Bus times

Whatever happened to the Partridge Family bus? The one painted in the style of Dutch abstract Piet Mondrian; it probably won't surprise you that there are as many websites dedicated solely to this mystery as there are stars in the solar system. However, long story short, the 1955 Chevrolet 6800 purchased by the TV company in 1970 (from a school district in Orange County, California) for the show's pilot, finally met its maker in 1987. (There are witnesses who saw it in the scrapyard).

So, if you've seen one after then, rest assured you're looking at a copy. A bit like the Mondrian hanging in my office.

Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)

It's a family affair

My love of the Partridge Family is, if truth be known, shared only by a handful of my good friends; tho' even they are probably just indulging me. But, that's OK. I'm a big boy. It's hardly love me love my dog; even I can acknowledge that when it comes down to it the Partridge Family weren't real. Well, yes they were real in the sense that the Monkees were real, but they weren't a real family. David Cassidy wasn't Keith Partridge and Shirley Jones wasn't Keith's mum. Wait, hang on a minute, she kinda was. OK, you know what I mean.

But today's show and tell really is real. The Cowsills were a real family. Brothers. Sisters (well, sister singular). And mother. All singing in the same band. I'm reading all about them now. It's a hellava story, mark my words. I won't tell you how it ends, read it yourself. I will, however, share this with you. And, as you're watching the clip below, tell me, in your mind's eye, you don't see Danny Bonaduce behind that drum kit.

The Cowsills - The Rain, the Park & Other Things (1967)

ABQ

Albuquerque is the most populated city in New Mexico; though not the capital - that accolade belongs to Santa Fe. You probably know it as the backdrop for Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. Or, if hot air ballooning is your thing, you'll be aware that the International Balloon Fiesta is held in ABQ every year. No? Then maybe, just maybe, if you're of a certain vintage, you might know it as the title of the best Neil Diamond song Neil Diamond neither wrote, nor sung.

Point Me in the Direction of Albuquerque was written by jobbing songwriter Tony Romeo (1938-1995) who gave this slice of seventies musical chutzpah to Keith Partridge and his mother, aka David Cassidy and Shirley Jones for their monster hit TV show. Come on, get happy. That's an order.

The Partridge Family: (Point Me in the Direction of) Albuquerque - 1972

Lazy Susan

Baaah!

In 1972 my hormones were all over the place. My bedroom walls were a homage to, essentially, four bricklayers in drag. Brian Connolly was just a ball of confusion to any pre-pubescent second year oik waiting for his voice to break. The man who sang Block Buster! and who would burst out of our rented telly every Thursday night used to wear eye liner and lip gloss - and I never batted an eyelid. But I did manage to find room high up on one of my walls for one chick: by day she would masquerade as David Cassidy's sister in The Partridge family, but, by night, conjuring up images of Susan Dey sure beat counting sheep.

Larry Carlton - Lazy Susan