There’s a BBC radio programme that existed for 70 years now. It’s called Desert Island Discs and each week a person of interest is invited to imagine what it would be like to be a castaway on a remote island. The guest of the show is asked to choose 8 music tracks which will be played in the hour that the show is on, additionally he or she can select a book to take along to the island and a luxury item such as sunblock, a comfy bed with lots of pillows or an Italian coffee machine and grinder. The choice of music tracks always reveals a lot about the guest as well as the unusual type of interview that is conducted with them. I really liked the episode with Morrissey – his (excellent) choice of songs reveals what time of musical history still plays the greatest part in his life. On the BBC website you can browse through the whole archive, starting in January 1942 with actor Vic Oliver.
