"TRY TO REMEMBER"
"The Fantasticks"《異想天開》1960年五月三日在紐約市 "Off-Broadway 外百老匯" 區域首演, 開始時的幾個月, 入場觀眾稀疏, 幸得團員努力、堅毅和把握一次機會, 漸被業界和觀眾關注。
劇團在 "Sullivan Street Playhouse" 的一段艱苦日子, 直至被樂壇業界和觀眾接受之後; 劇中有幾首由 Jerry Orbach 原唱的歌曲, 至1962年由 MGM Records 美高梅公司才把歌曲錄製唱片; 完成後, 這張同名的専輯 "The Fantasticks" 面世時, 已經是1963年, 唱片的編號: "The Fantasticks LP 33 MGM Records SE38720C Musical 1963", 所以其中的經典 "Try To Remember", 不應視作由 Jerry Orbach 的首唱錄音, 因為 ....
HARRY BELAFONTE
從網上的資料可見另一張較早出現的唱片錄音, 是1962年 RCA 唱片公司錄製, 由當年已俱名氣的 Harry Belafonte 收錄在他的唱片專輯: "The Many Moods Of Belafonte"。但是, 再一經查閱, 發現 Harry Belafonte 之外, 此曲的首唱錄音原來另有"高人"!
Harry Belafonte with Sam McKeltin
"THEIR FIRST ALBUM" - Rare Version
Monument Records 是1958年剛成立的唱片公司, 相信是他們錄製的 第一張 專輯; 或許, 這是主唱歌手的 第一張 專輯, 亦可能是青年作詞家 Tom Jones, 被唱片公司垂青的第一張作品。這張有三個 "第一" 的專輯 FIRST ALBUM, 是韓國姊妹組合 "The Kim Sisters" 的錄音, 1959年面世, 唱片編號 : Monument SLP18022 -1959, "Try To Remember" 被收錄在 A-面的第一首歌曲, 而網上亦找不到有其他更早的版本, 可能在六十年代初, 沒有多少人會相信, 此曲會成為音樂劇 "The Fantasticks" 的靈魂, 與及在流行樂壇有如此 "魔力" !
A1 Try To Remember
A2 China Nights
A3 Harbour Nights
A4 Roses In The Snow
A5 Chinese Lullaby
A6 Danny Boy
B1 Charlie Brown
B2 Hawaiian Wedding Song
B3 Arirang
B4 You Can't Have Everthing
B5 Korean Spring Song
B6 Hallelujah I Love Her So
母親任職外國樂團歌手以維持家計, 三個女孩由十一至十三歲時, 已經有意鼓勵她們以歌唱為事業, 由不懂英語開始, 教她們用拼音來學唱 "Ole' Buttermilk Sky"。繼而, 很快便學上歐美的 Rock n'Roll 搖滾樂曲。1954年開始, 成了駐韓美軍的娛軍女娃娃, 由此賺來不少糖果和軍用物資, 拿到市場換物或換取金錢以幫家。
1958年, 一位美國樂壇經理人, 帶她們到 Las Vegas 拉斯維加斯, Thunderbird Hotel 演出節目 "China Doll Review", 三人的週薪共四百元, 及後亦演出不同酒店, 包括在香港, 位於九龍尖沙咀漢口道 "Hotel Merlin 美輪酒店" 地庫酒廊演出, 與及在電視台亮相。
一年後, "The Kim Sisters" 参予 "Ed Sullivan Show" 而一舉成名, 亦因為三姊妹能唱跳演, 亦能玩奏不同樂器, 由此踏足美國演藝和樂壇。往後的十四年, 更成了 Ed Sullivan 的常客, 和 Elvis Presley, The Beatles 等同場; 成了"LIFE 生活什誌" 和 "NEWSWEEK 新聞週刊" 的内文和封面人物, 由糖果的賞錢至週薪一萬三千元的藝人。及後, 仍繼續三姊妹的表演事業和定居美國。
The Kim Sisters - Monument Records 1960 version
.... 完美的演譯 - Try To Remember / The Way We Were
Gladys Knight & The Pips :「 給一個了解自己的人, 雖然你比任何人曾付出更多, 但結果仍非所願。今天, 從記憶中, 找回往日情懷 」
TRY TO REMEMBER - Lyric: Tom Jones
Hey, you know, everybody's talkin' about the good old days, right
Everybody, the good old days, the good old days
Well, let's talk about the good old days
Come to think of it as, as bad as we think they are
these will become the good old days for our children, hum
Why don't we, ah
Try to remember that kind of September, when
When life was slow and oh, so mellow, hum
Try to remember, and if you remember then follow
Oh, why does it seem the past is always better
We look back and think
The winters were warmer
Grass was greener
Skies were bluer
And smiles were bright
THE WAY WE WERE - Lyric: Barbra Streisand
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
And if we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me
Would we
Could we
Memories, like the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Hahaa...
Oh, can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
And if we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, haha...
Would we
Could we
Memories may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember
The Way We Were...
Remember, the way we were