David Cassidy Being Together

52 years ago, in September, 1972, David Cassidy was playing concerts, 7 that month (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 23, 24) and one in October. Those were his last in his native country in the 70s. He had no idea  his next tour in the US would be exactly 19 years later, in September 1991. In 1972 David played 62 concerts. It's difficult to believe how hard he was working that year. Filming the show, recording albums and touring in the US (and Canada), everywhere. Everybody knew there was no time to lose and that David's career in America was slowing down.  Yes, he played the MSG concert in March, but his gig at the Hollywood Bowl was cancelled because of poor sales. And  we can read in some articles from 1972 that some of his concerts were attended by far fewer spectators than the year before. But always he was 100% pro and gave everything. " David Cassidy Excites Crowd' by Andrew Reschke, Syracuse Herald Journal, September 25, 1972, "David Cassidy gave a vigorous performance befo...

Shawfield Stadium was not in Glasgow in 1974, but in Rutherglen, at the time it was still an independent town, the next year, in 1975, lost its own council. But of course it's so close to the centre of Glasgow, that even at the time was regarded as a suburb of the city.  Shawfield Stadium is closed now, it was opened in 1898 (can you believe it, amazing) as a football ground, but it was famous as a grayhound racing venue, the most important in Scotland. DC played there on May 24, 1974. We only know the hour of that concert (8p.m.), that it was Friday, we have a setlist, but no audio, I'm sure it must be somewhere, I can't believe nobody have thought about recording it.. Let's watch this great video and listen to C.C Rider. I love it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RyxOgMRJzU Why writing about this great concert now? Because when I was in London on September 21st, I met two wonderful ladies. DC's fans of course, It's happened that the three of us came an hour e...

I know some fans (they are my friends), who don't appreaciate the songs DC recorded after 1990. They were loyal David fans in the 70s, they still own his old albums, but they just are not interested in the music he recorded, or performed later in his life. They want to listen only to the DC's pop songs, mainstream music. It's difficult even to argue with them. Sure his voice was different, truly speaking in every decade, but always so fabulous, after 60 sometimes so full of pain even, amazing really how he sang blues standards.This is so real, raw, so powerful, full of passion. My English is not good enough to describe what I feel listening eg to David Cassidy singing Feeling Alright in 2013...it almost hurts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmzks_GNNUE What an amazing performer. Only knowning his work through the years we can really appreciate his greatness. Those are big words, I know, but I'm sure David Cassidy was a great, unique, and one in a kind singer, so undere...

  And tv appearances. Like that one from Spain, where DC appeared on a tv program called 'Estelar Del Sabado', in March 1973, and sang 2 songs. My FB friend, Encarni Perez tried to get it, but the tape doesn't exist any more. We have only a pic ot two. There is quite a long list of the tv programmes DC took part in, and we have just a basic info about them. We even don't have videos of all his television acting roles, the earliest ones. His first one from 1959, 'House On High Street', (episode unknown), or when he was on The Survivors (episode 7, aired November 7, 1969). There is also another one I really regret - 'This Is The Life' (another title 'The Fisher Family'), an episode from a very long running religious series. The David's character was called Gene Sander, and that episode concerned problems related to premarital sex..At least we have 2 pics..So the first his acting tv role we have, actually was his third. Ironside (Dec 25, 1969), ...

It's happend that I've never listened to the original. Always thought David's version was perfect, just to get up, dance and..be happy. His cover in 1975 was #16 in the UK, #20 in Ireland and #1 hit in South Africa.  Yesterday Sharron Liddle shared a video with the original. Wrote by Brian Wilson, sang by his brother Carl, with Hal Blaine on drums https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXhB2uETzP0 David Cassidy's connections with Beach Boys, one of the most important American band in the popular music history. A lot can be written about it.. Bruce Johnston, born in 1942, joined the Beach Boys in 1965 first for live performances, initially filling for Brian Wilson. With a short break (1972-1978) still a member of the group.  "David Cassidy wanted to be real 'David Cassidy' and Bruce Johnston recognized that right away and agreed to co-produce his first two solo albums for RCA. Bruce -' We had world class musicians and vocalists recording with him and he really ...

David's birthday soon. Another one without him. This year so special because of The Star, but I want to write about those few he spent in London, with his fans. David at the Palladium on April, 12th, 1987. Singing 'In My Defence' from 'Time' musical. He debuted in it the next day.  We have a great copy of his performance on the website, fantastic quality and with 'Please give him Happy Birthday welcome!!, and a cake.. http://www.davidcassidy.com/fansite/TvFilmPages/1987LiveAtThePalladium.html My friend Doreen saw David in 'Time' three times. 'David's performance was fantastic on each occasion. I just couldn't take my eyes off him..' Of course, I can imagine.. David Cassidy: Because I was totally broke, I really needed that job (..) They paid me a lot of money(..) even though it was a hit, I thought 'Time' was a bad play - no story really, no substance. It was just poorly written star vehicle for anybody who could sing and had  lit...

I'm writing today's blog completely without any plan and I have no idea where it will lead me. But I always wanted to write about David Cassidy and Japan. Even if I don't know much and I hope that maybe some fans from Japan can add something. When my sister visited me last year she noticed the photo immediately - 'Nice, David wearing yukata.'..'What?'...'a kind of summer kimono' (my sister was in Japan and even travelled there on her own). I just liked that pic and that's why I put it on my wall, but of course it'd been taken in Japan. And it's wonderful that it's not the only one. We have some those Japanese photos on the DC Website   http://www.davidcassidy.com/fansite/ConcertPages/1974March_JapaneseConcertPhotos.html David arrived in Japan on March 21, 1974 (from Hong Kong).Don Murfet, who was responsible for the security on the DC World Tour in 1974, wrote about that arrival in his book called  'Leave It To Me'. About 3000...

The Empire Pool, built in 1934 ..yes, originally housed a swimming pool. In 1978 the Empire Pool was renamed Wembley Arena. Currently is known as OVO Arena Wembley.  It's an INDOOR arena adjacent to Wembley Stadium in London. 10 000 seat in the 70s (now 12k). Everybody performed there, The Beatles 4 times, some very memorable concerts, and David Cassidy set notable attendance record during one weekend in March 1973. He sold out a record 6 shows in 3 days. 60 000 fans. It was a kind of a generational experience, everybody knew that they witnessed something special, a lot of articles, a documentary 'Weekend At Wembley', and so many times I read fans memories, each starting with such a statement :'I saw David at Wembley in 1973..' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep42l7CacCY Of course, I've written about it many times, what can I add except my disbelief that it was 49 years ago. Two my very close friends saw DC at Wembley in 1973, and we talk about it from time to t...

What a month, so full of memories of old concerts, in the USA, Europe and Australia, of seeing David Cassidy on stage, still it means so much for many. My very close friend Doreen : ''I can tell you even now all these years later just thinking about that concert in 1973 (Wembley) I can feel that excitement." Yes, those memories are bitter-sweet, and we keep asking ourselves is it possible that it was 50 or 49 or 48 years ago ?? Even that last one, already 5 years passed, and BB.King's Blues Club doesn't exist anymore. So many halls and even stadiums where DC performed have been demolished, some of them many years ago. Enough. We remember and for the fans it was just only a moment ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pc0tkLFVhs So to the day, on March 11, 1973 David played his great concert in Rotterdam, it was Sunday, and next day he arrived in Britain.. And instead of Manchester, he landed in Luton. At the time no one knew where DC had stayed. That top secret pla...

The exctiement started much earlier. Lowell Sun (USA) January 26, 1973 : 'Scotland Yard, not exactly England's most trendy institution, is showing an interest in rock music - because an overwhelming number of tickets countefellers are showing an interest in David Cassidy (..) Despite the fact that tickets  to the tour concerts set for March 17 and 18 at Wembley are available only through mail application, kids who can't resist the bargain, or who want to avoid the long trip to Manchester to buy tickets in the box office, are falling pray to tickets countefellers..' DC arrived in Germany at the beginning of March 1973. He attended the Radio Luxembourg Golden Lion Award in Dortmund, played a concert in Hamburg, was in Paris ( for a tv show), played a concert in Antwerp (Belgium) , but the next two gigs in Germany  were cancelled because of poor ticket sales. DC : 'Not that I worried much about that with the screams ringing in my ears every night and my roadies having ...

The first one was David's last. It took place to the day 5 years ago, at BB Kings in New York. The second one was 50 years ago on March 3rd, 1972 at San Antonio Convention Center Arena (also known as HemisFair Arena) in Texas.  Both those places are not exist anymore. BB Kings Blues Club was closed in April 2018, and San Antonio Arena demolished in June 1995... David Cassidy's concerts..around 600. In the USA just everywhere, big outdoor events, sell out concerts at big halls, for thousands of fans but also playing for small audience, even in the 70s, and after 2000 often at casinos, at places only glamorous at the first sight. Sometimes he sang for people who bought tickets for his concert in a packet with a night in a good hotel and a dinner. I spent a night (in 2019) at the hotel DC performed 3 times. In Laughlin, Nevada, the city where Suzanne Crough lived and died. And she came with her family to see David in one of those concerts. It was difficult and sad  for me to imag...

I've wanted to write  '1972. Concerts. Part 2. Steel Pier'. DC played there 3 concerts one day in 1971 and he broke the attendance record . The place wasn't prepared for a show like David's and so many fans..Truly speaking it's difficult to say how many. I've read in one place there were 50 000 and in another that 30 000. There was only one way in and one way out and nearly no security. And to get for those 3 shows DC really risked his life.  For the first one he arrived and left in an ambulance, but some fans guessed that DC was inside..for the second he walked all the way, right through the crowd, disguised as a woman.. Can you imagine..Amazing David Cassidy : 'I put on a wig, glasses, lipstick, rouge, the whole deal. It scared the hell out of me when I glanced in a mirror and didn't recognise myself..I thought, 'Damn, I actually look pretty good''. It worked like a charm'. ( David Cassidy : Could It Be Forever? , 2007) And the thir...

1972..Half a century ago, an amazing year for David Cassidy, with some incredible highes and a lot of work and stress. A strange year, he broke the attendance record at the Steel Pier, he played Madison Square Garden concert, but his Hollywood Bowl gig was cancelled because of the poor ticket sales. And sometimes he performed in half- filled concert halls. It was obvious that David's career in his native country had slowed down.. I just don't know where to start and how. If I were to write a serious book about David Cassidy the chapter called let's say '1972 - Didn't We Have Ourselves Kind Of A Summer', would be very, very long. Some outstanding, memorable concerts, but not all of them as successful as we used to think. 2 TPF's albums, 2 DC's solo records, more popular in the UK than in America, 23 The Partridge Family's episodes were aired that year, The Bob Hope Special.., The Naked Lunch Box. In 1972 DC was twice in in the UK, and also in Holland ...

I always remember what one fellow fan has told me : 'Do you know Weronika where does the word 'fan' come from?' Yes, I know. A fanatic. And it was during the discussion about 'I Write The Songs' and Barry Manilow's version..Of course it's not easy to be objective when you are a fan, but it was a very valuable lesson, and no offence taken. And I read everything about DC and  always  try to have my own opinions. David Cassidy was an amazing live performer, and even those who didn't like him, his style, his image, they had to admit it.  Chris Welch, very known English music critic wrote in 1973 (for Melody Maker) ;' he is a professional entertainer, happy in his work, and possessed  of a wealthy degree of talent. A rather disappointing verdict for those who came to mock, but Cassidy is a lot better than many a teen idol who troded the boards of the Empire Pool before him. He showed he had real vocal ability and an understanding of the art of rock th...

A blog about..some drummers and 2 no existing films, just don't know where to start. Maybe with the song which has been on my mind recently First the original, co-wrote and sang by that music genius, at the time 19 year old Steve Winwood, a boy from Birmingham.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLaPO79hrM0 Amazing. The music and the lyrics.. A very known and important track, in 1967 number 9 in the UK and #10 in the USA. Co-writer, Jimmy Miller, was a famous American producer and a very talented drummer himself (he played on Rolling Stones albums too).  And of course we know that David played drums very well, so let's listen to his outstanding version of that song. It was performed live (not only there) on March 11, 1973 in Rotterdam, and I can see that I actually  once wrote a comment (with this video) 2 years ago -'Only for this he should be in Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame'. Because his version was performed with such a power. It's a great rock number. Fantastic pe...

The tour in Australia was very emotional, for David and for his fans.They didn't care that some journalists weren't impressed at all. In their opinion the tour was a kind of nostalgia, sponsored by the pay tv channel, the album was a collection of old hits, and no one was interested in David's present work and life, only in his past. After a press conference : 'The denim shirt was undone one button more than you might expect (..) narrow shoulders, narrow waist, no hips and legs like a young girl (..) his skin so unlined, so taut. You were not the only one humming Carly Simon..' (A Spent Partridge?, Nov8, 2002, www.smh.com) Of course, David changed, in many ways.. but he looked great and his voice was still intact. Janet Fife-Yeomans saw DC performing live in the UK in the 70s, and in 1985, she saw him on Broadway and in Las Vegas. But in her opinion, the concerts in 2002 were the best : 'He seems to be at ease with himself and to have accepted the legacy of teen...

The pic - David Cassidy and his fans at  Brisbane airport, 1974.. In 2002 David Cassidy played 35 concerts in the USA, 10 in the UK and after more than 28 years he performed again in Australia (8 concerts). Those concerts promoted 'Then And Now' album. Musicians who played with David on that tour : Lon Bronson - musical director, keyboards, road manager ; Jim McIntosh - guitar, Gary Olds - drums, Frank Fabio - bass, and Lisa Mayer and Candace Davis- Martin  (backing vocals). It was a kind of world tour which brought back a lot of memories. Everybody agreed that those concerts were exceptional. David was in great form, and they were so happy to be together again - he and his fans. 'There is not really that much difference between then and now- aside from the women's underwear. Almost 3 decades after TPF went off the air, the lust remains. DC said -' It's probably the most satisfying time of my life, I'm strapping on my guitar and feeling like I'm 19. The ...

said David Cassidy before performing that song in 1991..'not exactly my personal favourite..'.also mine,  but this version is brilliant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8_OKtzPHDM 'I need somebody to help me find my way..' . Written by Mike Appel, Jim Cretecos and of course Wes Farrell. And David was right, yes, it was # 6 on Billboard Hot 100 on March 27, 1971, but number 1 on U.S. Cash Box Top 100. Another gold single for TPF. On the side B was Tony Romeo's masterpiece. Since I've heard John Gomolka's version with the real DC's voice I can't  listen to the old one http://www.davidcassidy.com/fansite/DiscographyPages/You%20Are%20Always%20On%20My%20Mind_JohnGomolkaVersion.mp3 But let's return to 'Doesn't Sb Want To Be Wanted'. It was a hit not only in the USA, but also number 1 in Canada, # 6 in France (yes!) and #9 in Australia. The first single from the second TPF album 'Up To Date' released in February 1971. Some of the tr...

That was the title of the article that appeared in Record Mirror, on June 1st, 1974. Wrote by John Beattie. About DC White Stadium Concert. It started  - 'What a shame...Cassidy has gone..'  While I was on holiday a lot of the Record Mirror's articles from 1974 and 1975 were posted on the website. Record Mirror was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991. Maybe not as famous as New Musical Express, but of course in the 70s I only heard about them, and had no chance to read .So, at last. I've been reading for a few days  and still  haven't finished. It's so.. just can't find words, so moving and touching. Those charts for example, British and American, many songs I remember so well. Great voices, so  many talented people. Truly, the 70 was an amazing decade. Maybe just one song, not exactly from 1975, but John Miles died on December 5th. It was also a great hit in Poland.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF6mk2Sq4yY This is such a wonderful son...

This is something unusual for me to write, but I'm not a fan of this song. You simply can't like everything, and I don't think I will change my mind about 'Someone'. David's voice is great of course, but.. So why writing about it? There are some reasons, the most important is that DC performed that song on his  UK tour, and I haven't finished writing about his concerts in 1985  yet. I'm going to listen to it once more, but can  anyone explain me the idea behind those pink balloons..? Balloons more attractive than DC..??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo43C9BdRGQ Today's post was supposed to look different. I wanted to publish my friend's memories, She saw DC in concert 4 times  in 1985, she also met him in person, and even that  it was  just for a few minutes, it is a great story. But only  this morning when she's read the blog ready to publish, she's said, 'No', and I want to say that I respect her decision and I understand it....