Peter Meaden
| Peter Meaden | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Peter Alexander Edwin Meaden |
| Born | 11 November 1941 |
| Died | 29 July 1978 (aged 36) |
| Occupation(s) | Publicist, manager |
| Associated acts |
The Who Jimmy James and the Vagabonds The Crystals Chuck Berry The Rolling Stones Steve Gibbons Arrows Captain Beefheart |
Peter Alexander Edwin Meaden (11 November 1941 - 29 July 1978) was an English publicist for various musicians and the first manager for the Who. He was a prominent figure in the English Mod subculture of the early 1960s. He is sometimes referred to as the "Mod Father" or "Mod God"; either way his influence has left a mark on the Mod subculture.
Meaden was born to Stanley and Rosina Meaden (née Alexander) on 11 November 1941. He had 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 was 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 Ham Yard, Soho, London. Peter was business partner to Andrew Oldham, who was for a while the Rolling Stones manager. Meaden also managed the band Arrows in the early 1970s.
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 didn't become a hit, and most of the copies that sold were bought by Meaden in a chart fix. After losing control of the band, he went on to manage Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, and worked as a publicist for the Crystals, Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones.
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