Ready, Steady, Go!

I present a short list, followed with a trivia question. The Beatles, The Who, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Beach Boys, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, The Zombies, Marvin Gaye, The Dave Clark 5, Dusty Springfield, Manfred Mann, The Surfaris, and Jimi Hendrix. Now, which national televised program featured the aforementioned artists, amongst numerous others, from 1963 to 1966?

Rolling Stones

Dave Clark Five & The Supremes

It is quite correct to answer “The Ed Sullivan Show” or “American Bandstand” if you bleed Red White and Blue, but in an era that pre-dates satellite and cable, throngs of Brit teens knew where the party was every Friday night. Ready Steady Go! was THE locale to view chart toppers and matinee idols early each weekend. Shaped from a different mold than its Yankee counterparts, RSG! was innovative from A to Z, with both its unique blend of camera use and talent deployment. Where else would someone witness unedited, full length studio versions of their favorite performers, or Mick Jagger miming the lyrics to the Sonny and Cher ‘tween pleaser “I Got You Babe”?

The Who

The Byrds

The Yardbirds

Dave Clark purchased the rights to the program, though for millions the music that served as the soundtrack to their lives still lives on through their RSG! memories. Ready Steady Go! carries forth as a time capsule of an era when society and music were in the throngs of revolution, a movement so immense that an ocean could not block its path. If a road trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame proves too costly in these belt tightening times, simply view an episode or two of the UK’s early foray into the 60’s golden era of sound, and enjoy the rock and roll fantasy on your La-Z Boy.

Jimi Hendrix Experience

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