Seven Songs for a Seventh Son

Spooks Playlist

Recently I suggested a list of songs that an ARENA 13 combatant might listen to whilst preparing to fight! A reader suggested that I do the same thing for the Spook’s Series. So here it is in no special order of preference! These are seven songs to get you in the mood for reading spooky stuff!

1.  ‘Witchy Woman’ by The Eagles

A lot of my characters in ‘The Wardstone Chronicles’ are certainly witchy women: Alice Deane and Grimalkin are amongst my favourite characters. I also like the lyrics from this catchy tune:

‘Raven hair and ruby Lips

Sparks fly from her fingertips.’

 2.  ‘Love Song for a Vampire’ by Annie Lennox

I included this in my list for Arena 13 but feel compelled to include it again here. This has tremendous emotional power and generates atmosphere. It is also linked to one of my favourite films: ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Also many of my witches practise blood-magic and are vampiric.

3.  ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ by the ‘Rolling Stones.

A lot of my witches certainly have sympathy for the Devil (although I call him the Fiend). However some witches, particularly Grimalkin, are opposed to him. He was the father of her child. But when that child was born flawless (it could have been an abhuman doomed to serve the dark) the Fiend returned and slew it. To say the least, Grimalkin never forgave him!

4.  ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Kate Bush.

This is a truly powerful song linked to an equally powerful book of the same name by Emily Bronte. It contains one of the most powerful and horrific ghost scenes that you are likely to read. A ghost in the form of a child visits a man and reaches through a broken window to grip his hand. (I’m Cathy – I’ve come home!) The only way he can break that cold grip is to rub the child’s arm on the broken glass. Was it all a dream? Believe that if it makes you feel better.

5.  ‘Mulder and Scully’ by Catatonia

This song really grows on you and I like the reference to ‘The X Files’. Of course Mulder and Scully are the modern equivalents of John Gregory and his apprentice, Tom Ward. The Spook does not deal with aliens but some of the creatures they encounter are pretty strange. In ‘The Dark Army’ (published in January) Tom once again faces a vartek (this time an army of them). He is certainly going to need the starblade!

6.  ‘Black Magic Woman’ by Santana.

I always refer to ‘dark magic’ rather than ‘black magic’ in my books. That’s probably because the former term always reminds me of the chocolates! In the ‘Wardstone Chronicles’ the dark battles the light but some characters have both in their souls (like most of us). A particular example of this is Alice. What will her final situation be? The story of her life isn’t over yet.

7.  ‘I Put a Spell On You’ by Nina Simone (or The Credence Clearwater Revival version if you prefer!)

Alice certainly put a spell on Tom Ward and it is still working. Has anybody managed to work out why Alice left Tom for Lukrasta? She had a very good reason and all will be explained in ‘The Dark Army’!

Joseph Delaney