Summertime (Porgy and Bess) — George Gershwin — Song · 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

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Most requested
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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

Summertime (Porgy and Bess) — George Gershwin — Song · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Song

Summertime (Porgy and Bess) — George Gershwin

21 episodes

Castaways who chose this

Andrew Cruickshank
Bishop Trevor Huddleston
Captain Jacques Cousteau
Clive Dunn
Dick Francis
Douglas Fairbanks Jnr
Gabby Logan
Greg Dyke
Jasper Conran
Leontyne Price
Lindsey Hilsum
Maria Aitken
Maya Angelou
Nicole Kidman
Pamela Rose
Professor Ralf Dahrendorf
Richard Madeley
Robert Maxwell
Robert Powell
Sister Frances Dominica
Steven Knight

Lindsey Hilsum
Lindsey Hilsum on impersonating a Red Cross worker
Castaway · 30 March 2025Lauren Laverne
Steven Knight
Steven Knight on writing to a Native American school as a 12-year-old
Castaway · 11 August 2024Lauren Laverne

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

Gabby Logan on leading her siblings out of the Bradford fire

Castaway · 15 January 2023Lauren Laverne

17°38′S 032°11′W

Pamela Rose

Pamela Rose on telling herself the stage could wait and the war can't

Castaway · 31 May 2015Kirsty Young

Richard Madeley

16°18′S 001°08′W

Richard Madeley

Richard Madeley on his wife's 'three pack' reply to his marriage proposal

Castaway · 8 March 2009Kirsty Young

22°11′S 135°59′W

Greg Dyke

Greg Dyke on reading Lord Hutton's report and knowing the public would side with the BBC

Castaway · 20 May 2007Kirsty Young

Sister Frances Dominica

08°49′S 156°24′W

Sister Frances Dominica

Frances Dominica on the split-second she knew she had to become a nun

Castaway · 8 February 2004Sue 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

21°40′S 006°08′W

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman on her naked handshake deal with Sam Mendes

Castaway · 15 November 1998Sue Lawley

02°03′S 131°42′W

Jasper Conran

How Jasper Conran's rent suddenly multiplied six times overnight

Castaway · 25 June 1995Sue Lawley

Professor Ralf Dahrendorf

05°11′S 015°47′W

Professor Ralf Dahrendorf

Ralf Dahrendorf on being called a social democrat in the Hitler Youth

Castaway · 3 February 1991Sue Lawley

20°19′S 136°55′W

Maria Aitken

Maria Aitken on Elizabeth Taylor throwing red wine over her

Castaway · 18 June 1989Sue Lawley

Bishop Trevor Huddleston

19°30′S 136°12′W

Bishop Trevor Huddleston

How a novice master warned Trevor Huddleston he would miss children

Castaway · 25 September 1988Michael Parkinson

19°29′S 054°56′W

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou on the moment poetry gave her back her voice

Castaway · 2 August 1987Michael Parkinson

23°20′S 076°21′W

Robert Maxwell

Robert Maxwell on being sentenced to death as a spy

Castaway · 5 July 1987Michael Parkinson

Captain Jacques Cousteau

05°15′S 057°06′W

Captain Jacques Cousteau

Jacques Cousteau on breaking thirty windows while testing a movie myth

Castaway · 10 July 1982Roy Plomley

08°34′S 144°14′W

Robert Powell

Robert Powell on keeping his eyes open without blinking

Castaway · 6 January 1979Roy Plomley

Douglas Fairbanks Jnr

22°33′S 159°17′W

Douglas Fairbanks Jnr

Douglas Fairbanks Jnr on being sacked from his first film job at 13

Castaway · 29 May 1976Roy Plomley

12°39′S 156°34′W

Leontyne Price

Leontyne Price on being inspired by Marian Anderson at age nine

Castaway · 22 September 1973Roy Plomley

20°08′S 098°41′W

Clive Dunn

Clive Dunn on singing Summertime to win a second tenor job

Castaway · 19 June 1971Roy Plomley

Andrew Cruickshank

14°42′S 073°54′W

Andrew Cruickshank

Andrew Cruickshank on realising he was no good as a civil engineer

Castaway · 14 February 1966Roy Plomley