Ready Steady Go!

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Ready Steady Go
RSG Screenshot2.jpg
Manfred Mann performing at RSG! studio.
Starring Keith Fordyce and Cathy McGowan
Producer(s) Francis Hitching
Vicki Wickham
Elkan Allan[1]
Original channel ITV
Original run 9 August 1963[2] – 23 December 1966








Initially, RSG! artists mimed but by late 1964 some performed live and the show switched to all-live performances in April 1965.[3] It was noted for allowing artists to perform the full version of songs rather than short versions demanded by other shows. The programme was never broadcast in the United States, perhaps because it was in black and white when ABC, CBS and NBC were converting to full colour.

The show was recorded at small studios in Rediffusion's headquarters in Kingsway, London. Although the company had bigger facilities at Wembley, it was easier to attract stars and audiences to central London. As the studios were compact it was not possible to hide cameras. The ever-present cameras, which were large with rotating lens turrets rather than zooms, were sometimes incorporated into the action, notably in a Manfred Mann performance of Machines which ended with Paul Jones singing crouched on the floor surrounded by cameras.

RSG was originally from Studio 9 in Kingsway when artists mimed; it later moved to Studio 5 at Wembley, enabling artists to perform live. Artists' own recorded backing tracks were not allowed by the Musicians' Union so the whole of Studio 5 (normally divided into 5a and 5b) was used so an orchestra could perform the backing live.

The show was popular among young people. It had a particular following among the mod youth subculture of the 1960s.[4]

In late 1966, when the 'beat boom' was fading, the show was cancelled, despite its popularity. Dave Clark bought the rights to the surviving recordings. Compilations were broadcast on Channel 4 in the 1980s and VHS videos included a Beatles live special[5] and The Sounds of Motown special edition.[6] In 1989 the show was seen for the first time in the US, on Disney Channel. During that time, Disney was a pay channel aimed at adults at night. Ready Steady Go! has not been officially released on DVD.

Presenters and producers[edit]

The best known presenters were Keith Fordyce and Cathy McGowan, though early shows were introduced by Dusty Springfield. The show was occasionally presented by David Gell and Michael Aldred. McGowan joined after answering an advertisement for "a typical teenager" as adviser. She found herself presenting the show, and her status as a fan was evident in her style; stumbling over lines, losing her cool and her inexperience made her more rather than less popular, and by the end she was presenting alone. She also joined in fun and games, including miming with the Rolling Stones to other people's records, notably "I Got You Babe".

Featured artists[edit]


Jimi Hendrix made his first television appearance in Britain on RSG! with "Hey Joe", performing solo. After this, his club tour sold out and he was added to a nationwide tour by the Walker Brothers.

Dusty Springfield devised and introduced the RSG Motown Special in April 1965, featuring the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, the Miracles and Martha and the Vandellas, which was a VHS video in the 1980s.[7] The Supremes performed their "Stop! In the Name of Love" dance routine for the first time on the show.

The Who proved particularly popular and in 1966 had an episode to themselves entitled Ready Steady Who. The Walker Brothers were also popular and had a live edition in 1966 but the tape was wiped, although extracts surfaced on YouTube in 2009 proving the group did not mime.

In popular culture[edit]



  1. ^ Producers Retrieved on 2013-12-12.

External links[edit]