Don McLean — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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Tuning in…

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

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Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
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Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Don McLean — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Artist

Don McLean

11 episodes

Chosen over the decades

11

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

5

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Barry Hearn
Daniel Kahneman
Gerry Cottle
John Humphrys
Johnny Vegas
Kate Ewart-Biggs
Maeve Binchy
Natalie Wood
Patrick Lichfield
Princess Grace of Monaco
Sir Peter Bonfield

Barry Hearn
How making up stories saved Barry Hearn's business in 1989
Castaway · 20 November 2022Lauren Laverne
Kate Ewart-Biggs
Kate Ewart-Biggs on her bilingual childhood in France
Castaway · 17 July 2022Lauren Laverne
Daniel Kahneman

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Daniel Kahneman on being hugged by an SS soldier as a boy

Castaway · 11 August 2013Kirsty Young

20°01′S 015°01′W

Johnny Vegas

Johnny Vegas on nagging his dad for an ice cream the day he was laid off

Castaway · 3 October 2010Kirsty Young

08°43′S 070°38′W

John Humphrys

John Humphrys on fearing his career was over after Jonathan Aitken's accusation

Castaway · 6 January 2008Kirsty Young

Sir Peter Bonfield

03°51′S 059°37′W

Sir Peter Bonfield

Peter Bonfield on his phobia of being late after discipline from nuns

Castaway · 30 April 2000Sue Lawley

09°43′S 118°14′W

Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy on losing her faith after a disappointing visit to Jerusalem

Castaway · 10 June 1990Sue Lawley

23°20′S 050°02′W

Gerry Cottle

How Gerry Cottle skipped school to catch a train to Newcastle for the circus

Castaway · 15 September 1984Roy Plomley

Patrick Lichfield

11°20′S 177°35′W

Patrick Lichfield

Patrick Lichfield on his first photography session with Jacqueline Bissett and Charlotte Rampling

Castaway · 31 October 1981Roy Plomley

Princess Grace of Monaco

13°19′S 019°56′W

Princess Grace of Monaco

Grace Kelly on being turned down by a college because of returning GIs

Castaway · 18 April 1981Roy Plomley

10°31′S 103°32′W

Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood on being renamed from Natalia Nikolaevna Zaharinko at age five

Castaway · 10 May 1980Roy Plomley