This CD set was released in conjunction with the DVD set of the first season of The Partridge Family which celebrates its 35th anniversary this fall. The show is about a widow, Shirley Jones, and her children forming a band and traveling around the country in a school bus that became a television icon due to its Mondrianesque paint job. It’s a cross between The Monkees and The Brady Bunch with the usual sitcom high jinks taking place and the band playing a wholesome pop song or two before the half hour was up.
Since the show was cast with actors, someone needed to be responsible for creating the music. This task feel to record producer Wes Farrell, who wrote The McCoys “Hang On, Sloopy.” He gathered together an all-star group of L.A.’s session players, dubbed “The Wrecking Crew,” and a talented group of background singers, most notably Ron Hicklin, who sang lead on “Together (Havin’ A Ball)” and “Let The Good Times In” which were heard during the debut episode. Farrell was well aware of the importance of songwriting, which is why he sought out the best at their craft: Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka, Gerry Coffin and Carole King, and to solidify The Monkees connection, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who wrote many of the Prefab Four’s hits. Under Farrell’s direction this stellar line-up created the seven albums in The Partridge Family catalog.
Of course, the integral piece of the puzzle that helped make The Partridge Family's music such a success was David Cassidy, who portrayed eldest son Keith on the show. He was a very good singer and his handsome looks made him a teen heartthrob sensation, a concept that never hurts record sales. Cassidy was a trooper, working long hours on both the show and the albums.
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
Blogcritics' editors liked this one. It's a pick of the week. Congrats. Put the news up proudly on your site.
Here's a link to the rest of this week's picks
2 - ray gambel
The "Best of the Partridge Family" has to be an oxymoron. (Hopefully, this is timid enough to comply with policy.)
3 - El Bicho
It's not the best music ever; it's the Best of The Partridge Family.
When you write it "has to be an oxymoron," it implies that you haven't listened to the CD or any of the music, so you are just making an assumption based on your own ignorance.
Lucky for you, and the entire Political section of this site, any facts or knowledge of what you are talking about aren't required when making comments, so you are in compliance.
4 - Temple Stark
EB,
This post has been digitally replicated over at Advance.net, a place affiliated with about 10 newspapers around the country.
One such site is here.
Also please let your contact know, if you had one, that this article, is published at one more place. That helps to show they get two?, three? for the "price" of one.
Thank you.
Temple Stark