The Girl Is Mine

8/3/2020

You know the song.  You even cringed as you sang along joyfully!

Here's "The Girl is Mine" from MJ's classic Thriller, featuring Sir Paul, himself.

Say Say Say

9/22/19

In the early 1980's, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson collaborated on a couple of projects.  Most people who didn't live in a cave at the time know all about it. 

Of course, there was "The Girl is Mine" on Jackson's masterpiece, "Thriller" even though it is the worst track on the album, in my opinion.  

But don't worry, this isn't the song stuck in my head.  "Say Say Say" was the collaboration that fell onto McCartney's (much) less successful album (than Thriller) 1983's "Pipes of Peace"

Say Say Say is the better song of the two, trust me.

Here's the song and its accompanying video.  I love it.  

Baby Be Mine

I'm on a huge Michael Jackson kick.  I just finished an 800 page biography about his life and I've scoured YouTube and various web pages over the last few months as I've tried to understand this man's life.  Sadly, I've never really delved much into his catalog of music- something I'm sure I'll remedy in the near future.

While reading about his life, I teetered between feeling that his life is a great tragedy and that his life was astonishing and triumphant.  What entertainer has had worldwide renown like Michael Jackson?
So- obviously the song stuck in my head this morning was from The King of Pop himself.  "Baby Be Mine" is the 2nd track on Jackson's 1982 album "Thriller" which still, so many years later (31 years!) is the best selling album of all time.  And with what's happened to the music industry, I doubt it will ever be surpassed by another album.  Time will tell, but I'll bet I'm right.

Oddly, today's song is one of the few tracks on this album that wasn't released as a single.  And it's a great song!   If I have my memory right, I think this is the 4th song from "Thriller" that I've blogged about here, which to me is saying a lot since I've not really ever been an active listener to Jackson's music (until now!)

OK, here's "Baby Be Mine" listen and enjoy.

I feel like I have so much more to say about Michael Jackson in this post, but I just don't have time. I hope I don't sound trite, but I will say simply this:

Here's to you MJ, a talented kid from working-class Gary, Indiana who has left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten.

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

Michael Jackson was something else, and today's song is a credit to him as a song writer, singer, dancer, and performer.

Today's song came to fruition when Michael Jackson, at the age of 20, sought out a career on his own, independent of The Jackson Five.  He wrote and composed the song himself and it quickly became a number one hit.  I've always loved the feel and sound of this song, his falsetto and the lyrics which I feel are impossible the understand.  Enjoy:

I really love songs.  I can't get enough.  As a society, I don't think we properly listen to music.  How often have you sat down, quietly and just listened to a song?  Have you ever marveled at the beauty of a melody, a clever hook, a smart lyric, or an intelligent chord progression?  Songs are so easily accessed in this day and age, that they are far too often playing in the background, present but ignored and forgotten.

A song is a work of art.  It has singing, poetry, music.  There are so many ways to put a song together between lyrical content, instrument choice, harmony, chords, and voice.  It can be ugly.  It can have a beat.  It can be sad, happy, or anything you want it to be.  It can be subjective and ambiguous.  It can challenge you.  It can profoundly speak to you in a simple way.  A good song will stick with you always, never to be forgotten.

I'm glad I have this blog where I can express myself and my love of music.  If anyone takes anything from this post, I hope more than anything that you'll take time to appreciate music as a work of art.  Take time to really listen.  Enrich someone else's life by sharing a song with them that you enjoy.  Spend some money on an artist you respect, buy his/her CD and encourage the creation of music, which often times is a difficult and unpredictable career.

If anyone is reading this and feels like posting a comment, I'd love to hear about one, or a few songs that you love.  I promise you I will listen to the song if I've never heard it, or listen to it again more in depth if I know the song already.

Have a great week all.

Human Nature

I think this is the 4th or 5th time I've posted a M.J. song on this blog.  Without much to say about it, here's the song:

Thanks for caring. 

Brady

Billie Jean

Still my favorite MJ song.  I love the music video too, probably for nostalgia more than anything. 

At the time this song and video were popular, I was 5 years old.  Michael Jackson was the COOLEST, and I'm sure most people my age would agree with me. 

Miss you, cool MJ.

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

I'm back and so is MJ. 

Not only does MJ want to be "startin' somethin" with my subconscious, someone else is as well.  Her name is Meghann Kassing, and though I would deny it unless someone were doing a DNA test, she is my cousin. 

I'm a good natured person, and I have always been nice to her.  She has a blog, and this is what she wrote about me on her blog:

http://panhandlingwithclass.blogspot.com/2012/06/i-follow-my-cousins-blog.html

It's been a month since she posted this, and all I have to say is "sticks and stones" Meg. 


Since I'm nice, I will tell you only a few things about Meg, and hopefully you'll understand why she feels sorry for herself and therefore has to make fun of me to feel better about herself. 

1-  She is addicted to candy.  When she worked with me she constantly demanded that I replenish her candy supply and if I didn't she would cuss like a sailor. 

2-  She's obsessed with Justin Bieber.  Yeah, I know, a lot of people are obsessed with him, but Meg is obsessed with him the way Glenn Close was obsessed in "Fatal Attraction." 

3-  Her feet are freakishly big. 

4-    Check out this picture of her with her brothers circa 1989.  She still perms her hair and bangs and has a  bigger bow than that in her hair. 

5-  Remember that game, Mall Madness?  She still plays it.  Alone. 

6-  Remember that scene in "Saved by the Bell" when Jessie has a caffeine overdose:

This happened to Meg, only she was overdosing on Aspartame. 

I could go on and on, but I'm nice so I won't.  I only wanted to tell you a few things so that you feel as sorry for her as I do.  

You Are Not Alone

Well now, this is starting to turn into an interesting set of songs, first Wham! then Queen and now I'm hearing cheesy music by Michael Jackson, who was the king of pop from 1979-1990, which is the year that Macauley Culkin became his best friend.  

I'm posting a video that has all the lyrics, rather than the official music video.  This is good for 2 reasons.  First, you can sing along like it's your very own karaoke machine.  Second, and more importantly, this way you don't have to see Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley half-naked like they are in the music video.  You are very welcome. 

This song was written by R.Kelly for anyone who cares.  Michael Jackson died 3 years ago yesterday for anyone else who cares.

I think we all feel sort of sorrowful that his fame was ultimately his downfall.  Another I think is that "Thriller" (the album) was just so incredibly fantastic that it was impossible for him to match.  Listen to "Billie Jean," then listen to today's song.  It just doesn't compare.  But this was the song playing in my brain today, so I guess my subconscious feels otherwise.