Anyone remember Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Gilligan" lawsuit?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Little Roger and the Goosebumps
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Roger_and_the_Goosebumps

Little Roger and the Goosebumps was a band from San Francisco active during the 1970s. They are best known for their song "Stairway to Gilligan's Island", which consists of the music of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" with the lyrics to theme song of the television show Gilligan's Island.

The band recorded the song in 1975, but did not seek permission. Led Zeppelin's lawyers sued them and demanded that any remaining copies of the recording be destroyed. Recently, the recording's producer, Kenny Laguna, played it for Robert Plant.

It's said that when they recorded their next single, "Kennedy Girl" (based on Neil Young's "Cinammon Girl"), they approached the author before releasing it. Neil Young granted permission on the condition that they first provide him with a copy of "Stairway To Gilligan's Island".

[Wickerman]

1. I never heard Kennedy Girl

and that sounds like Neil, wants a copy of the other. I used to have a 12" bootlegged copy of Stairway to Gilligan. Wish I wouldn't have sold it.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

2. I've got 45s of both...

...but Stairway to Gilligan was the KILLER.

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, you know the "And as we wind on down the road" section of "Stairway to Heaven?"

THAT'S where the band approximates a pretty damned accurate Robert Plant wail on the "Gilligan" lyrics like "If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the minnow would be lost"...

I know there are a buttload of Zep fans on DU. I own all of their original vinyl albums, and then turned around and bought everything on CD. BUT...this band...especially Robert Plant...has NO fucking sense of humor WHAT-SO-EVER.

Posted while wearing my flame-proof shorts.

:evilgrin:

:toast:

[Wickerman]

3. yeah, get those shorts on tight

:rofl:

kicking :evilgrin:

[warrens]

4. The court language was hilarious

I don't remember the exact words, but they were saying that STH was "a modern musical classic" and beloved by millions and as such should not be mocked or made fun of. God. I think Plant lightened up about it later.

[tuvor]

5. Stairway to Gilligan: The original mashup!

If you're into that sort of thing, check out www.gohomeproductions.co.uk.

[miss_kitty]

10. Oasis are Gaye

:rofl:

Damn I loves me some mashups!

[On the Road]

6. I Heard That on the Radio Long Ago

and thought it was hilarious. Couldn't understand why it didn't get more airplay. Hope there are some copies floating around the internet.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

7. This sounds like...

A typical Peter Grant move. Grant was Zep's manager and no bigger thug ever worked in the music biz. One former Zep roadie told me that when he was holding out for money to go on tour, Grant sent "Da BoyZ" around his flat and he was essentially press-ganged out on tour. At the rate of pay that Grant wanted. Which was essentially crap.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

13. Another Peter Grant story

...and the late Bill Graham told this one on KSAN shortly after it happened, as verification.

Led Zeppelin was playing at Bill Graham's "Day On The Green" in San Francisco. Peter Grant's kid saw a "Led Zeppelin" sign that Graham's people had posted. He took it, and as one of Graham's people asked him to put it back, the kid started squealing like a pig.

Several of Grant's goons...INCLUDING LED ZEPPELIN DRUMMER JOHN BONHAM...dragged the Graham employee into a nearby trailer and beat the ever-loving SHIT out of him.

Graham threatened to file assault charges. Grant said that unless Graham signed a document absolving all parties from legal action, Led Zep would not take the stage and Graham could deal with the riot that ensued.

Graham consulted with his lawyers, was assured the document Grant wanted him to sign would NOT be legally binding, so he signed it, and Zeppelin played.

I like a lot of Zeppelin's music, but when it comes down to the band...and Grant...as human beings, they are most certainly thugs, thieves (Willie Dixon wrote "You Shook Me," NOT Jimmy Page and Robert Plant)...not "heroes" or "Great Golden Gods" (as Plant once described himself) at all.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

16. I know.

I was there. I saw it all happen in front of me.

It was not a sign. It was 4 batil flags, on bamboo poles, each flag had the Zep member symbols on them. They were beautiful. Richard Cole("Colesy") saw them in the front of the audience, jumped the barricade, went out, smacked the person with the flags in the gob and took the flags.

The security people saw this and took great offense. When Colesy came back over the barricade, a broughaha ensued. Colesy got rough and got roughed-up for his efforts. Thus began the situation that lead to one of the guards getting hit with a lead pipe and Graham getting smacked around.

Quite the day.

[Tom Kitten]

8. I want that damn song.

Somebody please pm me the mp3! :D

[gmoney]

9. Yes, the MP3 is here

Google is a miracle worker: http://www.aprilwinchell.com/multimedia/
April Winchell has lots of other cool stuff here, too. I think I lurve April Winchell...

---------

I remember hearing about "Stairway to Gilligan's Island" years and years ago... for some reason thinking about it always conjures up the image of the arcade room at my local Putt Putt golf establishment.

There's another project called "Stairways to Heaven" where various Australian bands all cover "Stairway" in a different style... there's one as the 1964 Beatles, one as the Doors, one as the B-52s, and several others.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000005J65/

This was released in Australia in a somewhat different form (it springs from a TV show down there called "The Money or the Gun") but Led Zep's US label bought the rights and promptly smothered it. For some reason, they DID actually go ahead and press them, and a friend of mine who worked for that label sent me a couple of them. I see now it's going for $30 used. Woohoo!

Same friend also tells me that Robert Plant is SO tightfisted that when he opens his wallet, the Queen squints...

[Tom Kitten]

12. well that's incredible!

I was only kidding but how cool that page is! And now I have the mp3 :) Thanks a ton!
:yourock:

I have an album of disco Led Zep songs, it's pretty awful, I rarely listen to it...


Also if you like outre or found type recordings, I found this site a few years back ...365 mp3s here !

http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/

[gmoney]

14. Thanks for the UBU link...

Love this kind of oddball stuff... you might want to check out this one:

http://wfmu.org/onthedownload.php

Cheers,
G

[Squeech]

15. Are you sure?

According to the book Hammer of the Gods, it was Jimmy Page that was the tightwad. It says the other guys in the band used to refer to him as "Led Wallet."

But thanks for the link, I absolutely must bookmark that page!

[pitohui]

11. did not know of the lawsuit

used to love "stairway to gilligan," haven't thought of it in yrs