Rhapsody in Blue — George Gershwin — Song · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

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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

Rhapsody in Blue — George Gershwin — Song · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Song

Rhapsody in Blue — George Gershwin

31 episodes

Castaways who chose this

Alan Alda
Charlotte Lamb
Dame Sibyl Hathaway
Dick Francis
Dr Susan Greenfield
Elspeth Huxley
Freddie Jones
Fred Zinnemann
Gloria Swanson
Ian McMillan
Jack Lemmon
John Cleese
John Major
John Mills
Lang Lang
Marti Caine
Matthew Bourne
Neil Simon
Patricia Neal
Paul Gambaccini
Peter Donohoe
Peter Quennell
Professor Sir Richard Doll
Robert McCrum
more

Stephen Mangan
Stephen Mangan on being inspected with a magnifying glass by Sue Townsend
Castaway · 9 February 2025Lauren Laverne
Ian McMillan
Ian McMillan on his mother going to prison for love
Castaway · 7 November 2010Kirsty Young
Lang Lang

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

Lang Lang on his father telling him to jump off a building

Castaway · 31 October 2010Kirsty Young

Shami Chakrabarti

07°30′S 031°41′W

Shami Chakrabarti

Shami Chakrabarti on her earliest political memory of walking to the electric chair

Castaway · 2 November 2008Kirsty Young

05°30′S 099°25′W

Matthew Bourne

How copying the moves helped Matthew Bourne get into dance school

Castaway · 19 November 2004Sue Lawley

Paul Gambaccini

19°11′S 131°04′W

Paul Gambaccini

Paul Gambaccini on realizing he was a 'freak' for his music knowledge

Castaway · 13 October 2002Sue Lawley

Professor Sir Richard Doll

22°16′S 057°00′W

Professor Sir Richard Doll

How three pints of strong ale cost Richard Doll his Cambridge scholarship

Castaway · 18 February 2001Sue Lawley

18°25′S 140°24′W

Robert McCrum

Robert McCrum on crawling downstairs after his stroke

Castaway · 5 March 2000Sue Lawley

09°33′S 080°32′W

Dick Francis

Dick Francis on the heartbreaking collapse of Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National

Castaway · 13 December 1998Sue Lawley

19°40′S 062°44′W

Rose Tremain

Rose Tremain on filling a vacuum created by her father's leaving home

Castaway · 12 October 1997Sue Lawley

Dr Susan Greenfield

07°27′S 174°37′W

Dr Susan Greenfield

Susan Greenfield on her mother's question about seeing the colour red

Castaway · 2 March 1997Sue Lawley

09°46′S 156°21′W

John Cleese

John Cleese on fleeing the Footlights desk in confusion

Castaway · 5 January 1997Sue Lawley

12°37′S 043°22′W

Neil Simon

Neil Simon on his brother predicting at age 15 he’d be America’s best comedy writer

Castaway · 14 May 1995Sue Lawley

04°33′S 073°15′W

John Major

John Major on how his father's debt forced them to sell their home

Castaway · 26 January 1992Sue Lawley

21°14′S 053°04′W

Alan Alda

How Alan Alda's mother saved his life from polio

Castaway · 27 October 1991Sue Lawley

15°37′S 073°10′W

Ron Todd

How a priest's advice to pray instead of act made Ron Todd lose his faith

Castaway · 30 June 1991Sue Lawley

16°33′S 163°55′W

Marti Caine

How a gardening book gave Marti Caine her stage name

Castaway · 24 March 1991Sue Lawley

19°23′S 072°55′W

Fred Zinnemann

How Fred Zinnemann's violin playing made his baby brother cry and his dog howl

Castaway · 20 January 1991Sue Lawley

19°33′S 013°42′W

Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon on his childhood nickname 'Jack Eulemon'

Castaway · 8 October 1989Sue Lawley

17°11′S 154°28′W

Peter Donohoe

Peter Donohoe on putting his hands under his armpits in a 70mph car crash

Castaway · 11 September 1988Michael Parkinson

13°34′S 009°00′W

Patricia Neal

How a photograph of Roald Dahl's nieces convinced Patricia Neal to marry him

Castaway · 14 August 1988Michael Parkinson

07°39′S 081°50′W

Charlotte Lamb

Charlotte Lamb on writing an entire novel in three days

Castaway · 10 September 1983Roy Plomley

21°16′S 109°58′W

Wilbur Smith

Wilbur Smith on writing his first novel on government stationery

Castaway · 25 September 1982Roy Plomley

09°01′S 015°51′W

Elspeth Huxley

Elspeth Huxley on not hearing proper music until she was eighteen

Castaway · 17 October 1981Roy Plomley

23°04′S 052°24′W

Gloria Swanson

Gloria Swanson on being fired by Charlie Chaplin

Castaway · 4 July 1981Roy Plomley

21°19′S 121°19′W

Freddie Jones

Freddie Jones on how his resignation made the company's shares rise by four points

Castaway · 7 June 1980Roy Plomley

16°02′S 033°36′W

Peter Quennell

Peter Quennell on being sacked from the fire service for smoking on a fire

Castaway · 25 September 1976Roy Plomley

10°51′S 006°50′W

Roy Fox

Roy Fox on naming Jean Harlow

Castaway · 16 February 1974Roy Plomley

15°44′S 055°46′W

John Mills

John Mills on selling lavatory paper while secretly taking tap dancing lessons

Castaway · 22 December 1973Roy Plomley

21°23′S 027°53′W

Steve Race

Steve Race on suffering a heart attack at the microphone

Castaway · 27 November 1971Roy Plomley

Dame Sibyl Hathaway

11°43′S 047°48′W

Dame Sibyl Hathaway

Sibyl Hathaway on why Sark still bans divorce and female dogs

Castaway · 23 October 1971Roy Plomley