1971 O-Pee-Chee Partridge Family #51 “Somebody Wants to Love You” Song Hits Back Yellow Series 1

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee Partridge Family #51 "Somebody Wants to Love You" Song Hits Back Yellow Series 1 Card #51 catches Keith Partridge belting out a lyric against a moody teal-and-crimson studio backdrop, one of the more visually striking action shots in the entire yellow-bordered Series 1 set, and a favorite among collectors who like their Partridge Family cards to actually look like a live performance rather than a static portrait. This late-set card comes from the tail end of the 55-card checklist, a stretch of the set that tends to be harder to find in bulk today since fewer surviving hoards seem to run the full sequence through card #55. The reverse is a "Song Hits" back, printing the complete lyrics to "Somebody Wants to Love You," credited to composer Wes Farrell with lyrics by Jim Cretecos and Mike Appell, and copyrighted to Colgems Music Corp in 1970, tying directly back to the group's real chart-charting discography on Bell Records. The Partridge Family's music was never a novelty act footnote, several of the show's singles genuinely charted on Billboard, and cards like this one that reproduce the actual song lyrics have become a favorite subcategory for collectors who enjoy the crossover between television and pop music memorabilia. This is the O-Pee-Chee issue, confirmed by the "Ptd. in Canada" text at the base of the reverse, a scarcer find than the standard U. S. Topps release given OPC's smaller Canadian print runs. the front image is bright with excellent contrast between the teal background and warm skin tones. Corner wear is present at the top-left, showing mild rounding, and a small chip is visible at the top-right tip, while the bottom-right corner shows modest softening as well. The bottom-left corner remains the sharpest of the four. Edges are otherwise clean without notable chipping along the borders. Centering is reasonably well balanced front to back. No creases or surface disruptions are visible, and the reverse lyric block prints clearly with no fading. With three of four corners showing light-to-moderate wear, a conservative raw grade of EX 5 is the appropriate call. A strong pickup for Song Hits collectors and fans of the show's more dynamic performance photography. Grade Estimate: EX 5