The Partridge Family

The Partridge Family

Synopsis of Pop Music

"Hello, world, here's a song that we're singin',
C'mon, get happy!"

Like the Monkees, the Partridge Family was a band created especially for a television series. Inspired by the success of a real-life family of hitmakers, the Cowsills, the show and became a long-running hit in the early 70’s. The Partridge Family released a string of albums with a baroque, pure pop sound on the heels of their television success and scored several hit singles in the process.

Although the cast appeared to perform the musical numbers on the show, Shirley Jones and David Cassidy were the only cast members used on the actual recordings. The show’s producers also hired top songwriters and musicians to write and perform the music that Cassidy and Jones sang. The Partridge Family scored their first hit with “I Think I Love You,” a lush, keyboard-and-harmony-driven pop song with a strong vocal performance from David Cassidy. It became a million-selling #1 hit and the biggest hit of 1970.

1971 was a phenomenal year for the Partridge Family. They scored another million-selling hit in March with “Doesn’t Somebody Want To Be Wanted,” followed by two more high-charting singles: “I’ll Meet You Halfway” and “I Woke Up In Love This Morning.” Both songs pitted ornate sounds (harpsichords, strings) against tougher sounds (drums, electric guitar) to create songs with a satisfying mixture of melodic beauty and rock muscle. David Cassidy’s surprisingly mature vocal style also added a considerable amount to the charm of these recordings.

David Cassidy began a parallel solo career at the end of 1971 with a Top-10 hit cover version of the Association’s classic, “Cherish.” Meanwhile, the Partridge Family continued to have pop-chart success with songs like “It’s One of Those Nights (Yes, My Love).” The group’s success increased when the The Partridge Family television series began to be shown in England in 1972. Subsequently, the group's singles would begin to score big on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Partridge Family continued to score hits in 1973 with songs like “Through The Eyes Of Love.” In August of 1974, the television show ended its run. No further Partridge Family records were issued after this time, but David Cassidy continued to record as a solo artist into the late 70’s. Meanwhile, his former show became a favorite in syndication.

In the 90’s, several Partridge Family and David Cassidy albums were reissued. An eager public continues to snap these recordings up, thus showing that the lush sound of the Partridge Family continues to be a favorite with a few different generations.

Artist Release History

1970 - The Partridge Family Album
1971 - The Sound Magazine
1971 - Up to Date
1972 - The Partridge Family Shopping Bag
1972 - The Notebook
1973 - Crossword Puzzle
1973 - Bulletin Board
1974 - The World of the Partridge Family
1976 - The Partridge Family
1989 - Greatest Hits
1992 - A Partridge Family Christmas Card
1995 - A Partridge Family Christmas Card

Pop Sub Categories

pop

Essential Music Albums

Come On Get Happy: The Definitive Collection – David Cassidy and The Partridge Family (Arista)

Band Members

David Cassidy lead vocals
Shirley Jones back-up vocals

Other Pop Music Links