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Thread: Fish Accidentally Steals Gilligan's Island Theme

  1. #1
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Fish Accidentally Steals Gilligan's Island Theme

    Ok, I'm posting this in it's own thread, because:

    a) I need to know I'm not imagining this

    and

    2) I want to ruin the new Fish album for everyone else

    Listen and learn...



    Start this at about 5:20 -- it's a rock version of the Gilligan's Island theme! Not that there's anything wrong with it. :


  2. #2
    Years ago, I remember it being pointed out that Stairway To Heaven cribbed the Gilligan's Island melody. So someone actually recorded a version of Stairway, but with the Gilligan's Island lyrics. They fit perfectly, but unfortunately, legal was brought by the publishers (not sure if it was Zep or whoever owned the rights to the Gilligan's theme) and the record had to be withdrawn from the market.

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    Years ago, I remember it being pointed out that Stairway To Heaven cribbed the Gilligan's Island melody. So someone actually recorded a version of Stairway, but with the Gilligan's Island lyrics. They fit perfectly, but unfortunately, legal was brought by the publishers (not sure if it was Zep or whoever owned the rights to the Gilligan's theme) and the record had to be withdrawn from the market.
    I think it's more that the lyric to STH just happens to work with the Gilligan's Island theme - that one's been out there for a long time. This is different.

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    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    Years ago, I remember it being pointed out that Stairway To Heaven cribbed the Gilligan's Island melody. So someone actually recorded a version of Stairway, but with the Gilligan's Island lyrics. They fit perfectly, but unfortunately, legal was brought by the publishers (not sure if it was Zep or whoever owned the rights to the Gilligan's theme) and the record had to be withdrawn from the market.
    Really? Same thing with the song "in the court of the Crimson King." You can replace the lyrics with the Gilligan's Island theme and they fit perfectly as well.

    Ok I guess it does sound a lot like the Giligan's Island theme. I wonder how intentional it was on Fish's part. I'd say the Flaming Lips song "fight test" sounds more like Cat Steven's "father and son" than this does with the Gilligan's Island theme or at least as much.

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Digital_Man View Post
    Really? Same thing with the song "in the court of the Crimson King." You can replace the lyrics with the Gilligan's Island theme and they fit perfectly as well.

    Ok I guess it does sound a lot like the Giligan's Island theme. I wonder how intentional it was on Fish's part. I'd say the Flaming Lips song "fight test" sounds more like Cat Steven's "father and son" than this does with the Gilligan's Island theme or at least as much.
    It wasn't intentional - I'm joking about him stealing it, but I do think there's a strong similarity for part of the song.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    I think it's more that the lyric to STH just happens to work with the Gilligan's Island theme - that one's been out there for a long time.
    Indeed. I had a copy of that on an old bootleg more than 30 years ago, when it was (falsely) purported to be Led Zeppelin.

    I recall a comedian pointing out that you can take any lyric and sing it to the tune of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." And they used "The Star-Spangle Banner" as an example.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by ronmac View Post
    Indeed. I had a copy of that on an old bootleg more than 30 years ago, when it was (falsely) purported to be Led Zeppelin.

    I recall a comedian pointing out that you can take any lyric and sing it to the tune of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." And they used "The Star-Spangle Banner" as an example.
    Speaking of "Gilligan's Island," you can sing any Emily Dickinson poem to that tune. Or to "The Yellow Rose of Texas." I've never been able to read Dickinson without laughing since someone pointed that out to me.

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    I can't it myself. Wouldn't be surprised if Fish has never seen this show... It was never shown in the UK apart from a brief number of episodes in the 1960s (And that might have been only in certain regions)

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    As I said, I don't think it's at all intentional. But I'm surprised you can't hear it. Did you start the Fish song at 5:20 as I recommended? Actually, if you start at 5:50 it's even better.

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    Member Vic2012's Avatar
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    I don't hear it at all. Maybe it's just me. I know the Gilligan's Island theme pretty well (who doesn't?). I've been watching two episodes every night on MeTV for couple weeks now. Nope, don't hear it.

  11. #11
    Member Burley Wright's Avatar
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    The tunes and words to Gilligan's theme and Amazing Grace fit each other perfectly.

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    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vic2012 View Post
    I don't hear it at all. Maybe it's just me. I know the Gilligan's Island theme pretty well (who doesn't?). I've been watching two episodes every night on MeTV for couple weeks now. Nope, don't hear it.
    Me either. If you're stating that the lyrical meter is 4 - 4 - 8 you're going to find about 90% of song lyrics fit. Certainly the tune bears no resemblance.

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    Marklar Jimmy Giant's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    Years ago, I remember it being pointed out that Stairway To Heaven cribbed the Gilligan's Island melody. So someone actually recorded a version of Stairway, but with the Gilligan's Island lyrics. They fit perfectly, but unfortunately, legal was brought by the publishers (not sure if it was Zep or whoever owned the rights to the Gilligan's theme) and the record had to be withdrawn from the market.
    My brother told me about this way back when, but I was never able to find it. Glad someone else knows about it. He was hysterical over it.

    Now if someone can find it....
    JG

    "MARKLAR!"

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    I don't hear any similarity either.

  15. #15
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    I'm completely not hearing it. I'm twisting what he's doing in my head to "make" it fit, but no. It's just a shuffle groove.

  16. #16
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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  17. #17
    Marklar Jimmy Giant's Avatar
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    Thanks Dave!
    JG

    "MARKLAR!"

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    I dunno about the Gilligan thing, but I damn sure like this song.

  19. #19
    I hear the 1-5-4 melody in the first three notes and then it goes off on its own. After those first three notes the GI Theme shifts chords and Fish's doesn't so any similarity is blown right there. So yeah, imho you're reaching They do both have a shanty-esque vibe, as do a lot of things...

  20. #20
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Thanks for the morning giggles dudes with the Gilliganian-STH!!! too hilarious, especially with the ship wreck during the guitar solorotflmao.gif
    Made my day , despite the shitty Dutch weather.


    As for Fish, yeah, there is a strong resemblance with Gilligan's melody, but that song borrowed heavily on typical Celtic ballads, just speeded it up... So my guess is that neither Fish or Gilligan came up with the traditional-sounding melody
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    Years ago, I remember it being pointed out that Stairway To Heaven cribbed the Gilligan's Island melody.
    Possibly you're thinking about "Immigrant Song" and "Bali Hi"?

  22. #22
    Member Oreb's Avatar
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    Perhaps it's more that the theme for the show was a pretty generic parody of the old ballad/sea shanty style.

    Does it matter that this waste of time is what makes a life for you?

  23. #23
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    1) I wasn't truly suggesting that Fish stole or borrowed anything (the subject line says "Accidentally Steals"). The suggestion was meant to be humorous. I definitely do hear a similarity, but it's of course nothing more than coincidence.

    1a) So far there are a couple of others here whose hearing and musical acuity are keen enough that they can detect the similarity. The rest of you seem to be having some difficulty. Listen again is all I can say. It doesn't have anything to do with the words Fish is singing BTW - he could be singing about his garden and it would still work. The similarity is only for a few bars.

    1b) Sometimes you guys are humorless!

  24. #24
    Just to see what would happen, I did a Google image search for "shit in cornflakes".







    I found stuff.

  25. #25
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    1a) So far there are a couple of others here whose hearing and musical acuity are keen enough that they can detect the similarity. The rest of you seem to be having some difficulty. Listen again is all I can say. It doesn't have anything to do with the words Fish is singing BTW - he could be singing about his garden and it would still work. The similarity is only for a few bars.
    It's more than a few bars, really.

    You might want to mention that it starts at 2:43 until the song speeds around 5:25... and it goes even a bit further

    Just listen to Fish's melody and vocal delivery, not the lyrics


    PS: I just had to relisten to that STGI thing... rotflmao.gifrotflmao.gif
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

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