...And It Felt Like a Kiss

The ill-starred raven warns of the approach of Halloween! We learn the traits of Scorpio. The notorious Orson Welles radio production of War of the Worlds was first broadcast today in 1938: we discover how much it scared listeners. Jarvis meets Lawrence of Felt, Denim and Go-Kart Mozart. They chat about a new documentary film by Paul Kelly, Lawrence of Belgravia. Avid record collector Lawrence shares some of his favourite lesser-known tracks. He talks about why he's always been drawn to music that makes him want to cry, record sleeve artwork, his career in pop and why he likes pop artists who 'try to take the underground overground'. Then Jarvis spins some spooky tracks — including some mysterious music that he found genuinely frightening when he first heard it, and a ghost story read by Vincent Price. Birthdays: Otis Williams, Paul Valéry, Ezra Pound, Charles Atlas and Grace Slick.

Audio Muesli

Jarvis and Miranda July snapped by naomijade

Amazing facts about the number 23 kick off the show.  On This Day, the iPod was launched and the Smurfs made their first appearance; we also hear about Arthur Lyman's rigorous recording methods.  At the School of Life secular sermon at Conway Hall, Miranda July discussed connecting with strangers: we hear her suggested conversation-starters.  Jarvis recommends some goodies causing a stir at the BFI London Film Festival, including the documentary Lawrence of Belgravia.  We keep things relaxing with some chanting, although Jarvis is loathe to shock you out of it.  The listeners share their tales of mishearing Stone Roses lyrics and we finish with a few more 23 facts.  Birthdays: Ang Lee, Pelé, Diana Dors (on her dreams of Hollywood), Johnny Carson, Manos Hadjidakis, Mike Harding (singing a filthy song!) and Ellie Greenwich.

Basil Rathbone Reads Oscar Wilde

The show comes loud and clear from BBC Media City in Salford.  Oscar Wilde was born this day in 1854: actor Basil Rathbone gives an expressive reading of Wilde's tragic tale, The Nightingale and the Rose.  Also On This Day, police TV drama The Bill debuted, and anaesthesia by ether was first demonstrated.  Jarvis chats to his guests Marconi Union, whose track Weightless was scientifically designed to be more soothing than a massage.  Angela Lansbury goes bobbing along at the bottom of the beautiful briny, and poet Ken Nordine considers what happens When You're Born.  And Are They Any Good returns with Bob Mould.  Birthdays: Max Bygraves, Bob Mould, Nico (discussed by John Cale), Angela Lansbury, Gary Kemp, Flea (burbling) and Peter Bowles (who found playing a millionaire got him noticed). Valete: Marie Antoinette.

Celebrating John Lennon's Birth

Jarvis was at the Cheltenham Literature Festival yesterday, where he bumped into Edna O'Brien.  On a literary theme, Robert Auton reads his poem, Father and Son.  To celebrate John Lennon's would-be 71st birthday, there's a megamix with lots of spoken word by Lennon and quotes from his two books of nonsense, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works.  We hear porcine sound art by Matthew Herbert, depicting a month in the life of a pig.  On This Day: World Post Day, a lunar impact test and a Gregorian calendar discrepancy in 1582.  Jarvis muses about the sadness of returning from tour to find the plants have all died, and talks about finding swing dance music for oldies at a jumble sale.  Birthdays: David Cameron, France Gall, Brian Blessed (talking about life and adventure), Jacques Tati and PJ Harvey (on self-reinvention).

Andrew Motion

Thursday is National Poetry Day, prompting a poetry-packed programme opening with a commission from the Poetry Takeaway. Former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion enthuses about the opportunity to convert people who are scared of poetry. They discuss how poems connect sense and nonsense, how a verse's meaning changes over time and the perils of writer's block. Andrew talks about the National Poetry Archive, which records poets reading their own work. He remembers his mentors WH Auden and Philip Larkin, and how meeting his heroes helped him as a young artist. Plus: how do poetry and lyrics differ? And how important is it to hear every word to understand a poem or song? Featuring readings by Alfred Lord Tennyson, John Betjeman, Michael Horovitz, The Waterboys, WH Auden, Charles Causley, Roger McGough and Emily Dickinson. On This Day in 1959, the Twilight Zone first aired. Birthdays: Phil Oakey, Damon Gough and Leroy Shield.