Category Archives: mixtape

The Temptations – My Girl (1965)

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The Temptations – My Girl (1965) (Video) (Lyrics)

(Written January 17, 2023)

Ah, My Girl!  I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know or love the song.  I think it comes with being a girl who grew up in Michigan.  As much as I love the song, it is the movie My Girl (1991) that holds the most memories.  Per usual, Grandma Reid took my sister Erica and me to see it in the theater.

At that point in 1991, I was 10 years old and could relate to Vada.  I happen to be roughly the same age as the protagonists (Vada and Thomas J.), and frankly, I could see myself becoming fast friends with Vada.  She loved to write, had a great sense of fashion, and seemed like a lot of fun.  I could imagine us dishing about our crushes as only preteen girls can.  I felt for her when Thomas J. died.

After the movie, we headed over to KMart where my sister and I purchased a Temptations/Four Tops CD to share.  The fact that we “shared” a CD highlights just how young we were.  For the record, my sister and I have never had the exact same taste in music.  I can think of only one other CD that we both purchased later on in our teen years.  It wasn’t so much that our musical taste varied that much, it is just that we were very different teenage girls.  Some of our best arguments were over what music to play in the car on that all-important 10 minute drive to school.

My Girl is timeless.  It represents my love of Motown and will always remind me of the movie and a simpler time in my life.

Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982)

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Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982) (Official Video) (Lyrics)

(Written January 14, 2023)

The King of Pop.  It is difficult to explain to younger generations just how big Michael Jackson was in the early 1980s.  He was everywhere.  The Beatles, of course, were bigger in the 1960s, but I fail to think of anyone (or any band) bigger than Michael Jackson in the years since – with, of course, the exception of Madonna, who was just as big as the Queen of Pop during the same time period.

Similar to Madonna, Michael Jackson’s hits immediately take me back to my earliest childhood memories.  My love of MJ’s music, once again, has much to do with the influence of my older cousins.  I distinctly remember my mom giving my cousin Nicole a Michael Jackson doll for her birthday.  As a preschooler, I was envious!  There is even an adorable picture of Nicole and I sitting on Grandma’s lap, Nicole proudly hugging her new Thriller album.

Unlike the cloud that hangs over Madonna’s legacy, there is little question that Michael Jackson’s music holds up.  I noticed it the summer of 2009 right after his death.  All of a sudden it was cool to rediscover MJ’s hits, his questionable legacy suddenly forgotten.  I can’t help but wonder if the same will happen with Madonna upon her death.

Then there is Thriller itself.  The album, the song, and music video itself – in reality, almost a short film – are still fun to revisit.  As a child who loved the macabre and everything to do with Halloween, I adored the video.  Learning as an adult that VIncent Price lent his incredible voice to the video:  Priceless.  In my opinion, Thriller is one of the best music videos ever made.

The Mixtapes – The History

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In designing The Mixtapes, several things inspired me.  First up, JamsBio, which I’ve discussed a little here.  Back in 2006/2007, I had the opportunity to write a series of articles for JamsBio, an online magazine celebrating the love of music, outlining my favorite songs/artists and what music meant to me.  I only wrote ten articles and JamsBio didn’t last, but it was the most fun I have ever had working, not to mention the easiest money I’ve ever made.  While I still wish I had thought to save those original articles, with The Mixtapes, I have the opportunity to start anew and build it correctly this time.

JamsBio isn’t the only inspiration.  As a teenager, I religiously watched Ali McBeal with my mom.  The show began each episode with Vonda Shephard playing a song that highlighted something on Ali’s mind.  It popularized the idea of a soundtrack to one’s life, and frankly, that idea never really left me.  Consider this that soundtrack.

Then there is Paul McCartney.  It is no secret that I am a huge Beatles, Wings, and Paul McCartney fan.  Do I love everything the man has ever done?  Not exactly.  Yet, he (and all of the Beatles) will always be in a category of their own.  Anyway, Paul McCartney published The Lyrics:  1956 to the Present in 2022.  While I have yet to read it (I know, I know …), the idea is incredible to me.  Essentially, Paul McCartney wrote a memoir that consists of the stories behind 154 of the songs he wrote.  It covers songs from all parts of his career – Beatles, Wings, solo, etc.  I can’t imagine a better gift to fans.  Even better, there is a Spotify playlist that covers all of the songs in The Lyrics in the order they appear in the book (alphabetically by song title).  When I finally do read it, I will be able to listen along as well.

So there you have it, the inspiration behind The Mixtapes.  Enjoy and feel free to share your own memories.

Madonna – Material Girl (1984)

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Madonna – Material Girl (1984) (Official Video) (Lyrics)

(Written January 12, 2023)

Almost any early Madonna song immediately takes me back to my early childhood, thanks to several older female cousins who adored her.  I fell in love right along with them and every other girl on the planet.  The Queen of Pop rightfully deserves several entries here, and it is only right that I start with Material Girl.

It is easy to dismiss Material Girl as an ode to greed, a quintessentially ‘80s throwaway pop song.  Personally, I think that is a bit harsh, and frankly unfair, even if I believe Madonna’s music hasn’t aged particularly well.  

Yet, I keep coming back to the video.  Yes, there are diamonds and countless references to Marilyn Monroe.  There is also something timeless that introduced an entire younger generation to the glamor of old school Hollywood.  In the music video, there are even sequences at the beginning and end of the song that make the video just a bit less outrageously materialistic.  As a young girl obsessed with Disney princesses and Barbie, Madonna seemed to have it all:  style, grace, and she could sing too.

As I grew older, remaining a Madonna fan became harder and harder to defend.  I distinctly remember being embarrassed for her when she was photographed everywhere in a cone bra and released the book Sex.  I was all of 11.

As Madonna appears to be struggling with aging gracefully (that is another topic entirely), I can only hope that we as a society don’t write off her music entirely as time goes on.  For me at least, her earliest work – what made her a star, the Queen of Pop – will always be a cherished part of my childhood.  Grab some popcorn and enjoy the video!

2023: The Year Ahead – Music and Books

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Over the last several months, I’ve given plenty of thought of where I’d like to take Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde.  For years, I’ve wanted to incorporate my love of music into my writing.  The issue is that quoting song lyrics, even with proper attribution, can be seen as copyright infringement.  Yet, I want to share some of my favorite songs and the memories they represent.

Early childhood and dolls aside, my favorite Christmas and birthday gifts all related to music – everything from my earliest Fisher Price record player and tape player to various albums/tapes/CDs, to my last Sony Discman.  They were all used and abused.  In fact, there were times I had to repurchase CDs due to overuse and sand.  I replaced several Sony Discman due to the same issue.

I owned a mint green, slightly larger version of this radio/tape player as kid. It was one of my favorites!

Enter the mixtape.  See, I am just old enough to remember how fun it was to listen to the radio long after my parents went to bed in order to record my favorite songs.  I’m thinking of creating a category here that will serve as a mix tape of sorts.  On a separate Mixtape page, I will outline and categorize my favorite songs and albums.  Each link to to song or album title will include a passage about that particular song/album, along with links to lyrics and official music videos.  I am beyond excited about this, and I am looking forward to seeing this project take off.  It will take time.

In addition, my reading life has really taken off.  I’ve read so many wonderful books lately.  I’ve been thinking about how to best share it all with you.  I plan to start sharing book reviews again as well.  Stay tuned!  Right now, I am working on how best to do this.  I’ve researched the tools.  Now it is a matter of figuring out what works out best for me – and you, the readers.

Here’s to a productive – and FUN! – 2023!

This is quite possibly the most 1999 thing I’ve ever come across.
It immediately takes me back to the summer of 1999. You can listen to it here.

Review: The Day the Music Died (Documentary)

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Every so often there comes along a rock documentary that I can recommend to just about everyone.  That is the case with The Day the Music Died, which is currently streaming on, and exclusive to, Paramount +.  If you care about Don McLean’s American Pie at all, or the stories behind it, it is a must-watch.  I adore everything about the song, and clearly, after watching the documentary, I am in great company.

I grew up loving the song, which is a story in and of itself.  Very few songs from the time period steal from so many genres.  Stop and think about it for a minute:  Exactly which genre does it belong to?  It isn’t exactly a folk song, it isn’t entirely a rock song, nor is it a pure pop song.  American Pie is all that and more.  It has been covered by country artists and even Madonna, whose version I’ve had mixed feelings about ever since she released it during the summer of 1999 (it was definitely in heavy rotation the summer before I headed to Michigan State).  In the documentary, Garth Brooks discusses in depth the influence the song had on him and his career.  Yet, I feel it is SO much more.  It is timeless.

“The Very Best Of Buddy Holly And The Crickets” by Brett Jordan is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Several years ago now, during one of my subbing experiences in a high school Spanish class, I was instructed to show the movie La Bamba, which was, quite frankly, an unforgettable experience in all the best ways.  First, if you know the movie at all, you will easily recognize why showing it to high school students required some careful editing (fastforwarding).  Fortunately, that went well.  What pleasantly surprised me is how much those students loved the story behind La Bamba and the music.  As we had a few minutes left after the end of the movie – thanks to the inappropriate parts I had to skip – I had a moment to explain the term the day the music died and Don McLean’s song.  Most students knew the song American Pie, of course, but I don’t think that most realized that it referenced an actual event.  I loved watching them make the connection!

The documentary itself covers so much.  It dives deep into exactly how Don McLean wrote the song and came up with the lyrics, as well as his childhood.  Of course, one of the best aspects of the song and lyrics is trying to figure out all of those cryptic references – ie the king with his thorny crown, jack flash, etc.  According to McLean, the only one that is truly “correct” is the double reference ”Lenin/Lennon read a book on Marx.”  Yet, I am not entirely convinced.  That is what makes the lyrics great.  Just as with the best poetry, there are layers upon layers.  Definitely a must-watch.

By the way Michiganders, watch for an interesting reference to Grand Rapids.

“THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED” by akahawkeyefan is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.