Paul McCartney appears on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs

Paul McCartney’s appearance on the long-running BBC radio series Desert Island Discs was recorded on 20 January 1982.

McCartney was interviewed by the show’s creator, Roy Plomley, and chose the eight records, luxury item and book he would take if stranded as a castaway on a desert island.

His music choices were:

• Elvis Presley: ‘Heartbreak Hotel’
• Chuck Berry: ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’
• Benjamin Britten: ‘Courtly Dances’ (from Gloriana) (Julian Bream Consort orchestra)
• Gene Vincent: ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’
• John Lennon: ‘Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)’
• The Coasters: ‘Searchin”
• Little Richard: ‘Tutti Frutti’
• Country Hams: ‘Walking In The Park With Eloise’

McCartney’s chosen book was a collection of photographs, Linda’s Pictures, taken by his wife, Linda McCartney. His luxury item was a guitar. If he were allowed to keep just one record from the eight it would be Lennon’s ‘Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)’.

The episode of Desert Island Discs was recorded at the BBC Studios at 201 Egton House in London, now part of BBC Broadcasting House. It was first broadcast on Saturday 30 June 1982 from 6.15-6.54pm on BBC Radio Four. McCartney was the show’s 1,630th castaway.

The edition was also filmed by BBC2 for an Arena documentary, which was first shown on 23 February from 10.05pm. McCartney was shown singing along to ‘Searchin” and ‘Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)’.

On his way to the studio, McCartney punched the Daily Star photographer Paul Massey, who was on his first assignment for the newspaper. McCartney realised his mistake and apologised, but the following day the headline read: “Paul’s Latest Hit… The Man From The Star”.