by Richard Fuller
Did they really play their own instruments? Did they even sing their own songs? Has the contribution of their manager been underrated? They were near the spotlight for approximately a year or so and then they seemed to vanish into Outer Space. However feeble, they made an impression on a generation and a culture. They were the Pussycats, led by a "groovy chick" named Josephine, or as she was known to her friends, . . . . Josie.
Who were they? Where did they begin? The answer to their origins is found in the grandest of small-town America; a town called Riverdale. With her bobbed red hair, Josie was lost in insignificance with her friends Melody, Pepper and Alexandra. Her days were spent dodging the amorous advances of Alexandra�s brother, the wealthy Alexander Cabot III. Her life was set.
Then something unexpected happened. A local youth and his friends formed a band called the Archies and were catapulted to national stardom with their songs. Josie sat in her living room, watching this carrot-topped lad on television, being viewed coast-to-coast. She decided anything he could do, she could do better. Unbeknownst to her, the same idea was being hatched in the Cabot manor. Alexander wanted to finance a band from his hefty allowance and he would serve as manager. However, the road to stardom would not be as smooth as it had been for their predecessors.
First, Pepper felt the costumes were sexist and balked, even though Josie and Melody had designed the look. It was believed she did this to conceal her lack of being able to sing or play music. Once rehearsals and road trips started, Josie would see less and less of her friend Pepper.
But the greatest hurdle was Alexandra�s plans for the still-unnamed group, namely that she would be the star. As manager, Alexander chose Josie over his own sister, simply because Alexandra also could not sing or play any musical instrument either. Alexandra felt his choice was simply to wrangle into Josie�s good graces, even though Alexander was over Josie and now visualized only money to be made from managing a band. Compensation was offered by naming the band after Alexandra�s pet, Sebastian.
They were the Pussycats.
In a moment of giddiness, there was inspiration that Sebastian may serve as a mascot to the band. An animal incapable of having loyalty is a poor choice for representation, although it is reputed that Sebastian has maintained an almost watchdog mentality over his namesakes. This would make him a remarkable cat indeed and in that regard, a suitable image for Josie and her friends.
The loss of friends to fulfill Josie�s dream of a band had its upswings as well. Among these was the revelation that Melody was extremely talented on the drums. This came as a complete surprise to Josie and Alexander.
And an ad in the paper for a third musician brought Valerie Smith into their midst. Their personalities did not clash at all; the Pussycats got along splendidly.
Into this eye of the hurricane arrived a steroided monkey-wrench to make the situation more tumultuous in the form of a roadie for carrying the luggage and band instruments and driving the van. A former aspiring musician himself, Alan M. (obviously a stage name schtick that would later be emulated by rap and hip-hop singers) took on the job as the Pussycats� bodyguard. He immediately caught the eye of both Josie and Alexandra. The previously strained friendship was now torn asunder.
Snide remarks were exchanged during rehearsals, until finally Alexander would have to forcibly escort Alexandra out of the garage. Bickering became so bad on one road trip, Melody was accidentally left at a gas station and the van had to turn around and go back for her. On the verge of being true to their name, the Pussycats were spared any serious cat fights. The repercussions of this discord would still surface much later.
Thru it all, they maintained their professionalism. No matter how far off track they went heading to a performance, the Cats were ready on stage when the curtain went up, whether it was on a South American cruise or in a Swiss ski lodge. Every audience was extremely satisfied with the offering. Men liked what they saw and women liked their initiative and drive.
Yet for some reason, all the great reviews led to no recording contracts. Some feel Alexander�s enthusiasm that landed the Pussycats their jobs worked against them in dealing with record CEOs. Others have hinted that industry resentment at the Cabot fortune may have also played a part. Still one or two sources have eluded to harassing phone calls from an anonymous female to record-company presidents criticizing the Pussycats. Whether or not it was Ms. Cabot making these calls is as yet undisputed.
Also, exactly who was the star began to surface, giving credibility to Alexandra�s complaints. Was there another diva in the fold besides Alexandra? Feelings that Melody could stand on her own as a musician but was kept in check thanks to her naivete were brought up, as well as Valerie being the better singer than Josie. These issues were left unsubstantiated.
The turning point in the Pussycats� career occurred during an appearance at NASA. What exactly transpired is still shrouded in mystery, but it saw the band seemingly vanish from sight. No performances, no photo shoots, no interviews. It was believed they were elevated to a zenith no other performer had reached, before or since. Rumor gave way to their being in the presence of the Dalai Lama, seeking to achieve a loftier status in their lives, but details remained sketchy.
Upon their return to the music scene, American tastes had moved on. No longer were mini-skirts, ascots or bell-bottoms in demand. A trio of lovely ladies were now visible with Charlie�s Angels, not Josie�s Pussycats. Once again, the ambitious determination of Alexander Cabot kicked in, and promotional spots turned up left and right. Bubble gum cards, drinking glasses, coloring books. Anything to keep the Cats near the forefront. A final major appearance on a Mississippi River boat was sadly hindered by allegations of supernatural forces in the guises of a deceased steamboat captain and Native American, but the involvement of a quartet of meddling kids and their large dog are believed to have contributed to this saga.
The income was sufficient enough to allow them to break even, but the Pussycats knew they would never hear their songs announced on American Top Forty. Josie and the gang were seeing the writing on the wall and returned to the writing in the textbooks. They journeyed back to Riverdale and resumed their education by going back to school. Where else was there to go after being alongside the stars? Ironically enough, their inspiration, the Archies, also returned to Riverdale High to hopefully one day graduate after their singing fame diminished as well.
Every now and then, Josie will haul out the guitar, tune it up and give Melody and Valerie a ring. Alexander will contact a local club or hotel and set up a weekend gig. Alan M., still a regular steady of Josie�s, will drive over and help arrange the drums and the speakers. The Pussycats are live once more. And in a booth in a darkened corner, Alexandra will be sitting with gritted teeth while she slowly runs her hand down Sebastian�s spine.
Melody once mistook Alexandra�s hostility as musical criticism, much to Valerie�s amusement. Valerie summed up Alexandra�s behavior as merely being a challenge to Josie and the Pussycats� commitment to music making, something to test their mettle. In her own despicable way, Alexandra just made the Pussycats better. She was as important as everyone else.
And none of them would have had it any other way.