Ready, Steady, Go! The Weekend Starts Here: The Definitive Story of the Show That Changed Pop

By Andy Neill

Ready, Steady, Go! mirrored the cultural upheaval and spirit of youthful optimism that gripped Britain in the mid Sixties. Within weeks of its debut in August 1963 the show became an essential television ritual for the newly confident British teenager setting trends and becoming a barometer for pop culture. This bold new approach was perfectly embodied in RSG!s 'stylist' presenter, Cathy McGowan, whose natural demeanor directly connected with the show's target audience.

Ready, Steady, Go! ran for three and a half years, its demise in 1966 coinciding with the loss of pop's innocence. Within that time RSG! set a blueprint for music presentation and production on British television that resonated over the following decades.

Ready, Steady, Go! was the only pop show on TV where anything went as far as performance, fashion and attitude were concerned. The programme attracted and presented the era's most important musical names - The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Otis Redding, etc. - as well as providing then unknowns like Donovan, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix with their first, invaluable small screen exposure.

Ready, Steady, Go! has never been documented at length before until now. Through exclusive first-hand accounts, exhaustive research, and unseen photographs and rare memorabilia, Ready, Steady, Go! is fully examined from quintessential Swinging London accessory to its iconic status as the most influential popular music programme in British television history.

Publication Date: 04.09.20
ISBN: 9781947026346
Extent: 272 pages
Format: Large Hardback

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