Released February 1971 Genre Pop Label Bell Records | Recorded 1970 Length 2:49 | |
B-side "You Are Always on My Mind" | ||
"Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" is a song written by Mike Appel, Jim Cretecos, and Wes Farrell and was recorded by The Partridge Family for their 1971 album, Up to Date. The song went to #6 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1971 and was on the charts for 12 weeks.
The song went to #1 in Canada. The song also reached #6 in France and #9 in Australia. It was named the #13 song of 1971 on the Cashbox charts. The song was certified as a gold disc in March 1971.
But David Cassidy hated the song. He didn't think it was a good song at all and hated the idea he had to talk in the middle of it so much so he refused to do it.
This caused consternation with the studio and the record company, where the heads of both Bell Records and Screen Gems, both owned by Columbia Pictures, got involved. Shooting of The Partridge Family was stopped so his manager and agent could talk to him over the issue. It was suggested to Cassidy that the song would achieve greater commercial success with the spoken interlude included.
They put pressure on him until he caved in and did the record as requested. When it was finished, he begged them not to release it. "It was horrible, I was embarrassed by it. I still can't listen to that record."
This was also the song that was playing before the Emergency Broadcast System False Alarm of 1971 on WOWO.