Can't We Try

"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"
Single by Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard
from the album Dan Hill
B-side	"Pleasure Centre"
Released	June 1987
Genre	Pop
Length	4:02
Label	Columbia
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" 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.	Title	Length
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?
Released	May 15, 1998
Genre	Freestyle
Length	4:03
Label	Robbins 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.	Title	Length
1.	"Can't We Try" (Radio Version)	4:00
2.	"Can't We Try" (The Slow Jam)	3:52

Promo CD single

No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
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

In popular culture

The original Dan Hill version from 1987 was used for the Kelly and Jeffrey characters on the American soap opera Santa Barbara.^[10] In 1988, Hong Kong singer Gina Lam and Andy Hui covered this song in Cantonese.