"Raindrops"

R&B singer Dee Clark scored a huge hit with his song "Raindrops" in 1961. David Cassidy, not so much. You can hear DC's version of "Raindrops" on his 1992 album "Didn't You Used to Be...". Anyone know what could have prompted Cassidy to cover this particular song? Anyone care to guess? Anyone even care?

Ok, so, just how big was it?!

(Settle down, people. Note the verb tense in the title: "was" not "is". ;-))

You're all familiar with David Cassidy's bio, aren't you? Among his long list of accomplishments, this rarely-skipped boast about the height of his fame always makes me smile: "membership in his fan club exceeded those of Elvis Presley and The Beatles". Honest to goodness, first time I read that, I thought: by how many? One? One hundred?

Seriously, it's a vacuous claim. Sounds impressive but no context is given. Are the three fan clubs compared in the early seventies? If so, well, Elvis was no longer at HIS peak and The Beatles had broken up. If the three clubs are compared at everyone's peak of fame, is the marketing factor taken into account? The David Cassidy fan club - with Laufer publications at the helm - was probably better publicized than either one of the other two (sort of like taking into account inflation when comparing movie box office revenues).

I have a vague recollection of seeing the statement quantified once - with 200,000 fans - but I've never been able to find that number again. Was it online or in a TV bio? Don't recall. Speaking of source, the boast would have come to light when David Cassidy's wife overheard it on the TV game show "Hollywood Squares". Apparently the audience was surprised at the answer to "Who had the biggest fan club? Elvis Presley, The Beatles or David Cassidy?". Unfortunately, I don't recall where that tidbit of info comes from either (his books?).

Anyone out there have hard numbers for us? (Is that giggling I hear? Sheesh. You're just a bunch of twelve year olds, aren't you?)

How Did I Not Know This?

Betty & The Werewolves is a London-based band that wrote a song about David Cassidy cleverly called "David Cassidy". Listen to it here. Read lyrics on this page.

"David Cassidy
Your magic's worked its trick on me
And I can't seem
To not believe"

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. The single is available from "Damaged Goods Records". Hmm. Maybe that sums it up better. Never mind.

Whodda Thunk Senior Citizens Could Be Rock Stars?

Care to feel your age? Care to guess their age?

The one that amazes me the most is Tina Turner. I envied her legs when I was 18 and I still envy her legs, now, a *cough, cough* decade or so later. A few days ago, she was attending a Georgio Armani fashion show in Paris looking like this:


Above photo found on the International Tina Turner Fanclub website.

"Strengthen My Love"

Catgil does it again ;-)

You know, this song's grown on me. I totally take back my comment about it having a low-budget naughty movie soundtrack vibe. I still think his singing is different in this song though - prefer his earlier stuff for sure - but love how he gives it his all in this performance. And dang, that hair.

The Partridge Family on TVLand?

TVLand has a current thread on their viewer forum for programming suggestions. Some viewers want them to add The Partridge Family to their programming. Do you? Go tell 'em. Here's a pic of Keith Partridge to remind you why.

Want to see DC live in Elgin, IL, February 13?

Craigslist ad for 1 third row ticket

The venue's website

A Song for You?

Read some comments on YT that likened David Cassidy's voice to Karen Carpenter's. Here's "A Song for You" which both The Carpenters and David Cassidy recorded. Leon Russell wrote this song and it's one of the loveliest and most timeless songs EVER. Karen Carpenter's voice is a heavenly match for it and I'll forever hear it in her voice. I found a video of Mr. Russell singing his composition and I wonder if DC took cues from him for his version on his 2003 "A Touch of Blue" CD.

So, embedded here for your listening pleasure (or displeasure) are three versions of "A Song for You": DC's, The Carpenters' and Leon Russell's. I've linked to three other versions as well: Helen Reddy's rendition - a new discovery for me - because it's simple and her tone lovely. Simply Red's because it's the second cover I found that they have in common with DC (see "Go Now" for the first). Again, Simply Red put their personal stamp on the song but I'm not moved by singer Hucknall here.

The third version is from Michael Bublé, crooner du jour. What is special about Bublé? He looks good, sings some of the most beautiful songs of the last century and backs himself with a top notch band. But please, I beg you MB fans, enough with the "greatest singer" accolades. He garbles and lisps. Not begrudging him his success - after all he's making these beautiful songs mainstream again (what pop music radio station today would have played "Sway" before his version came out?) - I just want young people to realize he's not the crème de la crème of singers. I'll be honest, I have not listened to his performance here past the 1:40 mark. If you manage, tell me if it gets better.

Bottom line for me: the song belongs to Karen Carpenter. She delivered a slice of music heaven. And yes, I've heard Donny Hathaway, American Idol's Elliott Yamin (seriously distracting poor breath control there), Ray Charles and Whitney Houston sing it. No, I haven't heard Christina Aguilera, Cher, Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin or anyone else sing it. Hardly see the point of it.







Helen Reddy
Simply Red
Michael Bublé

Yummy Bubblebum Pop Singer

You know who could have given David Cassidy a run for his money on those Partridge Family hits? Ron Dante. Look and listen.



What can I say? That "He alone was responsible for 7 chart topping Partridge Family singles." comment really riled me.

ITILY Michael Weatherly

"Suddenly the sound of the hotel pianist is overtaken by the tinny strains of…“I Think I Love You.” Weatherly hovers behind us, impishly brandishing an iPhone on which he has cued up an apparently revelatory oldie by the Partridge Family. “He’s been doing that lately,” she laughs, “pulling up that song every time we have scenes of ‘ambiguous sexual tension.’”"

"Weatherly" is Michael Weatherly who plays Tony DiNozzo on the CBS TV crime-drama "NCIS" and "she" is his co-star, Cote de Pablo, who plays Ziva David, his colleague. TV Guide interview here.

Fans being fans, one of them, most probably rooting for a romantic liaison between the two characters, created a video of Tony and Ziva clips from the show with ITILY. Here it is on YouTube, the great fandom meeting place:



The point of this post? Other people besides we DC-obsessed are listening to The Partridge Family music. ;-)

What The Hell?!

"He alone was responsible for 7 chart topping Partridge Family singles." Seriously. That's what it says. Here. In the left window, scroll down.

Cuz, you know, David Cassidy wrote all the songs, sang lead AND background vocals, played all the instruments, produced all the albums and marketed them worldwide. Yup. He alone. Guess he really didn't play well with others. Crap. Who writes this stuff?!?

Also, notice the verb tenses: "...now he has finally returned to where it all started by starring in the latest ABC Family Show “Ruby & The Rockits.” The show stars..." Well, it did just start airing in New Zealand (insert eye roll here.) I'll allow for a typo - they meant "the late ABC Family Show...". Late as in passed away, no longer with us, DEAD. I know, I know, it's just spin. I worked in marketing. UPDATE: SingmeDavid pointed out that this text was most probably written before the tickets went on sales in August and "Ruby" was canceled in early September.

(You're glancing at that b&w pic at the top of this page, aren't you, British Fan?)

I dare you!

Try and find a bad candid picture of David Cassidy THEN. I dare ya. Perusing Clodyne's site once again (can you blame me?!) and found this picture. Only David Cassidy could manage to look sexy in an airport lounge (or is it a bowling alley?). It is freakin' unreal how photogenic the man was.



This is about as goofy-looking as he got. Hardly grounds for getting himself kicked out of bed for eating crackers, is it? ;-)

Take a bow, sir.

Can I be any lazier with this blog? Oh, yeah, I'll just send you directly to Catgil2's YT channel and you can bypass me completely :) Admission: I have not watched this whole clip uninterrupted yet but that bow at the end? One of the most endearing things he does on stage. Perfect mix of pride and gratitude.

Thanks for sharing Catgil!!

Eye Candy

Quite a few of you appreciated the pictures of David at the beginning of the "Go Now" video posted previously. Clodyne reminded me that they are from the Rock Me Baby songbook. Here are a couple. Thanks Clodyne!

Enjoy!

"Go Now"

Here's another song that David Cassidy and a myriad of other acts have covered. The most familiar version is The Moody Blues' but Bessie Banks sang it first in the mid-sixties. David's version dates from his second album "Rock Me Baby", released in 1972. Recently, the British group Simply Red put their modern spin on it before bidding each other au revoir. I can't find any fault with David's version and his voice in that first line is irresistible. So often, it's the first line he sings that hooks me. His version is my favorite of the four (very nice pics in this slideshow, btw). I also enjoy Simply Red's version though the emphasis is on the beat. The Moody Blues' voices annoy me and Banks' interpretation sounds forced.

Radio Chat with David - Mark your calendar!

Casey Parker of Penn's Peak Radio will chat with David Cassidy during her show "Afternoons with Casey" on Wednesday, February 10. You can listen live to the station online. Cassidy is to perform at Penn's Peak February 12.

They "will be talking about his past and present success, how much he enjoys giving back and a special sneek peak into a new venture coming in the spring."(bolding mine)

Ms Parker has a comment form on her blog. Use it wisely ;-)

Inquiring minds want to know.

How do your family and friends feel about your interest in DC? How much or how little do you share with them? How much or how little do they care?

Is Mr. Cassidy still making some people resentful long past his teen idol days?

Do tell.

Australian fans?

Seems rage on ABC1 had a retro show on January 16 that featured a 1976 interview with David Cassidy (the one from the Russell Harty show perhaps?). One fan left a thoughtful comment on rage's message board but that's pretty much the extent of my findings. I'd love to hear more about this interview. If anyone out there heard it, please share. Thanks!

Here's a drool-worthy 1976 performance from our person of interest. Thanks again to uploader extraordinaire Catgil. Let's keep specs on clip below quiet, lest it gets yanked once more, ok? ;-)

"I Am a Clown"

Here's another DC clip from the eighties - the whole decade was a bad dream, à la Dallas, ok? - thanks to Catgil2 for sharing. From his debut solo album "Cherish", "I am a Clown" could veer dangerously close to maudlin territory but Cassidy usually reins it in with his sincere delivery, no doubt accepting how accurately songwriter Tony Romeo described him with those lyrics. Even casual DC fans can recognize the bitter truth in the portrayal. In the 1973 concert performance captured in the "Weekend at Wembley" documentary, the line "Tell me you love me, make me real" gives me goosebumps. Here, his rendition is serviceable, hardly goosebump-inducing and I wonder if the pianist is playing at the right tempo or if it's a YT synchronization issue. The live clip from 1973 is embedded below - thanks to Scarpett for sharing.

I'll just stand, thanks.

Here's why I'll be standing while surfing and blogging from now on:

"Sitting all day may significantly boost the risk of lifestyle-related disease even if one adds a regular dose of moderate or vigorous exercise, scientists said Tuesday.

The health benefits of pulse-quickening physical activity are beyond dispute -- it helps ward off cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, among other problems.

But recent scientific findings also suggest that prolonged bouts of immobility while resting on one's rear end may be independently linked to these same conditions."

Rest of the info here.

And here's the obligatory pic of David to compensate for post's lack of blog relevance. Pic is relevant to post though ;-)

Music Trivia

Can you imagine David Cassidy singing this song? Mickie Most, a very successful English record producer, apparently offered "Touch Too Much" (written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn), to Cassidy who passed on it, dismissing its chart-topping potential. Miffed and wanting to prove Mr. Cassidy wrong, Mr. Most then offered it to The Arrows, a band fronted by Alan Merrill whose similarity to Cassidy starts and ends with the shag. The Arrows had a British hit with the song in 1974. Check out Merrill's come-hither looks in the clip below. Another bit of trivia: Merrill wrote "I Love Rock & Roll". Yeah, that "I Love Rock & Roll", the earworm made immortal by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Read more about Mr. Merrill here.




Here's another link between David Cassidy and Alan Merrill: both recorded "Walk Away Renée". I hear more vulnerability in Cassidy's version. It can be found on his 2003 "A Touch of Blue" CD.





Seeing as some of you enjoy these comparisons, here's the original version of "Walk Away Renée" by The Left Banke. The voice here is as grating and unforgivable as nails on a chalkboard.

Embarassingly Craptastic

There is just no way that I can get into this song. And this performance with the ghost of Romance past floating in the background is so embarrassing that I have to look away. The Romance album is dance/pop dreck of the highest order and I shall continue to skip over it as I appreciate David Cassidy's discography.

Any Objections to this Song?

In this not-so-recent post, I wondered how well David Cassidy would render the timeless "Sunny" and someone brought up that he's never really sung much with a Motown or Rhythm and Blues feel to it. Not an expert on musical genres here but I think "It Should Have Been Me" might qualify. Both Kim Weston and Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded this song in the sixties and then Yvonne Fair made it a hit in the mid-seventies. Besides David Cassidy's version, I haven't found any other versions by male vocalists. Ray Charles' "It Should Have Been Me" is a different song entirely.

Cassidy sings these lyrics with too much resignation and not enough indignation but in the first thirty seconds, his honeyed voice beckons with just enough soul and passion for us to give his rendition a chance. You can listen to DC's "It Should Have Been Me" here - apologies for the abrupt ending. The song can be found on "The Best of David Cassidy", the album released in 1991 by Curb Records in Japan, consisting of songs recorded and rejected for an album back in 1979. Embedded below are versions from Kim Weston, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Yvonne Fair.

A Young Daydreamer

Here's a treat for you all. Clodyne, yet another eagle-eyed reader, shared this recently uploaded YT clip with me. Paying it forward, as a good fan should.

Is it me or is his disdain for the the song showing here? Brace yourself, for all is forgiven with that killer dimpled smile at 1:00. Yes, the show mucked up the title of the song as "Daydreaming" instead of "Daydreamer" and no, I have no flipping clue where this was filmed. On a ship at night? In a truck yard? As for that white suit, this clip is from 1974, so it is possible that this is the same suit he wore in that Partridge Family/My Three Sons Thanksgiving Special. And from the oohs and aahs at the end, I wouldn't be surprised if he were singing this live.

I Think I Mock You?

A couple of eagle-eyed readers - flexing more Google muscle than this blogger has, obviously - have spotted a David Cassidy CD entitled "I Think I Love You: Greatest Hits Live" to be released on February 9, 2010. The CD/DVD combo is available for pre-sale on a couple of sites, including Amazon, but information as to content and origin of recordings is scantier than Mariah Carey's latest attire.

Two things give me hope that David Cassidy is not driving this project:
1) the publisher is Cleopatra Records, an independent record label specializing in compilations and reissues of out-of-print releases
2) the lack of mention on DC's own website (means zilch, I know, but I take what I can get).

Otherwise, will I be alone in thinking he's really singing "I Think I Mock You" to his fans with yet another Greatest Hits?!?

Improving David Cassidy's website

Judging by your recent comments, I'd say you're chomping at the bit to overhaul David Cassidy's official website.

To be fair, it seems he's been busy revamping his MySpace page. You have to log in to MySpace to view most of it and since I've no intention of becoming a member of that type of social network, guess all that amazing content will remain a mystery to me. (Does he really have a blog?) There is a mixpod of eight YouTube videos on his page. Click on it to reach a page listing all the songs with buy and ringtones options for each. Not surprising, the options link to dead ends.

Anyway, websites aren't obsolete yet! (Or perhaps they are and I didn't get the memo?) My suggestions for improving his:

-Eliminate the automatic playing of that heart attack inducing PF song remix when we access the site (I click it off so fast, I can't even identify the song)
-If you're going to keep music on the site, how about alternating the tunes (and identifying them)?
-Provide dates for news articles
-Simplify current home page layout - too busy now

For the store section:
-Newsflash: all four seasons of the Partridge Family are now available on DVD - update with links to all four
-Ringtones: how about offering some audio clips? I'd love to use the first 20 seconds of "Summer Days" as a ringtone but I'm too lazy/technically challenged to make it myself. Not sure what the average market price for ringtones is but I wouldn't pay more than $3 for one.
-Personalized autographed pictures? I'll admit to having no clue how time-consuming this proposal would be.

Ready to add your ideas, dear blog readers?

"It's Time That I Knew Better"

I just realized yesterday that this song was among those "lost" Partridge Family songs, i.e. songs that were played in an episode but weren't committed to vinyl back then. A criminal shame. It is one of their better ones (another Terry Cashman/Tommy West contribution) and David's vocals here? Holey Moley. I gasped at the second word. One friggin' word and I'm jelly. If that's not power, I don't know what is.

Now, the video embedded below was acting up last night. If it stops before the end, don't panic. The song's been uploaded by others - this upload seems to have the most gasp-eliciting beginning though - so just search for it. It can also be found on "David Cassidy's Partridge Family Favorites" sold as part of a $100 set on his website. Wondering what other songs are on the album? Trusty Jane's Downunder Fansite to the rescue. (Guess providing that info on DC's site would have jacked up the package's price too much.) Note that "Warm My Soul" is not DC's version from "Rock Me Baby"; it's a Partridge Family one, so in effect, this twelve-song album offers us four new PF songs. Well, three real new ones and a finally-available-to-fans! fourth one.

Sweet!

Here's "Sweetness", the other David Cassidy-penned Partridge Family song that never made it onto the show. It can also be found on DC's Partridge Family Favorites album. You can buy the album as part of the "Old Trick, New Dog" package on DC's website.

I'm not crystal clear on the meaning of the lyrics but the song's beginning reminds me of "Stephanie" in that PF episode with Bobby Sherman. Lots of rare 80s pics as well in this YT video by inthe11thhour. Fashion tip everyone: large prints on jackets are rarely a good idea, in any decade (2:05). Were there ever some fugly clothes back then! I was a teenager in the mid-eighties and I remember being quite excited with my first trendy fashion purchase: a puffy cotton concoction by Naf Naf - in pink no less! It looked like pajamas. My mother, bless her soul, made me return it before I ever wore it out in public.

Be My Ba-bay

Just discovered the Partridge Family's "Mystical Lady" on YT. Thanks to david41250 for posting it and creating a slideshow with seldom-seen images (it includes that great shot Henry Diltz took of him with Schwarzenegger at 0:33).

The song is no great shakes - don't think it was ever featured in an episode either - but David Cassidy's voice still makes it listenable for me. Actually, the chorus hints at a pretty rockin' tune if the song could be let loose. For anyone interested, it's on "David Cassidy's Partridge Family Favorites", an album released in 1998 on Slamajamma, DC's own record label at the time. If you have a copy of the album, could you share any available songwriting credits?

"January"

Not predictable. Timely. ;-)



The original version by Pilot, sung by another David.



Love the Scottish accent, Mr. Paton, but I prefer David Cassidy's sultry vocals. What say YOU, dear blog readers? Is there a verse missing in DC's version? The lyrics seem different between the two. Oh and if anyone can explain the lyrics to me, I'd be much obliged.

(How long before Disney gets one of its current teen idols to cover this song? It's just as catchy as "Magic", another Pilot hit, which Selena Gomez covered last year. Don't know who Selena Gomez is? You ARE old ;-))