David Cassidy Favorites

Tell me, what's your favorite David Cassidy song and why do you like it so?

Mine is "Some Old Woman" from the "Dreams..." album. The song is wonderfully bluesy and his clear, warm voice has just the right mix of velvet and rawness for it. Just love the way he says "whoa" and how he makes me want to believe he's "as pure as a newborn child". The first time I heard this song, it didn't register. I heard it properly the second time and then I was hooked. Does he ever do it in concerts? Would be a nice alternate to "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone".

"Dreams..." is by far my favorite album of his. It's mixed to perfection with nothing to detract from his fabulous voice and the songs are timeless.

My close second is "If I didn't care" which was released as a single in the mid-seventies. On CD, it can be found on "Then and Now", "A Touch of Blue" and "David Cassidy & the Partridge Family: The Definitive Collection". I think he's only recorded one version, but I'm not 100% certain. Did he re-record it for "Then and Now"?

This melodious song has to be one of the most romantic songs ever written. Not an ounce of sap or cheesiness to it, just sincere, evocative lyrics.

If I didn't care, more than words can say
If I didn't care, would I feel this way?
If this isn't love, then why do I thrill?
And what makes my head go round an' round
While my heart stands still?

I think David Cassidy's version is the most timeless. The original recorded by the Ink Spots in 1939 sounds almost comical today and Connie Francis' version bears the unmistakable background vocals of the fifties. The most recent version might be the one sung by Amy Adams and Lee Pace in the 2008 film "Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day" - quite nice, serves the scene perfectly. One recorded performance by Frank Sinatra on YouTube supposedly dates from 1939 and is, as is pretty much every song the man has done, vocally perfect. It just doesn't thrill me ;)

Cassidy's version thrills me. First, there is that sexy intro with the piano/snare drum combo and his "ummmm". Take me now (oops, did I type that out loud?). Second, his breathy vocals. An absolute perfect match for the lyrics, they make the words almost tentative, as if he were discovering these truths while singing the song, which, to my mind, is a much more romantic interpretation than the overly confident declarations sung by the other artists. Finally, I love how he sings "you" at the very end.

Here's a portion of David Cassidy's "If I didn't care". Recent live versions from concerts abound on YT and it's interesting to hear how differently he sings it now. His voice has more power, he holds the notes longer and there's no tentativeness in his interpretation. The problem with the live versions is that the audience sings along, drowning him out. At least UK audiences always sing on key as Mr. Cassidy has noted.



And here's "Some Old Woman" because it's criminally under-appreciated.



Looking forward to hearing your choices.