David Cassidy on the Web
Bird & Animal Names In Rock & Roll History- part eight
April 9, 2009
By ktadmin
www.1800blogger.com
Submitted by Collecting Vinyl Records Blog
In our continuing series about "bird" and "animal" bands and artists in rock and roll history, let's explore more "bird" group names.
The Partridge Family was not a family in real life (although they did play one on TV). But teen heartthrob David Cassidy and Shirley Jones were related (Shirley married David's father Jack Cassidy). The fictional TV group, loosely based on the Cowsills, hit number one with the sappy song "I Think I Love You" in 1970. In the first episode of the sitcom, the kids ask Mom (Shirley Jones) to help with a recording session in the garage and then try to sell the music to a record label, hoping to have a number one single. Ironically, the song "I Think I Love You," DID top the Billboard charts!
The show ran from 1970-1974 with only moderate musical success after that single, but David Cassidy emerged as one of the top great teen idols of the 1970's. Interestingly, Cassidy was actually declared a hazard to public health in Australia, as his solo tours were pop rock disasters filled with screaming teenage girls. During a London show, more than a thousand people were injured and tragically one female fan was crushed to death when a concert got out of hand. In 1971, David Cassidy was able to secure a Top 40 Billboard hit with the song "Cherish." Fellow band member and actress Susan Dey, went on to L. A. Law fame and actor Danny Bonaduce slipped into drugs, but has recovered and is still active in show business.
Look for part nine of our series next week when again we will focus on some more bird names and groups in rock and roll history.
Partridge Family Tidbits:
The pilot was called The Family Business. After they found a manager, the group acquired an old school bus, painted it and departed to Las Vegas for their first live gig at Caesars Palace. After the series was sold, the title was changed to The Partridge Family.
The Partridge Family was produced for ABC by Screen Gems, which was just finishing its run with The Monkees, another show about a fictional musical group. The company promoted the show by releasing a series of albums featuring the family band, though most cast members did not actually play on the recordings. Led by producer Wes Farrell, a group of hired studio musicians (informally referred to as the Ron Hicklin Singers and Wrecking Crew) actually created the Partridge Family's sound. David Cassidy was originally to lip sync with the rest of the cast, but he convinced Farrell just weeks into production that he could sing well and was allowed to join the studio ensemble as the lead singer.
A modernized-version of the bus was created for a new promotion in 2004, when VH1 premiered In Search of the New Partridge Family. This talent competition in the format of American Idol sought a new cast for a contemporary version of the sitcom. The elimination-type program aired seven episodes in which a panel of judges selected a new Partridge Family cast from auditioners across the country. The resulting pilot episode of The New Partridge Family aired in January 2005, but due to low ratings VH1 opted not to produce any more episodes.
