Main content

Sue Lawley's castaway is experimental musician Brian Eno.

A variety of labels can be stuck on this week's Desert Island Discs castaway - from rock musician to experimental artist, from visual sculptor to composer and intellectual guru of the rock world. He is Brian Eno, and he started his career by making music playing with tape recorders, then went on to play with bands who rehearsed far more often than they performed, graduating through to the Portsmouth Sinfonia, and ending up with the hugely successful group Roxy Music.

Since his Roxy Music days, he has gone on to musical collaboration with David Bowie and production of the group U2. Brian Eno will be talking to Sue Lawley about his musical and artistic activities in the mainstream, as well as on the fringes of, international cultural life.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Lord Don't Forget About Me by Dorothy Love Coates
Book: Contingency, Irony & Solidarity by Richard Rorty
Luxury: Radio telescope

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Sun 27 Jan 1991 12:15
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Fred Zinnemann

Next

Professor Ralf Dahrendorf

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Music Played

  • Gene Chandler

    Duke Of Earl

    • The 60s Pop/Various.
    • Knight.

  • Fela Kuti & Afrika 70

    Alu Jon Jonki Jon

    • Fela Ransome-Kuti And The Africa '70.
    • Regal Zonophone.

  • The Velvet Underground

    Sunday Morning

    • Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground.
    • MCA.

  • Miles Davis

    He Loved Him Madly

    • Get Up With It/Miles Davis.
    • CBS.

  • Nikolai Ivanovitch Kompaneiski

    Herouvimska Pessen

    Choir: The Bulgarian State Choir

    • Bulgarian Great Orthodox Liturgy-Bulgarian Radiotv.
    • Harmonia Mundi.

  • Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

    Too Much Time

    • Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band/Clear Spot.
    • Reprise.

  • Fairuz

    Ya Tayr

    • Fairuz In London.
    • (EMI).

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Dorothy Love Coates

      Lord Don't Forget About Me

      • The Best Of Dorothy Love Coates.
      • SP5.

  • Book Choice

    • Contingency, Irony & Solidarity - Richard Rorty

  • Luxury Choice

    • Radio telescope

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Brian Eno

Broadcast

  • Sun 27 Jan 1991 12:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 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