Amie – Pure Prairie League | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#27); 1975
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
How’d you like to write and record a hit song, and – when it finally becomes a hit – not be around to enjoy it? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Craig Fuller and Amie.
Craig co-founded Pure Prairie League (named after the woman’s temperance union in Dodge City starring Errol Flynn) in 1969. The band played around Cincinnati for about a year before being signed to RCA.
The self-titled debut album featured some quality music, yet, didn’t sell. A second, Bustin’ Out, with an almost all-new line-up appeared in 1972. Despite a fine string arrangements by Bowie/Lou Reed/Mott the Hoople henchman Mike Ronson, tight Byrds-inspired harmonies, and good songs – especially Amie – Bustin’ Out stiffed.
Fan demand ultimately forced RCA to release Amie as a single two years later although Fuller was now working in a Kentucky hospital as a legal alternative to the Vietnam draft. Fuller later formed American Flyer and eventually rejoined Pure Prairie League in 1985.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Robert Alan Ringe
Lyrics Written by:
- Craig Fuller
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).