Night People, Book 1
Things We Lost in the Night: A Memoir of Love and Music in the '60s with Stark Naked and the Car Thieves
In the early 1960s, Larry Dunlap made a choice plenty of others have dreamed about—moving out to California to join his friends in a singing group. In Night People, he recounts the early days of trying to make it, when the dreams of stardom give way to subpar apartments, intraband squabbles, and booking second gigs to stay afloat. He describes a difficult visit from his wife during their separation, a gig in which the crowd turns violent, and the band’s tense arguments about firing members.
Dunlap relates much of the story through conversations, and his California journey features a number of memorable characters. The book could stand to be tighter—it sometimes feels its length at more than four hundred pages, and is labeled book one in a series. Less about the destination, this is an enjoyable hangout book, a chance to spend time with witty characters at that point in their lives when success feels so close, but the path to get there isn’t quite clear.
Reviewed by
Jeff Fleischer
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
