Love Is All That I Ever Needed. Chapter 14. The First Time In London..
1971 was very successful. David grossed one million dollars on the concert circuit just
performing on weekends.
His fan club was the biggest ever with 200,000 members. Teen
magazines had a field day. Tiger Beat sold 400,000 copies every month. Fave, 285,000 and
The Partridge Family Magazine 300,000.
The Partridge Family was shown in many countries outside the USA. In the UK the first
episode was aired in September 1971, but BBC dropped the show at the end of the year.
The
Partridge Family music wasn’t as popular there as it was in the USA. ‘I Think I Love You’
peaked in the UK at number 13, in February 1971.
It could have been an advantage for David,
a chance to become a great star in the UK as a pop singer, David Cassidy, not a teen idol, not
someone who became famous playing Keith Partridge.
David was to go to Europe to promote his music and the show. And also to have a break - a
very needed holiday. He could have been just a tourist in Europe, he was relatively anonymous
there, even that it happened once or twice that he was recognized by American and Australian
tourists.
It was 3 weeks of real freedom, with only one unpleasant situation (written about in the
American press a lot), when in Rome his car was broken into. David lost some money, his
camera and passport and had to wait for new documents. He hired a red Volksvagen traveling
van, had a mini stove and a sleeping bag. He wanted to be free and independent - just traveling
without any schedule.
He drove to Florence, where he picked an old girlfriend who lived there. She was an American,
and together they went up to the Alps. He met new friends, learned to ski, and liked it very
much. Later he drove her home and went to France on his own.
Sometimes he slept in the van and
sometimes in cheap motels. He had time to read and think, to be alone. In Chamonix there
was more skiing, and it was there he bought his famous shaggy sheepskin boots.
On February 5, 1972 David Cassidy arrived in London for the very first time.
At Heathrow Airport he was to meet Ruth Aarons and the managing director of Bell in the UK,
Dick Leahy. It was expected that maybe 100-200 fans would be waiting for David.
At first, he
didn’t realize what was going on. There were police everywhere. Thousands of teens
screaming and pushing each other. They were waiting for him. Who could have believed that
he was already so famous in the UK?
David couldn’t go through security or take his luggage.
He just had to run for his life while being escorted by police.
What was happening during those five days in London in early February of 1972 passed into
legend. He stayed at the most iconic London’s hotel, the Dorchester at Park Lane. The hotel
was non-stop besieged by fans, night and day. There were thousands of them, and they were
singing David’s songs. The traffic had to be stopped.
Already David was persona non grata at
some hotels in the USA. Now in London too. The most popular newspapers and magazines
had special editions just about David, his life, and career. There were photo sessions, and
David was giving interviews all day long. Everybody wanted to talk with him.
He was interviewed for the BBC on Nationwide. His arrival was the news of the day.
Nationwide was a BBC news and current affairs program broadcast from 1969 to 1983 on
BBC1 each weekday following early evening news. It was watched by millions, whole families.
He was interviewed by Michael Barratt, the Nationwide presenter for many years. David wore
a jeans jacket, had long hair, looked very cool, but also shy, was asked about his career,
problems with security, and about his interests and views. He was very aware not to say
anything controversial, and very sincerely told Michael Barratt that he never saw a hippie in
his life.
After David’s visit BBC got over 13,000 letters demanding the return of the TPF show, and in
May about 1000 girls (mostly) staged a march outside the BBC headquarters in White City on
this matter.
The first David Cassidy’s single in the UK, ‘Could It Be Forever/Cherish’ peaked at number 2
on April 8, 1972, and album ‘Cherish’ stayed on the chart for 44 weeks, peaking also at number
2 on May 20. Dick Leahy said :’ The young kids in England just loved David Cassidy. He was
massive in England. Huge. He was the biggest thing in the UK.’
David Bridger about David’s success in the UK :’When we got the first solo album together, it
shipped gold. We had half a million copies going out the door on the first Friday. I think it went
platinum within 10 days. They couldn’t press the album fast enough. They kept the presses
going 24/7 and still couldn’t satisfy the demand.’
David Cassidy was loved in the UK for the rest of his life.
David Cassidy :’Cold It Be Forever?’, 2007, p.154
David Cassidy :’Cold It Be Forever?’, 2007, p.238
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