mjd's intergalactic comedy hacienda (mich.ideatown.com)

LA ISLA GILLIGAN

Welcome to the official webpage for La Isla Gilligan, a parody song by Mark Jonathan Davis and Rob "Iceman" Izenberg about "Gilligan's Island," sung to the tune of "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna.

This parody was created by MJD and Iceman in the late 1980's, and has gone on to complete obscurity.

Here is an MP3 of "La Isla Gilligan" by Mark Jonathan Davis and Rob "Iceman" Izenberg for your listening enjoyment.

LA ISLA GILLIGAN [ laislagilligan.mp3, 2000kb, 2:59 ]
"Marianne Had Great Coconuts"
Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" is spoofed in the name of "Gilligan's Island" in the smash hit parody song La Isla Gilligan. The music came from an instrumental 12" with Iceman's DX7 on bass and theme song pennywhistle. The dialogue soundbites from the TV show were razor-edited into place by producer MJD without the use of samplers. Iceman sang this song live for Bob Denver at a KZZP event in 1987. This version is a 1998 remake, with actress Melissa Fahn replacing Iceman on lead vocals (he does sing the chorale backups, though). In a letter to MJD, "Gilligan's Island" series creator Sherwood Schwartz has called this "the best parody about the show" he's ever heard.
[ laislagilligan.mp3, 2000kb, 2:59 ]

Click on the links below for more info about La Isla Gilligan.

CONTENTS

SONG HISTORY
SONG CREDITS
SONG LYRICS
A LETTER FROM SHERWOOD SCHWARTZ

SONG HISTORY: THE LA ISLA GILLIGAN STORY

Here's a timeline of La Isla Gilligan:

1987 - The first version of "La Isla Gilligan" is written, produced and recorded by Mark Jonathan Davis and Rob "Iceman" Izenberg at the studios of KZZP/Phoenix. MJD cuts together an instrumental music track from a 12" Madonna EP, Iceman adds DX7 bass and theme-song pennywhistle, plus sings the lead vocal. The dialogue soundbites from the TV show are razor-edited into place by engineer MJD without the use of samplers, and the song is recorded and mixed on an analog 4-track reel-to-reel tape machine. [In the original recording session, Dave Olson also plays a single guitar pluck, inspired by the Police songs "Message In A Bottle" and "Wrapped Around My Finger." The pluck was excised in a later remix.]

1988 - Iceman sings the song live for Bob Denver at a KZZP beach party event at a Phoenix Bar called Grand Central Station.

1989-1995 - Nothing really interesting happens for six years.

1996 - "La Isla Gilligan" airs on the Dr. Demento Show, and becomes a popular request on the Funny Five countdown.

1997 - In a letter to MJD, Gilligan's Island series creator Sherwood Schwartz calls the parody "the best parody about the show" he has ever heard.

1998 - MJD and Iceman re-record "La Isla Gilligan" at the studios of Premiere Radio Networks. Melissa Fahn re-sings the vocal, while Iceman performs the backup chorale. A new soundbite is added to the tail, and the song is re-mixed so that it is in awful out-of-phase stereo. This problem has yet to be fixed.

2000 - MJD's original prop transistor radio from Gilligan's Island is featured as a set piece on the E! True Hollywood Story episode about the sitcom. This has nothing to do with "La Isla Gilligan." By the way, the radio prop is for sale for $250 or best offer!

2006 - "La Isla Gilligan" is re-posted here at MJD's Intergalactic Comedy Hacienda!

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CREDITS

"La Isla Gilligan" by Mark Jonathan Davis and Rob "Iceman" Izenberg

Created, written, recorded, engineered, mixed, and produced
by Mark Jonathan Davis and Rob "Iceman" Izenberg
at KZZP/Phoenix and Premiere Radio Networks/Los Angeles

Lead vocal sung by Melissa Fahn
Additional vocals and instrumentation performed by Rob "Iceman" Izenberg.
(C) Copyright 1987, 1998 ideatown / icemark

Special thanks to Guy Zapoleon, Bruce Kelly & Co., Bob Denver, Sherwood Schwartz, Clarke Ingram, Melissa Fahn, Eric Caver, Bryce Johnson, James Arnold Taylor, Dave Olson, Gilligan, the Skipper, the millionaire, his wife, the movie star, the professor, and Mary Ann.

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LYRICS

La Isla Gilligan
by Mark Jonathan Davis and Rob "Iceman" Izenberg

Parody lyrics sung to the tune of La Isla Bonita by Madonna
Written by Mark Jonathan Davis and Rob "Iceman" Izenberg

Perdon, Yo no habla Español.

Last night I dreamt of the Minnow
Five passengers who sailed that day
From a tropic bay

The weather started getting rough [thunderclap]
So they had to stay awhile
On that desert isle

Living in those bamboo huts
The first mate was such a klutz
Mary Ann had great coconuts
La Isla Gilligan

And when the theme song plays
I think of those castaways
Who wore the same clothes every day
On that uncharted desert isle

"Gilligan! Gilligan! Gilligan! Gilligan! Gilligan! Gilligan! Gilligan! Gilligan! Gilligan! Gilligan! Oh, my buddy!"

Gilligan fell out of his hammock ("Oop!")
He landed on the Skipper's lap
Woke him from his nap

Los Howells tienen mucho dinero ("I know the universal language--money!")
No phones, no lights, no motorcars
Just dumb guests stars

Tropical the island nest
Sending out an S.O.S.
All the guys loved Ginger's hair
La Isla Gilligan

'Cause when the theme song plays
I think of those castaways
Who wore the same clothes every day
On that uncharted desert isle

"Oop!" "Oop!" "Oop!" "Oop!"

I want to watch the reruns til I die
When it's time for the credits their faces go by
Gilligan, Skipper, the millionaire, and his wife
The movie star, the Professor,
and
Mary Ann

"What happened?"
"Well, it's those radioactive vegetables, Mary Ann!"

So join us here each week my friend
The best half hour you'll ever spend
'Cause you know they won't get rescued again
From La Isla Gilligan

And when the theme song plays
I think of those castaways
Who wore the same clothes every day
On that uncharted desert isle

The radio warned them of typhoons
Stuff washed up in the lagoon
The reruns are on every afternoon
La Isla Gilligan

And when the theme song plays
I think of those castaways
Who wore the same clothes every day
On that uncharted desert isle

"Don't worry, Skipper, I know exactly where we are."
"You do? Where are we?"
"We're lost."
"Oh, Gilligan!"

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THE LETTER FROM SHERWOOD SCHWARTZ

Here is a letter from Gilligan's Island creator Sherwood Schwartz, sent to Mark Jonathan Davis in early 1997:

Redwood Productions Inc.

March 31, 1997

Mr. Mark Davis
Studio City, California

Re: The Parody "La Isla Gilligan"

Dear Mark:

Thank you for sending me the tape. Your new parody, "La Isla Gilligan" is better than the previous version you sent me some time ago. As I probably have mentioned, I receive parodies on the Gilligan theme with some regularity, about every 3 or 4 months. Your use of Madonna's hit song in this parody is by far the best Gilligan parody I have received. The concept, the production and the singer are all terrific.

Unfortunately, there's no way to fit that into the movie, except, perhaps, as a closing theme at the end of the film. As you are probably aware, that final determination would not be left to me anyway. Executives at Time-Warner Music would make that decision, as they will with the rest of the music in the film. As you probably know, the soundtrack of a major motion picture is one of its most valuable elements, and Warner has an entire department devoted to this particular area.

At the proper time, I'll be happy to play the tape for the appropriate people and who knows? Something might happen. And it might not.

In any event, you've done a helluva good job. Thanks for sending the tape.

Yours sincerely, and best wishes,

(signature)

Sherwood Schwartz

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