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Re: The Women of Pete



> >SS was a typical fan/groupie from the
> >`60s, and in fact the song was originally written about that subject and
> >later incorporated into the TOMMY story. I wouldn't say that Pete
> >created her so much as observed the behavior and gave it a name.
> 
raine writes:
> ahh, oui . . . she was inspired by a groupie Our Kid witnessed when the 'Oo
> and the Doors shared the same bill (in '68, i think) . . . hypnotised by
> Morrison's incessant gyrations, et al . . . she tried to climb up on the
> stage and gashed her face . . .her pretty face . . . OOOOH!

As I remember the story, security people for the Doors roughed her up right
in front of Morrison, who looked on unemotionally.  Pete was somewhat shaken
by the event, and recounted it in Tommy as one of the many secondary themes
of that work.  Sally Simpson was a great view of the complex relationships
between famous people and obsessed fans, all wrapped up in a neat little
story.

I'm not intending to dredge up old arguments, but I find it interesting that
the 24 year old Pete Towshend can witness such an event, and write an (IMO)
incredibly insightful account/commentary of the whole scene (obsessed young
fan, disapproving parent, attempt at a brush with stardom meeting an
inevitable end).  In contrast, ten years later, the events at Cincinnati
end up in a song about Pete (as pointed out by Alan here and by others to
me in email) from the context of how he was affected.  Perhaps it was
because he didn't actually witness the Cincinnati tragedy, or perhaps 10
more years of rock and roll had changed his perspective, or perhaps it was
just because during the period from 75 to 82 he wrote mostly about himself.



Dave Elliott