If I Were a Carpenter (song)

The first notable version of "If I Were a Carpenter" was released by Bobby Darin in September 1966. The song was produced by Charles Koppelman and Don Rubin at Darin's insistence. Darin played the acoustic guitar on the recording. Darin took some time to record the song in his recording session, and did not finish the recording until 7 o'clock in the morning. The song was released by Atlantic Records, whose executives were reluctant to release the song until it received enthusiastic response by the radio audience on the West Coast when Koppelman managed to get the song played there. It also peaked at No. 9 in the UK. Darin's recording received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Rock and Roll Solo Vocal Performance at the 9th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Paul McCartney’s vocal performance on The Beatles’ "Eleanor Rigby". The song is the title track of Darin's album If I Were a Carpenter, also produced by Koppelman and Rubin. Darin later wrote "Simple Song of Freedom" (1969) for Hardin. Charts ==Four Tops version==

In 1968, The Four Tops hit the Top 20 on both the pop and soul charts with their version, released as the seventh and final single from their 1967 studio album, Reach Out. It also reached No. 7 in the UK charts in 1968 staying in the charts for 11 weeks. It reached No. 4 in the Netherlands. Cash Box said that "Excellent arrangements put a punch into the rhythmic serving, and the vocal brilliance of the quartet transforms the ballad into molten blues with monster potential." Personnel • Lead vocals by Levi Stubbs • Background vocals by Duke Fakir, Obie Benson and Lawrence Payton • Additional background vocals by The Andantes • Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers Charts == Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s duet version ==

}} In 1969, Johnny Cash and June Carter recorded a duet of the song, which went to No. 2 on the country chart and No. 36 on pop, released as the third and final single off of Cash's thirty-third studio album, ''Hello, I'm Johnny Cash''. Their recording won Cash and June a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1971 Grammys. Charts ==Robert Plant version==

In 1993 former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant released a version on his studio album Fate of Nations, released as the fourth and final single off that record. Plant's version reached No. 63 on the UK Singles Chart. Personnel • Robert Plant – lead vocals • Kevin Scott MacMichael – guitar • Charlie Jones – bass guitar • Chris Hughes – drums • Phil Johnstone – harmonium • Maartin Allcock – mandolin • Lynton Naiff – string arrangement Charts == Johnny Hallyday version (in French) ==

French singer Johnny Hallyday covered the song in French in December 1966. His version, titled "'''Si j'étais un charpentier'''", reached No. 3 in Wallonia (French Belgium). ==Other versions==

• In 1968, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot covered the song as the first track on his album “Young Brigham”. • In 1969, Yugoslav band Crveni Koralji released a Serbo-Croatian version, entitled "Da sam drvosječa", on their EP Sam, the song becoming a nationwide hit for the band. In 2010, Serbian band Kristali recorded a cover of Crveni Koralji version for Srđan Koljević's film The Woman with a Broken Nose. • In 1969 Czech singer Petr Spálený recorded czech version of the song titled "Kdybych já byl kovářem" (if i were a blacksmith) • In 1972, a cover by Bob Seger reached No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was released from his album ''Smokin' O.P.'s''. • In 1974, Leon Russell released a version with a funk tempo and his own rewritten lyrics from the perspective of a "rock star". and was included on his album Stop All That Jazz. • In 1982, Swanee released a version. It peaked at number 5 on the Kent Music Report and was the 33rd biggest selling single in Australia in 1981. • In 2013, UK folk & blues duo Smoke Fairies recorded a version for the compilation album Reason to Believe – The Songs of Tim Hardin. ==References==