Passionate resolutions

It's the end of another year. Feel any older? After reading the text below, you might feel just plain old. Someone forwarded me this un-credited list recently - it's probably appeared in your mailbox too by now - and I modified it slightly.

The people who are starting university this year were born in 1991.
They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.
Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
The compact disc was introduced eight years before they were born.
They have always had an answering machine.
They have always had email.
They have always had cell phones.
They have always had the Internet.
They have always had VCRs and video cameras.
They have always had cable.
They never swam in the ocean and thought about Jaws.
They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.

Now do you feel old? Sorry about that.

Anyway, my point with all this? Time flies. Spend what you can of it on what thrills you. If you don't know what thrills you (besides David, of course), I hope that you find it in the New Year.

Here's David wishing us passion.

Don't let the time fool ya
It's got a way of slippin by
If you let it it's gonna rule ya
And leave you high and dry
It's too easy to get lazy
If you don't use what you got
It might even drive you crazy
So get up and move and get hot

-"On Fire", written by David Cassidy and Bill House

"Hold on Me"

Whatever made me type "David Cassidy" in Google's search engine box almost a year ago never prepared me for his hold on me since.

From his "Dreams Are Nuthin' More than Wishes" album, here's the haunting "Hold on Me", composed by Michael McDonald. Oh, honey...

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Lovely song, lovely sentiment. Thank you Cherish David for the clip. Doesn't feature David, unfortunately, but still, a way for me to reiterate my best wishes to you and yours this holiday season. Not sure if I'll be posting before the New Year. Until then, take good care everyone. You have made my blogging journey very enjoyable so far and all your contributions have been appreciated. Thank you!

"The Christmas Song"

David NOW. Wish he'd enunciated better but I quibble. He still has a smoooooth voice. And dang, that "you" at the end? Consider yourself warned.



Merry Christmas! I wish you all Happy Holidays with your loved ones.

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"...

Love the bells at the beginning of this Partridge Family version. LOVE the way David sings "feeling" (0:48). Who wouldn't try to stop under the mistletoe* with him?!




*For those unfamiliar with the tradition: a couple standing under hanging mistletoe must kiss. For those interested in the history of the tradition, some info here.

"Jingle Bells"

Who knew "snow" could sound so sexy? DC's "dashing through the snow" line is pretty much the only thing that redeems this version.

"Frosty the Snowman"

If this version of the song had been used in the movie instead of the original on which it was based, would "Frosty the Snowman" be the beloved children's classic it is?
Nope.

The Magic of Christmas

Not mentioning particulars about this clip because of copyright. Find more info here. Don't you just love how he sings "heart" and "soul"? So sweet and warm.



You can hear the whole song here, courtesy of SumerKis. Don't recall on which album it is.

His brother Shaun had a hit with the song in 1978. Good voice but it lacks David's sweetness, doesn't it?



Written by John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful, it was a hit for them in 1965. A great song.

"Winter Wonderland"

The man certainly can do justice to a tux. Too bad he lightened his hair though. He looks striking with dark brown hair; borders on ordinary with lighter hair. Hmm. Could that have been the goal?



Jones and Cassidy sounded different in "The Partridge Family" version, didn't they? I do believe it is Shirley Jones on lead here.

"White Christmas"

Ok, by now, you've probably figured out that I'll be featuring songs from The Partridge Family's Christmas Card album during December. Did you expect anything else? For shame.



And here's David Cassidy solo in 1982. Doesn't Shirley Jones look proud?

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

Well, he is. And our little one is starting to believe us and getting to bed without a fuss. So there.

Once again, David Cassidy with The Partridge Family:




For the heck of it and some cute pictures, this is Frank Sinatra's version:



Now, I'm not overly fond of either arrangement - each fussy in its own way - but listen to the vocals. Can someone explain to me why Frank Sinatra is considered to be among the top male singers EVER? I don't hear it. I really don't.

The King and Him

Elvis Presley and David Cassidy. Parallels have been drawn and comparisons have been made. They both recorded "Blue Christmas". Compare if you dare.

Elvis Presley (never mind the visual - it was the only video I could find that had the recorded version of the song.)



David Cassidy (singing lead for The Partridge Family)



Remember when I wondered if perhaps Billy Idol's voice could give David's a run for its money? Well, what sounded sexy in "Sweet Sixteen" sounds scary in "Blue Christmas".

"It's Fun for a Boy and a Girl!"

"...iSlinky Challenge 2.0 version will bring Slinky further into the digital age with all new and exciting Slinky game-based challenges, added interactivity and a sizzling new version of the classic Slinky jingle performed by ‘70's pop icon David Cassidy."

The word "sizzling" has me worried. Is it shorthand for dance/hip-hop? Either way, it will be cool to hear David's version on the tube.

Click here for the press release touting the iSlinky application. Call me a fuddy-duddy but wasn't tactile play Slinky's main appeal? Oh well, I'll leave it to someone else to ponder the ramifications of transforming simple toys for the digital age.

Here's an original commercial for the toy.

My Christmas Card to You

I've mailed out my Season's Greetings to friends and family, so this is "My Christmas Card to You", dear blog readers. Can someone's best holiday wishes be expressed any better than this?

"To you and all your family, your neighbors and your friends
May all your days be happy with a joy that never ends
May peace and love surround you
At Christmas time and all the whole year through
May your life be filled with sunshine, may your every wish come true
May you find the sweet fulfillment in everything you do
May your days be blessed with the very very best
Both now and the whole year through"

Thank you Tony Romeo for another classic song.

Here's David, singing it THEN to "yew":



And, NOW, live in 2007. Thanks to SumerKis for posting both videos.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Now, here's an à propos clip. Thanks to Catgil for the early Christmas present. I daresay I've never seen David sport a more adorable smile than he does after he sings his Pooh bear line.

BTW, this clip is from the 1982 "Frank Mills' Christmas Special". Frank Mills is the Canadian pianist who wrote the catchy instrumental "Music Box Dancer" which became a huge hit for him in 1978. I have very vivid memories of my father turning up the volume when this tinkly piano tune came on the radio - can't believe that was over thirty years ago.

Sorry, Mr. Cassidy, You Did Do Disco

And sounded fabulous doing it too, in my humble opinion.

Apparently, David Cassidy recorded some material in 1979 for an album that never saw the light of day. Some of the songs were compiled on "Best of David Cassidy" and released, against his wishes, in 1991 by Curb Records in Japan. "Classic Songs" is the same album minus four songs plus "ITILY" and was released in the States in 1998.

"Best of David Cassidy" reminds me of my frequent Friday night suppers, aka bunch of leftovers on a plate. Might be the lazy man's meal, but with lean budgets these days, we can't be throwing out food, now can we? Well, David Cassidy's discography is not so voluminous that I can afford to discard any of his releases, so I was thankful to hear this one.

On most songs, he sounds in dire need of a sinus decongestant - hardly his best singing. However, on three of them - "Crazy Love", "All I Want is You" and this one, the disco-flavored "Save Me, Save Me" - he sounds mighty fine and the songs are quite palatable. "Save Me, Save Me" was written by Albhy Galuten and Barry Gibb, so the disco flavor shouldn't come as a big surprise. I wonder how surprised DC was to record it. He's so adamant in "Could It Be Forever?" that he doesn't do disco. It's okay David, disco's cool now. Way cooler than those dance remixes you did.

Dusty Springfield, Britain's favorite blue-eyed soul singer, recorded the same song around the same time. So did Frankie Valli.



You can hear a short sample of Dusty Springfield's version on Amazon. Find a sample of Frankie Valli's version on this page. Is it me or does this legend sound whinier than a three-year old? "Save Me, Save Me" is probably not one of the former BeeGee's most popular songs - I could only find Cassidy's version on YouTube. Thank you CherishDavid!

Crazy in Love with Mystery Song

Does anyone have any information on the song "Crazy Love" that appears on "Classic Songs", "Best Of David Cassidy" and "How Can I Be Sure"? The Downunder fansite credits Rusty Young as songwriter. The only Rusty Young I can find is a member of the band Poco but DC is not singing Poco's "Crazy Love". According to what I read on the Downunder site, David Cassidy does have a connection to Poco: he sang back up on one of Richie Furay's albums. Furay is a founding member of Poco. I Googled the lyrics and the only page that comes up is the lyrics page for the song on the Downunder site.

David Cassidy's "Crazy Love" - catchy enough



Poco's "Crazy Love" - a hit for them but not my style



And of course, "Crazy Love" makes me think of Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love". Catchy as all heck, it's my surefire abs workout and NME just named it "Song of the Decade". (The voters have spoken. We are to deal with it and wait for the next decade.)



That crazy catchy hook in "Crazy in Love" that my hips can't resist? Sampled. Here is the original horn hook from "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)" by the Chi-Lites, from 1971. Yup, 1971. Anybody write anything original this decade?

Teen idols and hysteria

Here's a little clip of Dusty Springfield asking a couple of Beatles some very important questions. The most important one is at 1:00. ;-)