Posts

Showing posts from August, 2023

'I Just Hated Being In The Show..'

Image
Last week someone posted a screenshot of the article from May 1974, unfortunately without the date or the name of the paper. Written by a popular journalist Roderick Gilchrist, I think it was Daily Express. We can read that this interview took place at London Weekend Television's Building, on the day before the DC's last concert in Manchester.  And David said, "I feel like the door to the cage has just been opened. And, any minute now I'm going to be able to fly right away from my prison. I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel because I'll be free again.." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG0hjhwKx5s His prison..Of course there have been other teen idols in the history of pop culture, but somehow for those from the 70s it was like someone put a curse on them. Nothing David Cassidy recorded later in life hasn't changed a bit that first opinion some people had of him and his music. My FB friend, Laurie Eby has written, "I researched 'New Y

I Write The Songs..

Image
It's not about the Bruce Johnston's song, it's about the DC's songwriting and how underrated he is. Yes, I know that word 'fan' comes from the word 'fanatic', nevertheless I'm sure that David Cassidy was a very talented songwriter and it's a shame he didn't write more. The lyrics of his own songs are meaningful and emotional ; sincere, because he wrote about himself, his life, his heartbreaks, and he was very good with words. 'Leave me gently..',  'How did it feel, well, it felt so unreal..', 'My life in LA it seems so passe..', 'Just close your eyes and let my run away..', 'Don't be surprised if someone real is found..', 'I sure was a fool for you..', 'Tight leather suit, isn't he cute, acting all cool and aloof..' This one was written by a young David Cassidy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxoBSLVxZjY I've written about the DC's sonwriting many times, how versatile he

Warm My Soul / Joerey Ortiz

Image
'Warm My Soul' was written by a teenager, Joerey Ortiz. In the early 70s David Cassidy twice recorded that song. A song about passion, desire, but somehow very suitable for today's blog.  "Shake the pain that grows inside me..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EPelsJpf8 The next anniversary will be soon. 6 years. That's a lot of time. What we, David's fans, have managed to do at this time, what goals we achieved. And what went wrong..Actually quite a lot, but maybe better focus on positives, and of course we still will be working to keep David Cassidy's legacy alive.   I'm so glad that again we have started promoting the petition to Music Walk Of Fame in London. A stone for David.  Please sign if you haven't done it yet. https://chng.it/NgppymDR6K DC was always 12 years older than me, and now that gap has halved. It's made me think about David Cassidy at 61, my age now. What he was like in 2011..The previous year, 2010, didn't end wel

David Cassidy Annual 1975 at The Children's Country House At Sudbury

Image
  Today is another 21st, let's start with a song.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We_T5LPBuFM I have watched this video many times and each time I'm so impressed and so emotional. What an amazing performer David Cassidy was. And his voice.. Yesterday a fan posted a pic from the page of The Children's Country House at Sudbury NT (National Trust). Sudbury Hall is a 17th country house in Derbyshire. On the pic we can see a showcase with some building blocks and..David Cassidy Annual 1975. And it was written, "If you didn't go weak at the knees for Donny Osmond, chances were you swooned over David Cassidy! Look out for this book in the Toys Gallery."  It was posted on April 12, 2011, and the House since then has been renovated and was opened again in 2022, the museum is very modern now and, "celebrates the history of childhood". I don't know if David Cassidy Annual 1975 is still there... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuwVS2DqhzE David Cassidy at a

Take This Heart / David Cassidy, Gerry Beckley

Image
Gerry Beckley, "I really enjoyed writing with David. They say everyone has one novel in them, but to make a career out of it is a far different thing. David is across the board, he's capable of doing lyrics and music. He's a great piano player, a good guitar player, a nice lyricist and he's got a great voice." (David Cassidy : 'Could It Be Forever ? , 2007, p. 326). What a shame David stopped playing piano in later years. He enjoyed writing with Gerry Beckley too, it was so wonderful to work with people whom he trusted, who became his friends. He wasn't just a singer anymore, someone who had to record what he was told to do.  He wrote about recording 'Home Is Where the Heart Is' album : "I had my friends around me, people I felt really comfortable working with. They were working with me as contributors, not just as musicians for hire. We were devoloping the stuff together and it was a really creative time for me." (David Cassidy : Could

I Woke Up In Love This Morning / Irwin Levine and L.Russell Brown

Image
The hit single from this outstanding, great album, The Partridge Family Sound Magazine, released in August 1971, 52 years ago. Irwin Jessie Levine (1938-1997), and Lawrence Russell Brown, who is 83 now, wrote  more songs for the show,  but it was "I Woke Up In Love This Morning' which was the most successful of them.  Number 13 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in September, number 4 in Canada and 5 in Australia.  And just today I've found (and read with great pleasure), the CashBox' issue from July 31, 1971. Except 'normal' charts being published there, there was also the chart called 'CashBoxRadio Active', and 'I Woke Up In Love This Morning' achieved there number 7. We can also read in 'cashbox/singles reviews' that, "Teen idol David Cassidy lead the Partridge Family towards another gold record with this splendidly commercial outing. Single was taken from Family's soon to be released album". This is the link to that very inte

You Are My Morning Sunshine..

Image
The opening of '(Oh No) No Way', written by the profilic songwriting duo, Johnny Cymbal & Peggy Clinger, with a little help from one and only Wes Farrell.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upQtZYheaz0 He is our morning sunshine, David Cassidy is, we post his pics every day on many FB groups dedicated to him and his legacy. I have no idea how many such groups exist, and how many active members they have.  Fans still want to write about DC, admire his photographs. Yes, sometimes discussions could be disrespectful, the pics coloured and photoshopped. Of course there are groups with very strict rules about what can be or can't be posted about DC, and there are also those groups where everything is allowed. I understand the fans, we have nothing new, and David still evokes emotions. It's also easier to enhance a pic than for example make a tribute video. I've tried once, it's really a hard job. Sometimes I'm irritated by some comments, even that I know is chil

Summertime /George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin

Image
The song written for the 1935 opera, 'Porgy and Bess'. One of the most popular jazz standards in the history of music.  A masterpiece, the music and the lyrics. One of those songs that every single note and every single word is important. In the opera the song is sung several times, first of all as a lullaby, but the meaning of it is open to interpretation. There are a lot of famous performances and recordings of that song, so different in style, I love that one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vsk6WLUFkk The David's version belongs to another tradition. It's Gershwin, jazz not rock, and it's a great joint band achievement.  Craig J. Snider's piano..amazing, what a talented pianist he is. His performance, the music grabs our attention from the start..and after that moving and dramatic introduction David Cassidy starts singing.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LFIQj7pw5w 'That's my band.'. Oh yes, such an outstanding, sophisticated performance. Davi

'Just Hold You One More Time..'

Image
I've been thinking recently about the second David Cassidy's solo album. And just today a short note about 'Song For A Rainy Day' (from LP 'Rock Me Baby'), has appeared on The David Cassidy Official Website. Btw I can't call this note an article.   It's also a good opportunity for me to write that for quite a long time I've had nothing to do with the website. And I'm sorry about it,  because I think the time is not on our side, but that's the way it is. 'Rock Me Baby' could have been an outstanding album, but it didn't. There are two great songs on it, 'How Can I Be Sure' and 'Song For A Rainy Day'. I love singing the last one along with DC (in my car of course), sometimes it's 'to hold you just one time' or 'imaging holding you one time'. Not very grammatical, but you can't use 'once' in that fragment..  It's a great song, written by David Cassidy and Kim Carnes, so wonderfully

Soft As A Summer Shower / Adam Miller

Image
I really like August, such a special month, a lot of us, Europeans, are on holiday, in my town most small shops and businesses are closed, less people around, less traffic. It's still warm, but days are shorter, nights are colder, sometimes is windy, here in Poland we don't have (so far) devastaiting floods like in Slovenia, Croatia or Germany. However every day there are showers.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE_jPTv3bmE August was always a special month for David Cassidy. Because of Saratoga Springs. As he said, his favouite place on Earth. He played his first concert there, at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, on June 27, 1971, and the next year on August 2.  He was in Saratoga Springs for 2 weeks in August, every year, to the rest of his life..and it was his last wish to stay there forever. The race season in Saratoga this year has started in July and will end at the beginning of September. It must have been always like that.  David Cassidy became an important and well kn

Rolling Stone..Again

Image
I've wanted to write about Andrew Gold a few days ago. He was born on August 2, 1951. Died in 2011, only 59.  So often we write how underrated DC was, how multi talented, the same could be said about Andrew Gold, a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and record producer. From a showbusiness family of course, btw. he said his childhood was wonderful. Oh yes, that was a great hit, also in Poland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBe-6EXBvaA It's so moving, also that so many of those wonderful artists, who started their career at the end of the 60s and in the next decade wrote and recorded such great music, for me the best ever, they are not here any longer. Anyway David Cassidy knew Andrew Gold of course, it was a small world, everybody knew each other, in the early 80s Andrew was engaged to Nicolette Larson (the DC's co-star in 'Jesus Christ Superstar'), in the 90s he was helping with rewriting EFX. And Andrew Gold co-wrote with Sue Shifrin a very special song..

Every Song Is You / Terry Cashman and Tommy West

Image
I haven't been a great fan of this song, but recently I've changed my mind. The lyrics like written for DC and only he could have sung this song, with such a feeling and understanding, with his magical, young voice.. 'till the night can smile for the people as I sing and play..' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fowg1vg0llc&t=97s I'm a member and great admirer of the FB group called The Partridge Family - The Official FB Group For www.cmongethappy.com. The administrator, Scott Awley is such a kind and so professional (can't find better word) person. I've had a pleasure to exchange some thoughts, comments with him, and I'm so impressed by his knowledge and personality, he doesn't pretend he knows everything and it's something I really appreciate.  The things I've learnt about The Partridge Family reading posts on that group are just priceless. Sure some of them are for people who can be excited (like me) by Call Sheets, and believe me they a

Mae / Gary Montgomery

Image
'Mae' has been playing today in my head.  I've checked and discovered that actually I've never written anything about it. Many times about the album, Dreams Are Nuthin' More Than Wishes', recorded 50 years ago, but not a single entry about 'Mae'. Written by Gary Montgomery. Not easy to find info about this particular Gary. According to rateyourmusic.com and allmusic.com he was from Canada, born in 1943, died in 2005. In the 60s he was a member of the band called The Daltons Boys, and he wrote some songs for The Turtles, so it's a strong DC connection. Flo & Eddie, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, the original, founding members of The Turtles were David's friends in the 70s. And they sang on his RCA albums.. David Cassidy called 'Mae' little and charming. But it's not difficult to understand why John Lennon was jealous when DC sang it May Pang, one afternoon in 1973. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmRXsv_ZZ2w When I heard it for the

David, We Miss You

Image
Someone has written this today, on one of our FB groups. And that we knew we'd loved him or something like that. No pics, just a statement. Of course a lot of people write about missing David Cassidy, me too, but somehow this sentence has stuck with me today.  Probably because of the weather, so gloomy, and it has been a very low pressure, and I'm a meteoropathic. For me is always too cold, too hot or too windy.. But let's get back to the topic. Of course we miss him and I especially miss that older David Cassidy, when he was after 60 and had so many problems, personal, also with his health. Sometimes I think how David would have looked like after 70, if only..What he would have thought about this new world, because the world has changed since 2017, it has become less friendly (if I can put it this way)..what he would have sung.. Oustanding video by Anna Maria Ottengren.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDemdZ8C0_g He was with us when we were teens, young adults, more matur