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.
Walking in the Rain
The Partridge Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And someday someway woo I'll meet him
He'll be kind of shy, and real good lookin' too
And I'll be certain he's my guy by the things he'll like to do
Like walking in the rain (like walking in the rain)
And wishing on the stars (and wishing on the stars) up above
And being so in love
When he's near me, I'll kiss him,
And when he leaves me woo I'll miss him
Though sometimes we'll fight, I won't really care
And I'll know it's gonna be alright 'cause we've got so much we share
Like walking in the rain (like walking in the rain)
And wishing on the stars (and wishing on the stars) up above
And being so in love
(Johnny) no no he'll never do
(Bobby) no it isn't him too
They would never no they'd never never ever ever love
Walking in the rain (like walking in the rain)
And wishing on the stars (and wishing on the stars) up above
And being so in love
Oh oh oh where can he be oh oh
The Partridge Family's song "Walking In The Rain" is a sweet and hopeful tune about finding love. The lyrics focus on the singer's search for a partner who will share her interests and make her happy. She describes this person as someone who is shy but good looking, and who she will recognize through their shared love for walking in the rain and wishing upon stars. The lyrics also touch upon the fact that relationships are not always smooth sailing and that arguments can occur, but ultimately, as long as there is love and shared interests, everything will be alright.
The lyrics of "Walking In The Rain" express a sense of longing for companionship, but also a confidence that the singer will find the right person eventually. There is an innocence to the lyrics that seems fitting for a band like The Partridge Family, who were known for their wholesome image and family-friendly music. The song is ultimately an ode to the power of love to bring people together and to make everything seem brighter.
Line by Line Meaning
I want him, and I need him,
I deeply desire and depend on him
And someday someway woo I'll meet him
I'm confident that eventually, somehow, I'll encounter him
He'll be kind of shy, and real good lookin' too
He'll likely be introverted and physically attractive
And I'll be certain he's my guy by the things he'll like to do
I'll be sure he's the right person for me based on our shared interests
Like walking in the rain (like walking in the rain)
For example, we'll both enjoy simple yet romantic activities like taking a stroll in the rain
And wishing on the stars (and wishing on the stars) up above
We'll also find joy in making wishes upon stars in the sky
And being so in love
Overall, we'll be deeply in love with each other
When he's near me, I'll kiss him,
When we're together, we'll be affectionate and express our feelings for each other through kissing
And when he leaves me woo I'll miss him
When we must be apart, I'll feel a strong sense of longing and miss him
Though sometimes we'll fight, I won't really care
Although we may have disagreements, they won't really bother me because our love will be stronger than any conflict
And I'll know it's gonna be alright 'cause we've got so much we share
I'll have confidence that everything will be okay because we have a lot of positive traits and experiences in common
Oh oh oh where can he be oh oh
I'm still searching for him and wondering where he could be
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Abkco Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARRY MANN, PHIL SPECTOR, CYNTHIA WEIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marias8458
His unique voice and charming smile makes David Cassidy unforgettable. RIP
@sevans840
Between Phil Spector's Wall of Sound & David Cassidy's vocals, this is one of the most romantic songs ever!!! David was so gorgeous, it hurts to look at him & to remember him.
@ericbarash8496
Classic cover of Phil’s wife’s song and sung by her Ronnie Spector.
@pattibrooks1907
David Cassidy s voice was pure gold just like velvet . RIP David Cassidy . Love you . You will never be forgotten .
@Helenanne77
my favourite David Cassidy song. I was not born until the late 70s so completely missed his heyday, but looking back at the videos and listening to the songs since I was small, I have always adored his music. He was my Mum's teen idol, and I have always thought he was stunning to look at. If I had have been born to live through his time, David Cassidy would have been my teenage dream xx
@francesbuchanan9738
I was there and he was everything and more than you could imagine ❤
@season9837
Little Jodie Foster
@bridgetdrummond1721
Weren't those the good days. Life was so much easier back then. Watching Partidge Family reruns on long afternoons was the highlight of our summer days. Thank you for the great times and music, David.
@DA90027
David was a highly underrated singer.
@siliconesal
Twaddles McGee not in our house he wasn't X