Fats Waller — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Tuning in…

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
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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

Fats Waller — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Fats Waller

33 episodes

Chosen over the decades

32

Total castaways

2000s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Adelaide Hall
Alan Jay Lerner
Ben Travers
Edward Fox
Frances Partridge
Geoffrey Palmer
George MacDonald Fraser
Humphrey Lyttelton
Jack de Manio
Jocelyn Stevens
John Updike
John Wain
Lord Chief Justice Taylor
Michael Ffolkes
Most Rev Robert Runcie
Paddy Ashdown MP
Patrick Lichfield
Patrick Stewart
Percy Merriman
Peter Ackroyd
Peter Nichols
Peter Sallis
Quentin Crewe
Richard Ingrams
more

Peter Ackroyd
Peter Ackroyd on his partner singing in the bath the day before he died
Castaway · 20 May 2012Kirsty Young
Sir Torquil Norman
Torquil Norman on being given only one bullet to shoot rabbits
Castaway · 12 December 2010Kirsty Young

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

Peter Sallis on being cast as the lead in a RAF production of Hay Fever

Castaway · 17 May 2009Kirsty Young

Richard Ingrams

16°20′S 057°40′W

Richard Ingrams

Richard Ingrams on confusing God and J. S. Bach

Castaway · 3 August 2008Kirsty Young

Humphrey Lyttelton

16°05′S 015°30′W

Humphrey Lyttelton

Humphrey Lyttelton on pedalling away from his sister's terrible friends

Castaway · 5 November 2006Kirsty Young

Patrick Stewart

23°47′S 104°15′W

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart on being cast as Shylock by his teacher at age 12

Castaway · 17 April 2005Sue Lawley

Geoffrey Palmer

14°46′S 077°51′W

Geoffrey Palmer

Geoffrey Palmer on cleaning out the grate when Laurence Olivier rang

Castaway · 27 February 2005Sue Lawley

Sir Christopher Bland

01°14′S 120°16′W

Sir Christopher Bland

Christopher Bland on saying bollocks in the council chamber

Castaway · 14 April 2002Sue Lawley

13°14′S 030°36′W

Shirley Hughes

Shirley Hughes on bursting from behind curtains for applause as a child

Castaway · 25 March 2001Sue Lawley

George MacDonald Fraser

00°44′S 032°01′W

George MacDonald Fraser

George MacDonald Fraser on being transfixed by Captain Blood at age ten

Castaway · 14 January 2001Sue Lawley

23°41′S 051°41′W

Quentin Crewe

Quentin Crewe on having to carry his umbrella flapping like a rook at Eton

Castaway · 16 June 1996Sue Lawley

20°01′S 116°05′W

John Updike

John Updike on falling in love with the New Yorker as a child

Castaway · 10 September 1995Sue Lawley

Frances Partridge

20°51′S 149°32′W

Frances Partridge

Frances Partridge on losing her faith in a seaside boarding house aged 11

Castaway · 27 February 1994Sue Lawley

Lord Chief Justice Taylor

12°16′S 166°25′W

Lord Chief Justice Taylor

Lord Taylor on his regret after prosecuting Stefan Kiszko

Castaway · 24 May 1992Sue Lawley

Jocelyn Stevens

23°00′S 018°02′W

Jocelyn Stevens

How Jocelyn Stevens's father saw him as the murderer of his mother

Castaway · 8 March 1992Sue Lawley

Paddy Ashdown MP

18°50′S 006°39′W

Paddy Ashdown MP

Paddy Ashdown on being asked to call himself Captain Jeremy John Durham Ashton

Castaway · 10 February 1991Sue Lawley

06°43′S 081°03′W

Adelaide Hall

Adelaide Hall on accidentally inventing scat while humming to Ellington's 'Creole Love Call'

Castaway · 13 January 1991Sue Lawley

Most Rev Robert Runcie

23°17′S 019°51′W

Most Rev Robert Runcie

Robert Runcie on turning back to rescue a crewmate from a burning tank

Castaway · 1 January 1989Sue Lawley

Sir James Callaghan

03°07′S 007°21′W

Sir James Callaghan

James Callaghan on the Ministry of Pensions paying his two-guinea school fees

Castaway · 18 October 1987Michael Parkinson

21°50′S 093°11′W

Victoria Wood

Victoria Wood on writing a song after being rejected for a part in Loot

Castaway · 8 February 1987Michael Parkinson

Sir David Wilson

15°56′S 157°20′W

Sir David Wilson

David Wilson on taking his coat off at his British Museum interview

Castaway · 13 July 1986Michael Parkinson

Michael Ffolkes

11°13′S 124°26′W

Michael Ffolkes

Michael Ffolkes on selling his first cartoon aged ten

Castaway · 19 October 1984Roy Plomley

09°09′S 004°22′W

Duke & Duchess of Devonshire

Duchess of Devonshire on never wanting to see another firework

Castaway · 28 August 1982Roy 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

17°57′S 164°24′W

Peter Nichols

Peter Nichols on becoming a jazz fan to rebel against his father

Castaway · 14 March 1981Roy Plomley

18°29′S 050°36′W

Edward Fox

How a fear of appearing naked made Edward Fox turn down a film test at age ten

Castaway · 28 April 1979Roy Plomley

04°33′S 155°17′W

John Wain

How failing exams led John Wain to Oxford on his father's money

Castaway · 4 November 1978Roy Plomley

Alan Jay Lerner

18°59′S 063°37′W

Alan Jay Lerner

How losing an eye in an accident led Alan Jay Lerner to musical theatre

Castaway · 23 September 1978Roy Plomley

George MacDonald Fraser

10°23′S 087°13′W

George MacDonald Fraser

George MacDonald Fraser on the waterfall accident that helped him finish Flashman

Castaway · 18 March 1978Roy Plomley

19°44′S 115°03′W

Robert Dougall

Robert Dougall on watching wax models writhe in a fire during the Blitz

Castaway · 8 January 1977Roy Plomley

09°55′S 123°50′W

Ben Travers

Ben Travers on being too sorry for a fish to keep it

Castaway · 10 May 1975Roy Plomley

06°28′S 148°44′W

Jack de Manio

Jack de Manio on winning a music prize for pretending to play the piano

Castaway · 26 December 1964Roy Plomley

09°34′S 047°56′W

Percy Merriman

Percy Merriman on how a concert party was born at the foot of Mount Olympus

Castaway · 17 August 1964Roy Plomley