The Gilligan’s Island theme song once sparked a strange lawsuit

When it returned for a second season in September 1965, Gilligan’s Island aired in color for the first time. The show was simply on the cusp of CBS’ transition from black-and-white to color broadcast, and thus its first season is forever immortalized in monochrome, although attempts were made to colorize it in syndication. But color wasn’t the only new addition to the show in season two. The iconic Gilligan’s Island theme originally performed band The Wellingtons was replaced with a brand new title track.

“The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle” was written by executive producer and show creator Sherwood Schwartz and songwriter George Wyle and recorded by The Wellingtons (who actually played The Mosquitoes in a later episode of Gilligan’s Island) in a mad rush at director Mel Shavelson’s home studio. But for Season 2, the song was to include the names “Professor” and “Mary Ann,” previously referred to as “the rest” in the opening theme of Season 1. This time, a group called “Eligibles” took on the challenge, and for the color debut of ” Gilligan’s Island” a new version of the classic sea shack was prepared.

It’s the version most fans are familiar with, and its lyrics not only neatly summarize the entire premise of the show, but also introduce each member of the ensemble to the wonder of catchy yet utilitarian songwriting. Since then, the theme of “Gilligan’s Island” has become a beloved part of television history, immediately bringing back fond memories of the early 60’s sitcom. Unless you happen to be a neighbor of billionaire Bill Gross. What does this one-percenter and his neighborhood squabble have to do with The Ballad of Gilligan’s Island? Allow me to address what remains an unseemly stain on the history of one of television’s greatest sitcoms and its legendary theme song.

Gilligan’s Island theme song lyrics. certainly ingrained in the memory of an entire generation, inextricably linked to fond memories of us gathering around the TV to watch Gilligan’s travels, Bob Denver and the castaway crew. SS Minnow – that’s what they called it for FCC Chairman Newton Minow, who drew the ire of show creator Sherwood Schwartz by asking the network to take more creative control over its programming.

But for one tech entrepreneur and his wife, “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Island” will forever evoke traumatic memories of surviving the hissy fits of their titular billionaire neighbor. That neighbor is Bill Gross. Described CNN as a “billionaire, bond investor, philanthropist and avid stamp collector,” Gross was the founder of Pacific Investments Management Co. (PIMCO), one of the world’s largest mutual funds. After retiring in 2019, Gross was seemingly free to enjoy his Laguna Beach oceanfront property on an exclusive stretch of private beach. However, how CNN reports that things took a turn after Gross and his partner, Amy Schwartz, decided to put up an art installation in their backyard.

The 22-foot-long sculpture, created by blown glass artist Dale Chihuly, initially had no problem with Gross’s neighbor, Mark Tawfik, CEO of data center developer Nextfort Ventures. However, after Gross installed protective netting on the structure, Tawfiq and his wife, Carol Nakahara, complained that their view of the ocean was blocked and ended up asking the city of Laguna Beach to investigate. The city deemed the netting and lights that illuminated the sculpture a violation of city code and ordered Gross to seek the necessary permits to preserve the sculpture.

You’d think that would be the end of it, but it was only the beginning, as Gross seemed to be planning to use the power of Sherwood Schwartz’s immortal theme in his ongoing fight against Tawfiq and his wife.

The recording of the Gilligan’s Island theme song was as farcical as the show itselfSherwood Schwartz and The Wellingtons had just an hour to record Sea Shack before they were kicked out of Mel Shavelson’s home studio. When the second season version was created, things were much less rushed. But this updated iteration of The Ballad of Gilligan’s Island would find itself at the center of some ridiculous antics of its own when Bill Gross deployed it as part of his pathetic little war against Mark Tawfik.

According to ForbesWith a net worth of $1.7 billion, it seems that being unduly rich doesn’t do much to improve pettiness. After Gross was ordered to remove the net covering his art installation and obtain the appropriate permits, according to Tawfik and his wife, the billionaire began retaliating by playing “loud music and weird audio recordings at excessive volume” at various times of the day and night. The lawsuit, filed by Towfiq and Carol Nakahara, alleged that Gross spun the song “Gilligan’s Island” as part of their sonic offensive. According to Wall Street Journalthe complaint also alleged that Gross and Amy Schwartz “began dancing on their balcony across from our property and making gestures that were clearly meant to mock us.”

Tawfik’s lawsuit actually followed Gross and Schwartz’s own complaint, filed on October 13, 2020, which alleged Tawfik was “spying” on Gross and Schwartz and sought a restraining order against Nextfort Ventures’ CEO. Tawfiq and Nakahara then filed a counterclaim on October 14, 2020, alleging that Gross and Schwartz had launched a “targeted campaign of harassment and abuse” that apparently had Gilligan and his gang as their rallying cry.

By the time Bill Gross and Mark Tawfiq sued each other, they were apparently trying to settle the matter one-on-one, with Tawfiq asking his neighbor to turn off the music only to receive the following message: “Peace on all fronts or ok ( sic) just doing night gigs, big boy.’ According to Wall Street JournalGross’ choice of the theme song for the psychological warfare television song was influenced by Tawfik’s memories of Gilligan’s Island, with the tech entrepreneur recalling, “We had a black-and-white TV. I remember once a week we all it ruined everything for us, but it’s still a good show.”

Still, Towfiq mostly came out on top. How Los Angeles Times As reported in 2022, Gross issued an apparent victory claim, claiming he was “delighted” by Laguna Beach’s approval of his artwork, though the artwork itself was never the issue—it was the net that obscured Tawfik’s view. In his statement, Gross also couldn’t help but outrage his neighbors, writing: “The approval of the Laguna Beach Design Review Board and the City of Laguna Beach exposes (Tawfika and Carol Nakahari)’s true intentions in this rather ridiculous situation. ” The statement is as surprising as the rest of this debacle, given that Tawfiq and Nakahara actually came out on top. Not only was Gross forced to remove the mesh that caused the problem in the first place, but he also abandoned his plans for permanent coverage with glass and steel, the billionaire was also ordered not to illuminate the sculpture after 10 p.m

To top it all off, an Orange County Superior Court judge found that Gross and his wife harassed their neighbors with their musical assault, according to the LA Times , and ordered the couple to abide by Laguna Beach’s noise laws. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gross and his wife failed to comply with these provisions and were found in contempt of court, earning community service in the process.

Why did Gross choose the theme of Gilligan’s Island? It remains unclear, but Sherwood Schwartz surely had no idea that his sea shack would be at the center of this shameful little affair when he wrote it. Fortunately, no matter how many billionaires try to use the theme for nefarious purposes, “Gilligan’s Island” remains one of the the best sitcoms of all time.