Bye, bye, Miss American Pie...
The Post-Star's Tom Dimopoulos had a fun article over the weekend about Saratoga-area legends, including the famous one about how Don McLean supposedly wrote "American Pie" at the Tin 'n' Lint on Caroline Street in Saratoga Springs, and then first performed it at Caffe Lena:
In most re-tellings, McLean was in town for a performance at Caffe Lena and had wandered into the Tin & Lint, where he spent the night alternately drinking and scribbling phrases like "American Pie" and "drove my Chevy to a levy" on a series of bar napkins, which were forgotten about and abandoned during the course of the evening, but rescued by one of the workers at the Tin & Lint that night.
So, is it true? Dimopoulos actually talked with Don McLean about the story -- and the musician had a definitive answer about whether it's correct.
(Thanks, spiritoflife!)
image via Wikipedia
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Comments
I read the Post-Star piece and didn't find it fun at all. Living in Saratoga, I like the idea that "American Pie" was written here. The Dimopoulos piece had some Don McLean quotes that debunked this assumption but didn't probe at all into the details. I actually did not realize Dimopoulos had interviewed him and assumed it had been picked up from a wire transcript, otherwise wouldn't Dimopoulos have been more inquisitive as a reporter?
It reminded me of a famous Bob and Ray show from many decades ago where a clueless radio interviewer is getting the facts on cranberry cultivation while there is a bank robbery going on in the background.
Anyway, if you read the piece, Don McLean after all these years really seems to have it in for Saratoga. How come? That's the real story, waiting to be written.
... said Burnt My Fingers on Nov 28, 2011 at 10:01 PM | link
Nuthin' to add to the story...
But did anyone else catch him at the Voorheesville HS gym, sometime around 1970? As I recall it was just before he released AP. IIRC, he introduced it as something new coming out soon, played and the crowd were beside themselves. Awesome stuff for a kid to witness.
... said ChuckD on Nov 29, 2011 at 12:08 AM | link
Brain Scavo, Anyone?
... said daleyplanit on Nov 29, 2011 at 10:31 AM | link