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.
Come On Love
The Partridge Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know it's just not right
Lately it seems to happen every night
Hiding away from love
How could I be so sure?
Lately I wonder about it more and more
That I opened up my eyes
Then if I see love come my way
I wont let it pass me by
Come on love, come on in
Come on let my life begin
I've waited much too long to see your face
Come on love, now is the time
To show that you're a friend of mine
As sure as there's a sky above
You can be the girl I've been dreaming of
Come on love
There was a time before
When I knew what love could be
Something changed as you walked away from me
So I made myself a world
That would let nobody in
'Cause it's only now that I see what a fool I've been
So love, I'm calling on you
To do what only love can do
Any plans that I had for one
Can easily be made for two
Come on love, come on in
Come on let my life begin
I've waited much too long to see your face
Come on love, now is the time
To show that you're a friend of mine
As sure as there's a sky above
Come on love, come on now
Come on pull me through somehow
You've been a stranger much too long in my life
Come on love, come on in
Come on let my life begin
I've waited much too long to see your face
Come on love, now is the time
To show that you're a friend of mine
As sure as there's a sky above
Come on love, come on now
Come on pull me through somehow
You've been a stranger much too long in my life
Come on love
The Partridge Family's Come On Love seems to reveal a person who is hiding away from love, suggesting a past heartbreak that has occurred. The lyricist describes sitting alone and how love seems to evade them. The lyrics are very personal and emotive, with the singer's inner monologue telling love to move forward and make their life complete. They have clearly had experiences that have left them feeling apprehensive to pursue love. However, they ultimately decide to lower their guard and allow love to come in.
The phrase "Come on love" in the title and repeated throughout the song appears to be more like a plea than a command. They believe that it is time to stop pushing love away and allow it in, however, despite the pain they have experienced before, they remain hopeful to find someone who will be a friend and ultimately, a lover. The chorus is repetitive and engaging, encouraging the listener to open their heart and embrace new beginnings.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting here all alone
I am currently sitting by myself and feeling lonely.
You know it's just not right
I understand that being alone is not how life is supposed to be.
Lately it seems to happen every night
Recently, I have been feeling lonely every night.
Hiding away from love
I have been avoiding love and relationships.
How could I be so sure?
I am uncertain why I have been avoiding love and relationships.
Lately I wonder about it more and more
Recently, I have been thinking more and more about why I am afraid of love.
So I think that it's just about time
I believe it is time for me to make a change.
That I opened up my eyes
I need to start paying attention to love when it comes my way.
Then if I see love come my way
If I notice an opportunity for love, I will be ready to take it.
I wont let it pass me by
I will not let love slip away from me.
Come on love, come on in
I am ready for love to come into my life.
Come on let my life begin
Love will bring a new sense of meaning and happiness to my life.
I've waited much too long to see your face
I have been waiting for love for too long and I am eager to meet someone.
Now is the time
The time is right for love to come into my life.
To show that you're a friend of mine
I want love to become a close companion in my life.
As sure as there's a sky above
I am confident that love will come to me.
You can be the girl I've been dreaming of
I am hopeful that the person I have been dreaming of is the one that will come into my life.
You've been a stranger much too long in my life
I have been without love for too long and it is time for that to change.
Come on love, come on now
I am ready for love to arrive in my life today.
Come on pull me through somehow
I am hoping that love will fill the void in my life.
To do what only love can do
I am counting on love to change my life in a way nothing else can.
Any plans that I had for one
I no longer want to be alone and want to make plans with someone else.
Can easily be made for two
I am excited to share my life and future plans with someone special.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Margie Jackson
OH!! I think this is my favorite song, and I think this is the best video you've done, so far!!!! Love the close-ups of the kids, the instruments, the little girl who wanted them to play the song that ended up being on top of the bus...this hits ALL the right chords! Thank you John! Woooo!!!
Stephanie Stavropoulos
The song that was played on top of the bus was "Little Bit Of You," off of "Shopping Bag."
Margie Jackson
@Stephanie Stavropoulos You’re right! But she’s in this video too. At about two minutes 30 seconds.
Tina_marie Murphy
He made such a big impact on music and the world never got enough credit for it David long my you live in our hearts 💖
Tina_marie Murphy
David you sang us all these romantic tunes I am so happy you did ,💕😍❤️☺️☺️😊😊😊 you deserve a reward from society .
Helen Velvet
One of my top favourite songs of David's. He looks like an angel here and his voice is heavenly. I agree that the scene with the kids is priceless and throughout his whole life, David had a real connection with his fans. Thank you so much, John for sharing this awesome video. Loved the partridge family and have watched all of their shows. Happy New year.🎇☺️🥳
Jojo heartspaypay
Scene with the kids is priceless, heck this whole vid is!!! Happy New Year John!
Leah Rodriguez
Love this song from The Partridge Family. I agree with the previous comment that the scenes with the kids are priceless. Thank you for showcasing some of the Best of David Cassidy! Happy New Year!
Vicki Dameral
Davids love and hand touching is so beautiful it makes me feel 0:04 so happy for him . The children walked right up to him . They were all 3 to 6 years of age
Tina-Marie Murphy
Early signs of David Cassidy sounding funky .❤