Mastertapes

Suzanne Vega discuss her platinum-selling Solitude Standing. Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side. In this one (The A side), John Wilson asks Suzanne about the album in question, and then, in the accompanying B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Suzanne explains that it was her manager who saw the potential of "Luka" and convinced her that a song with a social message could be a hit. She recalls how the tune for "Tom's Diner" came to her while she was walking down Broadway after having been to the real Tom's restaurant. And she discusses the way in which images and words were part of her life from a very early age and have influenced her work. Producer: Emma Kingsley First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.