe


Caption = Cover of Rod Stewart's "Reason to Believe" A-side, "Maggie May."
Artist = Rod Stewart
from Album = Every Picture Tells a Story
A-side = "Maggie May"
B-side = "Reason to Believe"
Released = 1971
Format = 7" single
Recorded = 1971
Genre = Pop
Length = 4:10
Label =
Writer = Tim Hardin
Producer =
Certification =
Chart position =
Last single =
This single = "Reason to Believe" (1970)
Next single =
Misc =

"Reason to Believe" is a song written and first recorded by American folk singer Tim Hardin in 1965, which has since been recorded by a number of other artists including Rod Stewart (released as a B-side song on the popular single, "Maggie May"), Ron Sexsmith, Bobby Darin, Peter, Paul and Mary, Cher, The Carpenters, The Youngbloods, Mason Williams, Juice Newton, Glen Campbell, Billy Bragg, Wilson Phillips, Vonda Shepard, Denny Laine, The Jayhawks, Rick Nelson, Aled Jones, Weddings Parties Anything, Scott McKenzie and "Play School" presenter Rick Jones.

Original version

After having had his recording contract terminated by Columbia Records, Tim Hardin achieved some success in the 1960s as a songwriter based in Greenwich Village. The original recording of "Reason To Believe" comes from Hardin's debut album, "Tim Hardin 1", recorded in 1965 and released on the Verve Records label in 1966 when he was just 25 [ [http://www.triste.co.uk/arthardin.htm Biography of Tim Hardin - Accessed 2008-08-13] ] . Tim Hardin's original recording of the song is also on the soundtrack to the 2000 film "Wonder Boys".

Covers

Brainbox version

Possibly one of the first foreign groups who covered this song was the Dutch band Brainbox in 1969.

Rod Stewart version

Rod Stewart's version is perhaps the best known cover version, as it was released in 1971 on the "Every Picture Tells a Story" album, and then again in 1993, when it received airplay as part of his MTV Unplugged album and re-charted, reaching number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Bobby Darin version

Bobby Darin released a version on his "If I Were a Carpenter" LP on Atlantic Records in 1966, along with other Hardin songs ("Misty Roses" and "If I Were a Carpenter").

The Youngbloods version

The Youngbloods recorded "Reason to Believe" for their second LP, "Earth Music", in 1967. [ [http://www.deaddisc.com/ot/Earth_Music Grateful Dead Family Discography:Earth Music ] ] It was re-released on the compilation album, "Sunlight", in 1971. [ [http://www.deaddisc.com/ot/Sunlight.html Grateful Dead Family Discography:Sunlight ] ]

Scott McKenzie version

Can be found on the "San Francisco" album, released in 1967.

Rick Nelson version

Can be found on the album "Another Side of Rick", released in 1967.

Peter, Paul and Mary version

Can be found on their "Late Again" album, released in 1968.

Cher version

Can be found on her "Backstage" album, released in 1968.

The Carpenters version

The Carpenters recorded "Reason to Believe" for their second LP, "Close to You", in 1970. On television, they performed it on the "Fifth Dimension's Travelling Sunshine Show" on August 18, 1971 [ [http://www.vex.net/~paulmac/carpenter/tv.html#us_series Carpenters on TV ] ] and "Make Your Own Kind of Music" on September 7, 1971. [http://www.thecarpenters.tv/] Richard Carpenter remixed the song for the release of the 1995 compilation, "". Footage of both performances on DVD can be found on the "Fifth Dimension's Travelling Sunshine Show" and the "Interpretations" DVD.

References