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, Glen Campbell in 1968, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1969, the Carpenters in 1970, and Rod Stewart in 1971 and 1993.

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.

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

The Carpenters version

The Carpenters 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 and Make Your Own Kind of Music on September 7, 1971. Richard Carpenter remixed the song for the release of the 1995 compilation, Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration.

Rod Stewart versions

"Reason to Believe"
Maggiereason.jpg
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"
(1971)

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.

Charts

Weekly charts

Original version

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

Live version

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 3
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) 1
Germany (Official German Charts) 79
UK Singles (OCC) 51
US Billboard Hot 100 19
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 2
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 24

Year-end charts

Chart (1993) Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 22
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) 3
US Billboard Hot 100 90
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 23
Chart (1994) Position
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 44

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ) 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.
  • Karen Dalton released a version on her album "1966"..
  • Wilson Phillips released a version on their 1990 Self-Titled Debut album.

This page was last updated at 2021-11-27 04:23 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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