There goes another icon from my childhood, David Cassidy. As anyone who knows me from school, and indeed mocked me mercilessly for it for many years, I was a pre-pubescent Partridge Family fan. Not only did I have David Cassidy pictures all over my bedroom walls, but the very first concert I went to, aged 10, was David Cassidy at the Empire Pool Wembley (don't look for it, it's not there any more). I was dressed in a Partridge Family outfit that Mum had made for me and was accompanied by Mum & Dad. Once the show started, the audience (almost all teenage girls ) stood on their seats and I saw nothing. I still went on to buy all his records up to & including 1975's The Higher They Climb, The Harder They Fall, which is a fantastic concept album about fading rock star "Da... iddy - he was some poove that guy" that still bears listening to.
In more recent years I found his autobiography, Come On Get Happy, which is a largely dispiriting and miserable read. He starts by getting bullied at school cos his parents were divorced, and ends up more miserable than he started, after less than 5 years in the pop spotlight. As is the way with most of these stories, he got ripped off and didn't make (or get to keep) millions from his moment of fame. If you've seen any interviews with him over the subsequent years, you'll see he was rarely a happy bunny. Always vulnerable, shy and sensitive, you always saw someone struggling with getting over having been the famous David Cassidy. But when he performed, the smile and the charm came back, and it's good that there'll always be the concert footage to look at to see a happy looking David. Last time I saw him on TV he was getting bullied by all the alpha males in Donald Trump's version of The Apprentice, which is certainly not the legacy he deserved.
So long David Cassidy, a generation of grandmothers (and some former wimpy ten year old boys) misses you.
It's a quick bit of David Cassidy on Youtoobling tonight, inevitably. Beginning with the biggest hit.
Sing Me - David Cassidy. One of those lovely childhood songs he did a few of. This one written by Partridge Family chief songwriter Tony Romeo
Can't Go Home Again - David Cassidy. The best of his childhood reminiscence songs, this one being one of the few he is co-credited on as a writer (with Kim Carnes)
"And it's Preying On My Mind that there's nothing left on my hands but time", a cracking David Cassidy song (he gets co-writing credits on this too, with Kim Carnes). This one would be a good Michael Buble track, if that's not damning with faint praise.
Hold On Me - David Cassidy. What links The Partridge Family to Steely Dan? How's about this? Written by Michael McDonald, with the Wrecking Crew playing the instruments.
The Puppy Song - David Cassidy (sung over the chart rundown of Top Of The Pops, 1973 with Kenny Everett)
When I'm A Rock & Roll Star - David Cassidy. Now we're getting to the classic stuff. The opening track from The Higher They Climb The Harder They Fall, 1975
I Write The Songs - David Cassidy. He was robbed. This written for him by Bruce Johnston, and Barry Manilow nicked it and had the hit first.
Massacre At Park Bench - David Cassidy. From The Higher They Climb. "Here's some poove this guy...fading teen idol Da - iddy.. the poor guy is bankrupt, we'll never know this guy's name"
Some Kind Of A Summer - David Cassidy. Co-written by David, with Kim Carnes & Dave Ellingson). The old Desoto died on a hill I couldn't climb in Montana. As a kid, there wasn't a single word of those lyrics that I understood.
The Last Kiss - David Cassidy (and the last for tonight)
I Am A Clown. To save you the bother of reading David Cassidy's autobiography, this song pretty well sums it up.
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