Main content

Alison Moyet

Singer-songwriter Alison Moyet is interviewed by Kirsty Young and chooses her Desert Island Discs.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the singer, Alison Moyet.

She's won three Brit awards, sold tens of millions in record sales and her career has spanned over 30 years. It all kicked off in 1981; just three months after forming her first band "Yazoo" she was on Top of The Pops performing her first hit.

Given that remarkably smooth start it might be tempting to think her achievements have come easy - they haven't. She found growing up tough, had prolonged agoraphobia and depression and weight problems cast their shadow.

Now in her early fifties she says, "I was always an odd girl, I managed to alienate a lot of people. I felt like a square peg in a round hole in the music industry and created a lot of neurosis for myself."

Producer: Cathy Drysdale.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 23 May 2014 09:00
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Jack Dee

Next

Rene Redzepi

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Clips

See all clips from Alison Moyet (2)

Music Played

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Buena Vista Social Club

      Chan Chan

      • Buena Vista Social Club.
      • World Circuit.

  • Jacques Brel

    Vesoul

    • Infiniment CD2.
    • Barclay.

  • Cilla Black

    Anyone Who Had A Heart

    • The Essential Cilla Black.
    • Sony.

  • X‐Ray Spex

    Identity

    • X-Ray Spex The Anthology CD1.
    • Spectrum.

  • Janis Joplin

    Cry Baby

    • Janis Joplin: Greatest Hits.
    • CBS.

  • Elvis Costello

    I'm Your Toy

    • Almost Blue.
    • Demon Records.

  • Talk Talk

    I Believe In You

    • Spirit of Eden.
    • Parlophone.

  • Elbow

    Great Expectations

    • Best of 2005..
    • V2.

  • Book Choice

    • His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

  • Luxury Choice

    • A bath

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Alison Moyet
Producer Cathy Drysdale

Broadcasts

  • Sun 18 May 2014 11:15
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Fri 23 May 2014 09:00
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast