Obituary: Music enthusiast and academic Peter Joffre Swales

This is just one of the many fabulous tales about Peter Joffre Swales, who died on Good Friday, April 15, after a sudden illness.

Mr Swales was well known in Haverfordwest as was his father Joffre Swales, who used to run music shop Swales Music Centre on the High Street next to St Mary’s church.

Being from an eclectic musical background it was probably always going to be that Mr Peter Swales would end up working in some niche roles.

From being on the management team of the Rolling Stones in their halcyon days of the 60s and described as the ‘the punk historian of psychoanalysis,’ one could say Mr Swales' life did not take the regular route.

Mr Swales was part of the team that set up the Rolling Stones' famous 1969 gig 'Stones In The Park'

Mr Swales was born to Nan and Joffre Swales in Haverfordwest in 1948.

He went to Prendergast Junior School and Haverfordwest Grammar School, but did not go to university or college, instead going to work for EMI records in London in their promotions department.

Mr Swales became part of the management team with the Rolling Stones in the late 60s.

One of the particular highlights of this role was being a major player in the Stones’ gig ‘Stones In The Park’, played at Hyde Park on July 5, 1969.

It was estimated as many as 500,000 people showed up when the Stones played for free that day.

Mr Swales then set up his own record company managing groups such as the Blossom Toes and B B Blunder. It was during this period that Mr Swales founded Sahara Record Company which recorder among other acts Leicester rock band, Gypsy.

Peter Swales (right) outside Swales on the High Street

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In 1972 Mr Swales moved to the USA and founded the Stonehill Publishing Company where he worked on an edition of Sigmund Freud's writings.  

Realising that he enjoyed research and was, despite no university education, an intellectual, he began to research the early history of psychoanalysis and Sigmund Freud.

Very soon he was writing papers and lecturing at many universities in Europe and America.

His research was reported in both the New York Times and The Sunday Times.

Rolling Stone magazine described Mr Swales as ‘the punk historian of psychoanalysis’.

Peter Swales died of a sudden illness at the age of 73

Swales Music Centre, Haverfordwest

He married Julia Sacon in New York in 1974 and remained in the city until 2006 when he and Julia went to live in Izmir, Turkey, where he died and is buried.

He leaves his wife Julia, and sisters Pat Swales Barker and Freda Swales.