American Pie (album)
| American Pie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Don McLean | ||||
| Released | 24 October 1971 | |||
| Recorded | May 1971 - June 1971 | |||
| Genre | Folk, folk rock | |||
| Length | 36:24 | |||
| Label | United Artists Records UAS-5535 (original) Liberty Records (1980 reissue) Capitol Records (2003 reissue) |
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| Producer | Ed Freeman | |||
| Don McLean chronology | ||||
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| Singles from American Pie | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
American Pie is the second studio album by Don McLean, released on 24 October 1971. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200, containing the chart-topping singles "American Pie" and "Vincent".
The original 1971 LP is dedicated to Buddy Holly,[2] and was reissued in 1980 minus the track "Sister Fatima".[3] The original United Artists Records inner sleeve featured a free verse poem written by McLean about William Boyd, also known as Hopalong Cassidy, along with a picture of Boyd in full Hopalong regalia. This sleeve was removed within a year of the album's release. The words to this poem appear on a plaque at the hospital where Boyd died. The Boyd poem and picture tribute do appear on a special remastered 2003 CD.[4]
The album was released to much acclaim, later being included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die[5].
Contents |
[edit] Background
The title track contains references to the death of Buddy Holly (McLean being a 13-year-old paper-boy at the time[5]). The phrase "The Day the Music Died" was coined by McLean on this song, and has now become an unofficial name for the event.
The third track and second single "Vincent" concerns the Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh, who struggled for fame while he was alive and eventually killed himself.
The track "Empty Chairs" from the album is the song which inspired Lori Lieberman to write the poem upon which the song "Killing Me Softly" is based.
"The Grave", originally a protest song against the Vietnam War, was covered by Wham! member George Michael in protest against the Iraq War in 2003.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written and composed by Don McLean except where noted[6].
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "American Pie" | 8:27 | |
| 2. | "Till Tomorrow" | 2:11 | |
| 3. | "Vincent" | 3:55 | |
| 4. | "Crossroads" | 3:34 | |
| 5. | "Winterwood" | 3:09 | |
| 6. | "Empty Chairs" | 3:24 | |
| 7. | "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" | 3:37 | |
| 8. | "Sister Fatima" | 2:31 | |
| 9. | "The Grave" | 3:08 | |
| 10. | "Babylon" (Trad., arr. Hays and McLean) | 1:40 |
| 2003 Capitol Records Reissue Bonus Tracks | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 11. | "Mother Nature" | 5:10 | ||||||||
| 12. | "Aftermath" | 4:03 | ||||||||
- Notes
- The 1980 reissue on Liberty Records originally excluded the eighth track "Sister Fatima"
- "Babylon" is based on the canon By the Waters of Babylon by Philip Hayes[7].
- "Vincent" is sometimes given the alternative title of "Starry, Starry Night".
[edit] Personnel
- Don McLean - vocals, guitar, banjo
- Warren Bernhardt - piano ("Crossroads")
- Ray Colcord - electric piano
- Tom Flye - drums ("The Grave"), engineering
- Ed Freeman - string arrangements
- Paul Griffin - piano ("American Pie")
- Lee Hays - arranger
- Mike Mainieri - marimba, vibraphone
- Roy Markowitz - drums, percussion
- Gene Orloff - concert master
- Bob Rothstein - bass, vocals
- David Spinozza - electric guitar ("American Pie")
- West Forty Fourth Street Rhythm and Noise Choir - chorus
[edit] Chart positions
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | 1 |
| Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart | 1 |
[edit] References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Back cover of the 1971 United Artists LP (UAS-5535)
- ^ Back cover of the 1980, Liberty Records re-issue (LN-10037).
- ^ inner sleeve, 2003 Capitol Records CD remaster (72435-84729-2-9)
- ^ a b Dimery, Robert (2008). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, p. 239. Octopus Books, London. ISBN-13:9781844036240
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/Don-McLean-American-Pie/master/84646 Track listing
- ^ The Muses Delight: Catches, Glees, Canzonets and Canons by Philip Hayes (London, 1786)
| Preceded by Music by Carole King |
Billboard 200 number-one album January 22, 1972 – March 10, 1972 |
Succeeded by Harvest by Neil Young |
| Preceded by Imagine by John Lennon |
Australian Kent Music Report number-one album April 3, 1972 – June 18, 1972 |
Succeeded by Harvest by Neil Young |
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