David Cassidy on the Web
Micky Dolenz, Peter Noone and David Cassidy Still Alive and Well
October 6, 2013
By Jeff Moehlis
Noozhawk Contributing Writer
www.noozhawk.com/
Peter Noone, David Cassidy and Micky Dolenz at the Chumash Casino Resort. (L. Paul Mann photo)
During his portion of the "World's Greatest Teen Idols" show Thursday night, Peter Noone from the British Invasion band Herman's Hermits joked that the Chumash Casino Resort had booked the trio of performers — himself, The Monkees' Micky Dolenz and The Partridge Family's David Cassidy — through www-dot-who's-still-alive-dot-com.
All three performers had kicked off the evening with The Stray Cats' "Rock This Town." Dolenz then had the first solo spot and sang some of the biggest songs from The Monkees, including "I'm a Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville," "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Daydream Believer." The latter gem was dedicated to the song's original singer, Davy Jones, who passed away in 2012 and had sung the same song on the same stage when The Monkees played there the previous year. This time, Dolenz and Cassidy sang the song as a duet, with some help on the chorus from the audience.
Dolenz also had a few funny quips between songs. One that sticks out was that he, being part American Indian, loves playing at "Indian casinos" because they are "my people taking back America one quarter at a time."
Next up was Noone, a Montecito resident who in my opinion stole the show, nailing classic songs from Herman's Hermits, including "I'm Into Something Good," "There's a Kind of Hush," "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" and the zany "I'm Henry the VIII, I Am." The latter had a punk rock edge and started with a short bit of "Blitzkreig Bop" — "Hey ho, let's go!" — by The Ramones and "Pretty Vacant" by The Sex Pistols, and in one of many crack-ups courtesy of Noone, had the "millionth verse, same as the first."
In fact, Noone would've been worth the drive from Santa Barbara just for his comedy. Another example: he joked that he had dreamed about playing at the Chumash Casino when he was growing up in Manchester, England, proudly pointing out that "old sausage lips (Mick Jagger) and his gang" have never played there. Later, during a brief cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" he pranced outrageously a la Jagger around the stage. Another amusing cover was Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," for the supposed country and western crowd in the Santa Ynez Valley. Conveniently, Noone was mostly wearing black, apart from his socks — one modeled on the U.K.'s Union Jack, the other on the American flag.
Last up was Cassidy, a former Los Olivos resident who found fame, and a lot of female fans, on the TV show, The Partridge Family, and from a successful solo music career. Fittingly, his first song of the night was the TV show's theme song, "C'mon Get Happy," here funkifized and with fuzzy distorted guitar from Cassidy. This was followed by a rockin' cover of "Hush," a song made famous by Deep Purple.
By the time he got to "Cherish," Cassidy's female fans couldn't stay in their seats any longer, and a number of them moved up to the front of the stage, where the sweaty Cassidy graciously shook many raised hands. One fan had a sign calling for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to which Cassidy accurately responded "that'll never happen."
Later, in his intro to the hit "Doesn't Somebody Want to be Wanted," Cassidy told that he hated the song at the time it was recorded because of the corny spoken word part in the middle, and that he even threatened to leave The Partridge Family over it. But after ignoring it for 30 years, the song is back in his set, including the spoken word part that he joked his way through. Cassidy closed his set with the even bigger hit, the beloved "I Think I Love You."
Not only are Micky Dolenz, Peter Noone and David Cassidy still alive, they also seem to be doing quite well, thank you.
Setlist
Micky Dolenz, Peter Noone and David Cassidy
Rock This Town
Micky Dolenz
(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone
That Was Then, This Is Now
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
She
Last Train to Clarksville
Daydream Believer (with David Cassidy)
Pleasant Valley Sunday
I'm a Believer
Peter Noone
I'm Into Something Good
(What a) Wonderful World
Ring of Fire Silhouettes
End of the World
Jumpin' Jack Flash Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter
I'm Henry the VIII, I Am
There's a Kind of Hush
David Cassidy
C'mon Get Happy
Hush
I'll Meet You Halfway
Cherish
Doesn't Somebody Want to be Wanted
I Can Feel Your Heartbeat
I Woke Up in Love This Morning
I Think I Love You
Micky Dolenz, Peter Noone and David Cassidy
Rock This Town
