The Business of Show Business

Well, this is a new David Cassidy clip for me. We certainly get a good glimpse of how tiresome self-promotion can be. Imagine trying to answer questions while someone is whispering directives in your ear. And could they have found a longer name for those freakin' Billboard awards?! Holy crap on a stick, let's make tongues somersault every time people announce them.

Got to love how Cassidy mentions not wanting to mess with perfection by making a Partridge Family reunion TV movie. Hmm, kind of my thought when I heard his 2000 remakes of those PF classics. But dang, every time he laughs, I wish I could buy a David Cassidy laugh track. Could his laugh be any more charming?



Double yay on the B-52s love. That's where it's at, indeed. I loved Areosmith back then too but Don Henley, um, no. Here are the B-52s to remind everyone of good pure pop. Confession: I have not watched the video the whole way through. There's just no way I can resist getting up and dancing when this song plays.

It WAS Extraordinary for That Time

"In 1970, the top pop-radio station in Cedar Rapids was the first in the nation to play "I Think I Love You" -- a song from "The Partridge Family" -- and it became the biggest-selling record of the year, Mr. Cassidy recalled in a recent interview.

"It had never happened before -- went nowhere to No. 1 in one week. It created such a buzz," he said. "I haven't been to Iowa in forever. I want to pay respects and homage to those people who have been such fans of mine.""

Mr. Cassidy is getting good press these days. No excessive boasting, just true statements expressed with lots of enthusiasm. I like this guy. Oh, and did you notice? The Partridge Family Rock Band is mentioned. Sorry, but I'll need the actual product in hand to convince me that it's not an April's Fool joke. Yeah, I'm that cynical.

Of Bygones and Icons.

"On distancing himself from “The Partridge Family”: “Absolutely never. Peoples’ interpretations of me saying I want to do other work didn’t mean I never wanted to talk about ‘The Partridge Family.’ I’ve carried the flag, so to speak, and I hold it in such esteem because it’s touched so many lives. Although I had done 10 leads in dramatic shows and had done a Broadway show before “The Partridge Family,” it’s responsible for making me familiar with people and becoming successful and being able to have the rest of my life to make that. I don’t know how to describe it, but it was a very precious experience for me. As an actor, I care about the work, I just didn’t want to talk about it over and over and over ..."

Found here. Um? No. Especially not the "absolutely never" part. But that's okay because this really seems like a sincere effort at smoothing dissed fans' ruffled feathers. Do notice that he says as an actor, he cares about the work. He doesn't comment on the Partridge Family music. Bah, I nitpick, right? Earlier in the interview is the inevitable mention of having been good friends with John Lennon. He holds his icon as dear to his heart as some of his fans hold him. Too bad these declarations smack so much of reflected glory.

Interesting and candid interview. I like the format.

Just a Great Little Interview

Thanks to Clodyne for this 1990 clip. David is promoting his "David Cassidy" album and looking mighty fine doing it (oh, just shoot me for noticing). What's not to love here? He answers the questions concisely, is self-deprecating AND gracious to boot.

What the heck was I doing at the turn of that decade to have missed this?!

(Don't forget: you can double-click the video and get to YouTube if you want to leave a comment on that video.)

Who Is He, Indeed

Thanks to Catgil for this nice slew of seventies clips set to a lovely Partridge Family song. Bonus Q&A at the end.



And thanks to Clodyne for this second video of a TV show segment promoting his 1990 "David Cassidy" album. Fair to say that this is the first of many installments of the David Cassidy "Then and Now" saga in North America? No mention of his 1985 Romance album or what he's done during the eighties. The press certainly didn't help him shed that "former teenage idol" title. Identity crisis? What crisis?

Early Valentine's Day Present: Radio Chat Replay

Miss that radio interview David Cassidy did on the Afternoons with Casey show this week? Tomorrow's your lucky day. Penn's Peak Radio will replay it on February 13, at 3 pm, EST. Click on the "Listen Live" button at the top of Penn's Peak Radio page to listen to their broadcast. Test your connection now (you might need plug-ins).

(Thanks again Barbara!)

Will the Real David Cassidy Please Stand Up?

Self-awareness and self-deprecation: killer combo. Could he be any more irresistible? Compare the David Cassidy in this interview to the one on that Dallas morning show last week (video embedded in my February 6 post). What a difference twenty years make.

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 ;-)

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? ;-)

Lights...Camera...Happy Christmas

Doesn't he just look absolutely FABULOUS here? His drop-dead gorgeous smile is the same one he sported more than twenty years prior in the Weekend at Wembley documentary when he's looking up at the cheering crowd: an ageless, confident, sweet and heart-melting open smile. In this 1995 clip below, he talks briefly about putting on a Liverpudlian accent for his role in Blood Brothers. The sound isn't clear enough to make me feel guilty for not really listening ;-)

David in a bubble bath

I was sure I didn't like the blond David. Hmm. If anything could change my mind, this interview is it.

How he opens a bottle of bubbly oh so distractedly, almost nonchalantly. His most charming laugh at 1:30. His made-up eyes. How he says "The Last Kiss" is the best work he's ever done to date (as much as I disagree with that statement). His definition of romance. And how, oh yes, he admits to being a romantic.

Sexy as all get out.

(He's right about Brits being aware of the music business. I had the pleasure of traveling on business a couple of times to England and had very stimulating conversations with co-workers about music. Didn't matter which colleague I was with, the person could always identify the song and artist playing in the background wherever we were.)