MCLEAN, Don.
Don McLean: American Pie.
Don McLean's Personal Test Pressing of American Pie Before Mass Production; Signed by Him
New York: United Artists, 1971.
$25,000.00
In Stock
Item Number: RRB-149880
* Custom Clamshell Boxes are hand made by the Harcourt Bindery upon request and take approximately 60 days to complete
Don McLean's personal test pressing of American Pie before mass production, gifted in 1971 to his former sister-in-law. A 12-inch vinyl test pressing with paper labels on both sides and the album itself etched with the word "Peace" and codes "UAS-5535A" and "UAS - 5535B". Signed by Don McLean on both paper labels, and dated "8-17-71" with the code "UAS - 5535A" on the verso and "UAS - 5535B" on the recto. The album is housed in its original plain brown sleeve with McLean's handwritten tracklisting of each song title. In fine condition, with the sleeve in very good condition. Accompanied by two letters of provenance, one from McLean's former sister-in-law and one from session bassist Rob Stoner, who has offered his recollections of the session and the test pressing. Together with a new copy of the album featuring the famous cover art. A unique piece of musical history.
The album was recorded in the summer of 1971, with test pressings going to McLean and United Artists in August before its October release. Recorded at the Record Plant in Manhattan, McLean surrounded himself with a crack band of session musicians, including Paul Griffin, Rob Stoner, and David Spinozza. Rob Stoner, credited on American Pie as Bob Rothstein, describes meeting McLean at his house to listen to this test pressing of American Pie. In that room, at that moment, the two men must have known they'd struck gold. Around this time, the copy of the test pressing given to McLean for review was gifted to his then sister-in-law. This was before the fame that came with the album, transitioning a song into a national treasure. Just one example among many: the song "American Pie" hit the Billboard 100 chart in 1972 and set a record for the longest song to hold the top position for nearly 50 years. Said McLean, "There is something to be said for a great song that has staying power." Critics and fans alike raved about the album's title track, which documents a uniquely American form of innocence lost. American Pie is a triple-platinum album and has gone down as a cultural touchstone, covered, parodied, analyzed, and referenced for decades.
Don McLean: American Pie.
$25,000.00
In Stock
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