Season 162: Desert Island Ukes

Tootler

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No introductory video. My apologies. I've been otherwise occupied all day.

The theme is inspired by BBC Radio Programme, "Desert Island Discs" (which has been running continuously for 64 years) where well know people (aka celebrities) are asked to choose 8 records to take with them if they were stranded on a desert island.

Information on the programme on the BBC website.

So to this season's challenge.

Well, you are stranded on a desert island and somehow your ukulele and a songbook have survived. You dip into the song book and start playing. The songs you choose are in one way or another related to your predicament - being stranded on a desert island - and to the practical and emotional problems you have to overcome to survive. Of course, you're resiliant and will survive and you may also wish to celebrate that in song too. Your song book may not have survived in very good condition in which case you may feel the need to write an original song.

General rules.

* The Ukulele should be prominent in your video but does not have to be visible.
* Maximum of four entries, no bonuses please.
* You're stranded on a desert island so acoustic only and no multitracking.
* Your entries should be new recordings made for this season.
* No entries before 00.00am Sunday March 22nd and end 00.00pm Sunday March 29th Hawaii time.

Playlist
 
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What a fun theme this will be! I predict we will hear some Gilligan's-Island-related stuff this week.

Speaking of which, are you stranded alone with your acoustic ukulele, or might you be stranded with other people?

(Good thing we still have the internet. :))
 
PS, given that our first day of spring opened yesterday with yet another snowstorm, I am really pleased just thinking about tropical sun and coconuts.
 
What a fun theme this will be! I predict we will hear some Gilligan's-Island-related stuff this week.

Speaking of which, are you stranded alone with your acoustic ukulele, or might you be stranded with other people?

(Good thing we still have the internet. :))

Thornton rule applies.
 
PS, given that our first day of spring opened yesterday with yet another snowstorm, I am really pleased just thinking about tropical sun and coconuts.

No snow here but definitely a feeling that winter isn't ready to let go just yet. Go with the sun & sea but I'm sorry there doesn't seem to be any Sangria available on the island.
 
PS, given that our first day of spring opened yesterday with yet another snowstorm, I am really pleased just thinking about tropical sun and coconuts.

Oh no! Last season someone got killed by a coconut. Actually three people got killed by coconuts. Oh dreadful business, coconuts.


This sounds like an interesting season. Desert islands, banana cream pie, tiki huts, tiki torches and tiki ukuleles.
 
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Thornton rule applies.

Oh, goody! If I can bring the Professor along, he might be able to figure out how to do electronical things. :)

No snow here but definitely a feeling that winter isn't ready to let go just yet.

That feeling ... you mean the cold? :)

Go with the sun & sea but I'm sorry there doesn't seem to be any Sangria available on the island.

Ah, but we are resourceful castaways ... I'm sure we can figure out how to brew some sangria. Myrna's going to figure out how to make margaritas, apparently. (Or cheeseburgers.)

Oh no! Last season someone got killed by a coconut. Actually three people got killed by coconuts. Oh dreadful business, coconuts.

True. But I think in reality, people have killed way more coconuts than the other way round. Let's all just remember not to sleep under the palm trees, and we should be fine. But eating and drinking coconuts in the tropical sun ... I could get into that.

... tiki ukuleles.

Oh, right! I have one of those!
 
Banana cream pie ... that sounds awfully ambitious for a desert island. Unless it's a dessert island. Mmmmm ... pie.........

Mr. Tootler ... when people say "desert island", usually I think they mean "deserted island", right? The image is usually lush and tropical, not actually desert. But alone, or with a small group, no other people or civilization, that sort of thing? 'Cause actual desert would be a whole lot less fun to contemplate ... and harder to survive.

Whereas, a little tropical vacation, away from it all ... I am so ready for that.
 
Definitely have a song already, if I can just find my drying phone...
 
Great theme Geoff. I have a couple of ballads in mind that I've been wanting to learn for a while. Perfect theme, Perfect opportunity.
 
Banana cream pie ... that sounds awfully ambitious for a desert island. Unless it's a dessert island. Mmmmm ... pie.........

Mr. Tootler ... when people say "desert island", usually I think they mean "deserted island", right? The image is usually lush and tropical, not actually desert. But alone, or with a small group, no other people or civilization, that sort of thing? 'Cause actual desert would be a whole lot less fun to contemplate ... and harder to survive.

Whereas, a little tropical vacation, away from it all ... I am so ready for that.

Deserted island is right. People usually think lush & tropical. I read Robinson Crusoe as a kid which is the original "Stranded on a desert island" novel and was based on the real life adventures of one Alexander Selkirk. I don't think Alexander Selkirk was having a tropical vacation. More a matter of learning to survive when you have lost everything but the clothes you stand up in.

I had to look up Gilligan's Island. I don't think it was ever aired over here, I certainly don't remember it but songs from the series would obviously fit the bill perfectly.
 
Deserted island is right. People usually think lush & tropical. I read Robinson Crusoe as a kid which is the original "Stranded on a desert island" novel and was based on the real life adventures of one Alexander Selkirk. I don't think Alexander Selkirk was having a tropical vacation. More a matter of learning to survive when you have lost everything but the clothes you stand up in.

I had to look up Gilligan's Island. I don't think it was ever aired over here, I certainly don't remember it but songs from the series would obviously fit the bill perfectly.

Yes, I thought of "Robinson Crusoe", which is iconic and of course everyone knows about, though I am pretty certain I somehow managed to escape reading it in school. Also "Swiss Family Robinson", no? Upon which was based another iconic '60's TV show, "Lost in Space". (Which, as the name implies, takes place on a desert planet, not island.)

Imagine a world without Gilligan's Island! Hard to fathom. The main "song from the series" is the show's theme song, which tells the story of how the 7 castaways got that way. One of my old singalong groups favorite things to do was to take the words of this silly song and sing them to any tune named. I did it a while back to "House of the Rising Sun", and then let Rex pose me a challenge song ... he chose "Johnny B. Goode". Recently Tommy did a way cleverer mashup than mine of the Gilligan theme, HOTRS, and "Amazing Grace". I have a playlist for "Gilligan's Island"-related silliness such as this. I have a very full week, but I might have to give Tommy's song a go.
 
Well, you are stranded on a desert island and somehow your ukulele and a songbook have survived. You dip into the song book and start playing. The songs you choose are in one way or another related to your predicament
I'll have to check my uke book to see if theres a song called 'Up shite creek without a paddle' . :cool:
Some original thinking here Geoff.
 
Original 'Gilligan's Island' Theme

Wendy, how different American popular culture might have been if Sherwood Schwartz had decided to use the theme they filmed for Gilligan's pilot instead!

 
Wendy, how different American popular culture might have been if Sherwood Schwartz had decided to use the theme they filmed for Gilligan's pilot instead!

Oh dear! That was new to me. Written by John Williams, apparently!

Well, now that you've done that, I shall have to do this. For those unfamiliar with the show (I had no idea there were such people till now) ... here is the real Gilligan's Island opening theme:

 
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