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.
I'll Leave Myself A Little Time
The Partridge Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had some troubles that you just can't hide
No time to start but livin' far from my heart
I thought I'd take another look inside
Lovers and friends will come and go like the wind
and there is nothin' any man can do
For what it's worth I'll make a home on this earth
CHORUS:
I'll leave myself a little time for some gladness
and even if I don't know why
Tomorrow's gonna bring the sunshine to a brand new day anyway
There's music in the air with laughter everywhere
And love could be the reason why
I'll leave myself a little time to go a different way
I can't believe that now I'm singin' a song
or that I'm laughin' with that great big sun
No one I see has got a worry for me
I'm keepin' old Mister Time on the run
CHORUS
I'll leave myself a little time to go a different way
REPEAT AND FADE
"I'll Leave Myself A Little Time" is a song by The Partridge Family that was released in 1972. The song reflects upon the struggles and hardships that the singer has faced in the past, but also emphasizes the importance of taking time to enjoy life and appreciate the present moment. The lyrics describe the singer's journey towards finding happiness and inner peace, and the realization that love is ultimately what brings joy and fulfillment.
The opening lines of the song suggest that the singer has recently gone through a difficult time, but instead of dwelling on the negative, he decides to look at the situation in a different way. He acknowledges that life is full of ups and downs and that people come and go, but he is determined to make the most of his time on earth and find happiness. The chorus emphasizes the importance of taking time for oneself and finding joy in the little things in life.
The second verse describes the singer's newfound positivity and outlook on life. He can't believe that he is now able to sing and laugh, and he is surrounded by people who care about him. He has learned to not let time control his life, but rather to seize the day and appreciate every moment. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the importance of embracing change and going in a different direction when necessary.
Line by Line Meaning
Not long ago you'd find me feeling so low
Recently, I was in a low state
I had some troubles that you just can't hide
I had some problems that were impossible to conceal
No time to start but livin' far from my heart
I didn't have the time to begin, and I wasn't following my heart
I thought I'd take another look inside
I decided to introspect a little more
Lovers and friends will come and go like the wind
Romantic partners and friends will enter and exit your life swiftly
and there is nothin' any man can do
One can do nothing about it
For what it's worth I'll make a home on this earth
I'll find my place on this planet, no matter what
and I will hope that love will see me through
But I'll count on love to get me through it all
I'll leave myself a little time for some gladness
Therefore, I've allotted some time for joy
and even if I don't know why
Even if it's unclear why
Tomorrow's gonna bring the sunshine to a brand new day anyway
Tomorrow will create a brand-new day with much sunlight regardless
There's music in the air with laughter everywhere
There's a lot of music in the air, with laughter all around
And love could be the reason why
Love might be the cause behind all of this
I'll leave myself a little time to go a different way
I'll leave some space to take a different direction in life
I can't believe that now I'm singin' a song
I'm in disbelief that I'm now singing a melody
or that I'm laughin' with that great big sun
Or that I'm giggling with the massive, shining sun
No one I see has got a worry for me
Nobody appears to be concerned about my issues
I'm keepin' old Mister Time on the run
I'm keeping up with time
I'll leave myself a little time to go a different way
So, I'm reserving some time to take a different path
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@betaomega8724
"Tomorrow's gonna bring us sunshine to a brand new day, anyway.... I never tire of listening to this happy stuff. Thank you to all the forces coming together to bring these songwriters, and David's incredible voice to our ears. Souls were created and saved here. David's voice is the thread interwoven through our souls and holds us all together.
@judydenver5362
This statement and sentiment is so Beautiful,!!!!!!! Lovely!!!!
@newarkcatholicfan
All of the songs buy David Cassidy and his tv family can always take me back to a better place and time.
@TheDiamondRealm
So simple and sweet. I am happy to see I am not the only one who felt dearly about this little song, almost lost. I wish it was played a little more by the media. I think it would touch more people, and make this world (possibly) a little sweeter and kinder. Thanks for posting!
@judydenver5362
I LOVE David spinning Susan around in the air in the park...1:39-1:41 !!!!! Adorable!!!!!!
@BenWilliam96
We need more positive music like this in our modern world.
@cstepansky5681
I agree.😊
@betaomega8724
I thank songs like this for helping to shape my ideals. For those of us that do leave ourselves a little time to go a different way, I am so grateful to see through this magical thing called "internet", that I have not been walking alone as I thought all along.
@heatherclark3591
And I am 55 and this is my favorite song ever!!!!..... I am willing to say it out loud😄
@LuvTadnDixie
I'm 49 . . . love the Partridges.