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My Desert Island Discs (Blog Meme)

March 17, 2014 //  by Uju//  11 Comments

 
Jed at Kessingland Beach
 
I’m more than a little late to the party with this Desert Island Discs blog meme. The lovely Zaz over at Mama and More tagged me way back in February, after she posted her beautiful compilation.

Zaz described putting her desert island mix tape together as an agonising process, and she wasn’t wrong. How do you narrow down a lifetime of music into a playlist of just eight songs?

In keeping with the original Radio 4 series of Desert Island Discs, we’re also allowed to choose a book, a luxury item and either a religious tome or the Complete Works of Shakespeare.

I’ll take Shakey for company along with Riders by Jilly Cooper, the perfect beach read.

For my luxury item, I’ll bring an iPad, to keep me connected to the world beyond (also I can cheat and download more books via the Kindle app).

And now for my Desert Island Discs…

My Desert Island Discs

1. Prince – Adore

We have to kick off with His Royal Badness. It’s almost impossible to choose from his back catalogue, but I’ll go with this spine-tingling love song off Sign of the Times. It captures Prince’s incredible range, soulfulness and sense of fun (‘you could smash up my ride… well, maybe not the ride baby’). One of my all-time faves!

 

2. Diana Ross – Upside Down

I have fond memories of grooving to this LP in the ‘grown-ups living room’ back in Enugu, Nigeria. Diana Ross was the epitome of glamour to us and this was the first song I claimed as ‘my own’. I even had a special dance (it involved a lot of bending my head down and spinning around in tune with the lyrics). The song was composed by the incredible Nile Rogers of Chic, who I was thrilled to run into at Camp Bestival. This live clip features Michael Jackson joining Diana on stage!

3. Billie Holiday – Fine and Mellow

My dad was a jazz fan and it was through raiding his collections that I got to know Lady Day. She has one of those voices that take you deep inside a song, sometimes to a dark place but often with humour. She has been painted as a victim but I’ve always heard strength in her music. Billie was a gifted storyteller who, like many great artists, lived life at the edge.

4. Soul II Soul – Back to Life

London, summer of ’89, Soul II Soul blasting out of every shop, car stereo and club. Every day felt like dancing on air – or on Caron Wheeler’s soaring vocals to be precise. I challenge anyone not to get up and groove to this tune, although I might be even crazier about the a capella version (when that beat drops)!

5. Outkast – Behold a Lady

When Outkast released the double album Speakerboxx/The Love Below, it was Andre 3000 that bowled us over. ‘Hey Ya’ was the standout but Abiye always said the lyrics to Behold a Lady made him think of me. ‘You’re not extra extra, you’re so plain Jane/The yin to my yang, darlin’/You’ve got that thang and you know it/But yet you don’t and that’s what’s so cool’.

 
6. Starchaser feat Steve Edwards – Falling Star (Original Vox Mix)

One for moonlit evenings, reminiscing about the mister. Falling Star is ‘our song’, a simple and beautiful house track that always puts me in a blissful mood. ‘In the midnight sky I see your light a million miles away/I have never seen a brighter star than you.’

7. LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock you Out

I wouldn’t pick LL Cool J as the greatest rapper (that goes to Notorious BIG) but this is in my Top 10 tunes. I LOVE the video, just LL and a mic in a ring, showing off his flow. Confident enough to perform without any big booty hoes or entourage crowding up the scene. This is a pure ‘fire in your blood’ anthem that took on extra significance for me after I became a mum. I used to wake the babes up to this track!

8. Madonna – Holiday

And finally, Madonna. What would my playlist be without her? I’ve chosen a song that hardly needs any intro, not just because it’s a dancefloor classic but because it’s perfect for cheering you up on a deserted island!

And now I’m tagging Tinuke at Circus Mums, Jacqui at Mummy’s Little Monkey and Vicki at Honest Mum. Happy deejaying, ladies!

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Category: Best Of, Kids, LifeTag: holiday, mums, music, travel

About Uju

Uju Asika is a writer and blogger, a digital consultant and author of Bringing Up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World, published in September 2020 by Yellow Kite (Hachette UK). Available in hardback, ebook and audiobook formats on Amazon, Waterstones and other good bookshops. Follow Uju @babesabouttown on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mama and More aka Zaz

    March 18, 2014 at 1:07 am

    Brilliant brilliant list! Wasn’t it painful though? I loved and hated doing this at the same time. LL Cool J is inspired. We could definitely exchange mix tapes! X

  2. Morgan Prince

    March 18, 2014 at 1:57 pm

    You’ve got some great picks there. I love the Diana Ross song. I did this meme a while back too and it was really difficult to choose just 8 songs!

  3. Uju

    March 18, 2014 at 2:04 pm

    Hi Morgan, oh the pain of editing out some of the greats. I realised afterwards not just artists but entire genres of music that I love aren’t represented. Ah well, guess I’d be doing a lot of singing in my head on that island ;-)

  4. Uju

    March 18, 2014 at 2:05 pm

    Zaz, you really were not kidding. As you know I’ve done a few of these types of lists on FB and each time, different peeps crop up which is interesting too. Was fun digging through You Tube though tough to drag myself off there afterwards!

  5. JP

    March 18, 2014 at 2:27 pm

    Would definitely have Soul 2 Soul on mine

  6. Uju

    March 18, 2014 at 3:51 pm

    Sure thang JP, I could have picked 8 songs from Soul II Soul alone!

  7. Honest Mum

    March 18, 2014 at 3:59 pm

    Wow know we have a lot in common but I LOVE all these tunes sister, we need to party together soon x

  8. Katy Acquaye-Tonge

    March 19, 2014 at 1:18 pm

    Loved reading your picks! Zaz tagged me too and I still haven’t done it, the pressure is immense!! I must get to it because I’ve do enjoyed reading other people’s. Stopping by from #AllAboutYou

  9. Uju

    March 19, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    Hi Katy

    I know it’s so hard but better to just take the plunge. No way you can capture everything in 8 songs (or one book!), I don’t even have any African or Latin music which I LOVE! Look forward to seeing your picks ;)

  10. Mama and More aka Zaz

    March 24, 2014 at 12:15 pm

    just swinging back again to say thanks for linking to #AllAboutYou and for being so fab with commenting on lots of other linkers’ posts too! You rock!

  11. Uju

    March 24, 2014 at 2:27 pm

    You’re welcome, it’s a great link-up will definitely try and link again!

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