King's Road : the rise and fall of the hippest street in the world / Max Decharne.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Décharné, Max, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Popular culture--England--London--History--20th century.

Popular culture.

King's Road (Kensington and Chelsea, London, England)--Social life and customs--20th century.

King's Road (Kensington and Chelsea, London, England).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (439 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

London, England : Omnibus Press, [2023]

Summary:

The King's Road in Chelsea was at the epicenter of not one but two worldwide cultural shifts. In the mid-sixties, it became a focal point and shop window for the new 'swinging' London, encompassing music, the visual arts, fashion and much more. It remained continuously at the forefront of developing trends throughout the following decade until it was the key breeding-ground for punk rock, whose sound, look and attitudes continue to shape global notions of youthful rebellion almost thirty years later. In short, it was the place to be. As a laboratory and showcase for the emerging youth-orientated scene, it became the favored habitat of several generations of pop-culture prime movers. The Sex Pistols may have sacked bass player Glen Matlock in 1977 for 'liking the Beatles', but the street in its day had also been a regular haunt for the likes of Paul McCartney and Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd. Like Paris in the twenties, or Hollywood in the thirties, during the time between the formation of the Rolling Stones and the demise of the Sex Pistols the King's Road had the attention of the world. Just how this came to be is a classic rise-and-fall story of satisfaction and sedition, featuring some of the most famous people of the last fifty years, and also many of the pivotal moments of decades of the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Contents:

Intro

Title Page

Dedication

Contents

Introduction to the revised edition

Snapshot 1966 - 'Swinging where, and in what direction?'

Part One - Lost Highway

1 - 'Treading on a Prince of Wales'

2 - 'Demure immorality in silk and fine linen'

3 - 'Two world wars and no world cup'

Part Two - Everything but the Kitchen Sink

4 - 'Edwardian suits, dance music and a dagger'

5 - 'Quantum leap'

6 - 'Anger is an energy'

7 - 'Cherry red, teak, or mint green goat'

8 - 'A gold filling in a mouthful of decay'

9 - 'Indefensible drivel'

10 - 'An enormous Cadillac with built-in dancing girls'

Part Three - Granny Takes a Trip

11 - 'Dost thou dig that nightly jazz?'

12 - 'A taste of money'

13 - 'Introverts, extroverts and perverts'

14 - 'Trend or tripe?'

15 - 'Girls' haircuts and old-fashioned coats'

16 - 'A group of Chelsea layabouts'

17 - 'Thigh-high skirts for dolly-looking birds'

18 - 'Turn on, tune in, drop dead'

19 - 'Mister Freedom, Sister George'

20 - 'Give booze a chance'

Part Four - Oh Bondage Up Yours

21 - 'Raking around in the gutter'

22 - 'The Female Eunuch Meets Tarzan'

23 - 'Cobblers to the world'

24 - 'Liberal dollops of sex and space travel'

25 - 'Everything we had was either home-made or stolen'

26 - 'Machine Bubble Disco'

27 - 'It's the buzz, cock'

28 - 'Cheat, lie and dress to win'

Part Five - The Party's Over

29 - 'Where's Bill Grundy Now?'

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

About the Author

Copyright.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Decharne, Max King's Road

ISBN:

9781787592520

OCLC:

1376935072