The BBC recently unveiled their Desert Island Discs archive online. The programme, in which famous personalities name 8 records/songs and a luxury item they’d take with them on a desert island, started in 1942 and is still broadcast today. Vivien Leigh appeared on the programme on September 9, 1952. Unfortunately the audio isn’t available at this time, but it is really interesting to see which songs she chose. I think it reveals she had quite eclectic (aka awesome) yet refined taste in music. I see Vivien and I both share(d) a love for a little Ludwig Van!
Vivien’s picks:
Jean Sibelius — Violin Concerto in D Minor
Oscar Straus — Mariette Act 2 (I couldn’t find a link, but Straus also composed La Ronde!)
Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 9 in D minor ‘Choral’ – 2nd movement
Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 9 in D minor ‘Choral’ – 4th movement (Ode to Joy)
Danny Kaye — Ballin’ the Jack
Maurice Ravel — Daphnis and Chloe–Daybreak
Laurence Olivier — If the Heart of a Man (from The Beggar’s Opera)
William Walton — Valse & Tango-Pasodoble (from Façade)
The luxury item Vivien chose was a piano.
If you could choose 8 albums or songs to take on a desert island, which would you choose?
My Boy Builds Coffins- Florence and the Machine
Turpentine-Brandi Carlile
Someone Like You- Adele
Oh Boy-Duffy
Don’t You Remember-Adele
Set Fire to the Rain-Adele
Back to Black-Amy Winehouse
Tears Dry on Their Own-Amy Winehouse
This is really really really hard…8 songs is not enough
I think I’d have to have some Florence in my mix, as well. I wish she’d release a new album already!
I agree! I LOVE her…I’m ready for a new album. Have you listened to the B-sides or the deluxe edition of Lungs it has a few more songs and several remixes
I would also take her picks, but would exchange Laurence Olivier for more Beethoven.
Which Beethoven?
Songs is way too hard. Albums is a little easier:
Arular- M.I.A
Kala- M.I.A
Judy at Carnegie Hall- Judy Garland
The Voice of the Sparrow- Edith Piaf
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness- Smashing Pumpkins
Symphony no 6- Ludwig Van Beethoven
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols- The Sex Pistols
Volume One- She & Him
Oh wow, Mellon Collie brings back some memories. I loved the Smashing Pumpkins i high school. I still think that and Siamese Dream are two of the best albums of the 90s
La Traviata – Cotrubas, Domingo, Kleiber.
The Damned – Maurice Jarre
La Dolce Vita – Nino Rotta
The Hours – Philip Glass
Ryan’s Daughter – Maurice Jarre
A Passage to India – Maurice Jarre
Out of Africa – John Barry
The Sicilian Clan – Ennio Morricone
Interesting choices! I think my fave Jarre score is Doctor Zhivago, although I’m not a fan of the movie as a whole
Better Be Good To Me (concert version) – Tina Turner
Far Away Eyes – The Rolling Stones
Let It Be Me – Elvis Presley
Bed of Roses – Bon Jovi
Va pensiero – Nabucco – Giuseppe Verdi
Tara’s Theme – Gone With The Wind
Tango – Scent of a Woman
All For You – Vivien Leigh & Jean Pierre Aumont
I love Tango from Scent of a Woman. I have it on my itunes. I think it was from one of those Cinema Serenade albums John Williams did
I think I’d choose:
Joseph Haydn — Cello Concerto
Sergei Rachmaninov — Piano Concerto No. 2
Richard Wagner — Das Rheingold (Vorspiel)
The Rolling Stones — She’s a Rainbow
The Rolling Stones — Moonlight Mile
Camille Saint-Saens — Danse Macabre
Arcade Fire — Neighborhood 1 (Tunnels)
Radiohead — Where I End and You Begin
Mozart.Piano concerno n.21
Mozart:Nozze di Figaro
Mozart:Die Zauberflote
Beethoven. Symphony n.9
Verdi:Un Ballo in Maschera
Rossini.il Barbiere di Siviglia
the Beatles/Sinatra:Something
Nat King Cole:quizas,quizas
but why only eight…? It’s really hard
I’m not sure, those are just the rules 🙂
Wow, this is so hard! I think I’d choose:
Albums:
Pearl – Janis Joplin
Big Brother and the Holding Company – Big Brother and the Holding Company
The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 – Bob Dylan (I was going to say The Freewheelin’ but, damn, The Witmark Demos is so, so ridiculously good. I much prefer outtakes/older versions of Dylan’s songs especially his earlier version of “Mr. Tambourine Man” on this album).
Band of Brothers OST – Michael Kamen
The Pacific OST – Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli, Blake Neely
Sunshine Superman – Donovan
Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles
Songs:
Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Hard-Hearted Hannah (Vamp of Savannah) – Belle Baker
Sherry – Franki Valli & the Four Seasons
One Night Stand – Janis Joplin
Marie’s the Name (of His Latest Flame) – Elvis Presley
The Weight – The Band
California Girls – The Beach Boys
God’s Gonna Cut You Down – Johnny Cash
awwww the beach boys + frankie valli = my childhood