Oh You Pretty Things

BBC Four and BBC Radio 6 Music present The Sound Of Style, a season celebrating the love affair between fashion and music, featuring a bespoke collection of programming exploring how these two titans of creativity share a passionate, colourful and inextricable relationship.

Oh You Pretty Things (w/t) follows the cut and thrust between British subcultures from the mid-60s to the early 90s, revealing a cultural and social history of Britain featuring those at the heart of the scene.

From the Mod movement to Roxy Music’s glamorous art rock, episode one explores how music and fashion became the most colourful and powerful expressions of identity amid the changes of post-war Britain. Cilla Black opens up her wardrobe and tells how the dress she wore to meet the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance was not haute couture, but a high street design by Biba's founder, Barbara Hulanicki, who reveals that it was inspired by a medieval costume worn by Richard Burton in a film she’d seen.

The programme features rarely seen 1960s and 1970s footage of street fashion in the UK, plus music archive including performances by The Small Faces plus Desmond Dekker at the 1970 Reggae Festival at Wembley. The Small Faces' Kenny Jones reveals that they were actually paid in clothes from Carnaby Street, Status Quo discuss their transition from psychedelic frilly shirts to double denim, and Pauline Black talks about Selector proving that 'black and white people can be in a band together'.

Other contributors include designer Anthony Price, Roxy Music’s Andy Mackay, Warren Gold of Carnaby Street’s Lord John menswear boutique, and Nigel Weymouth of legendary boutique Granny Takes A Trip.

6 Music presenters, Don Letts, Stuart Maconie and Steve Lamacq will be sound-tracking episodes 1, 2 and 3 respectively, with narration by Lauren Laverne.

Plus today 6 Music is styling its music and chat around the 1960s.

Publicity contact: HM3