My Desert Island Discs, Philip Cumberland’s selection.

An enduring programme on BBC Radio 4, formerly the Home Service is Desert Island Discs. The programme was conceived and for many years introduced by Roy Plomley, it was first broadcast in 1942.

The show’s guest is invited to select the eight gramophone records they would take with them if they were marooned on a desert island. The guest is also allowed one book and one luxury item. As many of the programme’s guests have said, it is difficult to narrow it down to just eight.

My Desert Island Discs are:

First off; Wishing on A Star by Rose Royce, with Gwen Dickey singing. It is a really beautiful song, strangely enough one I had not heard of until probably 2010 or 2012. Discovered on YouTube by accident when looking for Rose Royce’s big hit, Car Wash. Although I was pleased when I found Wishing on a Star, I wish I had discovered it a lot earlier.

Number two is, Going to a Go Go by the Miracles; I am a big Tamla Motown and Soul Music Fan and could have found probably a hundred songs from this genre rather than the few I have included. My abiding memory of this song is of a girl at Huntingdon Youth Club. Every evening she would come into the club, put sixpence in the Juke Box and dance alone while, Going to a Go Go, played.

My third record is Sing, Sing, Sing, by Benny Goodman and his band, with Gene Krupa on drums. Although this song is from the thirties it is one I love, there is another version by a Japanese band, Swing Girls and a Boy, which is also brilliant, again it is the drumming that is remarkable the opening drum solo in particular.

For four I have chosen, Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones, as with Motown and Soul I could have picked any number of Stones records, this was the second Stones record bought with pocket money; my first was, the Last Time. As a young lad, I would put Satisfaction on the turntable of the record player then lift up the feed arm so it would play over and over again until the neighbours banged on the party wall of our Council House.

Record number Five is Go Now by the Moody Blues, I loved this song from the first time I heard it and to this day it is my favourite Moody Blues song. Like a great number of other people I only discovered fairly recently that the Moody Blues Go Now, was a cover version of the original, sung by Bessie Banks, which too is exceptionally good.

My sixth choice is Love is Like an Itching in My Heart by the Supremes, another Motown record. Like nearly all Motown recordings, the backing is provided by the Funk Brothers and exceptionally good.

The Funk Brothers were Detroit Blues and Jazz musicians, recruited by Berry Gordy in 1959. They have played on more number one hit records, than the Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Elvis combined, (from the film, Standing in the shadows of Motown.)

The penultimate disc is, Moon River sung by Audrey Hepburn, I know Andy Williams had the hit with it but I prefer Audrey’s version. I enjoyed the film and have it on DVD. This is from  my own blog post about the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the post has the title, Moon River:

“Those of us who grew up during the sixties, well me at least, always associate that time, that decade with hope and a feeling that things were improving and would continue to improve. Breakfast at Tiffany’s has that feeling about it. A story of a journey leading the two main characters, played by Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard, away from dependency on those who sought to buy their souls, to a hopeful, better future. It is a film, like all good films for me, with a happy ending. Most of us, if not all us want happy endings, not always for ourselves but more importantly for those we love and care for. A journey on our own Moon River perhaps.”

My final record is The Lark ascending by Vaughan Williams, I could have chosen any number of Vaughan Williams works but this one is probably my favourite. The violin speaks, describing the sunlight of dawn as it sets the lark free to soar above us and move around the sky.

The show’s host always asks the guest which disc they would save from an incoming tide; mine would be Rose Royce’s, Wishing on a Star.

The guest is also offered the choice of one book and one luxury they would like to have on the island. The book I would choose is the Complete works of Raymond Chandler. For my luxury item the choice is a large note book and a big pack of biros.