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.
There
The Partridge Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll begin again and you're the reason why
When all our friends no longer know my name
And say that I'm not the same
I know that I'll get by
(Chorus)
As long as there's you
To give me all your love, and a gentle hand to hold
As long as there's you
At the end of every night to tell me it's alright
And shield me from the cold
I'll be strong and I'll be tall
There is nothing I can do
I may stumble I may fall
I won't care if there is you
At the end of it all
I won't care if there is you
At the end of it all
You are the sun that shines upon my face
And smiles upon my life in everything I do
So let the rain come pouring to the ground
Cause nothing gets me down
As long as there is you
(Chorus)
I'll be strong and I'll be tall
There is nothing I can do
I may stumble I may fall
I won't care if there is you
At the end of it all
(Repeat)
I won't care if there is you
At the end of it all
I don't care if there is you
At the end of it all
At the end of it all
At the end of it all
The Partridge Family’s “There in Your Heart” is a song about finding strength and comfort in love, particularly through difficult times. The lyrics express the idea that, with someone to rely on, even the greatest challenges can be overcome. The first verse sets the scene of a person whose dreams have been shattered and whose friends have abandoned them. Despite this, the singer finds hope in their partner and is grateful for their love and support. The chorus highlights the importance of having someone to lean on during difficult times. The singer declares that as long as their partner is there, they will be able to weather any storm. The second verse further emphasizes the value of love and how it makes everything better, even the “rain come pouring to the ground.” The final repetition of the chorus emphasizes how the power of love can make everything alright, no matter what happens.
The song’s themes of resilience, comfort, and hope in the face of adversity are universal and relatable to anyone. The song was written by Wes Farrell and Gerry Goffin, two renowned songwriters whose work has been covered by a wide variety of artists. The Partridge Family, in particular, was a hugely popular band in the 1970s, known for their wholesome image and catchy pop songs. The band and the TV show it was based on were both family-oriented, further underscoring the song’s message of the importance of loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
When all my dreams are scattered to the wind
When everything I have dreamed of falls apart and disintegrates
I'll begin again and you're the reason why
I will start anew and it's all due to you
When all our friends no longer know my name
When my friends forget who I am
And say that I'm not the same
And say that I am not who I used to be
I know that I'll get by
I know I'll be okay
As long as there's you
As long as I have you
At the end of every road
At the end of every journey or path I take
To give me all your love, and a gentle hand to hold
To give me your affection and comfort me along the way
At the end of every night to tell me it's alright
At the end of every day to assure me that everything is okay
And shield me from the cold
And protect me from the harsh realities of life
I'll be strong and I'll be tall
I will be resilient and stand tall
There is nothing I can do
Even if I face difficult circumstances I cannot change
I may stumble I may fall
I may have setbacks or failures
I won't care if there is you
I won't worry as long as I have you
You are the sun that shines upon my face
You bring brightness and warmth to my life
And smiles upon my life in everything I do
And inspire happiness in everything I do
So let the rain come pouring to the ground
Even if everything falls apart and troubles come pouring in
Cause nothing gets me down
Because I won't let anything bring me down
I don't care if there is you
I don't mind having you by my side
At the end of it all
When everything has come to an end
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@judydenver5362
Beloved David, It's your birthday, well, just after past Midnight, til I got here;
Love you bunches of oats;
miss you so terribly;
Cried alot of the day, today; because you were and are, my everything. You made me who I am,
Miss you, so.
Not the same, on this earth, without you.
Someday, I WILL see you again, my Heart.
It doesn't get any easier, but i know that you are happy, young, and so much more alive, right now, than we can ever imagine. Stay happy, my love, for all of us, who adore you, so very, very much.
There is no one like you, and will never be.
We all miss you so very much...
@veronicazrnchik9014
Every time I watch this, I find myself with a big smile on my face. David looks so happy here and sounds amazing---as usual. What a great time it was back then. Wish those times could come back. It was so much better in the world back then too. There will never be anyone like DC.
@pjames8712
This awesome song was written by David Cassidy. He was just so talented in every facet of music. A true musical prodigy. We miss you, David.
@daveyjones8821
To see David perform in the Partridge family and hear his voice absolutely kills me the world lost a great star David Cassidy for ever may his legend live on
@LuvTadnDixie
When David Cassidy died, my feelings of youth crossed over to the other side along with him. I actually cried. Wish you were still here DC. Thank you for being a big part of my childhood and bringing me so much joy with your music.
@maritamarbut8615
Felt the same way. Huge part of my childhood died too.
@bruceislife4603
I cried so bad I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE he's gone
@ROCKY-pu1zt
He has a Great voice, and yes, it was an AMAZING time to be part of it
@Cherish1959
I cried for 2 days he was my childhood hero x
@debrapryor6093
Agreed. It hurt
@mimishella4915
He still makes my heart flutter. And I'm 59. Cutest boy in town.