“Together (Havin’ A Ball)” is pure Partridge-world sunshine—an unreleased-for-decades TV-era gem that finally let listeners take the ride together.
There’s a special kind of nostalgia that doesn’t feel like “the past” so much as a door left slightly open—light spilling out, laughter audible down the hall. “Together (Havin’ A Ball)” sits in that doorway. It’s a The Partridge Family performance that longtime fans knew from the TV universe, yet for years couldn’t properly own in the way records are meant to be owned—needle down, speakers warm, memory made physical. That’s why its eventual official appearance felt so satisfying: the track was widely celebrated as a long-awaited release when it finally turned up on the 2005 compilation Come On Get Happy!: The Very Best of The Partridge Family.
On paper, the details are delightfully specific—and they matter. On that compilation’s track listing, “Together (Havin’ a Ball)” is credited to songwriters Kelly Gordon and Shorty Rogers, and it’s explicitly noted as featuring lead vocal by Ron Hicklin—a name that quietly unlocks the entire Partridge Family recording mystery for anyone who ever wondered why those “TV band” vocals sounded so professionally effortless. In other words, this song isn’t just a cute curio; it’s also a little window into the studio craft behind the phenomenon—the elite session world that made fictional pop feel radio-real.
And yes—it arrived late. The track’s modern streaming life often points back to that 2005 compilation release (labels, dates, and album associations vary by platform metadata), reinforcing the same underlying truth: the “official” home for this song, for many listeners, begins with that best-of set. That late arrival actually enhances the romance of it. Some songs are introduced with fanfare; this one reappeared like a postcard that took decades to reach the mailbox, still bright with the warmth of when it was first written.
Musically and emotionally, “Together (Havin’ A Ball)” is built on a simple promise: life feels better when we’re in it with other people. The title doesn’t hide behind metaphor—it’s an invitation. “Together” comes first, because togetherness is the point; “(Havin’ A Ball)” is the grin after the handshake, the reassurance that the joy here is uncomplicated and shared. In the Partridge cosmos—where harmony is both musical and moral—this kind of song functions like a small civic holiday: a reminder that even a rough week can be softened by familiar voices, a catchy chorus, and the feeling of being welcome in the room.
That’s also why the song’s long “missing” period mattered. The Partridge Family catalogue has always had two lives: the obvious, chart-facing singles that everyone remembers, and the deeper cuts—TV performances and studio pieces that lived in fandom, not in stores. When “Together (Havin’ A Ball)” was finally given an official release, fans didn’t treat it like leftover product. They treated it like a recovered memory—something that had been part of their internal soundtrack for years, finally allowed to become part of the external world.
And the feeling it leaves behind is wonderfully specific: not the dramatic ache of a breakup song, not the flashy thrill of a teen-idol single, but the gentle emotional luxury of belonging. You can hear why this track would stick in someone’s mind across decades. It doesn’t demand anything from you. It simply offers a hand—brightly, warmly—and says: come on, we’re going to be fine for the length of this song.
In the end, “Together (Havin’ A Ball)” is one of those small Partridge Family miracles: polished enough to sparkle, innocent enough to soothe, and—thanks to its long-delayed official release—now wrapped in an extra layer of sweetness. Not just a song about togetherness, but a song that proved togetherness… by finally reuniting with the people who’d been waiting for it.