KT to mark Moon landing’s 40th anniversary presenting astronomy-themed radio show
By ANISunday, July 19, 2009
LONDON - As part of a special season to mark the 40th anniversary of the first Moon landing, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall will be presenting an astronomy-themed show for the BBC.
She has been invited to front a Radio 2 broadcast on astronomy, in recognition of her lifelong fascination with everything extraterrestrial.
The show will mark her debut as a presenter.
A BBC spokeswoman has confirmed that KT had been signed up as a guest presenter, and that the show would be named after her multi-million-selling first album.
“In Eye to the Telescope KT will give her personal take on our continuing fascination with the final frontier, set against a soundtrack of music inspired by space,” the Scotsman quoted her as saying.
“When she was a little girl KT’s physicist father used to take her to the St Andrews Observatory, thus launching a lifelong fascination with space travel which inspired the title of her debut album.
“She is not alone. From the early days of the space programme, artists have been intrigued by the wonders of the universe and possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth.
“While astronauts explored the boundaries of space, musicians realised they could explore new musical frontiers and started experimenting with recording techniques and synthesisers,” she added.
One otherworldly tune that the Fife singer will focus on is Telstar by the Tornadoes, the haunting instrumental that made use of fledgling synthesiser technology, and hit the number one spot in both the UK and the US in 1962.
Written and produced by Joe Meek, the tune was inspired by the launch of a communications satellite.
KT’s show will also feature tracks from David Bowie, who penned Starman and Space Oddity, The Byrds, who wrote Mr Spaceman, and from Brian Eno who in 1983 wrote an entire album inspired by the Apollo 11 mission.
Her show is one of a variety of shows being broadcast to commemorate Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the lunar surface 40 years ago tomorrow.
Eye to the Telescope with KT Tunstall will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday at 10pm. (ANI)
