“The Don” & “American Pie” by Gilad Farber - Illustrated by Sir Google - Ourboox.com
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“The Don” & “American Pie”

by

Artwork: Sir Google

  • Joined Jan 2020
  • Published Books 1

Donald McLean III, born October 2, 1945, is an American singer songwriter, his main focus centers around folk rock drawn from his earliest inspirations, particularly the Weavers’ 1955 “Live at Carnegie Hall”. He made early connections that promoted his music career by befriending Eric Darling and Fred Hellerman of the Weavers.

One of the loveliest things about the man is his continuous loyalty to his style of music, making sweet and modest work over the course of nearly 5 decades!

Don’s father passed away in 1961, don was 15 years old at the time. After spending some time at Villanova University in 1963, he started working his apprenticeship for “Harold Leventhal Management”. Thus a six year period started where he performed in many well known venues in New York, Washington, L.A and at many colleges as well.

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He financed the recording of his first album “Tapestry” in 1969 in Berkeley, California. It was released by MediaArts, later purchased by United Artists. Although receiving good reviews it only got wide public recognition once it was re-issued after the success of his second album. It then managed to reach #111 in the USA and top-15 in the United Kingdom. The album includes two of his most famous songs: “Castles in the Air” And “I Love You So”.

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Live performance of Castles In The Air:

 

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And I Love You So:

 

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This song was later recorded by Perry Como, it got to top-5 in the UK, top-30 in USA and was nominated for a Grammy award. It was beaten by the hit song “Killing Me Softly with His Song” which funnily enough was written by Lori Lieberman, inspired after seeing Don M’clean singing at a concert.

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Dons international stardom came with the release of his second album “American Pie”. The first single of the album, with the same name rocketed to #1 in the USA, and thirty years later was voted number 5 out of 365 “best songs of the century” compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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another interesting piece from the album is “Babylon”, taken from Psalms 137:

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And since mentioning Zion, I’ll add this note from the Jerusalem Post’s review of his June 2018 concert in Tel-Aviv (which I sadly missed):

“McLean was the consummate professional in presenting his master class of the Great American Songbook”

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Of course how could I not mention the second single from the album, the beautiful “Vincent” also known as “Starry, Starry Night”. It was inspired while reading a book on the famous artist Vincent Van-Gogh, observing a print of his painting The Starry Night:

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Dons third album, titled “Don McLean” includes a the song “The Pride Parade” giving an insight into Don’s immediate reaction to stardom. other top singles from the album are “Dreidel” and “If We Try”.

 

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He told a magazine in 1973 that “Tapestry” was an album by someone previously concerned with external situations. “American Pie” combines externals with internals and the resultant success of that album makes the third one entirely introspective.

 

Don said he felt the third album was quite depressive whereas the fourth gave a feeling of “Wow, I just woke up from a bad dream”.

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His fourth album “Playin’ Favourites” is a covers album emphasizing his folk roots, featuring amongst other classics, Buddy Holly’s “Everyday”.

 

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Although the albums after American Pie didn’t get the same popularity, Don was already a highly rated performer. Throughout the 1970’s, he remained very much in-demand for concerts. In 1975, 85,000 fans attended his London Hyde Park concert.

 

In 1978, Don’s career began again in Nashville where he worked with Elvis Presley’s backing singers, “The Jordanaires” and many of Elvis’s old musicians. The result was “Chain Lightning” and the UK Number 1, “Crying”.

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He then didn’t record through the mid 80’s until in 1987 he recorded the album “Love Tracks”, aiming at country audiences, which produced “Can’t Blame the Wreck on the Train”, written by Terri Sharp. The single got to 49 on the US country chart.

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Since the 90’s, apart from cover and holiday albums and new studio versions of his older classics, Don released two albums with original songs – 1995’s “The River of Love” and “Addicted to Black” in 2009.

The 21st Century has seen a number of new honors for Don McLean and his music:

In February 2002, “American Pie” was finally inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In 2004 Don McLean was inaugurated into the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

Don McLean wound up the 20th century by performing “American Pie” for President Clinton at the Lincoln Memorial Gala In Washington D.C.

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It is still possible to catch a live show of His (and very recommended).

Don performing at one of the biggest music festivals in the UK, Glastonbury:

 

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Of “American Pie”:

To start, I feel I need to add the lyrics, long as they are, for the sake of those who aren’t familiar, you can play the song on the next page and read through the lyrics here:

 

A long long time ago
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they’d be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn’t take one more step
I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
Something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
So
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you’re in love with him
‘Cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
Now, for ten years we’ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But, that’s not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lennon read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And singing this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
‘Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And singing this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
‘Cause fire is the devil’s only friend
Oh and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan’s spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I’d heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
And they were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
They were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this’ll be the day that I die

 

 

 

 

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I felt this particular song deserves some extra attention, not only because it’s the biggest hit of The Don, but as one of the songs which lyrics have been analysed many times for the meaning behind them. the 8:36 long single is the story of America, the evolution of it’s politics and popular music, from the idealized 50’s till the bleak 60’s. It was inspired partially by the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson in a plane crash in 1959. the repeated phrase “The Day The Music Died” refers to that event. In 1978 Don said the lyrics are also somewhat an abstract take on his life from the mid 50’s until late 60’s when he wrote the song.

Throughout the years the song has been recorded and re-released many times, hitting high on the charts each time. It has also gotten many renditions made by artists, such as the famous one by Madonna. It even got successful techno version made.

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Here’s an interesting piece of video from an interview with the man himself (from 0:50 seconds is the part worth watching):

 

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