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In her letter, Swift 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, \"'American Pie' remained on top for 50 years and now Taylor Swift has unseated such a historic piece of artistry. 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.\"

Swift's 10-minute-plus recording of \"All Too Well\" is featured as a bonus track on \"Red (Taylor's Version),\" which she released on Nov. 12.

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