In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book.
Frances Crawford’s debut novel A Bad, Bad Place is a compelling thriller impressively set in working-class Glasgow.
Publishers Weekly wrote of the book:
“Haunting . . . Crawford shrewdly toggles between Janey’s viewpoint and her grandmother’s as the hunt for the killer slowly unfolds, capturing the fading innocence of a young girl and the complex social dynamics of a struggling but close-knit community. This marks the arrival of a promising new voice.”
In her own words, here is Frances Crawford’s Book Notes music playlist for her debut novel A Bad, Bad Place:
A Bad, Bad Place is set in Scotland, 1979, and told from the viewpoints of twelve-year-old Janey, who finds a murder victim, and Maggie, her grandmother, a fierce, feisty Glaswegian.
Using the conventions of crime fiction—red herrings, twists, and escalating danger—the novel explores the worst and best in human nature. Despite the violence and poverty of their inner-city lives, and the shocking events they face, the heart of A Bad, Bad Place lies in the innate goodness of the two female protagonists and shows the support networks that exist in poor communities like Possilpark.
The novel was inspired by my own working-class upbringing in Glasgow, and reflects my love of punk rock. This mixtape has been dictated by my characters, all bands/songs included are name-checked in the book, and the fact that there are so many punk tracks is entirely coincidental!
Track 1: Into The Valley The Skids
This wildly exuberant track by a Scottish band encapsulates everything 12-year-old Janey loves about music. Emulating the singer’s high-kicking dance, she would chant, “Ahoy, ahoy!” along to the blistering guitar riff. But heartbreakingly, after her discovery of a mutilated woman, Janey will never be this innocent wee punk again.
Track 2: C’mon Everybody Sid Vicious
Janey’s dog is named Sid Vicious after the bass player with The Sex Pistols and is central to the plot of A Bad, Bad Place. Sid is a very large, very ugly dog, unwanted and abandoned, and Janey’s decision to adopt him reflects her tender heart. When she blames him for finding the body, it is a sign of the depth of her distress. Sid is a good dog who would enthusiastically howl loudly to the real Sid’s irreverent and punchy posthumous release of 1979.
Track 3: Dancing Queen ABBA
Janey is cared for by her grandmother, Maggie, who mistakenly believes ABBA is Janey’s favourite band. Maggie recalls a time when Janey sang this song, like a “wee star.” The track was a huge hit in 1976, and despite the joyful tune and carefree lyrics, there is a poignancy to Maggie’s mistake. The trauma of the murder has disrupted her short-term memory while bringing a very distressing past to the fore.
Track 4: Wasted Life Stiff Little Fingers
This song is playing as Janey desperately tries to forget the murder. She and her friend, Martin, encourage Maggie to wear his monkey boots and join their pogoing. Maggie’s devotion to Janey trumps her aching feet and work exhaustion, and she joins them. The track is raw, abrasive and gloriously radical, and despite Maggie’s strict no-swearing rule, she sings along to make them laugh.
Track 5: She’s the One The Ramones
Just a month before her life is shattered, Janey had her first kiss. She called it ‘winching’, the boy called it “smoorching.” While she wasn’t impressed by the clonking of teeth, she loved the Ramones badge he gave her. This track bursts with immediacy and The Ramones’ seminal energy, perfect for a first kiss.
Track 6: Wild Colonial Boy The Clancy Brothers
Maggie sings this traditional ballad while alone in the dark and uncharacteristically drunk. Janey hears and blames herself for her nana’s anguish. Glasgow is home to many Irish descendants, and Maggie is proud of her heritage. Much of the prejudice and insults in the novel are sectarian in nature and reflect a religious divide which thankfully has lessened with time.
Track 7: Heroes David Bowie
Janey feels both connected to and haunted by the dead woman, Samantha. In an attempt to picture her as more than just a mutilated corpse, Janey discovers everything she can about Samantha’s life, including the ‘best night’ at a David Bowie gig. This track was played by Bowie in 1978 at Glasgow Apollo, an atrocious venue with the best audiences.
Track 8: All Around My Hat Steeleye Span
Preoccupied with the randomness of murder, Janey wonders if different music had been playing at a party, Samantha might have lived. She is told that the “folky” LP was one reason Samantha left early. This track is a catchy folk earworm, and unlikely to appeal to a young woman who loved Bowie and wanted to dance.
Track 9: Love Song The Damned
Janey’s punk rock obsession is shared by friend Martin. As she is dragged deeper into danger, Martin becomes her anchor, connecting her to everything good and ordinary. When Janey breaks down after a shocking discovery about the killer, Martin quietly gifts her his Damned T-shirt. “Love Song” is entirely apt although neither of them would ever admit it.
Track 10: The Mercy Seat Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Aye, this track is from 1988, and obviously not mentioned in the novel. It’s included because I love it, because I’ve watched Nick play live since the 1980s, and because Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are the perfect solace to anyone who finds themselves in a bad, bad place.
As a passionate advocate of lifelong learning, Frances Crawford was delighted to graduate with distinction at age sixty from Glasgow University’s Creative Writing program. Frances grew up in North Glasgow and credits the people of Possilpark and Milton as her writing inspiration. She still lives in Glasgow with her family and likes libraries and punk rock. A Bad, Bad Place is her debut novel.