Singer-songwriter Don McLean’s next CD is coming out this year, about 20 albums after his signature singles, “American Pie” and “Vincent.”
McLean performs Jan. 24 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts.
“Addicted to Black” may become a personal landmark as the last album of his own songs.
“It’s just that for someone who has been around 40 years … I can’t see doing records (for) downloads.”
Introspection is part of “Addicted.”
“As I’ve grown older, I’m looking at my life, seeing people my age and writing songs about them.”
But there may be a little wiggle room to the last-record prediction. “I don’t know yet if it really will be the last one but it feels like it should be.”
And if it is the last, that’s OK with McLean.
“I have lots of other interests and they funnel back into the things I write about. When I was younger … I was happy living in the country with my horses; I couldn’t have cared less (about major success).”
McLean’s current project is a more than 300-page pictorial biography, “Don McLean’s American Pie.” He’s still being interviewed by the authors who have written books on Les Paul, Chet Atkins and Hopalong Cassidy.
Only McLean’s early perseverance kept him on the musical path. He was rejected by 34 labels before finding one to record his debut album, “Tapestry.”
“I’m Scottish and Italian, and I just said … I’m going to get this record out because it’s me. I can fight for what I think is the purest expression of what I can do. I believed that there was some place for it somewhere because I had ears and I knew I could sing.”
His second label recorded “American Pie”; its two hits were “Vincent” and “American Pie,” the latter his most successful single, the longest song ever to reach the top of the chart at 8:36.
“The day the music died” line referred to the plane–crash deaths of Buddy Holly and Ritchie Havens in 1959.
When he was 15, McLean’s father died.
“I threw everything to the wind and said, ‘I am going to do what I want to do (and) I want to be a singer’. That’s all I’ve ever done, write songs about people and things that interest me.”
Doors opened. He had the fortune to be associated with Erik Darling (Weavers), Jim Croce, music manager Harold Leventhal and Pete Seeger. His talents took him all the way to the Grammy and Songwriters halls of fame.
Seeger had a big influence on McLean in an unexpected way.
“He allowed me to observe him as a family man and as a professional. He told me many things to help me avoid some of the things he would have like avoided.”
Seeger told McLean a story about coming home after a nine-month tour.
“He said, ‘One of the kids looked up at my wife and said, “Mommy, who is that?” ’ He said tears came to his eyes. I made up my mind that I would never be away so much that that would happen to me.”
McLean has made one CD with his children, “You’ve Got to Share: Songs for the Children.” He and his kids (ages 7 and 9) selected and sang the songs.
McLean plays Martin guitars. He owns more than 40 Martins, some of which are photographed for the book.
“In the old days, the ’50s, I was becoming aware of the mysteries of guitars and music. Martins became a Holy Grail type of thing.
“One day I walked by a music store and saw one in the window. I asked the old lady, ‘What is that?’
“She said, ‘Oh, that’s a Martin, the best guitar there is.’ “
McLean earned enough money to buy one Martin, then two. He hasn’t stop buying Martins, or performing with them.
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