Desert Island Discs Revisited [American Singers]

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Alice Cooper

20240908

20240909 (BBC7)

American rock musician Alice Cooper is castaway by Kirsty Young.

As a teenager he says it was British music that he tuned in to - listening to The Beatles, The Yardbirds and The Who.

He realised that while rock music had many heroes, there were few villains - that was the territory he marked out for himself. He developed his trademark look - blackened eyes, straggly hair and glamorous clothes - and set about designing live shows that were gleefully gory and macabre.

While critics have described him as 'the world's most beloved heavy metal entertainer', it took him a while to untangle himself from his creation.

'For a long time I honestly didn't know where I began and Alice ended. My friends at the time were Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and I was trying to keep up with them. And I realised when they all died that you didn't have to be your character off stage.'

DISC ONE: The Yardbirds - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago

DISC TWO: The Beach Boys - I Get Around

DISC THREE: The Who - I'm a Boy

DISC FOUR: Laura Nyro - Timer

DISC FIVE: King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man (incl. Mirrors)

DISC SIX: Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing

DISC SEVEN: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Work Song

DISC EIGHT: Bob Dylan - Ballad of a Thin Man

CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Work Song

BOOK CHOICE: Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut

LUXURY CHOICE: An indoor golf driving range

Producer: Leanne Buckle

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2010.

American rock singer Alice Cooper is castaway by Kirsty Young.

From Bob Dylan to The Who. US rock singer Alice Cooper shares his castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From November 2010.

Bruce Springsteen

20240922

20240923 (BBC7)

Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. is castaway by Kirsty Young.

His career has brought him 20 Grammys, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award and his albums sell in their millions around the world. He grew up in New Jersey where the Catholic church played a central role in his early life. The family teetered on the brink of poverty, and his first guitar was rented, rather than bought. He spent his apprentice years as a musician and singer with local bands before landing a record deal in 1972. When 'Born to Run' was released in 1975 it turned him into a household name. His first Top Ten single was 'Hungry Heart', ahead of his most successful album 'Born in the USA' which was released in 1984.

In spite of having long transcended the environment he grew up in, Springsteen has remained a chronicler of blue-collar lives. His records are frequently a political commentary on the struggles of ordinary Americans. In the Nineties he settled into family life with his wife Patti Scialfa who sings with his E Street Band.

DISC ONE: Elvis Presley - Hound Dog

DISC TWO: The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand

DISC THREE: The Rolling Stones - It's All Over Now

DISC FOUR: Van Morrison - Madame George

DISC FIVE: Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

DISC SIX: James Brown - Out of Sight

DISC SEVEN: Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

DISC EIGHT:

CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

BOOK CHOICE: Woody Guthrie: A Life by Joe Klein

LUXURY CHOICE: A guitar

Producer: Cathy Drysdale

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2016.

Singer Bruce Springsteen is castaway by Kirsty Young

From Bob Dylan to Van Morrison. Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen shares his castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From 2016.

Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen is castaway by Kirsty Young.

Bruce grew up in New Jersey where the Catholic church played a central role in his early life. The family teetered on the brink of poverty, and his first guitar was rented, rather than bought. He spent his apprentice years as a musician and singer with local bands before landing a record deal in 1972.

In the 1990s he settled into family life with his wife Patti Scialfa who sings with his E Street Band.

Selected castaway gems from the BBC Desert Island Discs archive.

[LISTEN NOW]

Emmylou Harris

20240915

20240916 (BBC7)

Country rock singer Emmylou Harris is castaway by Sue Lawley.

Born in Alabama in 1947, her musical influences were folk rather than country. Initially, she wanted to be an actress, but, influenced by Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, she turned to singing folk instead and began performing in the bars of Greenwich Village.

But, by the age of 24, it seemed as if her singing career was over - she was a single mother and had returned home to live with her mother, only singing in local bars.

It was a chance encounter that led to her being heard by Gram Parsons - formerly of The Byrds and later The Flying Burrito Brothers. They worked together on two albums and invented what has become country rock - a fusion of folk, country and rock music.

To date she has won 11 Grammys and in 1992 was inducted into the Grand Old Opry. She now writes her own music.

She is three-times divorced and now travels everywhere with her mother.

DISC ONE: Waylon Jennings - Dreaming My Dreams With You

DISC TWO: The Staple Singers - Uncloudy Day

DISC THREE: The Band - Up On Cripple Creek

DISC FOUR: Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Talk to Me of Mendocino

DISC FIVE: Neil Young - The Emperor of Wyoming

DISC SIX: Bruce Springsteen - Mansion on the Hill

DISC SEVEN: Daniel Lanois - The Maker

DISC EIGHT: Ensemble of the Bulgarian Republic - Polegnala E Todora (Theodora is Dozing)

CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Talk to Me of Mendocino

BOOK CHOICE: Blank book

LUXURY CHOICE: A library

Producer: Leanne Buckle

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2003.

Country music star Emmylou Harris is castaway by Sue Lawley.

From The Band to The Staple Singers. Country music star Emmylou Harris shares her castaway choices with Sue Lawley. From 2003.

[LISTEN NOW]

Randy Newman

20240929

20240930 (BBC7)

American composer, singer and songwriter Randy Newman is castaway by Kirsty Young.

Colleagues say he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with musical legends Cole Porter and George Gershwin.

He first made his name by writing mordant and often satirical pop songs - including A Few Words in Defence of Our Country, Political Science and Short People. For the past 25 years he has been better known for his Hollywood film music - including writing the scores for the first four Disney/Pixar films.

Randy held the unique distinction for being Oscar-nominated 15 times without winning until 2002, when he picked up the award for Best Original Song for If I Didn't Have You from Monsters Inc.

His songs are often written from the point of view of unlikeable characters - from slave masters to stalkers - it was a style, he acknowledges, that wasn't universally liked, but he adds: 'I wouldn't have it any differently'.

DISC ONE: Beethoven's String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 - The Hollywood String Quartet

DISC TWO: Alfred Newman - Goodbyes

DISC THREE: George Jones - The Door

DISC FOUR: Fletcher Henderson - The Stampede

DISC FIVE: Igor Stravinsky's Sacrificial Dance (from The Rite of Spring) - Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Zander

DISC SIX: Dmitry Shostakovich's Symphony No. 15 in A major, 1st movement - London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Bernard Haitink -

DISC SEVEN: Mahler - Symphony No. 9 in D major, 4th movement - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan

DISC EIGHT: Ray Charles - Come Rain or Come Shine

CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: The Hollywood String Quartet - Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135

BOOK CHOICE: The Divine Comedy (with translation) - Dante Alighieri

LUXURY CHOICE: A piano

Producer: Jane Thurlow

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2008.

Singer-songwriter Randy Newman is castaway by Kirsty Young.

Selected castaway gems from the BBC Desert Island Discs archive.

From Beethoven to Ray Charles. Singer-songwriter Randy Newman shares his castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From 2008.

[LISTEN NOW]

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
Alice Cooper	20240908	20240909 (BBC7)	American rock musician Alice Cooper is castaway by Kirsty Young. As a teenager he says it was British music that he tuned in to - listening to The Beatles, The Yardbirds and The Who. He realised that while rock music had many heroes, there were few villains - that was the territory he marked out for himself. He developed his trademark look - blackened eyes, straggly hair and glamorous clothes - and set about designing live shows that were gleefully gory and macabre. While critics have described him as 'the world's most beloved heavy metal entertainer', it took him a while to untangle himself from his creation. 'For a long time I honestly didn't know where I began and Alice ended. My friends at the time were Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and I was trying to keep up with them. And I realised when they all died that you didn't have to be your character off stage.' DISC ONE: The Yardbirds - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago DISC TWO: The Beach Boys - I Get Around DISC THREE: The Who - I'm a Boy DISC FOUR: Laura Nyro - Timer DISC FIVE: King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man (incl. Mirrors) DISC SIX: Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing DISC SEVEN: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Work Song DISC EIGHT: Bob Dylan - Ballad of a Thin Man CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Work Song BOOK CHOICE: Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut LUXURY CHOICE: An indoor golf driving range Producer: Leanne Buckle First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2010. American rock singer Alice Cooper is castaway by Kirsty Young. From Bob Dylan to The Who. US rock singer Alice Cooper shares his castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From November 2010.
Bruce Springsteen	20240922	20240923 (BBC7)	Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. is castaway by Kirsty Young. His career has brought him 20 Grammys, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award and his albums sell in their millions around the world. He grew up in New Jersey where the Catholic church played a central role in his early life. The family teetered on the brink of poverty, and his first guitar was rented, rather than bought. He spent his apprentice years as a musician and singer with local bands before landing a record deal in 1972. When 'Born to Run' was released in 1975 it turned him into a household name. His first Top Ten single was 'Hungry Heart', ahead of his most successful album 'Born in the USA' which was released in 1984. In spite of having long transcended the environment he grew up in, Springsteen has remained a chronicler of blue-collar lives. His records are frequently a political commentary on the struggles of ordinary Americans. In the Nineties he settled into family life with his wife Patti Scialfa who sings with his E Street Band. DISC ONE: Elvis Presley - Hound Dog DISC TWO: The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand DISC THREE: The Rolling Stones - It's All Over Now DISC FOUR: Van Morrison - Madame George DISC FIVE: Marvin Gaye - What's Going On DISC SIX: James Brown - Out of Sight DISC SEVEN: Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone DISC EIGHT: CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone BOOK CHOICE: Woody Guthrie: A Life by Joe Klein LUXURY CHOICE: A guitar Producer: Cathy Drysdale First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2016. Singer Bruce Springsteen is castaway by Kirsty Young From Bob Dylan to Van Morrison. Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen shares his castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From 2016. Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen is castaway by Kirsty Young. Bruce grew up in New Jersey where the Catholic church played a central role in his early life. The family teetered on the brink of poverty, and his first guitar was rented, rather than bought. He spent his apprentice years as a musician and singer with local bands before landing a record deal in 1972. In the 1990s he settled into family life with his wife Patti Scialfa who sings with his E Street Band. Selected castaway gems from the BBC Desert Island Discs archive. [LISTEN NOW]
Emmylou Harris	20240915	20240916 (BBC7)	Country rock singer Emmylou Harris is castaway by Sue Lawley. Born in Alabama in 1947, her musical influences were folk rather than country. Initially, she wanted to be an actress, but, influenced by Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, she turned to singing folk instead and began performing in the bars of Greenwich Village. But, by the age of 24, it seemed as if her singing career was over - she was a single mother and had returned home to live with her mother, only singing in local bars. It was a chance encounter that led to her being heard by Gram Parsons - formerly of The Byrds and later The Flying Burrito Brothers. They worked together on two albums and invented what has become country rock - a fusion of folk, country and rock music. To date she has won 11 Grammys and in 1992 was inducted into the Grand Old Opry. She now writes her own music. She is three-times divorced and now travels everywhere with her mother. DISC ONE: Waylon Jennings - Dreaming My Dreams With You DISC TWO: The Staple Singers - Uncloudy Day DISC THREE: The Band - Up On Cripple Creek DISC FOUR: Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Talk to Me of Mendocino DISC FIVE: Neil Young - The Emperor of Wyoming DISC SIX: Bruce Springsteen - Mansion on the Hill DISC SEVEN: Daniel Lanois - The Maker DISC EIGHT: Ensemble of the Bulgarian Republic - Polegnala E Todora (Theodora is Dozing) CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Talk to Me of Mendocino BOOK CHOICE: Blank book LUXURY CHOICE: A library Producer: Leanne Buckle First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2003. Country music star Emmylou Harris is castaway by Sue Lawley. From The Band to The Staple Singers. Country music star Emmylou Harris shares her castaway choices with Sue Lawley. From 2003. [LISTEN NOW]
Randy Newman	20240929	20240930 (BBC7)	American composer, singer and songwriter Randy Newman is castaway by Kirsty Young. Colleagues say he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with musical legends Cole Porter and George Gershwin. He first made his name by writing mordant and often satirical pop songs - including A Few Words in Defence of Our Country, Political Science and Short People. For the past 25 years he has been better known for his Hollywood film music - including writing the scores for the first four Disney/Pixar films. Randy held the unique distinction for being Oscar-nominated 15 times without winning until 2002, when he picked up the award for Best Original Song for If I Didn't Have You from Monsters Inc. His songs are often written from the point of view of unlikeable characters - from slave masters to stalkers - it was a style, he acknowledges, that wasn't universally liked, but he adds: 'I wouldn't have it any differently'. DISC ONE: Beethoven's String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 - The Hollywood String Quartet DISC TWO: Alfred Newman - Goodbyes DISC THREE: George Jones - The Door DISC FOUR: Fletcher Henderson - The Stampede DISC FIVE: Igor Stravinsky's Sacrificial Dance (from The Rite of Spring) - Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Zander DISC SIX: Dmitry Shostakovich's Symphony No. 15 in A major, 1st movement - London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Bernard Haitink - DISC SEVEN: Mahler - Symphony No. 9 in D major, 4th movement - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan DISC EIGHT: Ray Charles - Come Rain or Come Shine CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: The Hollywood String Quartet - Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 BOOK CHOICE: The Divine Comedy (with translation) - Dante Alighieri LUXURY CHOICE: A piano Producer: Jane Thurlow First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2008. Singer-songwriter Randy Newman is castaway by Kirsty Young. Selected castaway gems from the BBC Desert Island Discs archive. From Beethoven to Ray Charles. Singer-songwriter Randy Newman shares his castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From 2008. [LISTEN NOW]