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.
Ill never get over you
The Partridge Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And wanting you
You don't know the times
I spent all my precious times tryin' to get to you
You don't know the hate
I've been feelin' from the hurt
From the bottom of my heart out to you
(Chorus)
I've been lyin' to myself
I've been tryin' to improve
I've been cryin' don't you go
And dyin' cause I know
I'll never (never) never get over you
I tried so hard but I just can't do it
I'll never (never) never get over you
Maybe I'm not so sure you really want me to
Baby you're aware no one else could really care
The way I do
Maybe your mistake is you've gotta have your cake
And eat it too
Maybe I'm insane tryin' to figure out your scene
And I've got to see you soon to work it out
(Chorus)
The Partridge Family's "I'll Never Get Over You" is a poignant love ballad that explores the pain of being rejected by someone you love. The first verse describes the singer's feelings of loneliness and despair as they pine for the person they can't have. They feel left out in the rain, symbolizing their emotional pain, and spend all their time trying to get to the person they love, even though they know it may be in vain. The second verse talks about the hate the singer feels from the hurt caused by the rejection, ending with an admission that they still love this person deeply.
The chorus shows the depth of the singer's feelings and their desperation to move on. They have been lying to themselves, trying to improve, and crying out in sorrow. Their heart is breaking over losing this person, and they feel they will never be able to get over them. They've tried their best, but it seems that they simply cannot move on from the person they love. In the third verse, they plead for understanding, suggesting that the other person may not really know how much they care for them. They admit that they know they may be insane for trying to figure out what's going on, but they need to see the person again to work things out.
Overall, "I'll Never Get Over You" is a powerful expression of the pain of unrequited love, and the feeling of being unable to move on from someone even when you know it's not possible. The song's lyrics capture the deep emotions of heartbreak and are sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced the pain of lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't know the pain of being left out in the rain
You cannot fathom the agony of feeling abandoned and alone, just like how someone might feel being caught in the rain without shelter.
And wanting you
Perhaps the worst part of it all is wanting the person who left you behind.
You don't know the times
You could never understand the frequency with which I have encountered this pain.
I spent all my precious times tryin' to get to you
I have invested numerous moments in attempting to reach out to you and reconcile our differences.
You don't know the hate
There is a deep resentment that I hold towards you for causing me this pain.
I've been feelin' from the hurt
This hurt has manifested in me in many ways, and one of them is anger towards you.
From the bottom of my heart out to you
My feelings are genuine and come from a place of true emotion, that I direct towards you.
I've been lyin' to myself
I've been in denial about my emotions and trying to suppress my feelings towards you.
I've been tryin' to improve
I've been attempting to better myself in order to resolve my inner conflicts and find peace.
I've been cryin' don't you go
I have broken down and cried while pleading for you not to leave me, despite knowing that you have already gone.
And dyin' cause I know
The pain is too much to bear, and every moment without you feels like a fate worse than death.
I'll never (never) never get over you
The heartache is overwhelming, and I know that I will never be able to fully move on from loving you.
I tried so hard but I just can't do it
Despite countless efforts to move on and forget, the depth of my emotions towards you won't allow me to simply let go.
Maybe I'm not so sure you really want me to
Perhaps part of my struggle to move on stems from the fact that I am uncertain of whether or not you feel the same way about me.
Baby you're aware no one else could really care
You must know that nobody else could possibly feel the depth of love and caring towards you that I do.
The way I do
My love for you runs deep and true, and there is no substitute for it.
Maybe your mistake is you've gotta have your cake
Your inability to choose what you want has perhaps led you into this difficult position.
And eat it too
You may want to have the best of both worlds, but that is not always possible.
Maybe I'm insane tryin' to figure out your scene
I may be acting irrationally in my attempts to understand your motives and actions.
And I've got to see you soon to work it out
I need to see you and have a conversation to understand where we stand and resolve our issues.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rbdw_mylove
Lyrics:
don't know the pain of being left out in the rain
And wanting you
You don't know the times
I spent all my precious times tryin' to get to you
You don't know the hate
I've been feelin' from the hurt
From the bottom of my heart out to you
I've been lyin' to myself
I've been tryin' to improve
I've been cryin' don't you go
And dyin' cause I know
I'll never (never) never get over you
I tried so hard but I just can't do it
I'll never (never) never get over you
Maybe I'm not so sure you really want me to
Baby you're aware no one else could really care
The way I do
Maybe your mistake is you've gotta have your cake
And eat it too
Maybe I'm insane tryin' to figure out your scene
And I've got to see you soon to work it out
I've been lyin' to myself
I've been tryin' to improve
I've been cryin' don't you go
And dyin' cause I know
@raulhectorvelazquez3121
I must admit David's talent is outstanding, really extraordinary, his voice and his show off for music are absolutely amazing, I do agree with most of the comments below, and I ought to tell some music authorities that David deserves a better place in music museum or tribute towards him.
@JArehart
I couldn't agree more. And he put out an amazing AMOUNT of music during the 4 seasons of the show. (8 Albums, not including Greatest HIts compilations)
@vincecarano7994
Once again David Cassidy nails it. A throwaway song, the group can't even keep the awkward timing, but David Cassidy makes it work and nails it better than anyone could.
@BennieWilll
Hal Blaine on drums. Tough song.
@administration8961
Hal endorsed my 'combinations' drum method book.
@ReneeBamber-vv6mz
Hal, Shirley, n Lori did just fine smh.
@ReneeBamber-vv6mz
Oh and Shirley is not faking it
@rbdw_mylove
Lyrics:
don't know the pain of being left out in the rain
And wanting you
You don't know the times
I spent all my precious times tryin' to get to you
You don't know the hate
I've been feelin' from the hurt
From the bottom of my heart out to you
I've been lyin' to myself
I've been tryin' to improve
I've been cryin' don't you go
And dyin' cause I know
I'll never (never) never get over you
I tried so hard but I just can't do it
I'll never (never) never get over you
Maybe I'm not so sure you really want me to
Baby you're aware no one else could really care
The way I do
Maybe your mistake is you've gotta have your cake
And eat it too
Maybe I'm insane tryin' to figure out your scene
And I've got to see you soon to work it out
I've been lyin' to myself
I've been tryin' to improve
I've been cryin' don't you go
And dyin' cause I know
@Tina-MarieMurphy-gx3sg
Nothing better than this beautiful multi talented genius singing his heart out.❤❤💕💕💕❤️💕❤️❤️❤️
@joeczapka3647
I said this before, but in my opinion one of the greatest voices ever. And great hair!