Monday, November 21, 2005

Mashistory Vol 1: Stairway to Gilligan



"Gilligan's Island (Stairway)" Mp3

I have been planning a series of shorter posts on the history of the Mashup (the musical craze that has been raging in the DJ world for several years now). If you want to check it out "live" head down to the now infamous Mash Ave party with residents DJ BC and Lenow. As someone who has been drifting back and forth between DJ and rock band worlds for some time now, I find it amusing that this musical form has been heralded as the new new thing. In fact, people have been at this for quite some time. What really changed is that digital technology has finally made it possible for everyone to mix and mash. (Note that this article makes the claim that "Mashups first appeared on the pop-culture radar screen earlier this year with the release of The Grey Album"). Others have suggested connections between mashups and the cut up record, plunderphonics, sample based music and even the audio collage work of John Cage. But really, these things are all very different.


Wayne does a super job juggling the nuances of mashup politics in his summer '05 post Mashpolitik. I am going to take a slightly different approach by occasionally featuring tracks and ideas related to the history of the mashup. My first selection was inspired by a recent e-mail from Franc Graham. Her reference to Little Roger and the Goosebumps' 1978 song "Gilligan's Island (Stairway)" reminded me that this was my first encounter with a "mashup".

I won't try to recreate the history of this song (which was penned by Little Roger's late guitarist John Shield). Suffice it to say that the track features the music of Stairway to Heaven with the lyrics and melody of the Gilligan Island theme on top. Not only is it hillarious (methinks), the specific format (instrumentals of one song with vocals from another) make it a good candidate for an early Mashup. This form distinguishes it from related musical parody work of folks like Wierd Al who sing goofy lyrics over familiar tunes. Not only that, but Little Roger and the GB's were even sued by Led Zep and forced to stop selling the single. This outlaw status strengthens its connection to more recent illegal art forms like the mashup. Luckily, it was finally re-released on a 2000 compilation called Laguna Tunes, which features the work of Kenny Laguna, who produced the band.

You have to give respect to Little Roger and the Goosebumps for doing it all on guitars and stuff. 'Member those?

Finally, here is a nice little blurb about the band I found at a site on the Sacramento music scene.

"Little Roger & The Goosebumps - Their one single didn't quite climb the charts nationally in 1978 because it was pre-empted by a lawsuit while the song was steadily gaining airplay around the country. The song was called "Stairway To Gilligan's Island," (ed note: the actual title appears to have been "Gilligan's Island - Stairway" judging from the 45 below) which was a novelty featuring the lyrics of the Gilligan's Island Theme set to the music of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven." It was Led Zeppelin's publishing company who kept the song from growing into a hit due to Little Roger's failure to seek permission prior to releasing the record. The plaintiffs ordered the record to be taken off the market and all copies destroyed. The band was formed in the mid-seventies and became well-known in the Davis scene before spreading to Sacramento and ultimately gaining more popularity in the Bay Area. It was fronted by Roger Clark, who teamed up with San Francisco band Earthquake to record the instrumentation in London at Pete Townshend's studio. Other members included the late guitarist John Shield, who came up with the idea of mixing the two songs together, and violinist Dick Bright, who became an accomplished orchestra leader in the Bay Area and backed artists like Santana and Bonnie Raitt. After the smoke had cleared, the recording later appeared on a Blackheart/Mercury Records compilation called Laguna Tunes, compiled by producer Kenny Laguna."

And a picture of the orignal 45 (reposted here from the nice folks at www.gilligansisle.com).

38 Comments:

Blogger wayne&wax said...

nice one, pace!

just a note, though: sometimes they're using the melody from "stairway" and the lyrics from "gilligan's."

this sort of thing reminds me of the recent phenom in which bands take the melody from one song, an appropriate chord progression from another, and rewrite the lyrics to make an entirely new song, with no explicit reference to either original (and in some cases, i take it, making for a rather hard-to-spot connection). no examples come to mind at this moment, but i think such cases definitely challenge the copyright status quo.

keep the genealogy coming. it's worth working out all these distinctions and connections.

6:35 AM  
Blogger Pace said...

Thanks for the clarification Wayne. Also, apologies to any live mashologists for the scare quotes I use above. I merly wanted to highlight the complexity of all this, not suggest that being in a rock band doing mashups is somehow "better" than doing them with Live or doing them live with two decks. I got my personal prefs, but that's just me. May a thousand mashups bloom! Oh...wait...I guess they already did.

7:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I heard this Gilligan-Stairway version once on KLRB in Monterey around '78 and never heard again. Now I know why and now I know it wasn't my imagination even though my friends would look at me like I was crazy when I would bring up in conversation. I was starting to think they might be right. Thanks for the reafirmation of my sanity.

Now if only I could find out about the korean genius kid that predicted that the country that landed on the moon would rule the world that I read about in a LOOK magazine article circa 1966-67.

10:44 PM  
Blogger Tim said...

Funny you mentioned Weird Al in this context, because a couple of his songs might actually qualify as mash-ups under your definition.

"The Brady Bunch" (from the 1984 album "In 3-D") starts off as a parody of "Safety Dance" and stays with its melody throughout, but the second half of the song is the theme song of the TV sitcom unaltered over the Men Without Hats tune.

"Money for Nothing / Beverly Hillbillies" (from the soundtrack of the 1989 movie "UHF") features the lyrics to the TV sitcom's theme song, sung over the Dire Straits tune. It even features Mark Knopfler on guitar.

The latter is one of my favorites of his, its really excellently done. The rendition of it in the movie features a mash-up of the iconic music video as well.

9:12 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pace! Nice one... thanks for this track, I never heard it before. Also thanks for the link!
You should contact me re: spinning Mash Ave, bro!
We gotta meet up!~
BC

2:49 PM  
Blogger Kentonstore said...

This is great! I think the combination of the two is better than either were alone. lol

7:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have this very single. Always a crowd pleaser...

7:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Friend! You have a great blog over here!
Please accept my compliments and wishes for your happiness and success!
If you have a moment, please take a look at my anime music lyric site.
Have a great day!

2:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Friend! You have a great blog over here!
Please accept my compliments and wishes for your happiness and success!
If you have a moment, please take a look at my anime music lyric site.
Have a great day!

2:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Friend! I just came across your blog and wanted to
drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with
the information you have posted here.
Keep up the great work, you are providing a great resource on the Internet here!
If you have a moment, please make a visit to my country music lyrics laughter site.
Good luck in your endeavors!

8:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Friend! You have a great blog over here!
Please accept my compliments and wishes for your happiness and success!
If you have a moment, please take a look at my country music lyrics site.
Have a great day!

12:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Blogger, I found your blog quite informative.
I just came across your blog and wanted to
drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with it.
I give you my best wishes for your future endeavors.
If you have a moment, please visit my country music lyrics site.
Have a great week!

4:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Friend! I just came across your blog and wanted to
drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with
the information you have posted here.
Keep up the great work, you are providing a great resource on the Internet here!
If you have a moment, please make a visit to my country music oldies lyrics site.
Good luck in your endeavors!

3:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, you have a great blog here! I'm definitely going to bookmark you!
I have a country music oldies lyrics site.
Come and check it out if you get time :-)
Greetings.

7:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Friend! I just came across your blog and wanted to
drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with
the information you have posted here.
Keep up the great work, you are providing a great resource on the Internet here!
If you have a moment, please make a visit to my ella fitzgerald music song lyrics site.
Good luck in your endeavors!

11:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Blogger, I found your blog quite informative.
I just came across your blog and wanted to
drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with it.
I give you my best wishes for your future endeavors.
If you have a moment, please visit my destiny child music lyrics site.
Have a great week!

3:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi there Blogger, a real useful blog.Keep with the good work.
If you have a moment, please visit my gnu song lyrics or music site.
I send you warm regards and wishes of continued success.

1:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Home Builders

window shutters Tips for building or remodeling your dream home.

10:19 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

blog? I love it and can I post my stuff here. Nice content too.

3:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi people
I do not know what to give for Christmas of the to friends, advise something ....

6:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello. Good day
Who listens to what music?
I Love songs Justin Timberlake and Paris Hilton

12:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I considered myself as the professional in this theme, and did not think that I can find in the Internet something new. But having come on your site, I have understood, that I know nothing and it is necessary for me to study and study as much as possible.
- www.blogger.com 2
phentermine

11:27 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Such a cozy place to visit!
- www.blogger.com c
spaghetti alla carbonara

5:42 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

texas car insurance
car insurance uk
fresno car insurance
antique car insurance
car insurance houston
direct line car insurance
best car insurance quote
best car insurance rate
car insurance for woman
car insurance for mexico
cheap car insurance online
teen car insurance
cheap online car insurance quote
car insurance san diego
mercury car insurance
compare car insurance rate
rental car insurance
auto insurance quote
mercury car insurance
cheap online car insurance quote
progressive car insurance
best car insurance
young driver car insurance
in car insurance
buy car insurance online
cheap car insurance quote uk
best car insurance rate
car insurance rating
young driver car insurance
online car insurance rate

http://cheap-car-insurance.quickfreehost.com

Random Keyword: :)
aig car insurance

1:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This webpage loads very fast
What hosting provider do you use?
micro bikini babes | mature group sex | mature orgy | milf sex | mature milf
http://110603.homepagemodules.de/
http://110628.homepagemodules.de/
http://110605.homepagemodules.de/
http://110619.homepagemodules.de/

8:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent web site
I will visit it often.
BlackDad
black cock | cum drinking shots | drunk girls kissing | big butts | big breasts
http://fm7.biz/0ocy
http://fm7.biz/0oc2
http://fm7.biz/0ocb
http://fm7.biz/0obz

4:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi
Do not delete it please. I need money urgent












Bye

8:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

More or less nothing seems worth doing, but oh well.
I just don't have anything to say now.
teacher fucking student | small tits | sexy bikini babes | tiffany teen movies free | nice tits
http://symy.jp/?1J_teacher-4y
http://symy.jp/?mA_small-ti5e
http://symy.jp/?.B_sexy-bikye
http://symy.jp/?Dl_tiffany-29

2:07 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kiss you!
I think this is the best site in the net I have ever visited!
Really, very nice site.
I check it regularly!
ativan without prescription | fioricet | xenical | paxil | buy generic meridia
http://www.webmasterslive.de/cgi-bin/gbuch/books/227.cgi
http://www.webmasterslive.de/cgi-bin/gbuch/books/226.cgi
http://www.webmasterslive.de/cgi-bin/gbuch/books/224.cgi
http://www.webmasterslive.de/cgi-bin/gbuch/books/232.cgi

7:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My mind is like a fog.
I don't care.
That's how it is.
diazepam | celebrex | lortab | hydrocodone cod | lipitor adverse effects
http://diazepamy.ca.cx
http://celebrexk.ca.cx
http://lortaby1.ca.cx
http://hydrocodon7.new.fr

12:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My mind is like a fog.
I don't care.
That's how it is.
diazepam | celebrex | lortab | hydrocodone cod | lipitor adverse effects
http://diazepamy.ca.cx
http://celebrexk.ca.cx
http://lortaby1.ca.cx
http://hydrocodon7.new.fr

12:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello!
Excellent site, but most of messages here are not related to its contents...
cheap lortab no prescription | discount levitra | lipitor side affects | propecia
http://www.som.yale.edu/AnalystReports/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1883
http://user1.123imwww.de/eltig/index.html
http://user1.123imwww.de/eltig/lipitor.html

3:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

More or less nothing seems worth doing, but oh well.
I just don't have anything to say now.
celexa | hydrocodone | phentermine overnight | ativan drug | acyclovir test
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3655-X1J2A
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3647-J1O1K
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3662-T8A2U
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3653-W4H6V

2:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very good web site
Great work and thank you for your service
Bob
alprazolam | celexa | fioricet side effects | carisoprodol | lortab
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3652-P7X8D
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3655-X1J2A
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3648-I0D8X
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3644-F1J4B

3:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very good web site
Great work and thank you for your service
Bob
butalbital apap caffeine | carisoprodol | tramadol online | ambien | buy fioricet online cheap
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3654-J5O3T
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3644-F1J4B
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3664-Y8M2K
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3646-O2Q3U

4:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello,
I love this site.
Kisses, Lisa
diazepam 10mg | cash delivery fioricet | butalbital | adipex | ambien
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3649-S1H4V
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3648-I0D8X
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3654-J5O3T
http://www3.viviano.de/cgi-bin/book2.cgi?gbid=3643-G2U0X

5:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hull!
Dis site gets betta every time I visit it.
Great work guyz!
hot mature young boy | teenage girls naked | old teachers | my friends hot mom page | nude teens
http://mature0mom6.www2.prexon.nl/
http://naked8girl6.www2.prexon.nl/
http://mature1tea9.www2.prexon.nl/
http://my0friends8.www2.prexon.nl/

6:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi there, does anyone know of any residual income affiliate program? related sites. Ive setup a few sites with a site called Dating Solutions, for my new venture in the residual income affiliate program industry. But im eager to get going on other projects. I also found http://dating-solutions.blogspot.com/ to be useful reading, which is how i found Dating Solutions in the first place. - Excellent find, already made some money with them! Thanks for reading, Rachel x

7:00 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home