I Think I Love You
{{short description|Original song written and composed by Tony Romeo}}
{{Infobox song
| name = I Think I Love You
| cover = The Partridge Family - I Think I Love You.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Partridge Family
| album = The Partridge Family Album
| B-side = {{ubl|"Somebody Wants to Love You"|"To Be Lovers" (Philippines)}}
| released = August 22, 1970
| recorded = 1970
| studio = United Western (Hollywood)
| venue =
| genre =
- Baroque pop{{cite magazine|last= Billboard Staff|title= The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List|magazine= Billboard |url= https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-pop-songs-all-time-hits/|date= October 19, 2023|accessdate= February 11, 2024|quote= A big-chorus baroque pop hit credited to a fictional singing family based on the Cowsills, with teen heartthrob David Cassidy handing lead vocals.}}
- bubblegum pop{{cite book|last= Erlewine|first= Stephen Thomas|chapter= Various Artists - Have a Nice Day, Super Hits of the '70s|editor-last1= Bogdanov|editor-first1=Vladimir|editor-last2= Erlewine |editor-first2= Michael |editor-last3= Erlewine |editor-first3= Stephen Thomas |editor-last4= Unterberger |editor-first4= Richie |editor-last5= Woodstra |editor-first5= Chris|date= January 1, 1997|title= AllMusic Guide to Rock|publisher= Miller Freeman, Inc.|location= San Francisco|page= 1074}}
| length = 2:54
| label = Bell
| writer = Tony Romeo
| producer = Wes Farrell
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted
| next_year = 1971
| misc = {{External music video|header=Audio|{{YouTube|bb4FMn-IWEY|The Partridge Family – I Think I Love You}}}}
}}
"I Think I Love You" is a song by Tony Romeo, written as the debut single for fictional musical TV family the Partridge Family. It was released in August 1970, a month prior to the debut of the ABC-TV musical sitcom The Partridge Family starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy, both of whom appear on the record, with Cassidy as lead vocalist. The single topped Billboard's Hot 100 for three weeks in November and December 1970 and later was certified by NARM as the best-selling single of 1970.C'mon, Get Happy...Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus, p. 92
The single also reached number one in Canada on the RPM 100 national Top Singles chart in November 1970,{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3718&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=q1aiec8ists7dij2u766gjcjm5 |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020200548/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3718&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=q1aiec8ists7dij2u766gjcjm5 |archive-date=2012-10-20 |url-status=dead }} and in 1971 peaked at number one in Australia.
Background and release
The single, which was produced by Wes Farrell and issued on Bell Records, featured twice on the TV show during the record's seven-week climb to number one on Billboard's Hot 100. Cassidy lip-synched his performance, as he did for all songs throughout the four-year series.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/rB-NNVLYy5k Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20180924141744/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB-NNVLYy5k&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB-NNVLYy5k| title = David Cassidy With The Cast Of The Partridge Family On Today Show I in 2010 | website=YouTube| date = 7 September 2018 }}{{cbignore}} As with all of the Partridge Family's studio output, the single features musicians associated with iconic Los Angeles–based session players "the Wrecking Crew": Dennis Budimir, Louie Shelton, Tommy Tedesco, Joe Osborn, Max Bennett, Larry Knechtel, Mike Melvoin, and Hal Blaine.Liner notes from The Partridge Family Album, Razor and Tie Music Corporation, CD, 1993{{cite book |first=Kent |last=Hartman |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780312619749/page/261 261–263] |year=2012 |title=The Wrecking Crew |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780312619749 |url-access=registration |publisher=St. Martin’s Griffin |isbn=978-1-250-03046-7}} And members of overlapping studio groups the Ron Hicklin Singers and the Love Generation – brothers John and Tom Bahler (also spelled Bähler), Ron Hicklin, and Jackie Ward – feature as backing vocalists, as they do on all successive Partridge Family recordings.
Cash Box said of the song that "attractive sound side and material curries favorable attention from all types of pop programmers."{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=August 22, 1970|page=24|accessdate=2021-12-09|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1970/CB-1970-08-22.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}}
Four million copies of the single release were sold.{{cite encyclopedia |first=David |last=Mansour |year=2005 |title=Partridge Family |encyclopedia=From ABBA to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |location=Kansas City, Missouri |page=354 |isbn=0-7407-5118-2 |lccn=2004062782 }}
The Partridge Family version is used prominently throughout the 2020 DreamWorks Animation film The Croods: A New Age, with a cover version performed by Tenacious D featured during the ending credits.
=Personnel=
According to the AFM contract sheet, the following musicians played on the track.{{cite web |url=https://www.wreckingcrewfilm.com/afmcontracts/PartridgeFamilyAlbum,The-AllSongs.pdf |title=I Think I Love You AFM Contract|publisher=American Federation of Musicians |website=The Wrecking Crew |accessdate=January 1, 2023}}
- Billy Strange – session leader, arrangement
- Hal Blaine – drums, contractor
- Dennis Budimir – guitars
- Gary Coleman – percussion
- Larry Knechtel – keyboards
- Joe Osborn – bass guitar
- Louis Shelton – guitar
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1972)
! Peak |
|---|
| Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|title= Jaaroverzichten – Single 1972 |publisher= Single Top 100. Hung Medien |access-date= February 25, 2018 |url= http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1972&cat=s |language= nl}}
|align="center"|1 |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1970)
! Rank |
|---|
| Australia
| style="text-align:center;"|76 |
| Canada{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3740&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3740.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3740|title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca|date=17 July 2013}}
| style="text-align:center;"|2 |
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1971)
! Rank |
|---|
| Australia
| style="text-align:center;"|14 |
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1972)
! Rank |
|---|
| Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|title= Jaaroverzichten – Single 1971 |publisher= Single Top 100. Hung Medien |access-date= February 25, 2018 |url= http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1971&cat=s |language= nl}}
| style="text-align:center;"|7 |
{{col-end}}
=Certifications=
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Partridge Family|title=I Think I Love You|award=Gold|relyear=1970|certyear=1970|access-date=August 14, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
Andy Williams version
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2023}}
In 1971 American singer Andy Williams released Love Story, an album made up almost entirely of cover versions. His own version of “I Think I Love You” was included on the album. Confusingly, the album was retitled Home Lovin’ Man for its UK release, and an entirely different album with the title “Love Story” made an appearance there.
Voice of the Beehive version
{{Infobox song
| name = I Think I Love You
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Voice of the Beehive
| album = Honey Lingers
| B-side = Something About God
| released = {{start date|1991|9|16}}{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=21|date=September 14, 1991}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 3:14
| label = London
| writer = Tony Romeo
| producer = Don Was
| prev_title = Monsters and Angels
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = Perfect Place
| next_year = 1991
}}
In 1991, Anglo-American alternative rock band Voice of the Beehive recorded "I Think I Love You" for their second studio album, Honey Lingers (1991). Issued through London Records, it was released as the second single from the album on September 16, 1991, and was produced by Don Was. Their version of the song peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1991. The single also reached number 12 on the Australian Singles Chart in March 1992.
=Track listings=
7-inch and cassette single, Australasian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=I Think I Love You|others=Voice of the Beehive|year=1991|type=UK 7-inch single sleeve|publisher=London Records|id=LON 308, 869526.7}}{{cite AV media notes|title=I Think I Love You|others=Voice of the Beehive|year=1991|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=London Records|id=LONCS 308, 869526.4}}{{cite AV media notes|title=I Think I Love You|others=Voice of the Beehive|year=1991|type=Australasian CD single liner notes|publisher=London Records, Polydor Records|id=869 526-2}}
- "I Think I Love You"
- "Something About God"
:A1. "I Think I Love You" (Orgy mix)
:A2. "Say It"
:A3. "Don't Call Me Baby"
:B1. "VB – Goddess of Love"
- "I Think I Love You" (7-inch)
- "I Think I Love You" (Don Was' Guilty Pleasure mix)
- "VB – Goddess of Love" (vocal mix)
- "Something About God"
=Charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1991–1992) !Peak |
| {{single chart|Australia|12|artist=Voice of the Beehive|song=I Think I Love You|rowheader=true|access-date=August 13, 2022}} |
| scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=8|issue=42|page=41|date=October 19, 1991}}
|72 |
|---|
| {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|25|artist=Voice of the Beehive|artistid=24564|rowheader=true|access-date=August 13, 2022}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|p9H4UjwloyY|Andy Williams – I Think I Love You}}
- {{YouTube|bb4FMn-IWEY|The Partridge Family – I Think I Love You}}
{{The Partridge Family}}
{{David Cassidy}}
{{Perry Como}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Tony Romeo
Category:The Partridge Family songs
Category:Voice of the Beehive songs
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in Australia
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Wes Farrell