Desert Island Discs
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"In 1978, Greil Marcus asked twenty writers on rock-including Dave Marsh, Lester Bangs, Nick Tosches, Ellen Willis and Robert Christgau-a question: What one rock-and-roll album would you take to a desert island? The resulting essays were collected in Stranded, twenty passionate declarations to such albums as The Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet, the Ramones' Rocket to Russia, Something Else by the Kinks, and more. Universally revered as the ur-text of rock journalism, Stranded is an indispensable classic." blurb to Stranded: Rock and Roll for a Desert Island (1979) by Greil Marcus. |
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Desert Island Discs is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme. It was first broadcast on January 29 1942 and is said by the Guinness Book of Records to be the longest-running music programme in the history of radio. Guests are invited to imagine themselves castaways on a desert island, and to choose eight pieces of music to take with them; discussion of their choices permits a review of their life. Aside from music, they are permitted one book, excluding the Bible or other religious work and the complete works of Shakespeare, which already present on the island to force more original choices. They also choose one luxury which must be inanimate and of no survival value, though large supplies of champagne seem to be allowed. The names and selections of some of the more recent guests are listed separately.
The last six Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom have all been on the programme, although only John Major (choosing Oval Cricket Ground as his luxury) appeared while in office. The first castaway was Vic Oliver, and others include Jo Brand, Jacob Bronowski, David Cameron, Johnny Cash, George Clooney, Billy Connolly, Noël Coward, Richard Dawkins, Dame Judi Dench, George Foreman, Benny Hill, Sid James, Paul McCartney, John Malkovich, Brian May, John Peel, Bobby Robson, Princess Margaret, J.K. Rowling, Rod Steiger, Gene Pitney, Engelbert Humperdinck, Stephen King, Stephen Hawking, Rowan Williams, and Matt Lucas. A few, such as Arthur Askey and Earl Hines, have been on more than once.
