The Partridge Family

The Partridge Family Sound Magazine, the third long-player from the pre-fab and made-for-TV combo, was also the last to make it into the Top Ten. Taking a page right out of the overwhelming phenomenon that was Monkee mania, The Partridge Family ran on ABC-TV from September 25, 1970, through August 31, 1974. Although the tunes were more or less a byproduct of the show's success, producer Wes Farrell actually incorporated the same methodology that Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson had used on The Monkees. This involved primary cast members Shirley Jones and David Cassidy on lead vocals for all Partridge Family projects in addition to their chores as actors. The campaign yielded not only consistently favorable ratings on TV, but no less than nine Top 40 LPs and 11 Top 40 singles. Providing instrumental support for Cassidy and Jones were some of the most prolific pop and rock studio musicians of the era -- many of whom had likewise worked on Monkees platters. Heavyweights such as Hal Blaine (drums), Larry Carlton (guitar), Joe Osborne (bass), and Larry Knechtel (keyboards) gave the vocalists a nonconfrontational and genteel sound to match their squeaky-clean persona. Also joining the proceedings were the cavity-invoking backing harmonies of the Love Generation, who had participated to some degree on every Partridge Family release. The single "I Woke Up in Love This Morning" reached the Top 20 survey, making it the highest-profile side on the album. Other notable fan favorites included are "Echo Valley 2-6809," "Summer Days," and "Love Is All That I Ever Needed," the Cassidy co-composition concluding this effort. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide