A brand-new original get-out-and-vote song, “‘Til We Remember Who We Are,” written and recorded by GRAMMY award-winning singer, songwriter, and actress Melissa Manchester, is out today.
“I hope my song, “‘Til We Remember Who We Are” speaks to voters in this consequential election,” Manchester declares. “I hope it stirs memories of family, friends, neighbors and community.” The inspirational song was written while she was on the Funny Girl national tour and recorded during a layoff week in Los Angeles along with her producer partner, Stephan Oberhoff (Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Stevie Wonder) over a three-day team effort via Zoom.
“It was a joy to co-produce and co-arrange this with my longtime collaborator, the extremely talented Stephan Oberhoff,” Manchester enthuses, “As well as record it at Blue Moon Studio with my dear colleague, Joe Vannelli.”
Oberhoff, who recently moved to Tennessee devised a quick plan to record the song bi-coastally. He laid down the rhythm track at his The Creation Station East studio and sent it to Manchester who then tracked the piano part and vocal at Canadian composer Joe Vannelli’s Blue Moon Studio in California. The remainder of the instrumentation and background vocals would follow, coalescing to form the final song.
“I was moved to wear my father’s Army dog tags as I sang,” Manchester remarks. “It’s up to each generation to preserve and protect our freedom.”
“‘Til We Remember Who We Are” Lyrics
Music and Lyrics by Melissa Manchester
I thought the sun was setting
And never coming back
That twilight of regret kept whispering
Hold on, hold on
Then the wind blew the ashes from our eyes
And we’ll walk this road together
‘Til we remember who we are
‘Til we remember who we are
‘Til we remember who we are
Then we’ll remember
All the broken promises
Unbearable noise
Somewhere in the silence now
I can hear my voice
Oh can you hear the echoes
Of the days to come
That distant song is singing
Freedom, FREEDOM
And we’ll build on those ancient memories
With the breath of life returning
‘Til we remember who we are
‘Til we remember who we are
‘Til we remember who we are
Then we’ll remember
It’s time to call out to
All joyful warriors
We’ll make tomorrow
So rare and glorious
It’s time to call out to
All joyful warriors
We’ll make tomorrow
So rare and glorious
‘Til we remember who we are
‘Til we’ll remember who we are
‘Til we remember who we are
Then we’ll remember
All the broken promises
Unbearable noise
Sing a song of what could be
Sing it and rejoice
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
‘Til we remember who we are
About Melissa Manchester:
In 1980, Melissa Manchester became the first recording artist in the history of the Academy Awards to have two nominated movie themes in a single year – “Through the Eyes of Love” from Ice Castles and “I’ll Never Say Goodbye” from The Promise – and to perform them both on the Oscar telecast. Manchester created the role of Maddy, the title character’s mother, on the NBC hit TV series Blossom. She was nominated for a GRAMMY for “Don’t Cry Out Loud” in 1980 and she won the GRAMMY Award for Best Female Vocalist in 1982 singing “You Should Hear How She Talks About You.”
Manchester celebrated her tenure as Artist In Residence at Citrus College with the release of her 21st album, The Fellas, a tribute to the iconic male singers who set the platinum standard for pop music. In 2021, Manchester was inducted into the Great American Songbook Foundation’s Hall of Fame and she had the pleasure of saluting her longtime colleague, Bette Midler, on The Kennedy Center Honors awards telecast.
Manchester’s 25th album, RE:VIEW, released earlier this year in celebration of her fifty-year career, features fresh takes on several of her nineteen Billboard-charted classic hits. Also this year, the musical icon has starred as Mrs. Brice in the North American tour of Funny Girl.
Manchester’s previous musical theater experience includes national tours of two Andrew Lloyd Webber shows – Song & Dance and Music Of The Night.
Manchester, who wears a wig for her Funny Girl role during each performance recently decided to cut her curly mane and donate the trimmings to Locks Of Love for a cancer patient to receive the gift of a wig. For more information, please visit: https://locksoflove.org/
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