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 91Èȱ¬ 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.
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Music Played
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Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
Blinded By The Light
- Drivetime 3 (Various Artists).
- Dino.
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Ward Thomas
Guest List
- (CD Single).
- WTW Music.
- 001.
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Cliff Richard & The Shadows
Summer Holiday
- Cliff Richard - 40 Golden Greats.
- EMI.
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Faith No More
Easy
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Jo Jo Gunne
Run Run Run
- The Sound Of The Seventies (Various Artists).
- Warner Music TV.
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James
She's a Star
- James - Whiplash.
- Mercury.
- 9.
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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.
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Bruce Springsteen
Hungry Heart
- Bruce Springsteen - Greatest Hits.
- Columbia.
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Simply Red
The Ghost Of Love
- (CD Single).
- SimplyRed.com.
- 001.
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The Knack
My Sharona
- Fantastic 70's (Various Artists).
- Sony Tv/Columbia.
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Blondie
Call Me
- Atomic: The Very Best Of Blondie.
- EMI.
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Santana
Black Magic Woman
- Santana's Greatest Hits.
- CBS.
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Leona Lewis
I Am
- (CD Single).
- Island.
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Sam Smith
Stay With Me
- (CD Single).
- Capitol.
- 001.
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Echo & the Bunnymen
Bring On The Dancing Horses
- Echo & The Bunnymen - Ballyhoo.
- Korova.
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Daniel Merriweather
Red
- (CD Single).
- Columbia.
- 1.
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Dean Martin & Helen O’Connell
How D'Ya Like Your Eggs In The Morning?
- Cool Couples (Various Artists).
- Sanctuary.
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Kerri Watt
Long Way 91Èȱ¬
- (CD Single).
- 25 Hour Convenience Store.
- 001.
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The Doobie Brothers
Long Train Runnin'
- The Very Best Of The Doobie Brothers.
- Warner Bros.
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Hozier
Someone New
- (CD Single).
- Island.
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Cliff Richard & The Shadows
Summer Holiday
- Cliff Richard - 40 Golden Greats.
- EMI.
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Todd Rundgren
Hello It's Me
- The Very Best Of.
- Rhino.
- 1.
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Fleetwood Mac
Never Going Back Again
- Fleetwood Mac - Rumours.
- Warner Bros.
- 10.
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Joe Brown & The Bruvvers
A Picture Of You
- The Greatest Hits Of 1962.
- Premier.
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Kacey Musgraves
This Town
- Pageant Material.
- Mercury Nashville.
- 001.
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Paolo Nutini
Pencil Full Of Lead
- (CD Single).
- Atlantic.
- 1.
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Big Country
In a Big Country
- Without The Aid Of A Safety Net.
- EMI.
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Dire Straits
Walk Of Life
- Brothers In Arms 20th Anniv Edition.
- Vertigo.
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Eric Clapton
Lay Down Sally
- The Cream Of Eric Clapton.
- Polydor.
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One Direction
Drag Me Down
- (CD Single).
- Syco Music.
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Happy Mondays
Step On
- Now 17, Part 1 (Various Artists).
- Now.
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The Rolling Stones
Let's Spend The Night Together
- The Rolling Stones - Forty Licks.
- Abkco.
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.
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