Can't We Try

"Can't We Try"
Single by Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard
from the album Dan Hill
B-side"Pleasure Centre"
ReleasedJune 1987
GenrePop
Length4:02
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Beverly Chapin Hill, Dan Hill
Producer(s)Hank Medress, John Capek
Dan Hill singles chronology
"You Pulled Me Through"
(1984) 		"Can't We Try"
(1987) 		"Never Thought (That I Could Love)"
(1987)

"Can't We Try" is a 1987 duet performed by Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard. The ballad was Billboard's No. 1 Adult Contemporary Song of the Year for 1987.

"Can't We Try" was released as a single from Dan Hill's 1987 self-titled album. The song reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also on Cash Box,[1] making it Dan Hill's second-biggest hit behind "Sometimes When We Touch", which hit No. 3 back in 1978, and was Vonda Shepard's only Top 10 Pop hit.

It also reached No. 2 for three weeks on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart (behind "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston and "Moonlighting" by Al Jarreau). In Canada, the song reached No. 14.

Track listing

7" single
No.TitleLength
1."Can't We Try" (with Vonda Shepard)4:02
2."Pleasure Centre"3:46

Chart positions

Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 41
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[3] 2
Canada RPM Top 100 Singles[4] 14
Dutch Top 40[5] 36
US Adult Contemporary[6] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1987) Position
Canada RPM Top 100 Singles of '87[7] 83
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 63

Rockell and Collage version

"Can't We Try"
Single by Rockell
from the album What Are You Lookin' At?
ReleasedMay 15, 1998
GenreFreestyle
Length4:03
LabelRobbins Entertainment
Songwriter(s)Beverly Chapin Hill, Dan Hill
Producer(s)Joe Tucci, Billy Brown
Rockell singles chronology
"In a Dream"
(1997) 		"Can't We Try"
(1998) 		"When I'm Gone"
(1999)

In 1998, Rockell covered the song as a duet with Collage. It was her third single from her 1998 debut album, What Are You Lookin' At? and third single overall. This song reached No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as No. 11 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.

Track listing

CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Can't We Try" (Radio Version)4:00
2."Can't We Try" (The Slow Jam)3:52
Promo CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Can't We Try" (Radio Version)4:00
2."Can't We Try" (The Slow Jam)3:52
3."Can't We Try" (Acapella)4:02
US Remixes CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Can't We Try" (Lenny B Mix-Radio Version)4:13
2."Can't We Try" (Mr. Mig Mix)4:44
3."Can't We Try" (Lenny B Club Mix)6:03
4."Can't We Try" (Pablo's Main Room Remix)7:40
5."Can't We Try" (Original Radio Version)4:03

Chart positions

Chart Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 59
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[9] 11

The original Dan Hill version from 1987 was used for the Kelly and Jeffrey characters on the American soap opera Santa Barbara.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Can't We Try". Billboard Hot 100 Search. Billboard. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  2. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 283. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. ^ "Item Display: Adult Contemporary". July 4, 1987. Archived from the original on 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  4. ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0832&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=4u444os8oh391jedk635aciqd7[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl.
  6. ^ a b "Album Search for "dan hill 1987"". AllMusic.
  7. ^ "Item Display: Top Singles". December 26, 1987. Archived from the original on 2016-02-03. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  8. ^ "Longbored Surfer - 1987". Archived from the original on 2016-01-04. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  9. ^ a b "Artist Search for "rockell"". AllMusic.
  10. ^ "Santa Barbara". www.cybercom.net.
  11. ^ "Rockell Collage". Discogs. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  12. ^ "Cant We Try". iTunes. 15 May 1998. Retrieved June 12, 2013.