Peter Meaden
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Peter Alexander Edwin Meaden (November 11, 1941-July 29, 1978) was a publicist and manager for The Who. He was a prominent figure in the English mod subculture of the early 1960s.
[edit] Personal life
Peter Meaden was born to Stanley and Rosina Meaden (née Alexander) on November 11, 1941. He has one brother, Gerald. As a teenager, Meaden worked in a restaurant before embracing the mod subculture and establishing himself as a face (a trend-setter within the mod scene). Meaden has been involved with Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones, and was roommates with Mick Jagger. He was often seen around The Scene, a night club in west London.
After years of drug abuse and a nervous breakdown, Meaden died at his parents' home in Edmonton of a barbiturate overdose in 1978, he is buried in Southgate cemetery, North London. Meaden's parents have both died, but his son, Sacha, is living in London and his brother, Gerald, is living in Brighton.
Three years before his death he gave an interview with Steve Turner of the NME, in which he made the legendary quote, "Modism, Mod living, is an aphorism for clean living under difficult circumstances."
[edit] Career
After becoming manager of The Who, Meaden reinvented the band to attract a mod following, changing their name to The High Numbers. He wrote The High Numbers' first and only single, "I'm the Face"; the B-side of which was "Zoot Suit". The songs are set to the tunes of "Got Love If You Want It" by Slim Harpo and "Misery" by The Dynamics, respectively. Meaden wrote new lyrics incorporating mod-related themes such as fashion and dancing. The single was a failure, and most of the copies that sold were bought by Meaden in a chart fix. After losing control over the band, he went on to manage Jimmy James & The Vagabonds. He also managed the Steve Gibbons Band throughout the 1970s.
| Mods |
|---|
| Music |
| 2 Tone • Acid Jazz • Beat music • Blue-eyed soul • Blue Beat • British Invasion • Britpop • Freakbeat • Garage rock • Jazz • Mod Revival • Modern soul • Motown • Northern Soul • Power Pop • Psychedelic rock • Reggae • R&B • Rocksteady • Soul music • Ska • Stax Records • Trojan Records • White soul |
| Clothing |
| Ben Sherman • Bespoke tailoring • Brogues • Carnaby Street • Fred Perry • Harrington • Levi's • Loafers • Parka • Sta-Prest • Suit |
| Other topics |
| 1960s • Blowup • Casuals • Great Britain • Pete Meaden • Mods & Rockers • Pop art • Quadrophenia (film) • Rockers • Roundel • Scooter (Lambretta / Vespa) • Scooterboy • Skinhead • Suedehead • Swinging London • Speed (drug) • Subculture • Teddy Boy • Twisted Wheel • Union Jack • UK subcultures • Youth culture |
