David Cassidy & The Partridge Family: The Definitive Collection
Written: Feb 27 '03 (Updated Jun 09 '09)
Product Rating:
Pros: 20 original tracks by The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy mixed with Cassidy's solo hits.
Cons: This is a collection of hits from the 1970s. Cassidy's 1980s hits aren't here.
The Bottom Line: Nine Top 40 tunes including:"I Think I Love You,""Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted,""Cherish,""Looking Through The Eyes Of Love"and"I Woke Up In Love This Morning."
Don_Krider's Full Review: The Definitive Collection by The Partridge Family
The innocence of America's teenage daughters came into serious jeopardy on Friday, September 25, 1970, when ABC-TV aired the first episode of "The Partridge Family" exposing millions of teenage girls to David Cassidy.
The very wholesome series was modeled on The Cowsills, a real-life Top 10 hit-making family. The Cowsills scored eight Hot 100 singles in 1967-69, including a pair that hit # 2 on the charts, "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" ("...I love the flower girl...") and "Hair").
The act was actually courted by ABC to play themselves in a TV series. They were told they just have to recast their very real singing mom with actress Shirley Jones. The family refused to do that, so ABC created its own "pop music family."
Jones and her stepson, David Cassidy, were hired with a group of unknowns to play "The Patridge Family," as the series was now called. Jones and Cassidy would be the only "Family" members to actually sing on records produced as "The Patridge Family," with studio musicians and singers filling out the recorded sounds.
Songs chosen for the recorded material included material by Carole King, Paul Anka, Rupert Holmes, Neil Sedaka, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Gerry Goffin, Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann, Terry Cashman and Tommy West.
On TV, pre-music television, the actors would lip-synch to the recorded tracks, an old trick (for instance, on "The Monkees," the actors initially provided their own vocals, but studio musicians, at least initially, played most of the instruments on their records when the band was successfully marketed via a hit NBC-TV series in the mid-1960s).
Cassidy's boyish good looks, carefully styled hair, very unique voice and "wholesome" image helped "The Partridge Family" sell millions of 45 rpm records and long-playing albums. He established a successful solo career at the same time.
On TV, "The Partridge Family" peaked at # 16 for the 1971-72 season.
As noted in the CD booklet, guests on the popular TV series included Richard Pryor, Lou Gossett, Jr., Farrah Fawcett, Rob Reiner, Mark Hamill (the future Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars"), Jodie Foster, Bobby Sherman, Meredith Baxter-Birney and Jacqueline Smith.
Cassidy, including his Partridge Family efforts, has amassed sales of 25 million records, according to Warner Music.
Between 1970 and 1975, membership in Cassidy's official fan club was greater than that of either The Beatles (who officially split in 1970) or Elvis Presley.
This CD:
The greatest hits of The Patridge Family as a band and of David Cassidy as a solo act are brought together in one compilation, "The Definitive Collection."
Not included are post '70s hits by Cassidy such as his U. S. Top 40 single "Lyin' To Myself" (#27, 1990) or his English Top 10 hit (George Michael on backing vocals) "The Last Kiss."
This album features 20 tracks on a single CD. The CD benefits from 20-bit mastering done from the original master tapes in 2000.
The sound is clear and without distortion (so if your vinyl records are starting to skip after 30 years, this offers you an option to replace them).
The CD booklet:
Included is a colorful, illustrated 12-page CD booklet. The booklet features biographical notes by David Burd.
The tracks:
"I Think I Love You," "I Woke Up In Love This Morning," "I'll Meet You Halfway," "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted," "Cherish" (a remake of The Association's hit), "It's One Of Those Nights (Yes Love)" and "Am I Losing You."
Also, "I Am A Clown," "Could It Be Forever," "How Can I Be Sure" (a remake of The Rascals' hit), "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" (a remake of the Neil Sedaka hit), "Rock Me Baby," "Point Me In The Direction of Albuquerque," "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love," "Friend And A Lover" and "Daydreamer."
Also, "If I Didn't Care," "Walking Through The Rain," "Some Kind Of A Summer" and "Please Please Me"(a remake of The Beatles' hit).
The chart history:
The Patridge Family scored nine Hot 100 Singles in Billboard magazine from 1970 and 1973, including five Top 40 hits.
Two of those hits, "I Think I Love You" and "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted", each sold over the one million copies required to earn a Gold Record Award for a single from the Recording Industry Association of America.
They were equally hot on the Top 200 Albums chart, scoring chart hits with seven albums. Five of those albums earned Gold Record Awards (in the case of an album, that required sales of only 500,000 units each).
Three of the albums went Top 10 in 1970-71: "The Partridge Family Album" rose to # 4 in 1970 (68 weeks on the chart), "Up To Date" went to # 3 in 1971 (53 weeks on the chart) and "The Partridge Family Sound Magazine" went to # 9 in 1971 (35 weeks on the chart).
While Partridge Family sales were propelled by "performances" on the series, Cassidy's solo material scored without ever being "performed" in the series.
As a solo act at the same time, Cassidy scored on the U. S. singles charts with four Hot 100 hits, all of which went Top 40.
His greatest success solo was with "Cherish," his remake of The Association's million-selling # 1 hit from 1966. Cassidy's "Cherish" rose to # 3 and sold a million copies to earn a Gold Record Award. It was his only Top 10 hit in the U. S.
Overseas, Cassidy was even more successful. His concerts turned into riots (one fan, sadly, died at a concert amid the hysteria, which led to David's withdrawal from pop music for a time).
In England, his single "Could It Be Forvever" (# 37 in the U. S. in 1972) rose to # 2, followed by "Daydreamer" (which didn't chart in the U. S.), which peaked at # 1.
On the U. S. album charts, Cassidy went to # 15 with "Cherish," which earned him a Gold Record Award during its 23 weeks on the charts in 1972. Later that year, his album "Rock Me Baby" rose to # 41 during a 17-week chart run.
The best tracks:
"I Think I Love You":
Within a month of the TV series' September, 1970, debut, the first Partridge Family single, "I Think I Love You," was well on its way to # 1. When it reached the coveted top spot, it stayed there for three straight weeks during a 19-week chart run.
Propelled by an uptempo, moderate rock, heavily bubblegum sound (guided by producer Wes Farrell), all beneath Cassidy's sweet vocal, the tune was a monster hit, eventually selling well over a million copies.
Written by Tony Romeo (who also wrote "I'm Gonna Make You Mine," a Top 10 hit in 1969 for Lou Christie), who would write a number of tunes recorded by David Cassidy and The Partridge Family, "I Think I Love You" starts off as a slow, mystical ballad about a guy falling in love for the first time (after all, teenage boys were listening to Cassidy and trying to figure out what it was about his look that appealed so much to all those teenage girls):
With a Turtles-inspired "ba-ba-ba-ba" opening chorus by the band, the tune swings into high gear as Cassidy sings:
"I'm sleeping and right in the middle of a good dream / when all at once I woke up / from something that keeps knocking at my brain / before I go insane / I hold my pillow to my head / and spring up in my bed / screaming out the words I said / 'I think I love you!'..."
"Doesn't Somebody Want To be Wanted":
The Partridge Family scored their second million-selling single in early 1971 with "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted," which peaked at # 6 during a 12-week chart visit.
"I go downtown and roam all around / but every street I walk I find another dead end / I'm on my own but I'm so all alone / I'm on my own but I'm so all alone / I need somebody so I won't have to pretend / I know there's somebody just waiting somewhere / I look around for her but she's just not there / doesn't somebody want to be wanted like me..."
David even "raps" with spoken words about being lonely mid-song --- sounding a bit like Elvis Presley when he does so.
For trivia buffs only: the band's performance of the tune appears in an episode of "The X-Files" called "Never Again," showing The Partridge Family's fame continues even now.
"Cherish":
David's first solo single, "Cherish," hit # 3 in 1971 ((at times, Cassidy's solo singles battled for chart placement with Patridge Family releases).
"Cherish," sold over a million copies, becoming the second version of the tune to earn a Gold Record Award (The Association's 1966 version went to # 1 for three weeks in 1966 while selling its million units).
Though I prefer The Association's version, David does a lovely job here on the gentle, romantic ballad, backed by angelic harmonies and a sweet string arrangement:
"Cherish is the word I use to describe / all the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside / you don't know how many times / I wished that I had told you / you don't know how many times / I wished I could hold you/ you don't know how many times / I've wished that I could mold you / into someone who could / cherish me as much as I cherish you..."
A lot of teenage girls' hearts were melted by that performance, I imagine.
"I'll Meet You Halfway":
Written by Wes Farrell and Gerry Goffin, "I'll Meet You Halfway" become The Patridge Family's third Top 10 hit, peaking hit # 9 in 1971.
It's a classic uptempo, bubblegum tune with a happy, bright melody underscoring david's fine vocal performance, all highlighted by the chorus of:
"I'll meet you halfway, that's better than no way / there must be some way to get it together / and if there's some way, I know that some day / we just might work it out forever..."
"I Woke Up In Love This Morning":
Rising to # 13 on the charts in 1971, The Patridge Family scored with "I Woke Up In Love This Morning," with a more frenzied, heavier rock sound featuring a very strong backbeat and with a bit of late '60s psychedlia in its vibe.
The chorus is catchy-as-anything: "I woke up in love this morning / went to sleep with you on my mind..."
"Looking Through The Eyes Of Love":
After scoring additional Top 40 hits with "It's One Of Those Nights (Yes Love)" (# 20 in 1971-72; written by Tony Romeo of "I Think I Love You" fame) and "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" (# 28 in 1972; a remake of Neil Sedaka's # 1 hit from 1962 --- Sedaka also did an alternate version of his own hit in 1975-76 that peaked at # 8), The Partridge Family had their final Top 40 hit with "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love."
"Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" hit the charts just before Christmas in 1972 and remained on the charts for 8 weeks into early 1973. It peaked at # 39.
The tune is a remake of Gene Pitney's # 28 hit from 1965, which was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
The Partridge Family version is a sweet ballad, full of soaring harmonies and David's from-the-heart vocal (he exhibits an incredible vocal range here):
"...in the eyes of the world I'm just a loser wastin' my time / I can't make a dime / in the eyes of the world being born was my first big mistake / I can't get a break / but in the eyes of my woman I stand / like a hero, a giant, a man as tall as can be / any fool can see / that she's lookin' through the eyes of love / .... / when she looks at me..."
After this hit, The Partridge Family scored one final chart hit with "Friend And A Lover," which peaked at # 99 in 1973.
Cassidy's final solo Top 40 hits also had come in 1972: "Could It Be Forever" (which peaked at # 37), "How Can I Be Sure" (# 25; a remake of The Rascals' # 4 hit from 1967) and "Rock Me Baby" (# 38).
Attempting to escape the teenybopper image and tiring of The Patridge Family (but tied to a contract to be in the series), Cassidy had done a nearly nude portrait for Rolling Stone magazine (this photo, sorry ladies, doesn't appear in the CD booklet). This led to a backlash against him and the group, causing sales to take a nose dive when parents refused to buy records for the young daughters.
Recommendation:
Nice collection with some good memories. Fans of David Cassidy will want this one, while those of us ex-teenagers and serious music devotees will also get the album as a guilty pleasure. Me, I fall in both categories, so I really enjoyed the album.
There's nothing to offend here. If it had a movie rating, it would be "G" for general audiences (although female thoughts while looking at David's photos may not be "G" rated).
Cassidy today:
Still active as an actor and a singer, the forever young looking, if shorter-haired Mr. Cassidy performs June 4 through June 22, 2003, in Uncasville, Connecticut, at The Cabaret at Mohegun Sun Casino in "The Rat Pack Is Back!"
He co-created and produces the show, described by his official website as "a song, dance and comedy tribute" to Las Vegas. The show reappears at the same venue December 3 to December 21, 2003. For details, visit his website: http://www.davidcassidy.com .
His new U. S. album release is "Then And Now," which features remakes of his and The Partridge Family's classic hits. The album has already earned a Platinum Album Award in England.
On the video front, Warner Music Vision released in 2002, "Live In Concert." Released on both VHS and on DVD, David was filmed before a live, sold-out audience of thousands of fans in Glasgow, Scotland, in April, 2002, performing his greatest hits (solo and Partridge).
Official David Cassidy site: http://www.davidcassidy.com
Unofficial David Cassidy site: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/5282/davidstuff.html
Press release for the VHS/DVD release of "Live In Concert" by David Cassidy: http://www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/warner_vision/cassidy.htm
Official Partridge Family website: http://www.partridgefamily.com
Official Shirley Jones website: http://www.shirleyjones.com/ (David's "TV mom" and real-life stepmother, was also the mother of that other teen idol Shaun Cassidy; before "The Partridge Family," she was a successful actress/singer in films such as "Oklahoma!," "Carousel," "The Music Man," "Elmer Gantry" and "The Cheyenne Social Club," among others; worth checking out are her soundtrack recordings of "Oklahoma!" and "Carousel," both of which hit # 1 on the album charts in 1955-56)
Links to almost everything related to the Cassidy clan on the internet are at "Cassidyland Links": http://cassidyland.com/audience/links.shtml
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