American Pie (English)

How that music used to make me smile...

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information

Title: American Pie
Writer: Don McLean
Producers: Madonna and William Orbit
Album: The Next Best Thing OST (2000) and Music (2000)
Edition Date: First and only single from the original soundtrack from the film The Next Best Thing, February 2000
Length of the album version: 4 ' 33''
Credits: ©2000 Warner Bros. records Inc. / Songs of Universal, Inc./Benny Bird Co. Inc. BMI

coments

American Pie was the only single extracted from The Next Best Thing OST. Although everyone knew the song was going to be a great hit in USA (it was all over the world), Warner Records decided not to release it a a single in that country. We all know by now that some Warner decisions are really lack of intelligence and against any common sense.
The man who began it all and convinced Madonna to get into a recording studio to cover this great classic was…Rupert Everett. There is a scene in the movie that takes place in a funeral of a friend who died of AIDS, and the main characters sing some American Pie lines as a tribute to his last wishes. After filming that scene, Rupert encouraged Madonna to record that song. So she did, using the great production by William Orbit. Not only Rupert gave her the idea, but also Madonna made him participate in that project (singing background vocals).
Although American Pie was first recorded in 1971, the version Madonna made has all the freshness of the techno-electric sound of the new century, and Orbit knew how to adapt that melody perfectly. The only problem is that the original version was 8:36 long, and Madonna had to cut it to the 4:33 length of the album version, chosing the lines she liked most. It is a pity that a full version of this song wasn't recorded, with the complete original lyrics.

videoclip

The video for American Pie was filmed in January 2000 in London by the australian director Philip Stolzl (who had previously filmed videos as The World Is Not Enought for Garbage). We don't know if Madonna was aware of her pregnancy at that moment, but looking at the calendar, she was in the first month of pregnancy of her son Rocco.
The video is a selection of some typical and not typical american lifes: we have some workers, a middle class family, a gay couple kissing, two lesbians, an interrecial family,…
Madonna is dressed with a pair of broken jeans (quite low) and a top, and she dances in front of a huge and very old american flag, which is used in the background of all the shots of this video.
Of course, Rupert Everett appears as a guest star in the video, making the background vocals and having fun with Madonna.
There are two more versions of this video, appart grom the album version we all know. Both of them have different images and outakes and are edited by Dan-O-Rama: U.S. Dance Mix (using the Calderone Remix Edit), and the Humpty Vission Radio Mix.

rupert everett

He is one of the most interesting actors of the british scene of his generation. He has acted in cinema, TV, theatre, and has even written a few things (he is co-writer of The Next Best Thing).
Rupert usually choses roles that have never pushed him to fame, except My Best Friend Wedding (with Julia Roberts), that made the public know him better. Rupert Everett hasn't hide the fact of his homosexuality, and he has even made a couple of roles of gay men as in My Best Friend Wedding or The Next Best Thing.
Madonna and Rupert first met in a party after the premiere of Madonna's first movie, Desperately Seeking Susan. From that moment they kept a good friendship that they still have. They never had the chance to work together until The Next Best Thing. In March 1998, he had the honour to interview Madonna in the VH1 special called Madonna Rising, in which they both visited the places of New York where Madonna began her successful carreer.

collector items

	This is the cover used for almost every country release. For example, this cover was used for the Cd-singles, Cd-maxis and the promo 12" vinyls. There are a Cd-single and a Cd-maxi for Europe, 3 Cd-singles with different covers for U.K,...
	Cd-maxi part II released for U.K. The image of the cover is exactly the same as the other releases, but focused on Madonna's face. The colour of the Cd is dark red, instead of light blue. It includes album version, Richard Humpty Vission Radio Mix and Richard Humpty Vission Visits Madonna.
	Cd-maxi part III released for U.K. The image of the cover is exactly the same as the other releases, but is horizontally inverted. It has the versions: Victor Calderone Vocal Club Mix, Victor Calderone Extended Vocal Club Mix, Richard Humpty Vission Visits Madonna, Richard Humpty Vission Radio Mix and Album Version.
	VHS promocional videotape released in UK with the album versión of the video.
	Cd-maxi Japan release (with lateral sticker). It contains: Richard Humpty Vission Visits Madonna, Richard Humpty Vission Radio Mix, Victor Calderone Vocal Club Mix, Victor Calderone Extended Vocal Club Mix and Album Version. There is another edition for Japan as a Cd-single, with 3 tracks and the same cover.
	Promo Cd-single released in U.K. unique for the sticker. Includes the Album version and Richard Humpty Vission Radio Mix

This list of collectibles is not complete, it's just an orientative guide of the most important things.

lyric

American Pie

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

Did you write the Book of Love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so
Then do you believe in rock 'n 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 that I was out of luck
The day the music died

That's why I'm singin',
"Bye-bye, Miss American Pie"
Drove my chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "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 woudn't play

And in the streets the children screamed
(The children screamed)
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
(The poets dreamed)
But not a word was spoken
(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

"Bye-bye, Miss American Pie"
Drove my chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "This'll be the day that I die,"
"This'll be the day that I die"

That's why I'm singin'
That's why I'm singin'
That's why I'm singin'
That's why I'm singin'

another classic covered

This is not the first time Madonna covers a great classic, she did the same with Fever. But covering American Pie made her touch the patriotic feeling american people have. Don McLean wrote this song in May 1971, and after more than 30 years, people are still talking about it. It can be said that Madonna helped to rescue this great classic with the cover she made, with all the power of the 70's and the sound of the new millenium. Don McLean fans didn't react very well to the cover Madonna made, but Don McLean himself didn't stop saying great things about her, such as: 'she is a myth in the music industry…an historic figure…an excellent singer, composer and producer…'. The truth is that Madonna made American Pie reach the top of every chart around the world, 30 years after Don McLean made it stay for 52 weeks in the US top-40.
Many things have been written and said about the meaning of this song. Don McLean has never revealed the real meaning it has, what is important is that each person that listens to it makes his/her own interpretation of the lyrics. That's what Madonna made, choosing just the part of the lyrics she felt identified with.

cover

It's a beautiful Madonna picture, more elegant than usual, taken by Dah Len.

in the chart

American Pie was number one in every country it was released as a single (U.K., Italy, Germany, Spain, Canada, Australia, Japan,...), and it even stayed at the top position for several weeks, as in Europe general chart where it was #1 for 11 weeks.
Although the incomprehensible decision of not releasing American Pie as a single in USA, it appeared in some US charts, reaching #1 in the Club Play charts, for example.

official versions

1. Album Version (4:33)
2. Victor Calderone Radio Mix
3. Victor Calderone Vocal Club
Mix (9:06)
4. Victor Calderone Extended Vocal Club Mix (10:30)
5. Victor Calderone Vocal Dub Mix (6:15)
6. Victor Calderone Filter Dub Mix / Calderone Filter Dub Mix (6:02)
7. Richard "Humpty" Vission Radio
Mix (4:27)
8. Richard "Humpty" Vission Visits Madonna / Richard "Humpty" Vission Visits Madonna Mix (5:44)

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