Try to Remember (song)
Encyclopedia
"Try to Remember" is a song from the musical comedy The Fantasticks
. It is the first song sung in the show, to get the audience to imagine what the sparse set suggests. Its lyrics, written by Tom Jones
, famously rhyme "remember" with "September", "so tender", and "December", and repeat the sequence llow throughout the song: verse 1 contains "mellow", "yellow", and "callow fellow"; verse 2 contains "willow", "pillow", "billow"; verse 3 contains "follow", "hollow", "mellow"; and all verses end with "follow". Harvey Schmidt
composed the music.
"Try to Remember" was originally sung by Jerry Orbach
in the Original Off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks
. "Try To Remember" made the Billboard Hot 100
pop chart three times in 1965 in versions by Ed Ames
, Roger Williams
and The Brothers Four
. The song was the first Australian hit for the then-Brisbane
based trio New World
, billed at the time as The New World Trio. Their version peaked at 11 in late 1968.
In 1975 Gladys Knight & the Pips
had a huge international hit with their version of "Try to Remember", combining it into a medley with a cover of Barbra Streisand
's "The Way We Were
". It reached #11 on the Hot 100 chart. In Knight's version, she recited some of the lyrics from "Try To Remember" in spoken-word fashion before beginning to sing "The Way We Were". Harry Belafonte
has recorded the song multiple times. The Greek singer Nana Mouskouri
also recorded it in three languages: German, French, and Italian.
"Try to Remember" was used in the soundtrack of the film The Man Who Fell to Earth
.
Jonathon Morris
performed the song in the 1995 film version
of The Fantasticks, and a cover version was made by Leon Lai
for the 1998 Hong Kong film City of Glass
.
Donald Braswell II
recorded this song on his 2007 album New Chapter
.
John Barrowman
recorded this song on his 2003 album "Reflections from Broadway".
The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It was produced by Lore Noto. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into...
. It is the first song sung in the show, to get the audience to imagine what the sparse set suggests. Its lyrics, written by Tom Jones
Tom Jones (writer)
Tom Jones is a lyricist of musical theatre. His best known work is The Fantasticks, which ran off-Broadway from 1960 until 2002, and the hit song from the same, Try to Remember. Other songs from "The Fantasticks" include "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Much More" and "I Can See It"...
, famously rhyme "remember" with "September", "so tender", and "December", and repeat the sequence llow throughout the song: verse 1 contains "mellow", "yellow", and "callow fellow"; verse 2 contains "willow", "pillow", "billow"; verse 3 contains "follow", "hollow", "mellow"; and all verses end with "follow". Harvey Schmidt
Harvey Schmidt
Harvey Lester Schmidt is an American composer for musical theatre. He is best known for composing the music for the longest running musical in history, The Fantasticks, which ran off-Broadway from 1960 - 2002.-Biography:...
composed the music.
"Try to Remember" was originally sung by Jerry Orbach
Jerry Orbach
Jerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
in the Original Off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It was produced by Lore Noto. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into...
. "Try To Remember" made the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop chart three times in 1965 in versions by Ed Ames
Ed Ames
Ed Ames is an American popular singer and actor. He is best known for his pop and adult contemporary hits of the 1960s like "When the Snow is on the Roses" and the perennial "My Cup Runneth Over." He was part of a popular 1950s singing group called The Ames Brothers.-Early life:Born in Malden,...
, Roger Williams
Roger Williams (pianist)
Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.-Biography:...
and The Brothers Four
The Brothers Four
The Brothers Four are an American folk singing group, founded in 1957 in Seattle, Washington, known for their 1960 hit song "Greenfields".-History:...
. The song was the first Australian hit for the then-Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
based trio New World
New World (band)
New World was an Australian pop group that existed from the mid 1960s to the late 1970s. They are best known for their Top 10 hit single, "Tom-Tom Turnaround", which was released in 1971...
, billed at the time as The New World Trio. Their version peaked at 11 in late 1968.
In 1975 Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
had a huge international hit with their version of "Try to Remember", combining it into a medley with a cover of Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
's "The Way We Were
The Way We Were (song)
"The Way We Were" is the title song to the 1973 movie The Way We Were, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. The song was written by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman, scored by Marvin Hamlisch and performed by Streisand...
". It reached #11 on the Hot 100 chart. In Knight's version, she recited some of the lyrics from "Try To Remember" in spoken-word fashion before beginning to sing "The Way We Were". Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
has recorded the song multiple times. The Greek singer Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
also recorded it in three languages: German, French, and Italian.
"Try to Remember" was used in the soundtrack of the film The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Man Who Fell to Earth (film)
The Man Who Fell to Earth is a 1976 British science fiction film directed by Nicolas Roeg.The film is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, about an extraterrestrial who crash lands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought...
.
Jonathon Morris
Jonathon Morris
Jonathon Morris is an English actor and former television presenter.-Career:Morris is best known for his role as Adrian Boswell in Carla Lane's comedy Bread, in which he starred for the series' entire five-year run between 1986-1991, and which made him a well-known face on British Television.Prior...
performed the song in the 1995 film version
The Fantasticks (film)
The Fantasticks is a 1995 musical film directed by Michael Ritchie. The screenplay by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt is based on their record-breaking off-Broadway production of the same name, which ran for 17,162 performances...
of The Fantasticks, and a cover version was made by Leon Lai
Leon Lai
Leon Lai is a Hong Kong-based actor and Cantopop singer. The media refer to Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings . He uses the stage name "Li Ming" or "Lai Ming" which literally means "dawn."-Biography:...
for the 1998 Hong Kong film City of Glass
City of Glass (film)
City of Glass is a 1998 Hong Kong film, directed by Mabel Cheung.-Cast:* Nicola Cheung - Suzie* Daniel Wu - David* Leon Lai _ Raphael* Audrey Mak - Tiger Sing* Shu Qi - Vivian* Vincent Kok* Pauline Yam* Eason Chan...
.
Donald Braswell II
Donald Braswell II
Donald Braswell II is an American actor, classical crossover tenor and composer. Braswell was on a fast track to become an internationally acclaimed opera singer when he suffered a car accident in 1995 that made him unable to speak for almost two years...
recorded this song on his 2007 album New Chapter
New Chapter
New Chapter is the first studio album from American actor, composer and tenor Donald Braswell II, who has entertained audiences both internationally as well as shore to shore in the United States in concerts, television appearances, inspirational speaking and radio. He was also a finalist in the...
.
John Barrowman
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish-American singer, actor, dancer, musical theatre performer and media personality. Born in Glasgow yet growing up in Illinois after his family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old, Barrowman was encouraged to further his love for music and...
recorded this song on his 2003 album "Reflections from Broadway".
External links
- "Try to Remember" - Lead sheet at wikifonia.org