Cult television phenomenon, Ready Steady Go! was part of a British cultural revolution in the early 1960s (Gallagher 2013). The show was very influential in developing the youth musical tastes and fashion at the time (Gallagher 2013) which played a role in the commercialisation of the underground Mod subculture (Towles Canote 2013).
 |
| Seminal Mod band, The Who |
Mods - The Origins
Preceded by the earlier youth
movements of the Teddy Boys and Beatniks (Polhemus 2010), the Mods emerged from
the underground jazz clubs of London's west end in the late 1950s, taking their
name from their preference for modernist jazz music (Kenny and Brake
2013). Unlike the Teddy Boys who, whilst retaining their Britishness
took inspiration from American Rock'n'Roll, the Mods were defined by European
influences. The Mods drunk espresso (Polhemus 2010) and embraced cafe
culture, partly as cafes were open later than pubs and, often had jukeboxes for
playing records (Nguyen 2012). They wore Italian suits, parkas, rode scooters and
styled their hair like French film stars (Casburn 2004; Polhemus 2010). The early Mod's musical choices were equally diverse, ranging from Jamaican ska to
American R&B (Polhemus 2010). Colin McInnes' 1959 novel, 'Absolute
Beginners', is often referred to as one of the earliest references to the
teenage modernist movement and the key work in defining the term modernists
(Polhemus 2010).
 |
| Mod - 1960s |
A Changing Society
By the start of the 1960s, society was changing in Britain as it shifted away from the stiffer traditions which existed before the Second World War (Kenny and Brake 2013). There was a continued rise in consumerism which included the still developing teenage market (Kenny and Brake 2013). The younger generation had new spending power as they became financially dependent, free from the previous generation's constraints of working to support their family (Casburn 2004). Music and fashion became the main interests of this changing generation yet despite Beatlemania being in full swing by 1963, there was no regular television program catering for them (Kenny and Brake 2013). The time was right for a new show (Towles Canote 2013).
Ready, Steady, Go! |
| Mods wearing parkas, London, 1960s |
Ready, Steady, Go! was launched
in 1963 and was broadcast every Friday with the slogan, 'The weekend starts
here' (Hogan 2011). The show appealed to a Mod audience (Kenny and Brake
2013) as it became known for showcasing the new musical talent that was
emerging from Britain's changing culture such as The Rolling Stones, The Small Faces and The Who (Hogan 2011; Towles Canote 2013). The studio audience
was sourced from the trendiest clubs in London and picked out for their fashion sense as much as their
dancing skills (Hewitt and Baxter 2012; Wickham 2013). The production staff
were inexperienced and the show was live which often led to things going
wrong. However, it worked for their audience and the show was a hit
(Hogan 2011).
 |
| Ready, Steady, Go! audience - 1964 |
The staff were allowed to book any act they wanted which they used to introduce American acts such as Motown stars to the UK audience (Hogan 2011). Although soul and Motown was popular with Mods (Hogan 2011), it was a radical move to show black music acts on British television which resulted in complaints against the show (Wickham 2013). Despite its unpopularity amongst the older generation (Wickham 2013), Ready, Steady, Go! was seen as fresh and innovative (Hewitt and Baxter 2012).
Early presenters of Ready, Steady, Go! included Radio Luxembourg DJ, Keith Fordyce and, singer Dusty Springfield who went on to become a regular on the show (Hogan 2011). Dusty can be credited with introducing the production team to many of the black artists who appeared on the show (Wickham 2013). The unknown Cathy McGowan joined in January 1964 and by April 1965 she was fronting the show alone (Towles Canote 2013).
RSG! presented by Keith Fordyce and Dusty Springfield - 4th October 1963
The Queen of Mods
It is claimed that RSG! truly became a mod show when Cathy McGowan joined (Hogan 2011) as she was considered the 'Queen of Mods' (Honig 2013; Towles Canote 2013). McGowan is considered important to the Mod scene as there were only a few women classed as key influential figures (Hewitt and Baxter 2012). McGowan was working as a secretary in the fashion department of Women's Own magazine when she was chosen from 600 applicants to join the presenting team (Sweet Jane 2012). Aged only 19, she was recruited for her love of fashion and music (Hogan 2011; Sweet Jane 2012) and, for her relatability to RSG!'s target teenage audience (Sweet Jane 2012).
 |
| Cathy McGowan - 1960s |
 |
| Cathy McGowan interviewing The Beatles on RSG! set - 1960s |
McGowan was given a clothing allowance which enabled her to wear a different outfit each week (Sweet Jane 2012) and she gained a reputation as a trend setter (Hogan 2011). As well as her clothes, she was known for her thick fringe (Hogan 2011). As the show became more focused round McGowan, RSG! had fashion segments specifically created for the show (Lindsay-Hogg 2013). Television allowed the fashion trends shown on RSG! to spread fast
across Britain; previously Mod culture had been confined to London and
the south of England as trends were slow at moving across the country
(Hewitt and Baxter 2012). RSG! was fundamental in communicating the Mod
culture and fashion trends to a larger, nationwide audience (Sweet Jane
2013) and Cathy McGowan was leading the way.
 |
| Cathy McGowan - 1960s |
Cathy McGowan had as much as an influence on fashion as the music stars who appeared on the show (Sweet Jane 2012). It is claimed that she was an early influence on Anna Wintour (Chrissie 2011; Honig 2013). Designers were keen for McGowan to be seen in their clothes and she had a strong relationship with Biba designer, Barbara Hulanicki (Sweet Jane 2012). By 1965, McGowan had her own clothing range, 'Cathy McGowan's boutique' which included clothes, accessories and her own record player. Today, pieces of her collection can reach high prices on Ebay (Vintage-a-Peel 2010; Retrosellers 2012). McGowan played her part as a fashion and music journalist writing for both 'Rave' magazine and 'Mod Monthly' (Tin Trunk 2010; Sweet Jane 2012).
 |
| Cathy McGowan's Boutique catalogue (Source: Vintage-a-Peel) |
 |
| Cathy McGowan's column in 'Mod Monthly' (Source:: Tin Trunk) |
End of an Era
After running every Friday for three years and totalling 178 episodes (Hogan 2011), RSG! was last broadcast on 23rd December 1966 (Towles Canote 2013). Audiences were declining (Towles Canote 2013) as the music revolution changed and moved on (Gallagher 2013). The show launched the careers of many acts such as The Kinks, The Yardbirds, Donovan and Jimi Hendrix whilst setting the precedent for the many music television shows which have followed in it's wake (Towles Canote 2013). However, Ready Steady Go!'s main legacy remains to be the role the show and, Cathy McGowan played in defining Mod culture and bringing it to the masses in the early 1960s.
The Rolling Stones performing 'Little Red Rooster' and The Beatles performing
'Can't Buy Me Love' - RSG! 1965, presented by Cathy McGowan
'Can't Buy Me Love' - RSG! 1965, presented by Cathy McGowan
The Who performing 'Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere' - RSG! 1965
No comments:
Post a Comment