Epic Edits: Classic Rock Tracks that Cut Down to Size (for AM Radio)
Media 314 Pop Culturez Pop Music Epic Edits: Classis hits that were edited, sliced and remixed to fit on a 7-inch 45 rpm record.... American Pie (UA/Liberty)- Don McLean How do you make sure an 8 minute hippie poem about the history of rock n roll with allusions to the counter-culture gets airplay on Top 40 bubble-gum radio stations??? Cut it in half! Despite long songs having been issued on 7-inch singles before and becoming million-sellers (ie. 'Hey Jude', 'MacArthur Park') record companies were still very hesitant in the early 1970s to issue long tracks for public consumption and radio airplay. Mindful of this and realizing that he might have a potential hit single on his hands New York guitarist and vocalist Don McLean decided to take matters into his own hands and prepared a 4 minute version of 'American Pie' when he issued his album of the same name in 1971. Record company officials promptly ignored McLean's version as the song bulleted up the pop...