A few nights ago I finished Love is a Mixed Tape by Rob Sheffield.
This is my favorite excerpt from the whole thing:
One day that fall we were driving around in her 1978 Chrysler LeBaron and Gladys Knight’s “Midnight Train to Georgia” came on the radio. Renee sang lead, while I sang the Pips’ backup routine. She’s leavin’! Leavin’ on the midnight train! Woo woo! A superstar but he didn’t get far! When we got to the final fade-out, with Gladys on board the train and the Pips choo-chooing their goodbyes, Renee cocked an eyebrow and said, “You made a good Pip.” That’s all I ever wanted to hear a girl tell me. That’s all I ever dreamed of being. Some of us are born Gladys Knights, and some of us are born Pips. I marveled unto my Pip soul how lucky I was to choo-choo and woo-woo behind a real Gladys girl.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I have a story behind this (it’s not that interesting), but what’s a pip? I kinda really need to know. My sister-in-law says it but she has no idea what it means. And if it means what I think it might, then that would make that not-so-interesting story kinda funny.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
This was one of my favorite parts too.
What a beautiful symbol of love…. yumm
bess
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April 3rd, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Hmm - per wikipedia:
At the age of seven in 1952, Gladys Knight won Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour television show contest. The following year, she, her brother Bubba, sister Brenda, and their cousins William and Eleanor Guest started a singing group called “The Pips” (named after another cousin, James “Pip” Woods). \
…What’s your story?
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April 3rd, 2008 at 6:14 pm
p.s. that’s one of my favorite songs of ALL time…
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April 4th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Thanks for reading my blog and leaving a really nice comment. I sincerely appreciate it! And with the addition of your blog, I’ve got another great thing to read during my boring work day. Thanks again! - Adam
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