I Think I Love You

"I Think I Love You"
Single by The Partridge Family
from the album The Partridge Family Album
B-side	"Somebody Wants to Love You" "To Be Lovers" (Philippines)
Released	August 22, 1970
Format	7" single
Genre	Pop, baroque pop
Length	2:54
Label	Bell
Writer(s)	Tony Romeo
Producer(s)	Wes Farrell
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
The Partridge Family singles chronology
"I Think I Love You" (1970) "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" (1971)

"I Think I Love You" is a song composed by songwriter Tony Romeo in 1970. It was released as the debut single by The Partridge Family pop group, featuring David Cassidy on lead vocals and Shirley Jones on background vocals. The Partridge Family version was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1970. The alternative rock band Voice of the Beehive scored a hit cover version of their own in 1991. There have also been many other cover versions of this song, most notably, Perry Como, Kaci, and Katie Cassidy.

The Partridge Family version

Background and release

The single was produced by Wes Farrell and issued on Bell Records a month before the debut of the network television musical sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show twice as it was climbing the actual Billboard charts. The single hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and in Canada on the RPM 100 national Top Singles chart in November of that year and number 1 in Australia and New Zealand in 1971.^[1]

The only cast members of the television show to actually sing on the recording of the song were David Cassidy and Shirley Jones. The music on the song was played by veteran studio musicians such as Hal Blaine, Larry Knechtel, Joe Osborne, Louie Shelton, Tommy Tedesco, and other L.A. session musicians from the Wrecking Crew.^[2][3] Background vocals on this, and all other Partridge Family recordings, were provided by veteran session singers: Ron Hicklin, John Bahler, Tom Bahler, and Jackie Ward.

The Partridge Family won a NARM award for the best-selling single of the year in 1970 for their hit "I Think I Love You".^[4]

Perry Como version

On November 25, 1970, "I Think I Love You" was recorded by Perry Como, with Nick Perito's orchestra, at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The song was released by RCA Victor Records on an album, It's Impossible, in December 1970, and reissued in 1975. RCA also released the recording on an EP in Mexico in 1971.

Voice of the Beehive version

"I Think I Love You"
Single by Voice of the Beehive
from the album Honey Lingers
Released	1991
Format	7" single, cassette single, CD single
Genre	Rock
Length	3:13
Label	London Records
Writer(s)	Tony Romeo
Producer(s)	Don Was
Voice of the Beehive singles chronology
"Monsters and Angels" (1991) "I Think I Love You" (1991) "Perfect Place" (1991)

In 1991, the alternative rock band Voice of the Beehive recorded a cover version of "I Think I Love You" for the group's second studio album Honey Lingers. It was released as the second single from their album on London Records and was produced by Don Was. Their version of the song hit number 25 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1991.^[5] The single also hit number 12 on the Australian singles chart in March 1992.^[6]

Other versions

• Andy Williams released his version on 1971's Love Story. It was also released on the import The Very Best of Andy Williams in 2009.
• In 1971, a French-language cover by Georges Guétary was released, entitled "Papa Je T'aime" ("Papa, I Love You"); unlike the original version, this version is a salute to a child's father.^[7]
• In 1974, Betty Chung (鍾玲玲), a female Hong Kong singer, covered the song on her LP album Betty Chung.
• It has been covered by the punk band Ism.
• In 1991, the group Nice & Smooth sampled the intro from the Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" in their rap hit, "Hip Hop Junkies".
• Florida-based band Less Than Jake covered the song, and their version was included on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Scream 2.
• Clam Abuse covered the song as the first proper song for their debut album "Stop Thinking" in 1999. A recent re-issue also contains a remix of the cover.
• American pop singer Kaci Battaglia released her version as a single in 2002, hitting number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
• On July 16, 2002, Katie Cassidy recorded a cover of her father's hit that was released by E-Squared Records on iTunes. She was 15 at the time (five years younger than her father when he recorded his version). The extended dance remix is the B-side of the digital download.
• Paul Westerberg covered it in 2004, and in 2005, as did Constantine Maroulis. A section of the song appears towards the end of Westerberg's 2008 release 49:00.^[8]
• David Cassidy himself did a solo soul remake of the song in 2003 for the album Touch of Blue.
• Declan Galbraith covered it in 2007 on his album, You and Me.
• Brandon Bishop covered it in 2014.
• Jerry O'Connell sings the song in the movie Scream 2
• In the movie Trainwreck, Amy Schumer and the Knicks City Dancers perform to the song at the end of the movie.

References

1. RPM Top Singles - Volume 14, No. 14, November 21 1970 from Library and Archives Canada, retrieved November 29, 2011.
2. liner notes from The Partridge Family Album, Razor and Tie Music Corporation, CD, 1993
3. Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew. St. Martin’s Griffin. pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-1-250-03046-7.
4. C'mon, Get Happy...Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus, by David Cassidy and Chip Deffaa, 1994 DBC Enterprises, Warner Books Inc, p. 92
5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 588. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
6. Kent, David (1993).Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, NSW, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p.330. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
7. Georges Guétary, Papa je t'aime on YouTube Retrieved November 29, 2011
8. Lewis, David. (2009, July 24). Paul Westerberg - '49:00'. Variety Retrieved on November 29, 2011

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics