Honor Blackman And Patrick MacNee’s Kinky Boots

The cheesy and outrageous novelty record from the stars of The Avengers that became an unexpected hit over a quarter of a century after it was released.

At the height of their fame in The Avengers, Honor Blackman – who died today aged 94 – and Patrick MacNee recorded a classic novelty record, the gloriously kitsch Kinky Boots. The song was a flop on initial release, but found a strange afterlife a quarter of a century later, only to subsequently be resigned to the dustbin of political incorrectness, thanks to some questionable lyrics.

The Avengers was a huge international hit series, and by 1964 had evolved from a somewhat gritty, shot on video show to the more familiar style of stylish camp and oddball, fantastical storylines. As John Steed’s partner Cathy Gale, Blackman was one of the first action women of television, more than capable of beating up the bad guys, and her penchant for leather outfits did not go unnoticed in the nascent fetish world – although the claims that AtomAge designer John Sutcliffe had designed her outfits was untrue (he may, however, have manufactured them), the leather domme image of Mrs Gale certainly stirred the imaginations of many a kinkster for years to come.

So Kinky Boots was a natural for the pair. The music had been initially written by Herbert Kretzmer and Dave Lee for a two-minute report on Kings Road footwear fashion that appeared on the satirical show That Was The Week That Was – an instrumental accompaniment that came and went, and would have stayed unnoticed until Blackman and MacNee recorded the novelty single Let’s Keep it Friendly, under their Avengers personas. The single needed a B-side, and Kinky Boots was an obvious choice. Lyrics were hastily written, and although only clocking in at a minute and a half, the song was recorded as the flipside. At which point the single came out, was roundly ignored and would have remained forgotten if  Radio 1 DJ Simon Mayo hadn’t picked up on it in 1990, and – in the way that Radio 1 DJs would as an ego boost – decided to make it into a hit by constantly playing it, encouraging Deram Records to re-release it – this time as the A-side, with Let’s Keep It Friendly and two solo Blackman recordings filling out the CD single.

The song reached Number 5 on the UK singles chart, to the bemusement of more or less everyone, but it’s an infectious and fun little song, so you can understand how people were taken with it. The song also became something of an official kink anthem at the time.

But what was harmless fun in the 1960s – or even 1990 – would soon be seen as beyond the pale. At one point, when discussing the wearers of said kinky boots, MacNee makes a leering reference to “sexy little schoolgirls” – considered a harmless aside at the time of St Trinians films, but unthinkable now. A further re-release seems unlikely, and airplay even less likely.

But if we leave aside modern sensibilities, Kinky Boots remains a wonderful slice of Sixties kitsch. It might not be the thing that Honor Blackman is remembered for – indeed, it absolutely shouldn’t be, given her impressive career – but it’s a fun little novelty track that will worm its way into your consciousness after just one listen.

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