Love Is All That I Ever Needed. Chapter 8. The First Crisis.
In an interview published at the beginning of January 1971, David told what he thought about The Partridge Family music. He said :
‘The music we do is bubblegum to the trade. I think it’s a little
better than most bubblegum. Sophisticated bubblegum. What it’s not is George Harrison.
That’s what I want to be doing. That’s what I will do’.
At the time, George Harrison’s first solo
album recorded after The Beatles split up, was a great hit, and the single from it ‘My Sweet
Lord’ number one everywhere. David wanted to become an independent recording artist.
Many people have always emphasized David’s great knowledge of music and its history. The
songs and artists his father taught him, and the musicians he loved in the 60s. When
something interested him, he got to know everything about it.
Wes Farrell said in an interview
conducted during the recording sessions for ‘Up To Date’ album, in November 1970 : ‘David’s
level of enthusiasm about the music is like an atomic bomb explosion. He knows a lot about
music. He’s not like some people who have just been thrown into music overnight.’.
It was one of the reasons David Cassidy was such a unique singer. He was very aware of
what he was doing in the recording studio and why. How to approach new material, who were
the song creators, he knew other versions of the songs he was to record. He always thought
about what the lyrics meant for him.
He was deadly serious about his work. The quality of it.
When he worked or did something, it was always for more than 100%.
He was ambitious and
already in 1970 started writing his own music.
He didn’t want to brand his name anything. He genuinely suffered because he had no control
over the quality of the merchandise, the things with his face on it. Those countless stickers,
badges, notebooks, fridge magnets, pocket mirrors, lunch boxes, pencil cases, pillow cases,
clocks, comics, toy guitars, games, paper dolls, beach towels.
He understood that The
Partridge Family’s target was young teens, and the music should have been simple. But he
cared for the quality of the songs he was to sing. He was amazed and proud that The Partridge
Family, after releasing one album and a world hit, was nominated for a Grammy. Just being
nominated was a great honor.
David learned very quickly. He wanted to know about many aspects of working at the recording
studio. Wes Farrell didn’t like it when someone interfered with his work. David was to sing -
not to produce himself. He was new and should be grateful he could sing on hit songs. That
was all.
The first crisis came very quickly. Even before ‘I Think I Love You’ became number 1
on the Billboard Hot 100. In November 1970 while recording the second album, ‘Up To Date’.
Released by Bell Records on February 12, 1971, it spent 53 weeks on the chart, less than
The Partridge Family Album, but it was higher - peaking at number three in April 1971.
There were three strong numbers from Tony Romeo on it: ‘You Are Always On My Mind’,
‘Morning Rider On The Road’ and ‘That’ll Be The Day’. Three songs written by Garry Goffin
with Wes Farrell’s help including another Top 10 hit ‘I’ll Meet You Halfway’ - ‘I’m Here, You’re Here’.and ‘There’s No Doubt In My Mind’. ‘She’d Rather Had A Rain’ by Terry Cashman and
Tommy West. ‘I’ll Leave Myself A Little Time’ by Steve Dossick. Two songs written again by
that prolific trio known from the first album - Wes Farrell, Jim Cretecos and Mike Appel -
‘Umbrella Man’ and the biggest hit from ‘Up To Date’ - ‘Doesn’t Somebody Want To Be
Wanted’. ‘Lay It On The Line’ was the first song written by David which was recorded and
released. With Wes Farrell’s help, according to the credits.
‘Doesn’t Somebody Want To Be Wanted’ peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, on
March 27, 1971. David nearly left the show because of that song while it was recorded on
November 12, 1970.
In 1970 David Cassidy wasn’t treated as a star by the studio’s executives. Sometimes he
complained while on the set because Screen Gems wanted to produce the show as cheap as
possible. He was made to understand that it would be easy to exchange him for a less
complaining, pretty boy.
But David felt the audience wanted him and not anyone.
David genuinely didn’t like ‘Doesn’t Somebody Want To Be Wanted’. But first of all he didn’t
like he was told not to sing but talk in the middle of it.
‘I said, ‘This is crass commercialism. It’s
hype. It’s jive. It isn’t me.; It was the beginning of a great brawl. The first confrontation.
Wes
shouted that David had nothing to say and was supposed to just follow orders. David persisted.
They called for Ruth, and for David's agent. The head of Bell Records arrived. And the Columbia
Pictures’. Screen Gems’.
He kept repeating that he didn’t believe in it and wouldn’t record it
as they wanted. They kept telling him how much more money they earned when he did what
was asked for. They wanted to show him once and for all who was in charge.
Finally David gave up. It was another very bitter lesson. Many years later David told during a
concert in 2014, that he surrendered when Jack told him to do it, as he put it, it was : ‘a parental
pressure which helped him decide to go ahead with the song’.
David was tired and stressed out. He was working very hard in 1970. After the recording of
the album was completed, he could go for a short holiday at last. With Steve Ross they went
to Big Sur, Carmel and Lake Meade. Just two of them, camping, bathing in the stream, far
from civilization.
He needed this holiday badly. The amount of work and stress started taking his toll. The
responsibility and realization that he was used and had no control. There was him and them.
He said in one of the interviews : ‘Sometimes I yell at the top of my lungs. Not at people. Only
when I am by myself, like when I learned they released a certain record of mine as a single
which I didn’t want them to do. I was in my room alone and yelled a word which I better not
repeat. It’s not becoming of a teen-age idol.’
David Cassidy : ‘Could It Be Forever ?’. 2007, p.107
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