Monday, April 24, 2006

Kinky Boots

All right -- when you get a song stuck in your head, the best way to get it out is to pass it along to others, right? So, here I go. We've finally got around to watching Catterick (more goofy fun from Vic and Bob) and not only does the song "Kinky Boots" appear in the series, but it provides the theme for the main menu of the DVD so everytime we put it in, we'd hear the song again. It's real brain taffy! Just try to dislodge it.

According to Avengers Forever, the song came about like this:

The Cathy Gale-era of the show spawned a novelty record called "Kinky Boots," performed by Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman. Patrick was so petrified about singing (or, in particular, being unable to sing) that after several failed takes, he was escorted to a local pub, lubricated with brandy, and returned to the recording studio. Even after that, a sound engineer had to stand next to him and tap him on the shoulder whenever he was supposed to sing. When the single was re-issued in 1990, it hit the charts, selling over 40,000 copies!

And did you know:

The name of the famous rock band "The Kinks" actually comes from the song "Kinky Boots." In a 1995 interview with Kinks lead singer Ray Davies, he related how the band acquired its name... "Dave and Pete wore these capes and boots... Kinky Boots I think was a single that a program called The Avengers had out -- a TV show. And this drunk guy at the bar looked over and said, 'You blokes should call yourselves the Kinks because you look like one.' And Larry page, who became one of our managers, said, 'He's got a point there!'"

Amazing what you can learn from a pop song!

6 comments:

Crispinus said...

Is it on BBC America, do you know?

C. Margery Kempe said...

Are you referring to Catterick? No, I'm pretty sure they are not (although they sneak things in some times -- it was ages before we realized they were showing Alan Partridge late at night. I don't think they've shown any Vic & Bob on BBCAm (too outre for them? although they have shown the completely insane League of Gentlemen). If you have a region free player, it is available on DVD. Bang Bang and Smell of have just come out on DVD, too! And the original Big Night Out came out a few months back, so I can now unload my old wonky copies.

Oxygen, of all things, has been showing the brilliant Nighty Night with Julia Davis, but they just completed season 2, so I don't know whether it is repeating.

C. Margery Kempe said...

And of course, Crispinus, you will be within DVD borrowing distance soon. And we have such sights to show you...

C. Margery Kempe said...

Diane tells me, "Reading your blog about the song from the Avengers, here's a funny bit of trivia -- did you know that Nancy Sinatra played a character named 'Coco Cool' in 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'? Then that character re-emerged in a movie that was a prequel to 'Easy Rider.'"

The Queen said...

And there's a luverly movie called 'Kinky Boots....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434124/

C. Margery Kempe said...

Yeah, we've seen the previews at the local indy theatre (now serving yummy chocolate martinis! now, THAT'S a theatre!). It looks to be the wacky feel good kind of British film that is reliably fun if not too deep. Nice boots too!