Beloved BBC radio series Desert Island Discs is a real treat of the license fee. The basic gist for those unaware is as follows: celebrity guest picks a number of songs they hold dear to their heart, discussing them and their career through small clips. The show’s greatness appeals then not just through the wide range of disciplines each guest arrives from, but the diverse selection of tracks they choose too.

Recently discovering that the show’s entire song choice database was available to search online, I of course typed in ‘Tom Waits’ immediately. Expecting perhaps a few entries, all in all it came up with 15 different selections! Perhaps the only thing more surprising is that the majority come from Alice. Below is the full list of each celebrity along with their respective castaway Waits treat:

Guy Garvey, Elbow lead singer/songwriter

‘Picture in a Frame’ (Mule Variations, 1999)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04c9xcg

Gavin Bryars, Composer

‘Tom Traubert’s Blues’ (Small Change, 1976)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00943fd

Terry Gilliam, Director

‘Alice’ (Alice, 2002)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0105rhd

Victoria Wood, Comedian

‘Misery is the River of the World’ (Blood Money, 2002)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008kkcg

John Sutherland, Writer

‘The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)’ (Small Change, 1976)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0093vyw

Colin Firth, Actor

‘Heartattack and Vine’ (Heartattack and Vine, 1980)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009359k

David King, Chemist

‘Table Top Joe’ (Alice, 2002)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00935mn

Raymond Briggs, Illustrator

‘Big in Japan’ (Mule Variations, 1999)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00935yk

David Gilmour, Pink Floyd Guitarist

‘I’m Still Here’ – (Alice, 2002)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00937ls

Cornelia Parker, Artist

‘Jesus Blood Never Failed me Yet’ w/ Gavin Bryars

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00937s4

John Malkovich, Actor

‘Kentucky Avenue’ (Blue Valentine, 1978)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00947gc

William Gibson, Novelist

‘Sixteen Shells from a Thirty-Ought-Six’ (swordfishtrombones, 1983)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00941v7

Emma Thompson, Actress

‘Hold On’ (Mule Variations, 1999)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rl498

David McVicar, Opera director

‘Somewhere (from West Side Story)’ (Blue Valentine, 1978)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dqctb

Oz Clarke, Wine expert

‘The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)’ (Small Change, 1976)

Episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00941qn

Have you heard our Tom Waits centric podcast yet? Hosted by long-time friends/fans Sam Whiles (@sidwidle1) and Tom Kwei (@tomkweipoet), ‘Down in the Hole’ explores the entire oeuvre of the American singer songwriter, album by album every fortnight.

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