Reason to Believe

"Reason to Believe" is a song written, composed, and first recorded by American folk singer Tim Hardin in 1965. It has since been recorded by artists including Bobby Darin in 1966, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1969, the Carpenters in 1970, and Rod Stewart in 1971 and 1993.

For other songs and albums titled Reason to Believe, see Reason to Believe (disambiguation).

Tim Hardin 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 25.[1]

Tim Hardin's original recording of the song is also on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Wonder Boys.

The Carpenters version

The Carpenters[2] recorded "Reason to Believe" for their second LP, Close to You, in 1970. On television, the duo performed their version on The 5th Dimension Travelling Sunshine Show on August 18, 1971[3] and Make Your Own Kind of Music on September 7, 1971.[4] Richard Carpenter remixed the song for the release of the 1995 compilation, Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration.

Rod Stewart versions
"Reason to Believe"
German picture sleeve
Single by Rod Stewart
from the album Every Picture Tells a Story
B-side"Maggie May"
ReleasedJuly 1971
Recorded1971
GenreFolk rock
Length4:10
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)Tim Hardin
Rod Stewart singles chronology
"It's All Over Now"
(1970)		 "Reason to Believe"
(1971)		 "(I Know) I'm Losing You"

Background

Rod Stewart's version appeared as the first single from his 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story, with "Maggie May" as the B-side. "Reason to Believe" reached No. 62 on the Hot 100 on its own before the more popular B-side overtook it on its way to No. 1 on the chart. The Hot 100 listed "Reason To Believe" as the flip side for the remaining 16 weeks of that run. Stewart's double-sided hit, which topped the Hot 100 during all five chart weeks of October 1971, held The Carpenters' "Superstar" at No. 2 during the third and fourth of those weeks.

A live version was released in 1993 on the album Unplugged...and Seated. Released as the second single from the album, it reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. The 1993 single includes a live version of "It's All Over Now", which was recorded during the MTV Unplugged performance but does not appear on the album.

Altogether, the two versions of "Reason to Believe" logged a total of 41 weeks on the Hot 100, more than any other Rod Stewart song.

Weekly charts

Original version

Chart (1971) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 24
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[6] 24
UK Singles (OCC)[7]
Double A-side with "Maggie May"		 1
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 62
US Cash Box Top 100[8] 80
US Record World Singles Chart[8] 29

Live version

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 3
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[10] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[11] 79
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 51
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 19
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[14] 2
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[15] 24

Year-end charts
Chart (1993) Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[16] 22
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[17] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 90

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[19] Gold 10,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Other versions
  • Peggy Lee recorded the song in 1968 for release on a 45" single along with another Hardin song, "Misty Roses". A live recording of the song by Lee from the same year was released on the album 2 Shows Nightly.
  • Peter Paul and Mary recorded a folk version of this song in 1968 on their album "Album 1700." That album reflected their exploration of more rock oriented tunes, similar to what Bob Dylan started exploring in the mid-60's.
  • Wilson Phillips included the song on their 1990 debut album Wilson Phillips.
  • Karen Dalton's friend recorded her performing a version of this song. It is included on her album "1966".[20]
  • Johnny Cash recorded the song for his 1975 album John R. Cash, which also featured "The Lady Came from Baltimore", written by Hardin.
  • Glen Campbell recorded the song for his 1968 chart-topping album Wichita Lineman.
  • The Dillards recorded the song for their "Wheatstraw Suite" album in 1968. It was also released as a single (which did not chart)
  • Neil Young recorded the song in Jack White's 1947 recording booth for his "A Letter Home" album in 2014.A Letter Home
  • Cher recorded the song for her 1968 album "Backstage".

References
  1. Steven Wilcock. "Tim Hardin". Triste article. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
  2. "Carpenters: Close To You album, 1970, Karen Carpenter, Richard Carpenter". Richardandkarencarpenter.com. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2007-02-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "カーペンターズ". Thecarpenters.tv. Archived from the original on 2007-02-23. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
  5. "Ultratop.be – Rod Stewart – Reason to Believe" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  6. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7580." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (2015). The Comparison Book. Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 285. ISBN 978-0-89820-213-7.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2270." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  10. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2285." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – Rod Stewart – Reason to Believe". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  13. Whitburn, Joel (2015). Top Pop Singles 1955 – 1996. Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 587. ISBN 978-0-89820-123-9.
  14. "Rod Stewart Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  15. "Rod Stewart Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  16. "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  17. "The RPM Top 100 A\C Tracks of 1993". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  18. "Billboard Top 100 - 1993". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  19. "Rod's Got The Face In New Zealand" (PDF). Cash Box. 30 March 1974. p. 53. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  20. Zoladz, Lindsay. "Karen Dalton: 1966". Pitchfork. Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
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