Lou Reed — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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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

Lou Reed — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Composer

Lou Reed

8 episodes

Chosen over the decades

8

Total castaways

2000s

Peak decade

4

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Antony Gormley
Arlene Phillips
Barbara Hulanicki
Debbie Harry
John Cale
Laurie Anderson
Sir Christopher Bland
William Gibson

Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson on her mother chopping off a monkey's head to test for rabies
Castaway · 12 January 2025Lauren Laverne
Barbara Hulanicki
Barbara Hulanicki on never saying goodbye to her father
Castaway · 8 December 2013Kirsty 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

How a manager's anger gave Debbie Harry her iconic unsmiling album cover

Castaway · 22 May 2011Kirsty Young

Arlene Phillips

22°38′S 152°50′W

Arlene Phillips

Arlene Phillips on deciding never to go home after a dance class

Castaway · 28 June 2009Kirsty Young

18°37′S 099°16′W

John Cale

John Cale on his grandmother blaming him for his mother's illness

Castaway · 22 February 2004Sue 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

00°24′S 065°37′W

William Gibson

William Gibson on the Sony Walkman that inspired cyberspace

Castaway · 19 November 1999Sue Lawley

22°46′S 115°11′W

Antony Gormley

Antony Gormley on his wife giving him 'birth' through plaster body casts

Castaway · 10 May 1998Sue Lawley