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Never Mind the Cobblers: The Rock 'n' Roll Cobbler

Gemma Cairney meets shoemaker Terry de Havilland, known in the trade as the rock 'n' roll cobbler, who has designed shoes for everyone from David Bowie to Amy Winehouse.

As part of The Sound of Style season, a collaboration between ±«Óătv Four and 6 Music celebrating the love affair and inextricably linked relationship between fashion and music, Gemma Cairney presents Never Mind the Cobblers, interviewing legendary shoemaker, Terry de Havilland, and his legions of fans including Viv Albertine, Robert Plant, Noel Fielding, Ginger Baker, Zandra Rhodes, Ana Matronic, Tom Baker, Vivianne Westwood and Kate Moss.

Terry de Havilland has been involved in the design and manufacture of footwear since the 1950's. He was introduced to the craft by his parents who were themselves independent shoemakers from the East End of London. In 1960 his father called him back to London to help out with the family business. It quickly became apparent that Terry had an extraordinary talent for design and pattern cutting. With young Terry's impetus and the advent of winkle pickers, the family business thrived.

Having made up some patchwork snakeskin three tiered wedge sandals, Terry showed them to his friend Johnny Moke who bought them for his boutique in Kensington Market Rowley & Oram. The shoes proved to be a huge hit and made regular customers of the rock-n-roll set; Bianca Jagger, Anita Pallenberg, Britt Ekland, Cher, Bette Midler, LuLu, and most memorably Angie and David Bowie.

In 1972 Terry opened his stored Cobblers to the World in and went on to design Tim Curry's shoes for the Rocky Horror Show, brought back the stiletto for a Zandra Rhodes catwalk, and made red silk lined black leather thigh boots for Jackie O.

Terry continued to attract musician fans through Punk and New Wave and through the 80s and 90s with clients including Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Boy George, Depeche Mode, Amy Winehouse, Noel Fielding, Ana Matronic, and Alison Goldfrapp- Terry's shoe features on the front cover to Goldfrapp's Supernature album.

Terry shares his Rock N Roll tales of excess from car racing with Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, to attempting to set up a shoe factory in Nigeria with Cream's Ginger Baker, handpainting Amy Winhouse's Zap Pow shoes for Coachella Festival and making shoes for his muse Kate Moss.

With contributions from fellow designers Tom Baker, Vivianne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes, Fred Butler and Viv Albertine, Ana Matronic, Noel Fielding, Gemma finds out what makes Terry de Havailland the Rock N Roll cobbler.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 21 Sep 2014 13:00
±«Óătv Radio 6 Music

  • The Sound of Style

    ±«Óătv Four, 6 Music and ±«Óătv iPlayer celebrate the love affair between music and fashion.

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Music Played

  • Adam and the Ants

    Kings Of The Wild Frontier

    • KINGS OF THE WILD FRONTIER.
    • Columbia.

  • The Beatles

    Revolution

    • Apple.

  • The Beatles

    Drive My Car

    • Rubber Soul.
    • Parlophone.
    • 1.

  • David Bowie

    Ziggy Stardust

    • EMI.

  • David Bowie

    Moonage Daydream

    • EMI.

  • David Bowie

    Changes

    • Mercury Records Limited.

  • David Bowie

    Andy Warhol

    • EMI.

  • David Bowie

    Oh! You Pretty Things

    • EMI.

  • The Byrds

    Change Is Now

    • Columbia.

  • Depeche Mode

    John the Revelator

  • Depeche Mode

    Enjoy The Silence (Reinterpreted)

  • Lonnie Donegan

    Puttin' on the Style

    • 50's Number Ones Vol 3.
    • Old Gold.

  • JosĂ© Feliciano

    Hi Heel Sneakers

    • The Best Of Jose Feliciano.
    • RCA.

  • Goldfrapp

    Ride A White Horse

    • Mute.

  • Goldfrapp

    Ooh La La

    • Mute.

  • George Harrison

    Ski ing

    • Wonderwall.
    • Apple.
    • 4.

  • The Hollies

    Look Through Any Window

    • The Hits Of 1965 (Various Artists).
    • MFP.
    • 18.

  • Jamie xx

    All Under One Roof Raving

  • Grace Jones

    Slave To The Rhythm

    • ZTT.

  • Led Zeppelin

    Rock And Roll

    • Atlantic.

  • Led Zeppelin

    Whole Lotta Love (Radio 1 In Concert, Paris Theatre, 1 Apr 1971)

  • Led Zeppelin

    Communication Breakdown

    • ATLANTIC.

  • Led Zeppelin

    Good Times Bad Times

    • Atlantic.

  • Led Zeppelin

    Ramble On

    • Atlantic.

  • Marilyn Manson

    Tainted Love

  • Glenn Miller

    In The Mood

    • Big Bands (Various Artists).
    • Music & Memories.

  • Pink Floyd

    See Emily Play

    • EMI.

  • Roxy Music

    Do The Strand

    • Virgin.

  • S. J. Hawkins

    I Put A Spell On You

    • Halloween Hits (Various Artists).
    • Rhino.

  • Sex Pistols

    Holidays In The Sun

    • Virgin.

  • Siouxsie and the Banshees

    Peek-A-Boo

    • Polydor.

  • Siouxsie and the Banshees

    Love In A Void (John Peel Session, 29 Oct 1977)

  • The Slits

    I Heard It Through The Grapevine

    • Island.

  • The Slits

    Typical Girls

    • CUT.
    • Island.

  • T. Rex

    Children of the Revolution

    • TELSTAR.

  • The Velvet Underground

    Rock & Roll

    • Verve.

  • Visage

    Fade To Grey

    • Heart Full Of Soul (Various Artists).
    • Knight Records.

  • Amy Winehouse

    Tears Dry On Their Own

    • Island.

  • Amy Winehouse

    You Know I'm No Good

    • ISLAND.

  • X‐Ray Spex

    Oh Bondage Up Yours

    • Virgin.

Broadcast

  • Sun 21 Sep 2014 13:00
    ±«Óătv Radio 6 Music

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