Desert Island Discs

Desert Island Discs is a British institution. First broadcast on January 29, 1942. According to folks at Guinness – the Book of Records, not the alcoholic beverage, you lush – Desert Island Discs is the longest running music program in the history of radio.

Six United Kingdom Prime Ministers have participated. Politicians and scientists. Athletes and actors. All have given their selections of what they would bring with them to a desert island. Johnny Cash, Stephen Hawking, Stephen King, Paul McCartney, J.K. Rowling, Ricky Gervais and Yoko Ono are just a few of the hundreds that have made their selections.

I’m modifying the rules a bit. It’s my column and I’ll amend if I want to. (Try singing that last sentence. It works.)

You select 11 songs, (up from the 8 D.I.D’s allows), 7 films, (D.I.D. doesn’t have films, I felt like having them), one book besides The Bible or other religious text – The Torah, Koran, Dead Sea Scrolls, On the Origin of Species, etc., and one “luxury item.” The luxury item can be anything.

My selections:

11 Songs:

1. “Desolation Row” – Bob Dylan
2. “Death Letter” – Son House
3. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – The Beatles
4. “Ball and a Biscuit” – The White Stripes
5. “(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais – The Clash
6. “Over the Hills and Far Away” – Led Zeppelin
7. “When I Paint My Masterpiece” – The Band
8. “Flesh and Blood” – Johnny Cash
9. “Tom Traubert’s Blues” – Tom Waits
10. “Yellow Ledbetter” – Pearl Jam
11. “My Way” – Frank Sinatra

7 Films:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
3. Hoosiers
4. The Empire Strikes Back
5. The Sting
6. His Girl Friday
7. Miller’s Crossing

1 Book:

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

I am cheating a little here. However, my justification is this; Professor Tolkien intended the books to be one long epic. The publishers broke the book up into three chapters. In fact, Tolkien did not approve of the decision and hated the title of the third installment being The Return of the King. Technically, it’s one book.

1 Luxury Item:

This one is hard. I considered cheese and crackers, Coca-Cola, one of my guitars, a basketball and hoop and Sportscenter. I settled on something more simple; A stack of 100 Mead Composition Notebooks and 100 Pilot Precise Grip - Bold pens. My weapon of choice.

I’d be pretty content with those selections on a desert island. Of course I’d also want a talking volleyball.

Thanks for playing our game. We have some lovely parting gifts for you. They can be claimed after the show.