Oh You Pretty Things – The Story of Music and Fashion

|

BBC4 advertise a new three-part series of programmes for Wednesday evening titled: “Oh You Pretty Things: The Story Of Music and Fashion”. In the trailer there are a few clips of Brian and Queen (Rainbow Show). Brian was interviewed for the programme some weeks ago and Queen will be on the programme next week.

Queen - oh you pretty things
Queen – Oh you pretty things

Oh! You Pretty Things: The Story of Music and Fashion
BBC 4
Wednesday Evenings 9-10PM 1
7, 24 Sept, 1 Oct

ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME

Lauren Laverne narrates this three-part documentary exploring the influence of musicians and designers on the coolest and craziest looks in Britain, and how fans emulated their idols. The first programme focuses on the golden years of the 1960s, when Mod legends the Small Faces became the best dressed band in England and the Beatles and the Rolling Stones embraced psychedelia.

CAST
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Director Matt Hill
Executive Producer Steve Condie

Episode 1 of 3: 17 Sept
TRIBES
DURATION: 1 HOUR

Just how did Britain become the place where the best music goes with the most eye-catching styles? Lauren Laverne narrates a series about the love affair between our music and fashion, looking at how musicians and designers came up with the coolest and craziest looks and how we emulated our idols.

British pop and rock is our great gift to the world, at the heart of the irrepressible creative brilliance of Britain. But it has never just been about the music. Across the decades we have unleashed a uniquely British talent for fusing the best sounds with stunning style and fashion to dazzling effect.

The series begins in the golden years of the 1960s. Mod legends the Small Faces became the best-dressed band in England, Cilla Black and fashion label BIBA were a perfect fit, while the Beatles and the Stones embraced the foppish hair and frilly shirts of psychedelia. Through rude boys and rockers, the relationship between music and fashion blossomed, becoming intimately entwined in the sound and vision of Roxy Music.

But this isn’t just a story of brillant musicians and maverick designers, it’s a story that touches us all because, at some point in our lives, we’ve all delved into the great dressing-up box and joined the pageant that is British music and fashion.

AND on next week’s programme:

Episode 2 of 3: 24 Sep
IDOLS
DURATION: 1 HOUR

Just how did Britain become the place where the best music goes with the most eye-catching styles? Lauren Laverne narrates a series about the love affair between our music and fashion, looking at how musicians and designers came up with the coolest and craziest looks and how we emulated our idols.

British pop and rock is our great gift to the world, at the heart of the irrepressible creative brilliance of Britain. But it has never just been about the music. Across the decades we have unleashed a uniquely British talent for fusing the best sounds with stunning style and fashion to dazzling effect.

The second episode takes us through the 1970s, a decade of political, social and cultural upheaval reflected best in its music and fashion. Suzi Quatro on Top of the Pops unleashed her leather jumpsuit into the living rooms of Britain at the birth of the rock chick look. The fantastical world of prog rock emerged, with its golden-caped leader Rick Wakeman and his army of intellectual but corduroy-wearing followers journeying from the university campus to medieval and fantastical Arthurian worlds. Queen rocked the rainbow in their Zandra Rhodes-designed costumes, amazing the audience and cementing the band as one of the country’s most loved and most flamboyant bands of all time.

But no other British music and fashion movement has had more reverberation than the international phenomena of punk, beginning (and, some say, ending) with the Sex Pistols’ sweary appearance with Bill Grundy on the Today programme.

However, this isn’t just a story of brilliant musicians and maverick designers, it’s a story that touches us all because, at some point in our lives, we’ve all delved into the great dressing-up box and joined the pageant that is British music and fashion.

ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME
2/3. The second episode focuses on the 1970s, which was a time of political, social and cultural upheaval in Britain, reflected best in the music and fashion throughout the decade. On Top of the Pops, Suzi Quatro unleashed her leather jumpsuit into viewers’ living rooms as `the rock chick look’ was born, while the fantastical world of prog rock saw its golden-caped leader Rick Wakeman gaining an army of intellectual followers. And as Queen rocked the stage in Zandra Rhodes-designed costumes, the international phenomena of punk began – and some say ended – with the Sex Pistols. Narrated by Lauren Laverne.

— A third episode will air 1 October

See also BBC.CO.UK