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Shipwrecked on the Vast Wasteland
| Artist | Song | Buy |
| Dinah Washington (buzz) | TV Is the Thing This Year |
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| Newton Minow (Chairman of the FCC) (buzz) | Television, a Vast Wasteland |
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| The Wellingtons (buzz) | Gilligan's Island (The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle) |
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| Marshall Crenshaw (buzz) | Television Light |
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| Black Flag (buzz) | TV Party |
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| The Dictators (buzz) | Sleepin' with the TV On |
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| Husker Du (buzz) | Gilligan's Island |
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| Elmore James (buzz) | T.V. Mama |
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| The Hellacopters (buzz) | Television Addict |
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| The Mosquitos (buzz) | Don't Bug Me/He's a Loser |
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| Yard Trauma (buzz) | Creeps on TV |
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| Violent Femmes (buzz) | I Hate the TV |
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| Talking Heads (buzz) | Found a Job |
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| The Minutemen (buzz) | There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight |
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| Cheap Trick (buzz) | The Ballad of TV Violence (I'm Not the Only Boy) |
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| Slumber Party (buzz) | On-T.V. |
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| Ned's Atomic Dustbin (buzz) | Kill Your Television |
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| Bruce Springsteen (buzz) | 57 Channels (and Nothin' On) |
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| The Honeybees (buzz) | You Need Us |
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| Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprasy (buzz) | Television, Drug of the Nation |
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| Little Roger & the Goosebumps (buzz) | Stairway to Gilligan's Island |
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| The Misfits (buzz) | TV Casualty |
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| Wire (buzz) | Ex Lion Tamer |
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| Furious George (buzz) | Gilligan |
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Comment:
In 1961 the chairman on the of the Federal Communications Commission, Newton Minow, declared that television was a "vast wasteland". A couple of years later, as if to prove--and celebrate--the point, along came Gilligan's Island, one of the silliest, most inane shows of all time. Thoroughly implausible with ridiculously one-dimensional characters (yet strangely appealing) it became a pop cultural touchstone. It's no coincidence that the castaway's boat on Gilligan's Island was the S.S. Minnow. The show's creator, Sherwood Schwartz, named the boat after Newton Minow. Schwartz referred to Minow as the man who "ruined television". Hmm.The songs in this mix critique--and celebrate--TV. The fifties-era optimism of Dinah Washington gives way quickly to a dark view of television. Perhaps the most notable thing about these songs is how many of them come from the eighties. One possible explanation for this is that these bands grew up watching TV at a time when television (that is, broadcast network TV) was *the* medium. Now not only is TV a more complex medium, with basic cable, specialized 24-hour cable networks, premium channels, and pay-per-view, but also that other entertainment options, such as video games and the Internet, have reduced television's relative importance in popular culture. There may be shows as stupid as Gilligan's Island on TV these days, but they are not the universal experience they once were.
A few of the songs in this mix are directly from Gilligan's Island. The theme song of the TV series was sung by the Wellingtons, and that appears to have been the high point of their musical career. Members of this band also showed up in one particularly ridiculous episode as "The Mosquitos," a band loosely modeled on the Beatles. Relentlessly hounded by fans, the Mosquitos sought refuge on Gilligan's Island to get away from all the screaming. They perform a couple of songs on the show, "Don't Bug Me" (a reference to their name which itself was a reference to the Beatles) and "He's a Loser" (a reference to Gilligan as well as the Beatles song "I'm a Loser"). On the same episode, the women of Gilligan's Island form their own group, the Honeybees, and perform "You Need Us" as a way of trying to convince the Mosquitos to rescue them from the island but, of course, the plan backfires. And they were so close this time!
A few of the songs in this mix refer specifically to Gilligan's Island. Husker Du mangle the Gilligan's Island theme song and Little Roger and the Goosebumps sing the words to the Gilligan's Island theme song to the tune of "Starway to Heaven," which apparently led to legal action from Led Zeppelin (the irony). The mix closes with Furious George's "Gilligan." The only lyrics to this song are:
I wear a white hat
I wear a red shirt
they all think I'm stupid
One day I'll kill them
I am Gilligan
To quote Wire, "stay glued to your TV set..."
Feedback:
Excellent theme and execution!
Impressive . . . as ever.
Outstanding!
Great theme. Fantastic mix. Special props for your Minutemen pick.
Excellent as ever. Over here in Blighty, Gilligans Island was just another mid 60's American import along with Beverley Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, My Favourite Martian & countless others. From the number of times it gets referenced in pop, comics, movies etc it obviously touched something deep in the American psyche which those of us this side of the pond will never fully comprehend.
Great theme wonderfully realized!
Yes! Like this a lot.
Gtreat mix and cover. Thanks for the trivia too. I didn't know about the Minnow name. FYI: George Tabb from Furious George was in a band called Iron Prostate with Charles M. Young (the rock critic) back in '90 and they released a cd called Loud, Fast and Aging Rapidly, which had coincidentally, the same song called Gilligan. (And a really bad cover of Danny Boy too)
covers the era that was, nice one Todd!!!!!! oh, and i forgot, congrats on the little one!!!!!!
What was it like back when TV was a vast wasteland, as opposed to what it is now?
Great mix!
Great mix!
Outstanding in every way Todd!
Fascinating, and very well done.
Another well thought out mix, Todd. Like Plushpig says, we never really got Gilligan's Island over here. I only remember seeing it once or twice on TV in the States when I was on vacation many moons ago. After reading your liner notes, I have a hankering to see it again though.
Totally sums up the rise & fall & fall & fall of television.
Love it Todd! Theme, plus the cover. Excellent job! Add this to my small stack, will ya? Let me know how I can return the favor.
some great stuff on here man -- the misfits/wire ending especially.
(dead) man, you are the friggin' king of the theme mixes these days, my friend. amazing stuff, as always. we should definitely try and put together another trade soon.
Love this carefully blended, intriguing mix and the insights you provide along with it, Todd/DM.
Very cool - I love it. Hey literature buffs - isn't the "Rhyme of the ancient mariner" in the same meter as Gilligan's theme? Try it! We may need to trade again soon.
Such a fateful trip...
Ah, now this is a theme near and dear to my heart! Or at least to certain badly damaged portions of my grey(ing) matter. Haven't heard the "Little Roger" track in ages. Great mix!
Excellent. Thanks for quoting those excellent lyrics. Remember: TV Turnoff Week is coming.
Astounding mix and terrific notes. This is incredibly high quality work! Nice.
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