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Anita Rani and Sophie Parkin

Chris talks to Anita Rani about her time in Mumbai for World's Busiest Railways and her forthcoming Strictly role, plus author Sophie Parkin on the bohemian world of 1950s Soho.

Presenter Anita Rani talks about her time in Mumbai filming for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Two's World's Busiest Railways and author Sophie Parkin recalls the bohemian world of 1950s Soho, in particular the infamous Colony Room Club where painter Francis Bacon once held court. Plus there's a Pause for Thought from Canon Ann Easter and DJ David Rodigan provides our On This Day.

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Tue 25 Aug 2015 06:30
Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2

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Music Played

  • Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

    Blinded By The Light

    • Drivetime 3 (Various Artists).
    • Dino.

  • Ward Thomas

    Guest List

    • (CD Single).
    • WTW Music.
    • 001.

  • Cliff Richard & The Shadows

    Summer Holiday

    • Cliff Richard - 40 Golden Greats.
    • EMI.

  • Faith No More

    Easy

  • Jo Jo Gunne

    Run Run Run

    • The Sound Of The Seventies (Various Artists).
    • Warner Music TV.

  • James

    She's a Star

    • James - Whiplash.
    • Mercury.
    • 9.

  • The Banana Splits

    The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)

    • Television's Greatest Hits Vol. 5: In Living Color (Various Artists).
    • TVT Records.

  • Bruce Springsteen

    Hungry Heart

    • Bruce Springsteen - Greatest Hits.
    • Columbia.

  • Simply Red

    The Ghost Of Love

    • (CD Single).
    • SimplyRed.com.
    • 001.

  • The Knack

    My Sharona

    • Fantastic 70's (Various Artists).
    • Sony Tv/Columbia.

  • Blondie

    Call Me

    • Atomic: The Very Best Of Blondie.
    • EMI.

  • Santana

    Black Magic Woman

    • Santana's Greatest Hits.
    • CBS.

  • Leona Lewis

    I Am

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.

  • Sam Smith

    Stay With Me

    • (CD Single).
    • Capitol.
    • 001.

  • Echo & the Bunnymen

    Bring On The Dancing Horses

    • Echo & The Bunnymen - Ballyhoo.
    • Korova.

  • Daniel Merriweather

    Red

    • (CD Single).
    • Columbia.
    • 1.

  • Dean Martin & Helen O’Connell

    How D'Ya Like Your Eggs In The Morning?

    • Cool Couples (Various Artists).
    • Sanctuary.

  • Kerri Watt

    Long Way Â鶹ԼÅÄ

    • (CD Single).
    • 25 Hour Convenience Store.
    • 001.

  • The Doobie Brothers

    Long Train Runnin'

    • The Very Best Of The Doobie Brothers.
    • Warner Bros.

  • Hozier

    Someone New

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.

  • Cliff Richard & The Shadows

    Summer Holiday

    • Cliff Richard - 40 Golden Greats.
    • EMI.

  • Todd Rundgren

    Hello It's Me

    • The Very Best Of.
    • Rhino.
    • 1.

  • Fleetwood Mac

    Never Going Back Again

    • Fleetwood Mac - Rumours.
    • Warner Bros.
    • 10.

  • Joe Brown & The Bruvvers

    A Picture Of You

    • The Greatest Hits Of 1962.
    • Premier.

  • Kacey Musgraves

    This Town

    • Pageant Material.
    • Mercury Nashville.
    • 001.

  • Paolo Nutini

    Pencil Full Of Lead

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.
    • 1.

  • Big Country

    In a Big Country

    • Without The Aid Of A Safety Net.
    • EMI.

  • Dire Straits

    Walk Of Life

    • Brothers In Arms 20th Anniv Edition.
    • Vertigo.

  • Eric Clapton

    Lay Down Sally

    • The Cream Of Eric Clapton.
    • Polydor.

  • One Direction

    Drag Me Down

    • (CD Single).
    • Syco Music.

  • Happy Mondays

    Step On

    • Now 17, Part 1 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • The Rolling Stones

    Let's Spend The Night Together

    • The Rolling Stones - Forty Licks.
    • Abkco.

Pause For Thought

Pause For Thought

We have a little café at our church and sometimes we have events there like a quiz night or what we call ‘Me and My Music’ which is a bit like Desert Island Discs but with food and an audience - much better! – and I was recently asked to share my favourite tracks over lasagne and apricot sponge.

My biggest problem was choosing the music. Best rock record ever? No contest! – ‘Let’s Spend the Night Together’, of course; or the tune from my youth – ‘Monday, Monday’; I had to pick an ‘our tune’ to celebrate Christopher and me so Elton John’s ‘I guess that’s why they call it the blues’ came top out of a number of possibilities and then, because it was church, I thought I’d better have something a bit religious so Bach’s St Matthew Passion, the last chorale, was beautiful and just right.

But then, since musicals have always been very important in my life, there just had to be a film track – but which one? For my money, you can’t beat West Side Story with Leonard Bernstein’s fabulous score and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics – I could watch it every day. I’m instantly transported back to the excitement and turmoil and fervour of those teenage years  when Tony sings ‘Something’s Coming’ and how powerfully songs like ‘Tonight’ or ‘Maria’ can recall the white hot passion of first love. We might laugh at ‘Gee Officer Krupke’ but really it’s a music hall tune with very wise and witty words – and I can’t keep still when they sing ‘I’d like to be in America’?

Leonard Bernstein, who was born this day in 1918, said that music names the unnameable and communicates the unknowable and I think that, in hearing my favourites, my supper companions found out more about me than they would hearing several of my sermons. And I think too that’s why music is used in Christian worship – there is much that is unnamed and unknown and so we find out more about God through the Heavenly gift of music.

Pop or plainsong, they’re all songs of praise to me.

Broadcast

  • Tue 25 Aug 2015 06:30
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2

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After eight years of hosting the Breakfast Show, Chris Evans leaves Radio 2.

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Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.