Here's a fun video. First listen to the Partridge Family with the actors singing, notably David Cassidy. Then the same song after studio singers get done with it. Where were they when I had to sing "Tumbling Tumbleweed" in the 7th grade?
14 comments
:
Bo
said...
Ken, this video isn't what you think. It's not the actors singing in the first video and then their parts overdubbed by more talented studio people.
The first version, with the female lead singer, is from 1990. The second is from the Partridge Family TV show in 1972. That really is David Cassidy singing in the second one.
Even more confusing is that if you go to YouTube the person who posted it says the FIRST version is the better version. Huh???
That isn't David Cassidy's voice in the first part and I have no idea how anyone could ever think it was. This video is a prank of some sort, certainly not as described.
Echoing the above: the first version is a completely unrelated group of people cutting their version in 1990. It's awful -- particularly the lead vocals. This version does not feature David Cassidy, or anyone from the show. Again, it was cut years later by a different group of people.
The second version is the released version from the show, with David Cassidy's vocal supported by Shirley Jones and the usual assortment of studio pros.
Not sure how you missed this one, Ken! (But hey, what with the U.S. rapidly crumbling day by day in front of all of our eyes, I guess we're *all* a little distracted right now....)
The first one is the song as written and shown to David and co. The original demo, "this is how it goes, sing it like this". The 2nd is the final product. I think they're trying to say the actors can't hit the high notes like the pros did in the demo. Doesn't sound so off to me Why do people think it was done in 1990?
Here's the deal. "Bo" is correct. The first vocal is a phony, redone many years later by people with no connection to the series or the musical staff behind it.
The second clip really is David Cassidy. I've seen him sing live and I have all the albums, as well as many, many more by members of the Ron Hicklin Singers, who were the other vocalists.
They didn't know David Cassidy could sing in the first season, so he was dubbed at first, and there is a difference in a few early songs. This is not one of them. Shirley Jones is usually in the background and only had a handful of solos, on the Christmas album and the last one, The Partridge Family Bulletin Board. (Bulletin Board was the last and least successful album because, as is always the case, once the TV show goes south, so do the records. Cassidy didn't think it would affect his superstar status but of course it did and he eventually lost everything. He did recover and gain perspective before his untimely death, where he last words were--get this--"So much wasted time").
Reportedly they would mix Jones' background vocals up slightly for TV and down slightly for the records. The records do sound as if they did this mixing, since Cassidy became the big draw to the teens who bought the records and Jones contractually had to still be listed as the star of the albums as well as the show.
It was never a secret that professional vocalists were used, it was in the credits. The Ron Hicklin singers were everywhere, from Disney and Hanna-Barbera Records (The Way-Outs and The Impossibles) to Love American Style, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Pufnstuf, yes, the theme from the movie of M*A*S*H. They were everywhere then. They even sang as The Ray Conniff Singers on the later Columbia LPs. Here's a video.
I'm really not even a Partridge Family person, but I actually thought the "bad" version done by David Cassidy and the group was really good. My thought throughout the whole thing, though, was this seems like a tailor-made Monkees song with Davy Jones vocals.
Cassidy is singing the second one. The first was definitely a woman. Anyway, no biggie here. Obviously you weren't with me at the Spectrum in 1973 or 1974 screaming your lungs out at him. lol Janice B.
I always thought it was unfair that Ruben never got a shot at singing. He didn't want to be a manager lurking in the background, making sure the bus didn't break down again. He wanted to be a star on the stage. On another matter, are you aware of any robots getting past that strict security system to publish a comment. AI has come a loong way.
I was binge watching the Partridge Family lately. It's a fun, harmless show. Nice trip back to the early 70's. David Cassidy was a underrated singer. It has some quality songs. And a great theme song. It's also fun to spot some of the guest stars they had. Farrah Fawcett and Jacklyn Smith before they became Charlie's Angels, Mark Hamill before Star Wars, Rob Reiner before Meathead, Richard Pryor, and even Jodi Foster who played a girl who had a crush on Danny Bonaduce. Harry Morgan made two appearances as well. In their 4th season the network put them opposite All In The Family and that was the end. But some nice escapism during these bad times.
14 comments :
Ken, this video isn't what you think. It's not the actors singing in the first video and then their parts overdubbed by more talented studio people.
The first version, with the female lead singer, is from 1990. The second is from the Partridge Family TV show in 1972. That really is David Cassidy singing in the second one.
Even more confusing is that if you go to YouTube the person who posted it says the FIRST version is the better version. Huh???
That isn't David Cassidy's voice in the first part and I have no idea how anyone could ever think it was. This video is a prank of some sort, certainly not as described.
I saw a stage musical with David Cassidy and he sang just fine. His voice was not powerful but it was sweet and on key.
Echoing the above: the first version is a completely unrelated group of people cutting their version in 1990. It's awful -- particularly the lead vocals. This version does not feature David Cassidy, or anyone from the show. Again, it was cut years later by a different group of people.
The second version is the released version from the show, with David Cassidy's vocal supported by Shirley Jones and the usual assortment of studio pros.
Not sure how you missed this one, Ken! (But hey, what with the U.S. rapidly crumbling day by day in front of all of our eyes, I guess we're *all* a little distracted right now....)
I'll join in, there's no way that's David Cassidy.
The first one is the song as written and shown to David and co. The original demo, "this is how it goes, sing it like this". The 2nd is the final product. I think they're trying to say the actors can't hit the high notes like the pros did in the demo. Doesn't sound so off to me
Why do people think it was done in 1990?
Here's the posting from Debbie Sims, the singer of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46LUZHK2cIk
Read the description. It was recorded in 1990. Not a demo; not a guide vocal; a 1990 recording of new vocals over the original music track.
Here's the deal. "Bo" is correct. The first vocal is a phony, redone many years later by people with no connection to the series or the musical staff behind it.
The second clip really is David Cassidy. I've seen him sing live and I have all the albums, as well as many, many more by members of the Ron Hicklin Singers, who were the other vocalists.
They didn't know David Cassidy could sing in the first season, so he was dubbed at first, and there is a difference in a few early songs. This is not one of them. Shirley Jones is usually in the background and only had a handful of solos, on the Christmas album and the last one, The Partridge Family Bulletin Board. (Bulletin Board was the last and least successful album because, as is always the case, once the TV show goes south, so do the records. Cassidy didn't think it would affect his superstar status but of course it did and he eventually lost everything. He did recover and gain perspective before his untimely death, where he last words were--get this--"So much wasted time").
Reportedly they would mix Jones' background vocals up slightly for TV and down slightly for the records. The records do sound as if they did this mixing, since Cassidy became the big draw to the teens who bought the records and Jones contractually had to still be listed as the star of the albums as well as the show.
It was never a secret that professional vocalists were used, it was in the credits. The Ron Hicklin singers were everywhere, from Disney and Hanna-Barbera Records (The Way-Outs and The Impossibles) to Love American Style, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Pufnstuf, yes, the theme from the movie of M*A*S*H. They were everywhere then. They even sang as The Ray Conniff Singers on the later Columbia LPs. Here's a video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PUHOQ0AIDE&pbjreload=101
I'm really not even a Partridge Family person, but I actually thought the "bad" version done by David Cassidy and the group was really good. My thought throughout the whole thing, though, was this seems like a tailor-made Monkees song with Davy Jones vocals.
Cassidy is singing the second one. The first was definitely a woman. Anyway, no biggie here. Obviously you weren't with me at the Spectrum in 1973 or 1974 screaming your lungs out at him. lol Janice B.
"Susan...!the Partridge girl...!Not really playin' the keyboards...!Not even plugged in."
If you think Susan Dey/Laurie's keyboard is suspect, look at where her mike is.
I always thought it was unfair that Ruben never got a shot at singing. He didn't want to be a manager lurking in the background, making sure the bus didn't break down again. He wanted to be a star on the stage. On another matter, are you aware of any robots getting past that strict security system to publish a comment. AI has come a loong way.
I was binge watching the Partridge Family lately. It's a fun, harmless show. Nice trip back to the early 70's. David Cassidy was a underrated singer. It has some quality songs. And a great theme song. It's also fun to spot some of the guest stars they had. Farrah Fawcett and Jacklyn Smith before they became Charlie's Angels, Mark Hamill before Star Wars, Rob Reiner before Meathead, Richard Pryor, and even Jodi Foster who played a girl who had a crush on Danny Bonaduce. Harry Morgan made two appearances as well. In their 4th season the network put them opposite All In The Family and that was the end. But some nice escapism during these bad times.
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