Tim Hardin – Woodstock ’69 – If I Were A Carpenter
The original works of Tim Hardin are debased by his personal drug use, but some consider him one of the most memorable songwriters of his time at Woodstock.
Born in Eugene, Oregon in 1941, Hardin had perused the Boston and Greenwich Village folk music scenes and was signed to a deal on Verve. His first two albums titled Tim Hardin 1 (1966) and Tim Hardin 2 (1967) were home to his only hits “Misty Roses”, “How Can We Hang On To A Dream”, “Reason To Believe”, and “If I Were a Carpenter”, which became a U.S. top 10 single, although that version was a cover by Bobby Darrin.
Heroin addiction crippled his ability to build up any sort of mass following. He was often absent for live performances and displayed symptoms of stage fright by acting erratically during his shows. At Woodstock, Hardin performed his track “Misty Roses” as well as his version of “If I Were a Carpenter”, which were recorded but not included on the documentary.
After the Woodstock 1969 festival, Hardin released three more albums which weren’t abysmal failures, but similar to his live performances, fizzled in any attempt to gain him any popularity. Hardin continued to struggle with his drug problem and died of an overdose in 1980.
Hardin is still known as an incredible songwriter whose music was recorded by artists such as Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bobby Darin, Bob Seger, The Youngbloods, the Nice, and Frank Sinatra.