Desert island discs

[bmd]

There are loads of threads about people on Did but not one dedicated to it, so here it is. Feel free to pogo.

What I wonder about this program is do they only ask people who listen to classical music? Today's participant is Sally Wainwright, screenwriter of Happy Valley. She sounds pretty down to earth but has never heard of Spandau Ballet.

For instance, she has chosen The Bells of St Trinians, the theme from the 1950s film. Is it a requirement of the program?

I do like this programme, I just wish it allowed people to choose more types of music.

 

[danny la rouge]

 

[danny la rouge]

I just wish it allowed people to choose more types of music.

People choose whatever they like. I think the only constraints are decency and the perception of participants that they want their choices to reflect well on their taste and intellectual gravitas.

 

[colacubes]

No there's loads with stuff other than classical if you go through the archives. Kathy Burke for example had Missy Elliot's 'Get your freak on' as well as the Specials, the Smiths, Madonna and others. Tom Jones had a load of gospel and rock and roll stuff. I actually have a few faves that I keep on my iphone for night time listening. Tom Jones, Johnny Vegas, Kathy Burke, Alison Moyet and Chris Packham are all worth a listen off the top of my head

 

[hash tag]

A great programme, well worthy of it's own thread.

On DiD website I believe you can search not only guests but also particular tracks tat have been selected. Not particularly an issue, but be warned, on the old catch up, you will only hear 20 second snippets of chosen tracks due to copyright issues.
I often download past shows for listening to at work or in the car. Two particularly interesting guests I caught up with, and neithe particularly likeable was Morrisey and Ian Dury. Morrisey was interesting for the way he flirted with Kirsty and Ian, because although not a particularly nice person and sadly missed, was that he came accross as a real charmer. One guest/castaway who literally left me breathless was Professor Hugh Montgomery. I have listened to his appearance several times. What a lfe he has led, WOW!
As for what people choose, the cynic in me dislikes the people, especially policitians, who tailor their selections to broaden thier appeal as opposed to picking what they really like.

 

[belboid]

The Fall have been chosen three times, none of which me The Classical. No one has ever chosen any Julian Cope tho, the fools.

 

[trashpony]

Some guests clearly don't like music that much so choose fairly random things. Other people (like the aforementioned Chris Packham) are passionate about it. I also love finding out about people who are ace and who I've never heard of (colacubes - do you remember Eve Stewart when we were in the car last summer?)

 

[colacubes]

Some guests clearly don't like music that much so choose fairly random things. Other people (like the aforementioned Chris Packham) are passionate about it. I also love finding out about people who are ace and who I've never heard of (colacubes - do you remember Eve Stewart when we were in the car last summer?)

Oooh no. I'd completely forgotten. Will have to give that another listen cos she was ace

 

[Betsy]

No there's loads with stuff other than classical if you go through the archives. Kathy Burke for example had Missy Elliot's 'Get your freak on' as well as the Specials, the Smiths, Madonna and others. Tom Jones had a load of gospel and rock and roll stuff. I actually have a few faves that I keep on my iphone for night time listening. Tom Jones, Johnny Vegas, Kathy Burke, Alison Moyet and Chris Packham are all worth a listen off the top of my head

Absolutely!
Kathy Burke's stint on DID was very popular.

I very often listen to one of the archived programmes

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

Some guests clearly don't like music that much so choose fairly random things.

Some have a very narrow taste: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf chose seven of her own recordings.

 

[Betsy]

Some have a very narrow taste: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf chose seven of her own recordings.

Top 5 narcissists on Desert Island Discs

1. Elisabeth Schwartzkopf is remembered by a handful of opera enthusiasts for her career as a soprano, but whatever singing ability she may have had is almost entirely eclipsed by her appearance in 1958 on Desert Island Discs, a BBC radio programme that requires interviewees to choose eight songs that would be their sole entertainment on a desert island. Seven of her choices featured her own voice, and the eighth was the instrumental prelude to an opera recording in which she was the star.

2. Norman Wisdom chose five of his own songs, including the appropriately titled Narcissus.

3. Rolf Harris*, cartoonist, artist, pop singer and a national treasure who recently admitted that he’d never read any Shakespeare, has appeared on Desert Island Discs twice, so he cannot claim not to understand the concept. Nevertheless, for his second outing, in 1999, he chose three songs of his own.

4. Only two people have ever chosen Gary Glitter records to take with them, and one of them was Gary himself. Paul Gadd, to call him by his real name, was interviewed in 1981, 15 years before he was convicted of abusing two underage girls.

5. And finally, Engelbert Humperdinck, the ham-faced cheese-peddler who, if placed under a metaphor grill, would be a crooning croque monsieur. He only chose one of his own records, but earns his place with his spectacular choice of book to take with him to the island: his own autobiography.

http://pouletnoir.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/top-5-narcissists-on-desert-island-discs/

* I think this must have been written before Rolf's court appearance.

 

[Sirena]

They had an old woman on once and she and her husband had been part of the more hedonistic elements of the Bloomsbury Set or somesuch.

At the end, Sue Lawley asked 'What is the one thing you would take with you when you die?' and the guest answered 'Oh cannabis, definitely!'.

Cue little bits of spluttering in the studio....

 

[trashpony]

Clear link there between narcissist and sex abusers/paedophiles.

 

[nagapie]

I want to do a desert island discs type thing with my year 8 class but I need an episode to play them. Is there anyone who they would think is cool who has done one?

 

[Betsy]

I want to do a desert island discs type thing with my year 8 class but I need an episode to play them. Is there anyone who they would think is cool who has done one?

I have always thought that Charlie Watts is cool ..he's on there.
As always though it's a matter of personal tastes.

 

[goldenecitrone]

I want to do a desert island discs type thing with my year 8 class but I need an episode to play them. Is there anyone who they would think is cool who has done one?

Steve McQueen did one recently. And Lily Allen a few months back. Don't know that year 8s would find them particularly cool though.

 

[colacubes]

I want to do a desert island discs type thing with my year 8 class but I need an episode to play them. Is there anyone who they would think is cool who has done one?

Yeah, Lily Allen or Ant & Dec have both been done in the last year or so. Ant & Dec are the only people to ever appear on DID as a pair apparently

 

[nagapie]

Hmmm, maybe Lily Allen but none of them seem particularly cool to a 12 year old. I was hoping Benjamin Zephania had done one but had already searched for him.

 

[Betsy]

Hmmm, maybe Lily Allen but none of them seem particularly cool to a 12 year old. I was hoping Benjamin Zephania had done one but had already searched for him.

He has done one.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/4f6fcc72

 

[nagapie]

He has done one.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/4f6fcc72

Bull's eye, thanks.

 

[hash tag]

Cool dudes: John Cooper Clarke was on recently?

Another I remember fondly was the mad Liz Smith, mad as a amd march hare, bless er.

 

[nagapie]

Cool dudes: John Cooper Clarke

Cool, but not to a 12 year old.

 

[nagapie]

I'll settle for Benjamin because they'll know him and think he's a bit cool but it's a pity there isn't someone who's a bit more mainstream culture that they'd know. It's for my bottom set Year8s and then they're going to create their own Desert Island Discs to present to the class. Even with Benjamin, I'll only be able to play them a bit as they won't like a lot of his songs

 

[hash tag]

I know the prof i mention above is not mainstream, he is very inspiring, amazing actually. Could be good for a young audience.

 

[ska invita]

3. Rolf Harris*,... who recently admitted that he’d never read any Shakespeare

Jesus. He's really gone down in my estimation.





Since when is that something you have to admit to? It might as well be written in a foreign language.

 

[bmd]

I'll settle for Benjamin because they'll know him and think he's a bit cool but it's a pity there isn't someone who's a bit more mainstream culture that they'd know. It's for my bottom set Year8s and then they're going to create their own Desert Island Discs to present to the class. Even with Benjamin, I'll only be able to play them a bit as they won't like a lot of his songs

I love the sound of this.

 

[nagapie]

I know the prof i mention above is not mainstream, he is very inspiring, amazing actually. Could be good for a young audience.

This is a class that I have been given of extremely low ability children with lots of SEN such as ADHD and global developmental delays; I think as cool as possible would be most inspiring to them.

 

[trashpony]

Malorie Blackman? Jacqueline Wilson? Guy Garvey? I wondered if Goldie had been on but I don't think so

 

[stavros]

Kathy Burke for example had Missy Elliot's 'Get your freak on'

My estimation of Kathy Burke has just sky-rocketed. Get Ur Freak On would certainly be on my list.

 

[Mogden]

Was it Lily who picked a rap track that they could only play about 20 seconds of in the full broadcast cos it was too rudey? Chris Packham is still my very favourite one and Alison Moyet second. I'm glad to see the same applies to a few others here. Regardless of the tunes I love the potted history aspect like Murray Walker as an ad man.

ETA Inheritance Tracks offers a similar flavour. And there's another radio prog that offers a similar format which escapes me.