The song was commissioned by Ned Sherrin for the satirical television series That Was the Week That Was and used in a sequence featuring the titular footwear, which were then fashionable, and performed by Millicent Martin on the show's November 2 1963 episode.

[1] The single peaked at No.5 (on Deram records label KINKY 1) and remained on the chart for seven weeks.

Upon the 1990 re-release, Jon Wilde from Melody Maker recalled that "When first released in 1964, this record caused questions to be raised in the Commons and a national controversy was only averted when PM Harold Wilson went on record as saying that he dreamed nightly about Honor "Cathy Gale" Blackman's sexy leather outfits and slick judo moves in The Avengers, along with the normal things like goldfish and skeletons.

Few things in life charm quite like Patrick "John Steed" MacNee's dandified enthusiasm for "frumpy little beat girls" and "sexy little schoolgirls".

His matter-of-fact delivery of the line "Leather is so kinky" remains one of the great landmarks in pop history.