Don McLean has actually had many hit songs over his career, such as “Castles in the Air” and “Vincent,” as well as his covers of “Since I Don’t Have You” by the Skyliners and Roy Orbison’s “Crying.” Good songs that have earned him a ton of praise … but then again, none of those song titles get near equal billing next to McLean’s name on the concert posters, do they? In all fairness, you can’t really call "American Pie" a one-hit-wonder. The song being a huge hit must’ve been great news for jukebox owners, as fans would have to pay twice as much just to hear the song in its entirety. They put half the song on side A and the other half on B. The single was actually released as American Pie (Parts I & II) because it was too long to fit on one side of a 45 vinyl record.
This gave the song a much more intimate vibe.
While recording the song, McLean and his band were tracked live, meaning the entire band was recorded playing the song together at the same time instead of each element being taped separately and mixed together later. The memory stuck with him, and he channeled it into the song.Ĭivil Aeronautics Board Both keeping an event that probably would’ve faded from memory after a few years in the zeitgeist and forever tying dead rock stars to plane crashes. The first verse of the song was largely autobiographical, as McLean first received word of the crash while he was delivering newspapers when he was 13 years old. Although he had been working out parts in his head over several months, McLean claims the actual pen-to-paper writing process only took about an hour total.Įach verse of the song ends with the line “the day the music died,” which famously references the 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and McLean’s musical idol, Buddy Holly.
So what’s the secret behind this song that has allowed it to endure in our culture for over half a century? 5 Writing And RecordingĪccording to Don McLean, he wrote “American Pie” in two short sessions, coming up with the first part of the song and chorus in Cold Springs, New York, and finishing the rest in Philadelphia.
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