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A one-hour journey through David Bowie鈥檚 newly unearthed memo for a radio show, 15 of his favorite tracks mixed with archive interviews, imagining him as host of his own show.

Among the 90,000 items in the David Bowie Centre which opened recently at V&A East Storehouse in London, curators unearthed a handwritten note titled 鈥淢emo for radio show 鈥 list of favourite records.鈥

On it, Bowie sketched out 15 tracks he imagined playing on a potential radio broadcast. Some of these are names long known as Bowie influences including The Beatles, Ronnie Spector, Roxy Music, Scott Walker, and The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, an eccentric '60s performer who was a huge influence on the creation of Ziggy Stardust. Bowie鈥檚 love of jazz is also represented in the memo by Miles Davis and Charles Mingus as well as classical pieces by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Richard Strauss.

This one hour show brings Bowie鈥檚 memo to life. Each of the 15 tracks is played, interspersed with archive recordings of Bowie鈥檚 voice, interviews, and reflections that have been recorded for the 麻豆社 across the years. The programme imagines Bowie himself as host, guiding listeners through the music that inspired him.

11 days left to listen

1 hour

Music Played

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.
    • Vaughan Williams - Orchestral Works.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 8.
  • Mikko Franck, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France & Asmik Grigorian

    Four Last Songs, TrV 296: I. Fr眉hling

    • Laws of Solitude. Strauss: Four Last Songs.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 1.
  • Mikko Franck, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France & Asmik Grigorian

    Four Last Songs, TrV 296: II. September

    • Laws of Solitude. Strauss: Four Last Songs.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 2.
  • Mikko Franck, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France & Asmik Grigorian

    Four Last Songs, TrV 296: III. Beim Schlafengehen

    • Laws of Solitude. Strauss: Four Last Songs.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 3.
  • Mikko Franck, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France & Asmik Grigorian

    Four Last Songs, TrV 296: IV. Im Abendrot

    • Alpha Classics.
  • Alan Freed And His Rock 'N' Roll Band

    Right Now, Right Now

    • Rock 'N Roll Dance Party (Vol. 1).
    • Geffen.
    • 1.
  • Little Richard

    True Fine Mama

    • Rock 'n' Roll Classics.
  • The Hollywood Argyles

    Sho' Know A Lot About Love

    • Master Classics Records.
  • Miles Davis

    Someday My Prince Will Come

    • 100 Cool Jazz Favorites.
    • Magic Gold Records.
    • 52.
  • Charles Mingus

    Ecclusiastics

    • The Essential Jazz Collection: Oh Yeah!.
    • Top Tracks.
    • 4.
  • Jeff Beck

    Beck's Bolero

    • The Best of Jeff Beck.
    • Parlophone UK.
    • 2.
  • The Legendary Stardust Cowboy

    I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship

    • Paralyzed.
    • Mercury Records.
    • 3.
  • The Beatles

    Across The Universe

    • The Beatles - Meditaci贸n Mix.
    • UME - Global Clearing House.
    • 1.
  • Ronnie Spector

    Try Some, Buy Some (Remastered)

    • The Very Best Of Ronnie Spector.
    • Legacy Recordings.
    • 10.
  • Roxy Music

    Mother Of Pearl

    • EG Records.
  • Edgar Froese

    Epsilon In Malaysian Pale

    • Concentration Music: Microdose.
    • UME - Global Clearing House.
    • 15.
  • The Walker Brothers

    The Electrician

    • Sony Music UK.
  • Sonic Youth

    Tom Violence

    • univeral.

Broadcast

  • Sun 4 Jan 2026 12:00