Created by Bernard Slade, the series was inspired by and loosely based on The Cowsills, a real singing family in the late sixties. In fact, in its early development the Cowsill children were approached to be featured on the show, though that idea was quickly discarded (The Cowsills rejected the offer when producers wanted to replace their real-life mother Barbara in the cast). The show starred Shirley Jones as mother Shirley Partridge and David Cassidy (Jones' real-life stepson) as her son Keith. The remaining Partridge children were played by Susan Dey as Laurie, Danny Bonaduce as Danny, Jeremy Gelbwaks (replaced after one year by Brian Forster) as Chris, and Suzanne Crough as Tracy Partridge. Dave Madden played Reuben Kincaid, who was their manager and family friend.
The back of the bus, became an icon for the show, due to its Mondrianesque paint design.
The Partridge Family was produced for ABC by Screen Gems television, which was just finishing its run with The Monkees, another show about a fictional music group. The company promoted the success of the show by releasing a series of albums featuring the music of the family band, though most cast members did not actually play on the recordings. A group of studio singers and musicians, led by producer Wes Farrell actually created the Partridge Family sound. Although he was originally cast with the intent to lip sync, just weeks into production David Cassidy convinced Farrell he could sing, and was allowed to join the studio ensemble as the lead singer. Several songs were made without Cassidy as lead, they were featured in some of the early episodes and on the first album. He and Shirley Jones, who sang background, were the only cast members who were actually featured on the recordings. The whole cast would lip sync to the recordings when they performed on each episode, though it was obvious to most viewers that the actors were lip-synching, The Partridge Family became an instant success, not only as a TV show, but as a band that produced actual hit songs.
The Partridge Family's biggest hit came in 1970 with the song "I Think I Love You," which began climbing the Billboard chart in September and peaked at number one in December of that year. The companion LP, "The Partridge Family Album" reached number four. Other Partridge Family singles including, "I'll Meet You Halfway", "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted", and "I Woke Up in Love This Morning" would also chart high on the Billboard chart. The theme songs "When We're Singing", and its successor "C'Mon, Get Happy" were composed by Danny Janssen and Wes Farrell.
The title card for the pilot episode of The Partridge Family was, "What? and Get Out of Show Business?".
As the show and associated merchandizing took off, David Cassidy became an overnight teen idol. Cassidy launched a solo singing career, touring with his own group of musicians and performing Partridge Family songs as well as hits from his own albums. In the midst of his overwhelming rise to fame, Cassidy soon grew tired of the show. In the summer of 1972 he gave a very candid interview to Rolling Stone magazine in which he attempted to distance himself from the squeaky-clean image of Keith Partridge.
By the fourth season, due to declining ratings and Cassidy's looming departure, a feeble effort was made by the producers to breathe new life into the show. They introduced a precocious 4-year-old neighbor named "Ricky Stevens" played by Ricky Segall to occasionally sing children's songs with the band. To no avail, the ABC network moved the show from its 8:30 Friday night slot to Saturday at 8:00, directly opposite the hit All in the Family, against which they knew it would not survive. The show was cancelled, after 96 episodes and ten Partridge Family albums.
The Partridge Family had a brief resurgence in animated form, which saw the family propelled into the future. The animated Partridge Family first appeared when the kids did a series of guest spots on "Goober and the Ghost Chasers". That idea evolved into a CBS Saturday morning Hanna-Barbera-produced cartoon, "Partridge Family 2200 A.D.". It featured new characters Veenie (Keith's Venusian friend) and Marion (Laurie's Martian friend). Danny had a pet robot dog named Orbit. Shirley Jones and David Cassidy did not voice their animated counterparts, and Susan Dey and Dave Madden had very limited involvement with this series. Sixteen half-hour installments were produced for the animated series, which lasted for half a season on CBS Saturday morning (September 7, 1974 - March 8, 1975); on the syndicated Fred Flintstone and Friends, it was retitled The Partridge Family in Outer Space.
Nickelodeon featured a heavily publicized run of the original series in the early- to mid-90s, along with the Brady Bunch, as part of its Nick-At-Nite line-up. The network used interviews and commercials featuring cast members, and even created a new version of the Mondrian-esque Family bus for promotion.
In 2000 two different made-for-TV movies aired on different networks; Both "Come On Get Happy" and "The David Cassidy Story" attempted to tell the story behind the series. While the movies were criticized as being somewhat inaccurate, they did recreate some of the imagery and music from the original series. "Come On Get Happy" even featured another replication of the bus, which was later auctioned off on eBay.
A modernized version of the bus was created for a new promotion in 2004, when VH1 premiered In Search of The New Partridge Family. This talent competition in the format of American Idol sought a new cast for a contemporary version of the sitcom. The elimination type program aired seven episodes in which a panel of judges selected a new Partridge Family cast from auditioners across the country. The resulting pilot episode of The New Partridge Family aired in January of 2005, but due to low ratings VH1 opted not to produce any more episodes.
The first two seasons of the original series were released as of October 2005 on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Also, at the same time Arista Records released a new music compilation, "Come On Get Happy!: The Very Best of The Partridge Family," which included four previously unreleased tracks.
Despite the prefabricated nature of the "band", the Partridge Family's records were some of the best arranged and produced of their day. Much care was given not only to the overall sound, but even to show that sound would translate to AM radio, then the major outlet for pop music. The writing was equally good, at least on the early albums. However, as ratings and record sales began to drop, so did the quality of the material.
One Day At A Time
The Partridge Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do do do do do do do do do do do do
Now that I've seen you
I know that I love you
But I don't want to move too fast
Your love is the love that I want to last
So if I seem to hesitate
It's not because I've changed my mind, no
It's only because
I don't want to lose what it's taken me so long to find
It's gonna be
One day at a time
Ooh, I'm gonna take you, yeah I'm gonna take you
One day at a time
Ooh I'm gonna make you, yeah I'm gonna make you mine
Gonna make you mine
First I'm gonna tell you
How much I want you
Then I'll show you that I need you more
Give you time to think it over so you know for sure
And when you say you love me
I'm never going to let you go, no
Just sit right back, enjoy yourself
And watch our new love grow
I'll take you
One day at a time
Ooh I'm gonna take you, yeah I'm gonna take you
One day at a time
Ooh I'm gonna make you, yeah I'm gonna make you mine
Gonna make you mine
So don't you worry
If I don't come on too strong
I'm gonna take it nice and slow
Make sure that nothing goes wrong
It's gonna be
One day at a time
Ooh I'm gonna take you, yeah I'm gonna take you
One day at a time
Ooh I'm gonna make you, yeah I'm gonna make you mine
Gonna make you mine
One day at a time
Ooh I'm gonna take you, yeah I'm gonna make you
One day at a time
Ooh I'm gonna make you, yeah I'm gonna make you mine
The Partridge Family's "One Day At A Time" is a love song that speaks to the importance of taking things slow in a relationship. The first verse suggests that the singer has recently fallen in love and is hesitant to move too quickly, recognizing that their newfound love is something special and valuable. Rather than rushing into a commitment, the singer suggests taking their time and building their relationship slowly. The chorus emphasizes this sentiment, repeating the phrase "one day at a time" as a reminder to take things slowly and savor each moment.
The second verse expands on the singer's plan to slowly woo their love interest. They first express their attraction, then make it clear that they don't want to pressure their partner into anything. Instead, they plan to give them space to think things over and come to their own conclusions about their feelings. The verse ends with the singer promising to never let their lover go once they've committed to each other.
Overall, "One Day At A Time" is a touching and romantic song that emphasizes the importance of patience, communication, and mutual respect in relationships. It's a reminder that true love is worth waiting for, and that rushing into things can lead to heartbreak and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that I've seen you
I have met you and I now realize that I love you
I know that I love you
I am sure that I have feelings of love for you
But I don't want to move too fast
I am cautious and do not want to rush into things too quickly
Your love is the love that I want to last
I desire a long-lasting relationship with you
So if I seem to hesitate
If I appear to be unsure or uncertain
It's not because I've changed my mind, no
It is not because I have changed my feelings about you
It's only because
The reason behind my hesitation is
I don't want to lose what it's taken me so long to find
I am afraid of losing what I have finally found after a long search
First I'm gonna tell you
Before moving forward, I will express my feelings to you
How much I want you
I will communicate my strong desire to be with you
Then I'll show you that I need you more
I will demonstrate that I depend on you and require your presence
Give you time to think it over so you know for sure
I will allow you to contemplate your feelings and make certain of them
And when you say you love me
If and when you declare your love for me
I'm never going to let you go, no
I will never let you go or leave you
Just sit right back, enjoy yourself
Relax and take pleasure in being with me
And watch our new love grow
Observe and take part in the blossoming of our relationship
So don't you worry
Do not have any concern or anxiety
If I don't come on too strong
If I do not behave in an excessively aggressive manner
I'm gonna take it nice and slow
I will proceed at an unhurried pace
Make sure that nothing goes wrong
To ensure that nothing disrupts our relationship
One day at a time
We will take things one day at a time, pacing ourselves and enjoying each other's company
Ooh I'm gonna take you, yeah I'm gonna take you
I will lead you forward in this relationship
Ooh I'm gonna make you, yeah I'm gonna make you mine
I intend to become your partner and remain together
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind