John Peel Wiki

Changes to the look of John Peel Wiki will take place in the near future due to a new skin being rolled out over Oct/Nov across Wikia. Please see the Wikia Staff Blog for further details. On this site, the changes will affect the navigation from the left menu, as well as introduce a fixed page width with narrower content space. Please be patient while adjustments are made for the switch to the new system.

UPDATE: As the change is now in force for some users, I have switched the navigation to the simplified one for the new system. Please check Navigation in the Help section if you can't find things. I also initially made small adjustments to the front page layout, but have now reverted to the old look until all users are on the new system.

COUNTDOWN: Just a reminder for people still using Monaco that the final switch to the new skin is due on Nov. 3. After that, it will no longer be offered as an option. Sorry. Nothing to do with me.

Steve W

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Tim Hardin

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James Timothy "Tim" Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk musician and composer. He wrote the Top 40 hit "If I Were a Carpenter", covered by, among others, Bobby Darin, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, The Four Tops, Robert Plant, and Johnny Rivers; his song "Reason to Believe" has also been covered by many artists, notably Rod Stewart (who had a chart hit with the song) and The Carpenters. Hardin is also known for his own recording career (read more at Wikipedia).

Links to Peel[]

For a time in the late 1960s, Tim Hardin was considered one of the best songwriters of the era. This was largely due to the albums Tim Hardin 1 and Tim Hardin 2, released in 1966 and 1967 respectively and containing the songs for which he is still best known. Tracks from these appeared in the playlists of KMEN, when Peel was working at the station under the name John Ravencroft; they were also played on Radio London and Peel played tracks from Hardin's albums on the Perfumed Garden. As the Wikipedia article on Hardin shows, there were numerous cover versions of his songs. Probably the best-known one is Bobby Darin's hit version of "If I Were A Carpenter", but some are by artists who were featured on Peel's shows, including The Nice, Chicken Shack, Rod Stewart and Billy Bragg.

Unfortunately, Tim Hardin was also addicted to heroin and gained a reputation for erratic and unreliable behaviour. When he visited the UK in 1968 he was suffering from pleurisy and reportedly fell asleep on stage at the Royal Albert Hall. He did manage to record a session for Top Gear, however, but when it was broadcast, Peel (who may have attended the session recording or the Albert Hall concert) remarked that Hardin was clearly "a very sick man". Nevertheless, after playing Rod Stewart' s cover version of "Reason To Believe" on the show of 24 July 1971, Peel urges his listeners to see Hardin - " a remarkable performer, on his day" - at the upcoming Lincoln Festival.

After Tim Hardin's death, Peel played 'Reason To Believe' on his programme on 12 January 1981 in tribute.

Festive Fifty Entries[]

  • None

Sessions[]

One session. No known commercial release.

1. With the Spike Heatley Quintette. Recorded 1968-07-15. First broadcast 28 July 1968, repeated 01 September 1968.

  • Reason To Believe / Don't Make Promises / Danville Dan / Hang On To A Dream

Other Shows Played[]

External Links[]

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