The Pure Prairie League's silky-smooth country-rock standard "Amie" dates all the way back to the band's sophomore album, 1972's Bustin' Out. Band member Craig Fuller's song about "falling in and out of love" with its title character became so popular that RCA Records released it as a single in 1975.
"Amie's" airplay success likely saved the Ohio-born band, which had been dropped by RCA in 1973. A return to RCA led to the 1975 album Two Lane Highway, which featured guest appearances by country music legends Chet Atkins, Johnny Gimble and Emmylou Harris.
Country-tinged love song "Amie" remained a big part of the group's live show when a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Oklahoma named Vince Gill joined its ranks from 1979-1981.
The above footage reminds us that Gill sang some of the greatest hits from simpler times long before joining The Eagles.
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Pure Prairie League's lone Top 10 hit, 1980's "Let Me Love You Tonight," features Gill as lead singer and defines his stint with the classic rock outfit.
As for the story behind "Amie," Fuller told the Tennessean that it's "just a song I wrote," so there's no old flame to investigate.
He had way more to say about recording a big-budget album with producer Robert Alan Ringe and such high-profile guests as David Bowie collaborator Mick Ronson.
"I think the track on that song had a lot to do with it," Fuller said of "Amie's" sustained popularity. "We were up there luxuriating (with) a large budget for back then. We were in Toronto all summer right across from Maple Leaf Gardens. It took us all summer to record that record. It wasn't even mixed yet and at that time Gordon Lightfoot came in. We had the whole (studio) blocked out in the days and Gordon Lightfoot would come in and record in the evening. He did a record in two weeks. Stompin' Tom Connors, who was a guy from Canada, country kind of guy, he did a record in two nights. So we were just up there having a good time."
"Amie" Lyrics
I can see why you think you belong to me,
I never tried to make you think,
Or let you see one thing for yourself,
And now you're off with someone else and I'm alone,
You see I thought I might keep you for my own.
Amie, what you wanna do?
I think I could stay with you,
For a while maybe longer if I do.
Don't you think the time is right for us to find,
That all the things we thought weren't proper could be right in time,
Can't you see which way we should turn together or alone,
I can never see what's right or what is wrong,
'Cause that take too long to see now.
Amie, what you wanna do?
I think I could stay with you,
For a while maybe longer if I do.
Come on now,
Amie, what you wanna do?
I think I could stay with you,
For a while maybe longer if I do.
Now it's come to what you want, you've had your way,
And all the things you thought before just faded into gray,
And can you see that I don't know if it's you or it's me,
But if it's one of us I'm sure we both will see, yeah,
Won't you look at me and tell me.
Amie, what you wanna do?
I think I could stay with you,
For a while maybe longer if I, longer if I do.
Amie, what you wanna do?
I think I could stay with you,
For a while maybe longer if I do.
I keep fallin' in and out of love with you,
Fallin' in and out of love with you,
Don't know what I'm gonna do,
I keep fallin' in and out of love with you.
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