The David Cassidy Connections

Tony Mann is a musician, author, costume designer, curator, film maker, talent co-ordinator, music producer and lifelong David Cassidy fan.

Born and raised in New York, Tony has been at the cutting edge of the music scene all his life.

He told me he could talk a blue streak about David from the experience of seeing him at Madison Square Garden in 1972, getting to know him, and being present at his final show at BB Kings in 2017.

Tony is a co-author of Lost Rockers Broken Crashed Careers and did a lot of work on New York Rock Velvet Underground.

He talks about the respect musicians such as David Bowie and Lou Reed had for David and the project they had in mind for David which never happened. He also reflects on how David almost joined a short-lived rock band; his desire to be recognised as a serious musician; why his so far unreleased back catalogue is important to David's artistic legacy and his disappointment over why people put boundaries around his music.

We linked up over Zoom and in the background you will hear the sounds of New York City.

Tony designed costumes for Joey Ramone, Zoolander and many others. In his fast-paced reflections we cover many of his observations and experiences of fandom.

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My very special guest is American music legend, Bobby Rydell, one of the first teenage idols. Bobby's first hit Kissin' Time made him a household name in 1959. This was followed by Wild One, Forget Him and Volare among other hits which secured an image which won millions of hearts around the world.

Bobby, who recently turned 79, explains in our brutally honest conversation, that he always wanted to be recognised as more than a teenage idol, and he achieved that. He still tours today with his childhood friend Frankie Avalon and another celebrated teen star, Fabian as The Golden Boys.

He has enjoyed more than six decades of success. Frank Sinatra said he was his favourite singer and Bobby shares amusing anecdotes from his glittering career. He also speaks movingly about his addiction to alcohol, how a double liver and kidney transplant saved his life and how his career has blossomed in recent years.

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Visit his website www.bobbyrydell.com for details of touring dates.

Do you love David Cassidy and his music; have you been a fan forever or recently discovered him; what is your most cherished memory? Why not send me a recording explaining what David means to you. And it could be included in a future episode of The David Cassidy Connections podcast. Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and direct message me there with your recording. Let's stay connected and make something special happen.

Rob Preuss has enjoyed a remarkable career which started at the age of 5 when he discovered the music of The Partridge Family. He became obsessed with the show, making scrapbooks which he has kept for 50 years. At the same time, he was learning classical piano and taught himself how to play The Entertainer.

His passion for music led him to joining his first band at the age of 10. He later played with The Spoons and Honeymoon Suite, but in what he describes a "lightbulb" moment switched from rock bands to playing keyboards in hit musicals including Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon and later working with Benny and Bjorn of Abba on the successful musical Mamma Mia for 15 years. He was musical director of the Broadway production.

Rob taught actor Rami Malek how to play the piano for his role as Freddie Mercury in the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody.

Rob explains the influence David Cassidy had on his career, why his music is so important, contemplates why he found David's death so sad and how our formative years make us the people we become.

You can read more about Rob's musical journey in my book, Cherish David Cassidy A Legacy of Love. Available from Amazon and all major bookstores worldwide.

Hal Eisenberg and his Beach Boys tribute band opened for David in Atlanta in 2003, where he observed close up the impact of being a teenage idol appeared to have on David. He shares his thoughts on how David was labelled and the impact that had on his career. Hal offers an analysis on the price of fame and explains why David's album The Higher They Climb needs to be recognised more as a template for what he was capable of achieving musically.

"If you don't know of his music outside of I Think I Love You, you really do need to go deeper into his catalogue – You will say 'I had no idea'. He was a lot more than the façade that a lot of people saw…..musicians regarded him as a very talented musician," Hal told me.

He offers his analysis of the music industry today, how Felix Cavaliere and Eric Carmen influenced his career and why he is looking forward to getting back on stage this summer with Brotherhood, his tribute band to the Doobie Brothers.

Mike Ragogna admits he would never have had a music career had it not been for David Cassidy.

A young obsession with The Partridge Family and especially the music, led to him pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter working with producers Terry Cashman and Tommy West. A number of their songs appear on The Partridge Family catalogue.

Born in New York, Mike's impressive and varied resume includes working for record labels EMI, Universal, BMG and Razor & Tie producing compilations and reissues for hundreds of artists.

As compilations producer at Razor & Tie who reissued The Partridge Family albums on CD, he assembled a David Cassidy collection of his RCA material in 1996, and takes us through the process. He explains:

• The music publishing concept
• Examines the prejudice behind David's desire to be accepted as a serious musician
• Makes a passionate plea explaining the importance of why David's unreleased back catalogue must be put out in a deluxe boxset
• Why he considers Sound Magazine one of the greatest pop albums of all time
• Offers an analysis of David's RCA albums The Higher They Climb, Home Is Where The Heart Is, Gettin' It In The Street
• The genius of lyricist Tony Romeo
• Recalls his career as a recording artist with The Almost Brothers
• Relives the first time he heard How Can I Be Sure
• With great humour, recollects a moment, not knowing how to break the ice when meeting David Cassidy and Donny Osmond in a bathroom

Mike's original songs have featured in various projects including The Roar soundtrack and a Spider-Man release.

He has acted in productions of Hair, South Pacific, Annie and Big River. He featured in a Bruce Springsteen tribute, performed as Bobby Darin in a movie music retrospective, co-produced and added background vocals to the Midwest indie group Control's debut CD.

More details of how David inspired Mike's career can be found in my book, Cherish David Cassidy A Legacy of Love, available on Amazon and bookshops in store or online.

Nina Myskow was the first woman editor of Jackie magazine – a teenage girl's best friend – which held the hand of its readers as they steered their way into life as a teenager.

Nina was at the cutting edge of pop culture in the 1970s, playing a key role with innovative ideas which took sales up to one million copies a week.

She later went onto become the "Queen of Pop" in Fleet Street, writing for leading national daily newspapers. She has worked in radio and television, danced with Yoko Ono until dawn in New York, played tennis with Elton John, partied with Freddie Mercury and reduced Princess Diana to fits of laughter.

In our conversation she shares some of these memories, talks about her friendship with Elton John and why Your Song means so much to her. Nina recalls meeting David Cassidy at the height of his fame, sharing his reaction when, many years later, she played him a recording he made for a giveaway flexi disc in Jackie. She explains why we need idols, who her first idol was, the responsibility she felt as a magazine editor and why Jackie was important to actress Emma Thompson.

We also hear from Oli Speer whose father John wrote articles for more than 20 years for the magazine. He shares his father's remarkable story.

David Hamilton is one of Britain's best loved broadcasters who has been at the cutting edge of entertainment for more than 60 years.

In this episode he talks about his boyhood dream of becoming a professional footballer and how his broadcasting career took off with the British Forces Network in Germany in 1959. David shares amusing anecdotes of meeting Connie Francis and Cliff Richard.

He joined Radio One, the leading pop station in the UK, where he first met David Cassidy when he was a guest on his show in 1972. The following year he was invited to compere David's UK tour when he sold out a record-breaking six concerts in three days at Wembley's Empire Pool, a record previously held by the Rolling Stones, and Cassidymania erupted.

David reflects on working with the 1970s superstar and the impact of fandom on international stars. He also shares his passion for speedway.

Now at the age of 82, David is set to start a new chapter in his career with a daily show on a new radio station which he talks about with enthusiasm.

In his latest book, Commercial Radio Daze, he looks back at decades working in commercial radio. Copies are available in Kindle format through Amazon, or in paperback from Ashwater Press (www.ashwaterpress.co.uk)

You can read further recollections from David about the biggest superstar in the world during the 1970s, in my book, Cherish David Cassidy A Legacy of Love, available through Amazon and all major bookshops in store and online. Cherish: David Cassidy―A Legacy of Love: Poynton, Louise: 9781912690800: Amazon.com: Books

Renowned arranger, conductor, composer and producer, John Bahler, is one of the most recorded singers in history.

John has worked with some of the biggest stars including Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams and Elvis. His voice has appeared on hundreds of movie soundtracks, top-40 hits, television show themes and jingles.

But he may for many 1970s teenagers be most remembered as the man who created the unique and much-loved sound of The Partridge Family. The music – with lead vocals by David Cassidy and vocal arrangements by John – is considered the perfect example of what happens when you mix star quality and the best backing vocals with the musicians of The Wrecking Crew alongside beautiful lyrics and arrangements which set new standards in pop music.

John, with his brother Tom, started the Love Generation. He is married to Janet Lennon, one of the Lennon Sisters

In our amusing and often emotional conversation, recorded in early November, John reflects on his career and speaks on a range of subjects sharing anecdotes of his life story including:

• The influence his father had on his career
• Landing work on popular TV show, Swingin' Country
• How he created The Partridge Family sound and pushed the harmonies to new levels
• His appreciation of how the music changed millions of lives
• Explains how a song is structured and singing techniques
• Describes what he considers his best work
• His friendships with David Cassidy and Michael Jackson
• Working with Barbra Streisand and Andy Williams
• Where he rates David in the history of American pop music

Cherish David Cassidy A Legacy of Love is available from Amazon and all major bookstores worldwide.

Legendary singer-songwriter and producer Felix Cavaliere formed The Young Rascals in 1965 and enjoyed a string of hits including Groovin', Good Lovin' and A Beautiful Morning – music which became the soundtrack for millions of lives.

Born in Pelham, New York, his father wanted him to be a doctor; his mother wanted him to be a classical pianist. He once said: "music heals, so maybe that's what I should do".

Felix was a member of Joey Dee and the Starliters, best known for their hit Peppermint Twist, before he formed his own group, which later changed their name to The Rascals. They went on to land a number of accolades including 10 top 20 singles, 4 number one hits, six top 20 albums, a Grammy nomination and four Hall of Fame inductions.

David recorded two of his songs, How Can I Be Sure, a top 4 hit in the United States for The Young Rascals and a number one triumph for David in the United Kingdom, and Lonely Too Long. David's recordings coincided with the acquisition by his then-producer Wes Farrell of the entire Rascals' song catalogue.

From his home in Nashville, Felix talks to me about how The Beatles were his inspiration; shares his observations of the pressures of stardom; the responsibility songwriters have; David's interpretation of his work and why more people should be aware of David's talent.