HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS….
Produced by: David Cassidy & Bruce Johnston
Art Direction & Design: Gary Durden for R.Twerk
Photography: Henry Diltz
Titles & Credits Lettering: Henry Diltz
Front Cover Calligraphy: Paul Ruscha
All Other Lettering: David Cassidy
Setting & Costumes: Karl Holm & Paleeze
Side A
On Fire
David Cassidy
Bill House
I, feeling most egocentric played all the acoustic guitars I could lay my hands on and I , uh, sang the lead vocal. Bill played an ear-ache and smiled meekly alot. Brian was pumpin’ it out on the Bass while Ricky and King Errisson played drums and conga respectively. John Hobbs played those good vibes as always and the electric piano live on the date. Jimmi Seiter played his relentless tambourine. Actually, this song I wrote on me high string one night in front of a heater and with a little help from my pal Steve. I had it in about four minutes. He incidentally or perhaps not so, later burned off one of the hotter lead solos I’ve heard in some time – but then again I don’t listen to that sort of thing much anymore. I played the song minus the lyrics in the verses or most of em anyway, for Bill one night when we got to the plant and we snuck up to Terry’s office and whipped it together in about another ten minutes. After we had it all done I called Bob Alicvar and asked him to write me some fine lines -to use the strings as instruments as aposed to pads or color fills. I felt the bridge had to explode and really burn.. He as you can or will have heartely agreed and wrote some string parts most arrangers haven’t even read about. So after all was said and done I loved it and Bill then confessed when I first played it for him he didn’t think much of it. We both think it’s one of our best together and certainly one of the best rockers I’ve written. Terribly humble of me wouldn’t you say – Tsk Tsk
Damned If This Ain’t Love
David Cassidy
Ah, I had this little tune for some time now, but couldn’t finish it until one night in the back of a pick-up freezing me ***** off. So I sang the lead vocal and did he backing vocals with my friends Gerry Beckley and Davey Bunnell who also sand with me on the last one (On Fire), but I forgot to mention that then – sorry boys, I also played acoustic guitars and electric guitar. Ricky played drums mean as a bean. Bill House played the electric guitar solo as fast as his fingers could take him and Bruce played some electric piano. There also I think is a percussion track there, as I am writing this from memory, I think me or Jimmi Seiter did it, oh yeah and also Harry Robinson came in and O.D ed some Banjo (or bongo?). Brian kept us all same by some tasty bits on his bass and Steve went home and went to sleep. Many nights I should’ve done the same.
January
David Paton
Gerry played me this record upon returning from England (where he resides) and it knocked us both out so much that we must’ve played it 30 or 40 times that first night. The record was subsequently nicked or misplaced and was ever to be found again…. Fade in 3 or 4 months later me calling Gerry from the studio one night and asking him if he remembered the tune – cause I had forgotten all but the lead guitar and the chorus parts. He said he thought he might be able to work it out, so, half an hour later there we were trying to piece it together by memory and I think we did a rather good or at least close job at that. All the words we could remember that night were about half of this and a line of that served as the work vocal until we got the record sent over from England “Special D”. Steve played the lead part that I unremembered that night, Bill played ryth guit which is short for faking it. Ricky got a sudden illness, no doubt the plague again and Gary Mallaber was good enough to fill in and play well for us, Bryan Garofalo played the Bass parts, thanks old man, Gerry and me did the claps and John Hobbs played keyboards. I sang the vocal once I got the words and play string cup? and tapped alot. Bob Alcivar did the strings and Jim Haas with his golf hat, Jon Joyce, me and Bruce filled in later with the vocal backing and Ricky later heard it and got well and put the Tambourine on. Good lad that he is.
A Fool in Love
Bill House
David Cassidy
Bill and I wrote this one in Hawaii in between the suntan oil and me losing my voice. Actually The Hook comes from a flat I had the last time in England with a badly out of tune upright Piano and the melody in the bridge and part of the words I finished about a week later on this equally out of tune Joanna the something or other in this enormous Hotel suite I had in Paris. I think I slept under that piano one night ‘cous I couldn’t find the bedroom. Anyway, months later – I played the piano and did the vocals, Brian played bass and Ricky played drums, Steve got the guitar that sounds like we ripped it from an old Tommy James which considering our state of consciousness is not unlikely at all, Bill though always the humourist shut up and played guitar, whipped out his ole tele and pact on the electric guitar in the bridge, Ricky and I put a bass drum and snare? for a bit of color here and there and the rest of the boys played along on their usuals. We later did the vocal and Bruce arranged the little harmony thing at the fade which Ricky, Gerry & me sang and this is the only song that I got to play the solo on, Every time I thought ah-ha here’s me chance and brought my “Strat” I’d see Steve or Bill and clam up, or as they say Tout. So this is about as confusingly straight ahead as I can spill it to you. I’d give it an 81 cos it’s got a good beat and you can chew gum to it.
Tomorrow
Paul and Linda McCartney
Well, lets see, where does one begin – First off, thanks to Paul and Linda for writing this wonderful song and to every other artiste for not having the good sense to cut it. I think that if was the night that we cut this song that we for the first time together became a band. For me who had spent his life in the studio having fine men, who’s main interest were to be fine studio players and make the next session on time, was an overwhelming trip. The track live was cut in two parts, then on another afternoon the middle section was done, but the first and last part of the track was as follows; Ricky Fataar (watcha my shoulder drummer) Drums, notch, Bryan on Bass, Bill (House) on La Guitarra Electrica, me on Tack Piano, John Hobbs on Piano, Steve on Electric. The over-dubbs were if I can remember correctly Ricky bells And claps of me, ~Brian and John and Bill.
Side B
Breakin’ Down Again
David Cassidy
Bill House
This was the first song we cut together for this album – which seems like I wasn’t shaving yet at that point it was so long ago. All of it was done live – less the vocal we scratched and re-did months later in one taken no less. Anyway 36 pieces in all the band and the strings – just like they used to make in those good old days of one track. God – what ever happened to mono? We just all got so high that night having it finished and alive. Word had it that this might be my best song – Word also had it in the halls of RCA that it might be Bill’s as well – actually we wrote this one at a break during a backing vocal session on the last album, you remember that one right kiddies? I was sittin’ at the keys and working on this idea and Bill strolled up real casual like, as is his style and we just wrote it. Where I got a void – he’d fill right in. The easiest song I ever wrote. We demo ed it right there and canned it because of the concept of the last LP and all, but we were both knocked out by it right there = after all we hadn’t written much together at all at that point and I think because it was so easy for us that night we decided to write together a lot more. Bill was originally going to sing one of the harmonies of on of the vocals like a duet, but neither of us could cut the high part like Gloria Gunnel could, bless her soul, and I do mean soul – besides we’d sang on the road together during the final extravaganza for about four months so we sing real good together I think – It’s just easy singin’ with your friends – specially if they’re cute, Shake it darlin’. Once again a word of thanks to Bob Alcivar for such a fine string arrangement. Good on ya lad.
Run and Hide
Bill House
David Cassidy
We wrote this one again in My music room in Hawaii one night and the next morning while Bill was soaking up them ray on the beach (asleep no less) I woke him up with the “Ain’t no getting around it baby” and we pieced it together that night. Actually with Bill, me and Steve there then, it never sounded better, but the studio was the most gruelling night of my life 11 hours on this little devil, can you believe at one point I found god and saw Ricky chasing an invisible pidgon (pigeon) on his hands and knees. Bill and I did the vocal live a 6.45 AM and Bill later put on another guitar the rest of the lads played their respective instruments. If I can recall all things considered though – I guess it came off all right – I don’t grit me teeth when I hear it yet…
Take This Heart
David Cassidy
Gerry Beckley
This little toe-tapper was just about as spontaneous as a song or record can get. As I recall Gerry blitzed in to Studio A one night whilst I was chewing the keys on god knows what other bit, and alas he tells me he got this hook in the can on the way down – or was it up – no matter, the ‘hook’ as its known in the song writing fraternity is the part you all remember or at least are spose to. Now this one ain’t nothin but – and as it ends up I wrote the bridge (middle 8) pounding over Gerry’s shoulders which eventually were black and blue for a week after the way I played. We cut it in a flash and it felt so good to us all we decided to put a couple of cannons on in the bridge just so we could accuse each other were capable of being Reaves and bill.
Goodbye Blues
Ronnie S Wilkins
Bill turned me on to this song, I really love the feel we got on it as well – actually he sang the live vocal and played electric piano, in his key. (could that be his only key?). Mind you while Jimmi Seiter and I played percussion. Ricky’s bits on the high hat kill me – as a matter of fact, and let’s pray this don’t go to his head, just when I thought I had heard in all, and I think I know exactly what he’s gonna play, he’ll turn to me around and lay somethin’ completely different on me, ands put me away, you poov! (Deep down I always wanted to be the drummer). Bryan figured out that fine Bass figure and John and I figured he should double it with a caveat?. Steve played one electric on the date and Bill added another. I ended up singing Bill’s part which I later learned was too low and had to sing the high harmony in the chorus. Not bad for 2 takes.
Bedtime
Gerry Beckley
David Cassidy
Ricky Fataar
Gerry wrote and played me this beautiful little song the first part and I loved it a lot, so he asked me to finish it, or maybe I asked him anyway no matter, I gathered up Ricky and took him to my house early one morning and we wrote the middle bit together as the sun was commin’ up on my ole Encino home. Gloria, Bruce, Cyrus Faryar, Jon Joyce, and myselft again did the angels in the background of the middle. Just a note of thanks to Jon Joyce who pulled his cello out of the moths for the fine lines, he should play more often and to Gerry for the piano, which he played and I sang live and to Ricky for the Tambourine (3 times please) thanks pal, Jimmi Seiter Tambourine, Steve Ross lead solo that once again ripped me apart, Bruce Johnston, Jim Head, Jon Joyce and myselft (dig it) on backing vocals and I did the vocal later, the lead that is. The middle section was mostly vocals by all of us and Cyrus Faryar, I think chipped in with some vocal assistance, Bruce did the organs and most of the keyboard work with John Hobbs I think, and also the bells and field drum. He also with very little help from me arranged the vocals on the middle part for which he should be commended. The rest is of course mostly forgotten or improv - except the feel of it which might be the last record or at least one of my favourites that I ever cut. Thanks again to you all that helped out. We love you.
Thank you to Doreen for the transcript of David’s liner notes. Please note that the spelling and punctuation mistakes are as per the liner notes.
