"Amie" is a song by the American

country rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...

group

Pure Prairie League Pure Prairie League is an American country rock band whose origins go back to 1965 and Waverly, Ohio, with singer and guitarist Craig Fuller, drummer Tom McGrail, guitarist and drummer Jim Caughlan and steel guitarist John David Call. Fuller s ...

. The song initially appeared on the band's 1972 album, '' Bustin' Out''. It was subsequently released as a single in 1975, after it gained popularity as an album cut.

History

The song was written by

Craig Fuller Craig Lee Fuller (born July 18, 1949) is an American musician and songwriter. Fuller was the co-founder of Pure Prairie League, along with John David Call and George Powell. Fuller wrote and sang their first hit "Amie". He departed the band i ...

and was originally recorded by the band on their 1972 album '' Bustin' Out'', but was not released as a single until 1975, following a suggestion by critic and

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''. Called the "punk poe ...

Group guitarist Lenny Kaye at an RCA release party after gaining popularity on college and commercial radio stations as an album cut. Its airplay led

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

to re-sign Pure Prairie League after having previously dropped them.

Critical reception

In his book ''Music: What Happened?'', musician and music critic Scott Miller described the song as "quintessentially 1972" and "lovely." Mike DeGagne of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

called it "a charming little country-pop tune" and "their most memorable," praising its melody and

's lead vocals. Rock historian John Einarson, citing the song's "lilting harmonies and subtle acoustic playing," called it "a classic of the country rock genre."