back in the early 60’s, when ‘Swingin’ London’ was in full flower, it was quite popular to photograph popular british rock bands (and later, american rock bands) to use as “props” in fashion photography. the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, Pink Floyd and even The Who were decorative elements in the back of fashion advertising layouts.
one of the sort of sad things to realize is that they excluded pete from this image. that’s becasue he was so HOMELY (by the standards of the day) that the art directors would skillfully crop him out. even the early Who publicity shots had pete way in the back and out of focus. back then, it was the teen heart throb material that was pushed front and center by the marketing machinery.
in the end, pete townsend is the one we remember best (alongside moon) as the FACE of the The Who. ol’ pete was a pioneer of anti-lookism. he just kept sticking his long british face into the spotlight until it was no longer considered “ugly” any more. good on ya, pete!
