Ready Steady Go! - Theme Tune & Opening Titles - Rediffusion TV (ITV) - 5-4-3-2-1 Manfred Mann
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Ready Steady Go!, the ultimate 1960s pop and fashion show which was broadcast on Friday afternoons and was produced by ITV London's regional weekday franchise holder - Associated Rediffusion.
This is one of a number of versions of the opening titles of the show. The show originally used Wipe Out by the Surfaris, but probably the best remembered theme tune was 5-4-3-2-1 complete with the sequence of fast changing 'mod' graphics. 5-4-3-2-1 was written for the programme by Manfred Mann, Mike Hugg and Paul Jones. The song was performed and recorded by Manfred Mann (the group that is) at Abbey Road and it became the Manfreds' first big hit.
This RSG! episode was introduced by Keith Fordyce and starred The Beatles who kicked off the programme with the song 'It Won't Be Long' which was the opening track of their second album 'With The Beatles', released just before Christmas 1963.
The programme is preceded here by the well-know 'Unzip a Banana' commercial. What I didn't remember is the strange spelling, 'Unzipp' on the caption. I've absolutely no idea why it is written as it is. If anyone knows please comment below.
Not many episodes of Ready Steady Go! survive in the archive because pop music was seen as very ephemeral by the TV executives of the day and the storage of programmes on videotape was very expensive in relation to programme budgets in the 1960s. Most of the episodes that do survive exist thanks to the foresight of legendary producer Michael Lindsay Hogg who spent a significant proportion of his salary on videotapes in order to keep personal copies of the show. Thank goodness someone could see the value in keeping them.
The more imaginative and pioneering format of Ready Steady Go ultimately led to its undoing. The BBC launched Top of the Pops as a rival show. Whilst RSG! promoted new acts such as Motown artists, the BBC played it very safely and concentrated exclusively on established commercial chart music. Top of the Pops, though staid and formulaic, eventually won the day as kids wanted to see familiar faces and especially whoever was number one in the charts.
Rediffusion was a casualty of the 1968 ITA franchise shake up. The company was forced to merge with ABC TV to create Thames Television, the new and comparatively dull weekday contractor for the London region.
I remember that unzip a banana jingle, now LoL!
Jingles are so powerful aren't they? They still pop into my head from over 50 years ago when I was a kid!
I worked for Rediffusion in Exeter Devon.Good times they were.
I remember in 1972 we stayed at a B&B in south Devon. It had a Rediffusion TV with signals supplied by cable. I was intrigued as to why the TV signal didn't come on until around 5pm, but the radio channels were available all day.