| If I Were a Carpenter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | Dec 1966 | |||
| Recorded | August 15 – November 1, 1966 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 25:51 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Charles Koppelman, Don Rubin | |||
| Bobby Darin chronology | ||||
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If I Were a Carpenter is an album by American singer Bobby Darin, released in 1966. It was a significant change in direction for Darin considering his previous album (In a Broadway Bag) was a collection of show tunes.
Having previously built his career recording mainstream pop music, Darin's musical output became more "folky" as the 1960s progressed. In 1966, he charted with folksinger Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter". It was Darin's return to the Top 10 after a four-year absence (the single peaked at No. 8 in the US and No. 9 in the UK in 1966). The tracks leaned heavily towards songs by Hardin and John Sebastian — seven of the songs were written by these two songwriters and Darin's next album would follow a similar process. The song "Red Balloon" had not yet been released by Hardin. It would appear on his album 1967 album Tim Hardin 2 . In his Allmusic review, Richie Unterberger, stated "Hardin himself was convinced that Darin had copied his vocal style by listening to his yet-to-be-issued version and the album as a whole boasts a production similar to the orchestrated folk-rock heard on the debut (sic) album in question, though it sounds like an inferior copy." Both Darin's If I Were a Carpenter and Hardin's Tim Hardin 2 were produced by Charles Koppelman and Don Rubin and Koppelman had originally signed Sebastian's band, The Lovin' Spoonful. [1]
The album reached number 142 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. Darin's cover of "Lovin' You" reached the Top 40.
If I Were a Carpenter was reissued in 1998 on the Diablo label combined with Darin's next release, Inside Out. [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
Music critic Richie Unterberger wrote in his Allmusic review "... this is a fair but unexceptional record. Darin falls short of the originals on Buffy St. Marie's "Until It's Time for You to Go" and the Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream." In fact, aside from "If I Were a Carpenter," the standout is the odd low-charting single "The Girl Who Stood Beside Me," with its odd muted psychedelic bagpipe effects constantly buzzing in the background of an actual fairly strong folk-rock tune." [3]
John Benson Sebastian is an American singer/songwriter, guitarist, harmonicist, and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, as well as for his impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969 and a U.S. No. 1 hit in 1976, "Welcome Back".
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band that was popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, it is best known for a number of hits, including "Summer in the City", "Do You Believe In Magic", "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?", and "Daydream". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
James Timothy Hardin was an American folk and blues musician and composer. As well as releasing his own material, several of his songs, including "If I Were a Carpenter", became hits for other artists.
Tim Hardin 2 is the second album by folk artist Tim Hardin, released in 1967.
Daydream is the second album by The Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1966. It features two hits, "Daydream", which reached No. 2 in the U.S. Billboard Top 40 charts, and "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice".
"If I Were a Carpenter" is a song written by Tim Hardin. Hardin's own recording of the piece appeared on his 1967 album Tim Hardin 2. It was one of two songs from that release performed by Hardin at Woodstock in 1969. The song has been covered a number of times by other artists. It was partly inspired by the construction of a recording studio for Hardin, in the home of Lenny Bruce, and by his love for actress Susan Morss.
Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful is the third studio album and fourth overall by American folk rock band the Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1966 by Kama Sutra Records. It peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.
What's Shakin' is a compilation album released by Elektra Records in June 1966. It features the earliest studio recordings by the Lovin' Spoonful and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, as well as the only released recordings by the ad hoc studio group Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse, until they were reissued years later.
Erik Jacobsen is an American record producer, song publisher and artist manager. He is best known for his work in the 1960s with Tim Hardin, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Charlatans, Sopwith Camel, and later with Norman Greenbaum, Tazmanian Devils and Chris Isaak. Though semi-retired, Jacobsen continues to manage many of his published songs and masters for various uses.
The Lovin' Spoonful Anthology is a compilation album by the folk rock group The Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1990.
Tim Hardin 3 Live in Concert is a live album by folk artist Tim Hardin, released in 1968. It was re-issued on CD in 1995 by Polydor, and in 2006 by Lilith Record with four bonus tracks.
The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful is a 1967 best of album of The Lovin' Spoonful hits featuring tracks from their first three albums. It charted the highest of the group's career, hitting number three on the Billboard Top LPs chart.
Simple Songs of Freedom: The Tim Hardin Collection is a compilation album by folk artist Tim Hardin, released in 1996. It includes selections from his three Columbia albums and five previously unreleased tracks.
John B. Sebastian is the debut album by American singer-songwriter John Sebastian, previously best known as the co-founder and primary singer-songwriter of the 1960s folk-rock band the Lovin' Spoonful. The album, released in January 1970, includes several songs that would become staples of Sebastian's live performances during the early and mid-1970s. Most notably, the album included "She's a Lady", Sebastian's first solo single, and an alternate version of "I Had a Dream" which was used to open the soundtrack album of the 1970 documentary film Woodstock. John B. Sebastian also featured support performances by David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash several months before that trio agreed to work together as a performing unit.
Young Brigham is an album by American folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott, released in 1968.
"Daydream" is a popular song written by John Sebastian, first released in 1966. The song was originally recorded that year by Sebastian's group The Lovin' Spoonful and released on their album of the same title. "Daydream" originated with Sebastian's attempt to rewrite The Supremes' "Baby Love".
Hang On to a Dream: The Verve Recordings is a compilation album by folk artist Tim Hardin, released in 1994. It includes all Hardin's studio recordings for the Verve label as well as alternate takes, unreleased tracks, and demos.
John Sebastian Live is a recording of a July 1970 concert performance by American singer/songwriter John Sebastian, released in September of that year by MGM Records.
Inside Out is a 1967 album by Bobby Darin. This album found Darin continuing to explore the folk genre, as he had on his previous release, If I Were a Carpenter. Like its predecessor, Inside Out contains songs by Tim Hardin and John Sebastian, as well as Randy Newman and The Rolling Stones.
The Magicians were an American garage rock band formed in New York City, New York, in 1965. The group released four singles during their brief recording career with Columbia Records, with their most well-known song being "An Invitation to Cry". Members Alan Gordon and Garry Bonner later became a successful songwriting duo, and the Magicians' material was assembled on a compilation album in 1999.
