Most of us can agree that “American Pie” ranks as one of the most iconic songs of all time.
The Recording Industry Association of America, the National Endowment for the Arts and Scholastic Inc. have listed the song among the top five of the 20th century. The others are “Respect,” “White Christmas,” “This Land is Your Land” and “Over the Rainbow.”
The success of his signature song helped composer and singer Don McLean become a wealthy man, much to his astonishment. And he finds different ways to continually tap into that success, creating somewhat of a cottage industry. In 2022, McLean hosted a documentary about the song, “The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie,” that explored its creation and its meaning.
“I am surprised I am as old as I am, sing as well as I do, and can’t believe how wealthy I am,” he acknowledged.
When McLean plays the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood on Dec. 7, the concert will feature more than “American Pie.” He’ll perform other hits, such “Vincent,” “And I Love Her So,” and “Castles in the Air.” Because it’s December, the concert will include holiday tunes.
Expect to also hear tracks from McLean’s latest album, “American Boys.” And the singer will likely throw in some covers; at a recent concert in New Brunswick, he included Buddy Holly and the Crickets’ “Not Fade Away,” Roy Orbison’s classic, “Crying,” and the Gene Vincent rockabilly hit, “Lotta Lovin.”
McLean closed that show with “American Pie,” as he always does. He performs almost note for note, but does allow for a little improvisation.
“I have a certain freedom, like a jazz group,” he explained. “I have a brilliant team of musicians. We do a different set every night. I have a large repertoire. Sometimes I do ‘American Pie’ in the middle of the show or reprise it when I close with it.”
What McLean won’t do is update the song, as Fall Out Boy did with Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”
“That’s a very tacky thing to do,” McLean observed. “The song is as is forever.”
The New Rochelle, New York, native has sold 50 million albums and is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame class of 2004. McLean left Villanova University after four months to pursue music,, and in 1969, he recorded his first album, “Tapestry.” It gave his career a nice boost in popularity and more headline gigs.
But it almost didn’t happen. More than 70 labels rejected the album, despite the inclusions of “Castles in the Air” and “And I Love Her So.” But McLean’s star soared with the 1971 release of “American Pie,” the single.
The 79-year-old McLean has tight control over the song’s fortunes, including trademark of the name, which he exercised to get more payment out of Universal for a film series on the song. The studio offered him a small amount of money for use of the title in the raunchy movie and its sequels. McLean hired a high-price legal eagle to convince the studio otherwise.
“I wish to state on Mr. McLean’s behalf that, in response to many inquiries from fans throughout the world, neither Mr. McLean nor his song are related in any way to the Universal motion picture “American Pie,” the singer’s legal team revealed in a press release about the settlement.
McLean, as the owner of the title, came to an agreement with Universal – a seven-figure one, he said. He owns 60% of the royalties.
McLean wrote all the new songs on “American Boys,” which was released in May.
“I do not know anything that gives me as much enjoyment, and I don’t want to lose that,” he observed. “I never stop feeling grateful for my success when so many colleagues tried hard and accomplished nothing.”
McLean has no set routine for developing a new album; he starts with a song or two and adds a few more.
“They haunt me for a year or so,” he said, “and then I’ll do an album.”
The singer will perform about 40 shows this year, half the usual number, and will travel more. And he’ll write children’s books like – you guessed it – “American Pie: A Fable.”
McLean will appear at the Scottish Rite at 8 p.m. for “A Starry Starry Christmas. An Evening of Hits and Holiday Favorites.” The auditorium is at 315 White Horse Pike in Collingswood. For information, contact (856) -858-1000, scottishriteauditorium.com/ or boxoffice@collingswoodarts.com
