Taylor Swift always does the right thing. After her song “All Too Well” broke the record for the lengthiest track ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, she sent a gift to the guy who’d held the record for the past 50 years: singer/songwriter Don McLean.
McLean, whose 1971 hit “American Pie” ran eight minutes and 36 seconds, was bested by Taylor, with “All Too Well” clocking in at 10:13. McLean tweeted a photo of the flowers and letter that Taylor sent him, and commented, “What a classy artist! Thank you @taylorswift13 for the flowers & note!“
In her letter, Taylor wrote, “Don, I will never forget that I’m standing on the shoulders of giants. Your music has been so important to me. Sending love [from] one writer of LONG SONGS to another. Your fan, Taylor.”
McLean, 76, said in a statement to ABC Audio last month, “Let’s face it, nobody ever wants to lose that #1 spot, but if I had to lose it to somebody, I sure am glad it was another great singer/songwriter such as Taylor.”
Taylor’s 10-minute-plus recording of “All Too Well” is featured as a bonus track on Red (Taylor’s Version), which she released on November 12.
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