Let's Work? Rosalie in 1987

Just a short, mostly silly outtake from Walking in the Shadowlands.

It's 1987 and Rosalie is about to tape an appearance on Top of the Pops... but all is not quite well, thanks to Mick Jagger.

Rosalie and David Bowie, 1973

I don't know if you heard, but David Bowie died. I have many, many feels about this, some of which I tried to put into words over on the Blog of Me.


Right now, I also feel a bit conflicted about posting this, but I'm going to do so less for self-promotion and more for 'Hey, this is a thing' that I already did because I didn't need him to die to appreciate his brilliance...


Walking in the Shadowlands is a novel about a 1970s rock band, so of course Bowie gets namedropped and makes an indirect appearance or two. This is a snippet of the moment where Rosalie first sees that strange character Ziggy Stardust on a hotel TV.


Despite having worked for years before, Bowie seemed like an overnight sensation in the early 70s. The profound effect his appearance on Top of the Pops in 1972 when he and the band played "Starman" can hardly be exaggerated. It was almost like that moment in the Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy arrives in Oz and the world transforms from sepia to glorious technicolour... or like someone decided to colour in the greyscale painting that was the UK at that time.


*

Oh Dino, Dino

This was in the very first draft of Shads, although in slightly different form. A great example of a scene which is awesome and fun to me but which has no impact or meaning for the story as a whole; something written mostly because I was listening to Dean Martin at the time.

Father's Day

Another Rosalie moment...

JD Twain's 50th Birthday

I started this some time ago... how would a rock star renowned for his looks deal with growing old?

Raging Blood

A quick bit with Rosalie...

Heathrow to Home

This is an outtake from Walking in the Shadowlands. It'll become pretty obvious why I wrote it and was very fond of it, as well as why it didn't make the final draft.

Posted for obvious reasons which are obvious.

Rehab-Relapse

With my six month WitS break at an end (at last...) I've embarked on a bit of an edit of the manuscript to get my head back in the game.

Then this happened. Sam Mascha, who was a Good Boy and a Great Drummer but not a Good Man... this is your life...

Desert Peanuts

A quick one based on a Random Prompt from my dear friend Nancy...

See Me...

Another outtake for you: It's 1972 and the band are swarmed by a group of autograph-hunting schoolboys... 

A Death in the Family

It's been a little while, I know. I'd love to say it's because I've been doing lots of writing and all that sort of thing but it would be... a bit of a falsehood. Between work and Glastonbury and a dozen other things... progress has been slow in some respects.



On the other hand, this little nugget came to me on the way to Glastonbury and as it doesn't quite fit into the main plot of Walking in the Shadowlands, have at it.

The year is 1976. Shadowlands are riding high while they're out on their latest US summer tour...
 

In Bed With JD Twain

I'm in bed with JD Twain. If ever there was proof that the truth can be taken out of context, this is it.

Walking in the Shadowlands coming on

This is where the magic happens -supposedly! scrivener is fantastic but it can't actually make me work!

This is a scene from early in the band's success as great press starts to roll in. 

About The Author: Clare Worley

Clare was born in 1982 but really came to life the first time she heard Buddy Holly. Since then she’s dedicated herself to two things: writing and music.

Taught to type at a very young age - on an Amstrad no less - Clare has been writing stories since she was very young, but most of those early works have been mercifully lost to the snowdrifts of time. She's never met a blank piece of paper she didn't like and her My Documents folder is full of bits of stories biding their time, waiting for her to get to them.

Clare is also a singer-songwriter and has been playing guitar semi-well since she was ten years old. She currently fronts pre-decimal blues band Clarabella & The Crypt Kicker IV, who pop up around London from time to time, and makes the occasional appearance with other informal groups. She has particular love for rock music of the 50s-70s, trad Irish folk and Dean Martin.

A graduate in both American Studies and Journalism, Clare is also a devotee of classic Hollywood cinema and great television. She has a particular love for Errol Flynn, Screen Star and total contempt for Errol Flynn, Real Man.

A fan of many things, Clare has been active in a number of fandoms over the years, and bits of her fanfic (well-received by fellow fans) clutter up various corners of the internet and proved to be good practice for her original work. She's written some articles about music published online and has worked with the London Afrobeat Collective on their bio and promotional material.

Walking in the Shadowlands is Clare’s first completed novel but there’s more to come, one of these days.

More Clare Stuff of Awesome

Walking in the Shadowlands outtakes, extras and titbits: http://shadowlandsmusic.blogspot.co.uk/

Maria Goes To Dublin In Search of Dion Randall: Guitar god Dion Randall disappeared over twenty years ago. His young fan Maria wants to find him, if only to say 'thanks, for the music.' A short(ish) story about what it means to be a fan.

Authonomy: Maria Goes To Dublin...

Whistling Clarabella, a blog about pop culture including the ‘100 Awesome Musical Things on You Tube’ series and various short stories: Whistling Clarabella

You can find Clare’s ‘Dead Men’s Shoes’ three-track EP online: Dead Men's Shoes: Clare Worley

Articles from The Archive - Menage-a-Shadowlands

Q&A With JD Twain

A Q&A from PopSmash! magazine in 1982 with Shadowlands guitarist JD Twain....

Peter and the Wolf - Part Two

The Peter Lazini Interview - Part Two

After a delightful light Greek lunch with Pete and his daughter, we resume work. I ask about his spiritual side.

Peter & The Wolf

Peter and the Wolf: The Peter Lazini Interview With Clare Worley. Part One

I cannot describe to you how massive Peter Lazini is. I mean, I can give you the basics but I cannot express how he fills the space. That can only be experienced.

Shadowlands Remasters Collection: All The World

The latest release in the Shadowlands Remasters Collection is sophomore album All The World. Originally released in June 1971, it marked their entrance into the big time.

Shadowlands Remasters Collection: Kite Life

Smug Snake Records are pleased to announce the upcoming re-release of Shadowlands' classic 1970s releases.