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At first, I got this strange and misterious song "Stairway to gilligan" from the bootleg LP "KNEBWORTH", finally I knew many episodes of this song by many kindly people who told me about this. Song was published in the late 70s as a 45rpm single by the band "Little Roger and the Goosebumps". Backing tracks are similer to LED ZEP's "Stairway to heaven" but lyrics and vocal melody are from the theme song for the 60s television comedy "Gilligans Island" ("Gilligans Island" ran in the late sixties/early seventies. It told how the stereo-typical characters survived when they were shipwrecked on a desert island - were general stories of Gilligan "screwing-up and saving the day" - "Official Gilligan's Island Fan Club" page is here!). This song was said to be joke released but censored by a lawsuit from Led Zeppelin's publishing company. They insisted that it be taken off from the market and all the remaining copies were destroyed. |
updated 2002.2.20
"Little Roger and the Goosebumps" from Jim Jones (USA)
In fact, I saw it performed live by Little Roger and the Goosebumps in 1976 in San Jose, California at the San Jose State University Campus. They had originally formed in Michigan, according to what was said at the concert, and had recently moved out to the Bay Area. They were very much an "art band," and had a number of satirical or darkly humorous songs. I do remember that the number 2 performer in the band besides "Little Roger" was a large man in a white sailor suite and hat who weaved around the stage while playing a violin.
"Little Roger and the Goosebumps" broke up not long after coming to the Bay Area, although one or more of the Goosebumps went on to a band called "Bubba Lou and the Highballs" which was a popular bar and lounge band in the area for several years. |
updated 2004.4.9
More about "Little Roger and the Goosebumps" from Steve Krebs (USA)
The band Little Roger and the Goosebumps was formed in the mid-1970s in the city of Davis, California, home of the University of California,
Davis. They played frequently around town, were very popular on the Davis bar scene, and started to get out-of town gigs, too, in Sacramento and the Bay Area. I was a student at UC Davis then, living out on Olive Drive, in Davis. My next door neighbor was John Shields, who was the
guitarist for the band. The violin player was Dick Bright, who later went to San Francisco and became a sort of Paul Shaffer type guy, hosting
musical events in The City. I have not heard any mention of him for many years.
Sadly, John Shields died in his late twenties from a genetic disease. He was a really wonderful guy! I still have a treasured photo of me and John
out in our community garden behind our houses on Olive Drive. |
Peter Restall, Dennis Stanton, Byron Werner, Bob Marshall, Belva Hinshaw, Fama Christopher, Jim Jones, Steve Krebs
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If you have further information about this song, please tell me!
Last updated on February 20, 2002
Masanori Onishi--pennywiz@tky.3web.ne.jp--