Partridge Family Ties

Millions of fans--declared and clandestine--have lots to be happy about lately. Not only did virtually every entertainment website and printed news column announce that Reveille and Geffen Records were collaborating on an updated version of the iconic '70s ABC-TV series, The Partridge Family, but also, after years of inaction on the DVD front, on October 14th, the third of four seasons of the 1970-1974 phenomenon finally will make it to DVD. That's not all. Courtesy of the niche label Collector's Choice Music, ending a five year freeze on CD releases, The Partridge Family Bulletin Board comes to the format for the first time, adding the bonus single "Ain't Love Easy"/"Roses In The Snow." What triggered this latest Partridge Family invasion? Probably serendipity since none of these camps coordinated their releases. But this kismet seems to occur every few years, when there is a new wave of interest in all that is Partridge for no apparent reason, resulting in new products or some creative reinvention of the vehicle. For example, Razor & Tie first reissued some of the Partridge albums on CD in the mid-'90s, coinciding with TV-Land's rerunning the series in one of its popular nighttime blocks. Next, in a vacuum, Buddha/BMG Heritage re-reissued the albums on CD--except Bulletin Board-- from 2000 through 2003, and there was VH1's sudden 2004 reality show, In Search Of The Partridge Family, that was to be the pilot for a reinvention titled--ah, you remembered--The New Partridge Family. And there was the TV movie. Then the first and second seasons were released on DVD in 2005. So what the heck is it about this series that makes it so darned endearing that these revisits keep recurring?

From the start, the 1970-1974 series grayed the area between reality and fiction by loosely basing itself on the musical family and MGM recording artists, The Cowsills. The group was teeming with good looking teen siblings, amassed a few poppy flower-power hits such as "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" (aka "I Love The Flower Girl"), "Indian Lake," and "Hair," the family's cover of Galt McDermot's Broadway musical's main theme. The Cowsills also participated in a famous television ad campaign for "milk," and contributed the theme song to another ABC-TV attraction, Love American Style. The kicker is that this troupe allegedly was approached first to star in the televised musical sitcom that was to be modeled after The Monkees, but rejected the offer. The aftermath was a reworking of the concept, resulting in the Friday night weekly series that launched David Cassidy into international superstardom and teen idoldom. Cassidy's overexposure from both his co-starring role as elder son "Keith" and his hooky hit Partridge Family and solo recordings resulted in his being one of the most celebrated international stars ever. In fact, Cassidy was the biggest teen idol since Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley, the latter's white-fringed fashion emulated by the young faux-Partridge during his famed 1972 Madison Square Garden concert (trivia alert: backed-up by vocalist Kim Carnes). The show also starred Shirley Jones (Carousel, Elmer Gantry, Oklahoma) who played dual roles as both the fictional brood's mother "Shirley" and David's real life step-mom, her having married his father, stage actor Jack Cassidy. (For those wondering, that makes David half-brothers with Jack's and Shirley's sons Patrick, Ryan, and teen star and producer-director-writer, Shaun Cassidy.) Completing the starring roles were Susan Dey, playing Keith's sister "Laurie" (whose cool vibe would be revisited years later as a hot lawyer in NBC-TV's LA Law), and future radio personality Danny Bonaduce, son of television writer, Joseph Bonaduce, was hired as the show's lovable scamp, "Danny." Oh, and the always hysterical Dave Madden played manager Reuben Kincaid, whose on-screen relationship and banter with the younger Partridge could, these days, be reported to child welfare services. The flock's on-screen chemistry was the opposite of The Brady Bunch, the cast having a blast with its weekly wiseassery and borderline boundary-pushing of good taste (such as the pilot episode's featuring men's room stalls). At least initially, the sight gags, punch lines and the actors' timings were choreographed perfectly.

But The Partridge Family series, for all its kid stuff, made an effort to engage beyond its younger demo and catchy bubblegum music, occasionally addressing--albeit in sometimes awkward, but genuine ways--socially-conscious topics. One such adventure found the brood liberating a firehouse/club in a Detroit ghetto from a loan shark in the first season's "Soul Man" episode that featured guest stars Richard Pryor, Lou Gossett, Jr. and Herbert Jefferson, Jr., known to Battlestar Galactica fans as the original Boomer. In "My Son, The Feminist," Shirley pushed back against the neighborhood's Morality Watchdogs, and women's equality was the show's focus, though it was handled in a pretty un-PC way. "All's War In Love And Fairs" had the family promoting public awareness about life on Native American reservations. "See Here, Private Partridge" found a pubescent Danny accidentally getting drafted and the army wouldn't take no for an answer until the young'un showed up for his physical. The touching episode "Whatever Happened To Moby Dick?" was a commentary on saving the whales that included nods to the New York Zoological Society and Shirley Jones' sublime take on "The Whale Song," a folky protest tune that featured background "vocals" by humpbacks a la Judy Collins' "Fairwell To Tarwaithe." And Jones' solo recording, the above-mentioned "Ain't Love Easy" (produced by Bones Howe) was featured in the Partridge Family episode, "A Likely Candidate," one of two episodes whose plots involve an attraction between Shirley and a politician played by Bert Convey. The show had gotten so popular, it was one of those programs you HAD to be on, and it attracted well-known actors including Star Wars' Mark Hamill, All In The Family's Rob Reiner, Laugh-In's Arte Johnson, Alice's Vic Taybeck, The Dick Van Dyke Show's Morey Amsterdam, Family Ties' Meredith Baxter, The Patty Duke Show's William Schallert, Three's Company's Norman Fell, Kung Fu's Season Hubley, as well as Jodie Foster, Dick Clark, sportscaster Howard Cosell, The Wizard Of Oz's Ray Bolger and Brigham Young's Dean Jagger. And the short-lived spin-off series, Getting Together, starred another one-time teen idol, Here Come The Brides' Bobby Sherman. His Partridge Family appearance also featured a performance, albeit film-edited together, between him and Cassidy on a song titled, "Stephanie."

As far as the music, each week promised a new, ultra-poppy song that included all of the fictitious group's genuine hits such as "I Think I Love You," "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted," "I'll Meet You Halfway," "I Woke Up In Love This Morning," "Am I Losing You," "It's One Of Those Nights," and their remake of the Neil Sedaka oldie, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do." The recordings, including eight hugely-selling albums, were produced by Wes Farrell, co-writer of The McCoys' hit "Hang On, Sloopy." Almost all the lead vocals were piloted by David Cassidy with background vocals by Shirley Jones (except for their Christmas album on which she sang lead) and credited singers John Bahler, Tom Bahler, Jackie Ward and Ron Hicklin. Musicians included famed LA session players such as drummer Hal Blaine, bassists Joe Osborne and Max Bennett, guitarists Louis Shelton and Dennis Budimir, and keyboardist Mike Melvoin (Wendy Melvoin's dad). Some of the era's best pop songwriters also were drafted, like Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Terry Cashman and Tommy West, Jim Cretecos and Mike Appel, Danny Janssen and Bobby Hart, Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown, Gerry Goffin, Mark James, Rupert Holmes, Johnny Cymbal, Paul Anka, Jack Keller, Austin Roberts, Adam Miller, and John Hill. Wes Farrell and even David Cassidy contributed songs, but the king of the songwriter hill was the late Tony Romeo, writer of "I Think I Love You," that single having sold a skillion units in the '70s, and later recorded by countless easy listening vocalists of the era. Even Less Than Jake and Voice Of The Beehive took a swing at it. By the way, the ten second recap on Romeo's career highlights include "Right Right Now Now" by the Beastie Boys who sampled his Partridge Family original, "I Would Have Loved You Anyway," for their album, To The 5 Boroughs. "Come On Joe" was recorded by both George Jones and Jo-El Sonnier. "Walk Me In The Rain" was taken by the country vocal quartet, Girls Next Door, and "Milk Train" was covered by The Everly Brothers. His bubblegum hits included "Indian Lake" by The Cowsills, "Blessed Is The Rain" by The Brooklyn Bridge and "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" by Lou Christie. Oh yeah, he produced Christie's album Beyond The Blue Horizon whose title track was used during the Gus Van Sant-esque travel scene in the movie Rainman. Trivia includes his outing as the MGM Records group Trout, plus he recorded a beautiful unreleased Beach Boys-inspired solo album titled Moonwagon for Lifesong Records, owned by the above-mentioned Terry Cashman and Tommy West.

Speaking of this pair, in addition to their Partridge contributions and their own recording careers as Cashman & West on ABC/Dunhill Records, they were Jim Croce's producers. Had it not been for Terry Cashman and Tommy West's Partridge Family royalties, Jim Croce's first album, You Don't Mess Around With Jim--rejected by every single label at the time--would never have been recorded. That's right, no "Operator," no "Time In A Bottle," no title track and therefore, no "Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown," "I Got A Name" or "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song." Other Partridge songwriters benefited from the series as well. Rupert Holmes' original "Echo Valley 2-6809" featured on the group's best album, Sound Magazine, indirectly connected the young singer-songwriter with Epic Records, home of his first album, Widescreen. That LP made a fan of Barbra Streisand who collaborated with Holmes on the music of A Star Is Born, and also had him produce her Lazy Afternoon album. And it's assumed that Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos used their Partridge royalties to set up shop where they eventually would record a young whippersnapper named Bruce Springsteen.

Sadly, most of our big brothers and sisters rejected the show because it wasn't cool, so it also strangely served as an unintended generational divide in many families. The older kids already had moved on to Led Zepplin, the Stones or the Allman Brothers, and they had no time or patience for either us or our Partridges no matter how much we begged them to come on, get happy. Perhaps The Partridge Family played substitute sibling during that really confusing time, and that's one reason it's so loved and embedded in the culture. The show was never hip, but what did we know. We just loved it. And if the players involved in the remake include hipsters like writer Jeff Rake and Interscope/Geffen/A&M's Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair, that's just proof that we probably were on to something pretty decent all those years ago.

Comments

[CatNo1]

Thanks for the brilliant article! I knew about Terry Cashman & Tommy West but I didn't realize Jim Croce wouldn't have been able to record otherwise. Very cool!!

As for the PF not being very PC on that one episode, I disagree too. It seemed to take both sides. Of course, very popular political, feminst singer/song writer appeared on the PF in an episode running against student body President against Keith. She lost but Keith said she deserved to win. It was a good lesson, I thought. But Holly didn't like the little "trailer" where she got a call and was crying and when asked "Why, because you lost the election," she had to say, "No, because ...(popular boy) asked me out for a date." She felt it was showing that going out with a boy was more important than issues. So she never did another TV show again and started doing her own music - and wound up having the most popular Indie label, Redwood Records up to that time. As a young girl (who's NOT gay), I saw it as saying if you are active and follow your heart and passion then others (including cute boys) will admire you for it. But maybe that's just me!

I'm also a HUGE fan DC's post-PF work!! It's why he still has such a huge following to this very day.

David' filming a new pilot titled "Rudy & The Rockets" with his brothers Shaun, Patrick & Ryan. I hope its a

[ragz2008]

You are so welcome. I love writing the pop culture articles because I always try to throw in surprising trivia like that Cashman & West info and things that might raise an eyebrow. By the way, the complete Cashman & West list of Partridge songs would be the following:

Only A Moment Ago
She'd Rather Have The Rain (prepped as a single but not released)
Every Song Is You
It's Time That I Knew You Better (submitted as the Partridge theme song along with "Six-Man Song Band" featured on Cashman & West's A Song or Two album)
Come On Love
Sunshine Eyes
One Day At A Time
It Sounds Like You're Saying Hello

Ok, that's all for now.... ;)

M

[tribeca487]

wow, how do you know this stuff?.....great info....will have to seek out the Pryor episode

[ragz2008]

Doesn't everyone know this stuff? ;) The Pryor episode is pretty funny, especially when Danny and...oh wait, can't give away the ending!!!

[sqdlvr]

Hi Mike,
I'm new here and I have to agree! The Partridge Family were more like a real family as their interactions were genuine. Unlike the Bradys and no I'm not knocking them, but I related more to the PF. As I watch the show now as an adult, I have to smile and remember why I liked it so much. It was very entertaining and the music was good. I am hoping and anticipating that the PF Bulletin Board cd will ship from Collector's Choice on the date 10/28. Also I hope BMG or Collectors Choice will release all the unreleased tracks. I'd love to have "I'm Into Something Good" and "Listen To The Sound".
I never knew why Clive Davis kicked David C and the PF off the roster of Arista, just to keep it hip. Hmmm the Bay City Rollers were hip? Although I'm a big Rollers fan too...I don't think Clive Davis knew what he had passed up on. David's RCA albums were pretty good, with America and Carl Wilson, Bruce Johnston doing some backing and producing...that was some pretty good pop for the 70's and to me fell into the soft rock vein instead of the PF Bubblegum. Thanks Mike for the article and remembering us Partridge Fans and those of us who would spend their allowances and constantly beg our parents to buy us anything Partridge. - Eman

[ragz2008]

Outside of sports fans and Elvis fans, Partridge fans seem to be the most loyal you can find. And passionate. Beautiful post, Sqdlvr.

[sqdlvr]

Thank you Mike. Last night I played a Brady Bunch album and thought ok now I know why I begged my folks to buy this, it was the power of television. Unlike the PF, I think without the power of tv, the PF's music could have stood on it's own!! My folks were watching Disc 2 of Season 3 with me and my Mom, remembers all the episodes fondly. She even mentioned that the PF holds a soft spot in her heart as it was a time she remembers when all 5 (yes there were 5 of us) were together and would squabble and banter over the tv. My Dad also mentioned that the PF were also more realistic than the Bradys. Again it's the family interaction thing and how they lived in a regular house like everyone and sometimes the house was messy!!! There is one thing about the PF and I'm sure everyone will agree with me is that they were able to bridge and bring the family together either through the show or music. Long live the P.F.

[molsongrrrl]

I loved the Patridge Family - much more than the Brady Bunch - largely because the Patridge's argued and picked on one another ... like we did in my family! Plus the music was great ... at least to my young ears! I remember a neighbor told us we were nerds for listening to the Patridge Family, but we insisted they were the greatest band ever (the neighbor mocked us endlessly for that statement since he believed The Beatles were the greatest). I was glad to hear season 3 is finally hitting dvd - I wish the show did play in syndication though.

[ragz2008]

I'm not positive about this, but I think the show didn't go into syndication because of the music rights? Would anyone know for sure about that??

[molsongrrrl]

No it used to be on - I think even TVLand had it on for a while. But it seems The Partridge Family doesn't do as well as repeats of other shows like The Brady Bunch - which is too bad because it's a much better show.

[leahitch]

Mike,

I am a recent Partridge/Cassidy convert. I started watching the series on DVD and was surprised to see just how funny the show was. It has a bad rap for being just for little kids. A couple of lines stick out in my mind, Ruben Kincaid says to Danny when called over in the middle of the night, 'I better be here because Nixon was busy!' Another example, Danny has decided he is an 'genius'
after watching the story of Toulouse Latreque on TV. Keith comments, 'I'm glad he wasn't watching Myra Breckinridge'. The women's lib episode was also funny for poking fun at the zealots on both sides of the question. I can't think of a TV show that would do that now, having to stay within the bounds of offending no one as to offending everyone. And what about Cassidy? So under rated as actor, singer etc. Now that he and his brothers have a new show in the works, I'm hoping (like his other fans no doubt) that he will finally get his due, and be seen as the talent that he is. As for the 'New Partridges', I bet the network is salivating at the idea of being able to re-create the cash cow that was Cassidy and the Partridges back in the day. Good luck with that! A new feather headed Keith? Impossible.

[ragz2008]

Yeah, as a property, i don't think we're going to see a Battlestar Galactica reboot that's better than the original. They can try, but jeez, In the meantime, I hope they get the remaining 4th season out on DVD just for the closure. Then they should leave it alone...unless Sony wants to get a CD out of the rarities!!! That would include "Sunshine Eyes," "It's Time That I Knew You Better," "Whale Song," God Bless You Girl, " "Listen To The Sound," etc..........

[ragz2008]

...sorry, I was a little unclear here...I meant that a new Partridge series probably won't be as successful or as brilliantly re-imagined as the new Battlestar upgrade was.

[jbrian]

Well said Mr. Mike. Too often an image, whether real or artificial, clouds the reputation and acceptance of an artist, particularly in the image-conscious music world. As you've pointed out, the Partridge Family records boast an impressive pedigree of LA's best session musicians of the early 70s and there's no denying that David Cassidy possessed one of pop's greatest male voices of the era.
Of course, since the records were tied-in to a family sitcom, the hip factor was doomed from the start. However, if a fair-minded critic, other than yourself, were to revisit the Partridge catalogue and put aside four decades-old bias, I think there would be more favorable reactions and perhaps more reissues along with the rebirth.

[ragz2008]

Wow Jbrian, very well said. When you look at the quality of songs such as "She'd Rather Have The Rain," "I Can Feel Your Heartbeat," "Brand New Me" or even "One Night Stand," you can see that there were potential "cool" hits that might have reframed the image.

[JSAL]

Mike,

A huge congratulations is in order for your stunning article on our beloved television show "The Partridge Family". We all grew up with it in the early 70's and you are right it was a phenomenon. Here in Australia the TV show as well as David Cassidy were huge. There was not one person female or male who didn't love David Cassidy. He was everyone's Idol. The show may have been forgotten by the masses but there's still many of us fans worldwide that have never forgotten the show and what it meant to us.

Thank you Mike for your beautiful article. I recently purchased a book on 101 of the Greatest Sitcoms by Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik. There was a great article on the Partridge Family which summed it up well at the end...."The Partridge family like other shows firmly cemented in their time has not done well in syndication.It's a shame, for the show,both funny and tunefully groovy (or is that groovily tuneful?), deserves to be seen and heard again..... How true is this statement. Thank you Mike for not forgetting us fans who are still passionate about this delightful sitcom. I just have to think about the multi colored bus and I get excited..........So C'mon get happy everyone and let's rejoice!!!!!!

Jim Salamanis
Melbourne, Australia

[Mike Ragogna - Huffpost Blogger]

See Mike Ragogna's Profile

Jim! You are the superfan, aren't you!! Very nice, good on ya. The best thing about this comment is the info that everyone, male and female, was into Cassidy, I suspect from the music. By the way, did you know that he had the original international hit with "I Write The Songs" from his concept album The Higher They Climb, The Harder They Fall. It was a hit everywhere except the US where Clive Davis matched it up with Barry Manilow. The irony here is that when Clive took over Bell Records and turned it into Arista, he kicked Cassidy and the Partridge Family off the roster in order to keep it "hip." Had he kept Cassidy, David might have had a comeback with that excellent album and hit. More trivia--the first single from that album was a cover of the Average White Band's "Get It Up For Love" which was banned in many countries, including here. Do you know if it also was banned in Australia?

[JSAL]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your super prompt reply. A reporter from New Zealand once wrote that David was perhaps the most beautiful boy of the 20th century. He was right about that. He had the look, personality and those breathy vocals. In the early 70's you could go to the barbers to get your hair cut and there were posters of David to get the shag cut. (Just abit of trivia) for you. David's I write The Songs was far superior than Barry's version. It was a big hit in the UK and Europe. Clive Davis I have no respect for. Silly mistake in letting talent go. I can understand why David did not like him at all. "Get I Up For Love" was released as a single here and never banned. They don't ban anything here.....it's pretty cool! Another piece of trivia for you "ITILY: was Number #1 in Australia for 13 weeks in 1970/71.

Cheers buddy

Jim