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Sometimes you can grow up in just one night. It is August 16th 1977 – a steaming summer night, the night that Elvis Presley will die, while in London three young men will discover the true meaning of friendship. Three boys write for The Paper – England’s answer to Rolling Stone. Terry is back from Berlin, basking in his friendship ship with debauched rock legend Dag Wood – but then Dag comes to London, and sets his sights on Misty, the teen photographer who Terry loves. Will the love of Terry’s life survive this hot summer night? Ray is the only writer on The Paper who refuses to cut his hair and give up on peace, love and understanding. On the edge of being sacked, Ray finds comfort in the arms of an unhappy older woman. But John Lennon is in town for just one night, en route to Tokyo, and Ray knows that if he can interview the reclusive Beatle, he can keep his job. Can John Lennon and a married woman save a young man’s soul? Leon is on the run from a gang called the Dagenham Dogs who have taken exception to one of his acerbic reviews. Hiding out in a disco called the Goldmine, Leon meets Ruby – the dancing queen of his dreams. But will it be love, sex or the Dagenham Dogs that find Leon before the dawn? Unashamedly touching and full of a deep nostalgia for the glory days of rock, STORIES WE COULD TELL is about growing up and being young, above sex and love and rock and roll, about the dreams of youth colliding with the reality of the grown-up world – and about the unbreakable bonds of friendship.
On the night of Elvis Presley's death, three young music journalists in London face personal and professional crises that threaten to alter their lives forever. Terry, Ray, and Leon navigate the volatile landscape of the late 1970s music scene while grappling with romantic entanglements, career instability, and physical danger. The narrative shifts between their distinct perspectives, tracking their individual attempts to reconcile the idealism of their youth with the encroaching demands of adulthood. As the night unfolds, each protagonist must confront the consequences of their choices, testing the strength of their friendship against the backdrop of a changing cultural era.
This novel functions as a nostalgic examination of the late 1970s music scene, utilizing the death of Elvis Presley as a symbolic anchor for the end of an era. The narrative structure emphasizes the vulnerability of the protagonists as they navigate the pressures of their professional and personal lives. By focusing on the specific anxieties of young men in the music industry, the text highlights the tension between youthful idealism and the realities of the adult world. The interplay between the characters' individual struggles and the broader cultural shifts suggests a focus on the enduring nature of friendship during periods of transition.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
2005-01-01
Publisher:
HarperCollins Publishers Canada, Limited
ISBN-10:
000715125X
ISBN-13:
9780007151257
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