JONES & SCHMIDT
Try to Remember
Originally sung by Jerry Orbach in the Original Off-Broadway production of THE FANTASTICKS, “Try to Remember" made the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart several times in versions by Ed Ames, Roger Williams, Barry McGuire, The Kingston Trio, The Sandpipers, and The Brothers Four.
Composing “Try To Remember”
This song from The Fantasticks is the most widely known and genuinely loved of all the songs written together. The melody came to Harvey as a gift from the gods, so here is the story in Harvey’s own words:
“In the late 1950’s having only recently arrived in Manhattan and without a piano of my own, I had rented a studio in Steinway Hall. It was a hot summer afternoon, and after pounding away for a long time with little success on some aggressively insolent piece, I decided to try improvising something simple and soothing. Out came this melody, totally intact. “Well,” I thought, “that’s kinda pretty.” Later, Tom added his haunting, timeless lyric. From the very first day it came to me in that studio to the time the score was published, not a single note was changed.”
Videos
Since its debut in the 1950s, “Try To Remember” has been performed and recorded countless times by artists across all genres, from Broadway legends to pop stars, opera stars, and even the Muppets. The list below, which represents only a fraction of those, includes some of the most notable versions.
Jerry Orbach with Harvey Schmidt on piano
Harry Belafonte — The Ed Sullivan Show
Harry Belafonte — Live performance, 1997
Harry Belafonte — Audrey Hepburn tribute
Even the Albert Einstein estate can’t resist Try To Remember’s charm!