Up to Date is the second studio album by The Partridge Family. Released in February 1971, just four months after the group's debut LP, the album entered Billboards Top LP's chart in early April, having been certified gold on 25 March 1971. In its fourth week on the Top 200, the album improved on its predecessor (a no. 4 peak), reaching no. 3 (behind Janis Joplin's Pearl and Jesus Christ Superstar).

Up to Date yielded the two big pop hits "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" (Billboard no. 6/Cash Box number one) and "I'll Meet You Halfway" (Billboard no. 9), which respectively reached the Top Ten of Billboards Hot 100 in March and June.

In Canada, both "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" and its parent album reached number one on the RPM charts.

Recording and composition

As with all Partridge Family albums (with the exception of Bulletin Board), Up to Date was produced by Wes Farrell at United Western Recorders, Studio 2 in Los Angeles. As with the group's first album, it was engineered by Bob Kovach, with arrangements by Mike Melvoin.

Consistent with all of the Partridge Family's studio output, the album features musicians associated with iconic Los Angeles–based session players "the Wrecking Crew": Hal Blaine (drums), Joe Osborn (bass guitar), Mike Melvoin (keyboard), Dennis Budimir (guitar) and Louie Shelton (guitar). Once again, members of overlapping studio groups the Ron Hicklin Singers and the Love Generation – brothers John and Tom Bahler, Ron Hicklin and Jackie Ward – feature prominently as backing vocalists throughout the album.

The album features three songs written by "I Think I Love You" songwriter Tony Romeo, who contributed material to all eight of the Partridge Family's studio albums. The LP also includes five songs co-written by Wes Farrell, including three with prolific lyricist Gerry Goffin (former songwriting partner of Carole King). And two of the songs – including the hit "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" – were co-written by Wes Farrell, Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos, whose five Partridge Family songs as a songwriting trio include "I Can Feel Your Heartbeat". Between 1972 and 1975 Appel worked as manager and producer for Bruce Springsteen.

Up to Date features David Cassidy's first contribution as a songwriter; with Wes Farrell he co-wrote the song "Lay It on the Line". The recording introduced a distorted guitar sound to the group's repertoire.

Cassidy publicly despised one of the LP's hits, "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted", and making it proved to be a very hard task. He did not think it was a good song and hated the idea of his having to talk in the middle of it so much so he initially refused to do it.

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Personnel

  • David Cassidy – vocals
  • Dennis Budimir, Louie Shelton – guitar
  • Joe Osborn – bass
  • Mike Melvoin – keyboards
  • Hal Blaine – drums
  • Bahler Brothers (tracks: A6 to B5), Jackie Ward, Ron Hicklin, Shirley Jones – background vocals
  • John Bahler (tracks: A1 to A5), Stan Farber (tracks: A1 to A5) – uncredited background vocals

Recording dates

May 16, 1970

  • "That'll Be the Day"
  • "She'd Rather Have the Rain"
  • "I'll Leave Myself a Little Time"

November 12, 1970

  • "I'll Meet You Halfway"
  • "You Are Always on My Mind"
  • "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted"
  • "I'm Here, You're Here"
  • "Umbrella Man"

November 13, 1970

  • "Lay It on the Line"
  • "Morning Rider on the Road"
  • "There's No Doubt in My Mind"

See recording dates for this and other Partridge Family albums at The Partridge Family Recording Sessions

References