The Duprees are a doo-wop group which had a series of hits during the early… Read Full Bio ↴The Duprees are a doo-wop group which had a series of hits during the early 1960s.

The group was founded in the early 1960s in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA by Michael Arnone, Joe Santollo, John Salvato, Tom Bialoglow, and lead singer Joey Canzano (later known as Joey Vann). George Paxton, a former big band leader was impressed by the group's style and signed them to his Coed Records label. Their first single "You Belong to Me" had previously been a hit for Jo Stafford in 1952. The Duprees' version was given a big band backing by Paxton and reached the US top ten in 1962.

The band had more top 40 hits in the next few years. "My Own True Love" was a vocal adaptation of "Tara's Theme" from the soundtrack of Gone with the Wind and became the group's second hit. "Have You Heard" and "Why Don't You Believe Me" also reached the Top 40 charts and, like "You Belong to Me," were originally early '50s female vocal hits (Joni James, in this case). The band became known for mixing doo-wop vocals with big band arrangements. Tom Bialoglow left in 1963. Mike Kelly, who had recorded on the group's original demos for George Paxton, replaced Joey Vann as lead vocalist in 1964.
Despite becoming unfashionable after the Beatles spearheaded the British Invasion in 1964, the Duprees continued to record, turning in a more "pop" direction, and reaching the Top 100 as late as 1975. The group still performs today on the oldies circuit, but with no original members. Joe Santollo died in 1981, Joey Vann died in 1984 and Mike Arnone died in 2005.

Richie Rosato, who sang lead for the Duprees throughout much of the '80s and '90s, left the group in 2002. Michael Kelly sang with The Chaperones for a brief stint in 2006. Tommy Bialoglow has his own group called Twilight Time. John Salvato is a booking agent and no longer performs. The group currently consists of Tommy Petillo (with the group since 2002), Jimmy Spinelli, Phil Granito, and Tony Testa.

Try To Remember
The Duprees Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(And follow, follow
And follow, follow)

Try to remember
The kind of September
When life
Was slow
And, oh

So mellow

Try to remember
The kind of September
When grass
Was green
And grain
Was yellow

Try to remember
The kind of September
When you were a tender
And callow fellow

Try to remember
And if you remember
Then follow (and follow, follow
And follow, follow)

Try to remember
When life was so tender
That no one
Wept
Except
The willow

Try to remember
When life was so tender
That dreams
Were kept
Beside
Your pillow

Deep in December
It's nice to remember
The fire of September
That made us mellow

Deep in December
Our hearts should remember
And follow (and follow, follow)

Follow (and follow, follow)
Follow (and follow, follow)

Overall Meaning

The Duprees's song "Try to Remember" is a wistful, nostalgic ballad about the joys of youth and the sweet memories of a simpler time. The song invites listeners to recall a specific kind of September - slow, mellow, and full of life. The opening lines, "Try to remember the kind of September when life was slow and, oh so mellow," set the tone for the rest of the piece as it paints a picture of a time long gone and how it perfectly encapsulates the beauty of a particular autumn month.

As the lyrics unfold, the song encourages listeners to recall the color of the grass, the bloom of the flowers, and the tender, carefree nature of youth. It paints a picture of a world that is both idyllic and pure, where dreams were kept beside pillows and where the only things to weep were the willows. The song captures the essence of youth and yearning, as it extols listeners to "follow" those memories and feelings that reside within us all.

Overall, "Try to Remember" is a beautiful, poignant song that captures the spirit of youth and the essence of good memories. It epitomizes the bittersweet feelings that arise when we think about days gone by, and the song's resonance continues to captivate listeners worldwide.

Line by Line Meaning

Try to remember
Recall the memories

The kind of September
The warmth of the month of September

When life was slow
When life wasn't too busy

And, oh, so mellow
And, oh, so relaxed

When grass was green
When grass was luscious green

And grain was yellow
And grains were in warm yellow hues

When you were a tender
When you were innocent and inexperienced

And callow fellow
And a naive young man

And if you remember
And if you have those memories still with you

Then follow (and follow, follow
Then continue to reminisce and enjoy

When life was so tender
When life was so delicate and gentle