Ready Steady Go

[Alistair Wilson]

Hi, first time poster so apols if this has been covered before. I have a couple of queries about Ready Steady Go. I recall reading in Record Collector some time ago that some more RSGs had been found but I never saw any more info. Anyone know if this was true?

Also RSG was on C4 in the 80s and some videos were released but I've seen nothing since then. I assume that they are still owned by Dave Clarke. I think they would make a good dvd release - anyone know why they haven't come out yet?

Any info appreciated.

[Laurence Piper]

I saw that Record Collector news item too (in the '90s), where it said that a cache of over 30 RSG shows were found in an underground vault that was preciously used to house government data. It said more info would be printed as and when. Nothing more was heard so we can assume it was all a false alarm.

No idea why the RSGs haven't turned up on DVD yet, although there are only a few whole shows (and lots of chunks of same). Knowing Dave Clark, i'd expect any release to be a mish-mash clips compilation (similar to the Ch.4 repeats, if not the same as) with bits of the DC5 from other shows plastered everywhere! A decent compilation is deserved though.

[Alistair Wilson]

Thanks. Glad I wasn't dreaming that Record Collector article. It would be good if some more RSG could be found.

I'd forgotten about the obligatory DC5 appearance in the middle of every RSG compilation on C4! However it would be good to see 'Catch us if you can' coming out on DVD or some of the other 60s music films such as Ferry cross the Mersey.

[lfbarfe]

Alistair said:

I'd forgotten about the obligatory DC5 appearance in the middle of every RSG compilation on C4!

Usually off VT, with audience cutaways off film

[Anon]

No dvd cos Dave Clarke is a tight-arsed git.

There is a myth that he holds lots of rare recordings. IMO a myth.

The man has such a huge ego he had to splice himself into the rsg compilations. Yet not one of these clips is from RSG. There are mainly American pieces from shows like Shindig and the Ed Sullivan. If he had himslef performing on rsg surely he would have used those clips? That is a strong clue that he did not possess a recorder in the 60's or get copies made for him.

The remaining rsg's were sold to D C. Check out the threads on Rediffussion to see what happened to the ARTV archive. It was from the Kal event guide.

[Laurence Piper]

lfbarfe said:

Usually off VT, with audience cutaways off film

Yes, that always used to amuse (and irritate) me too! There's enough RSG to make a really good compilation though (we don't know exactly what Clark has either - there might be a further scraping in his vaults that got left out of the comps); there are three complete shows, which I think reside with the NFTVA - safe from Clark's scissors - and about 8 compilations I have here (any advances on that?) of good material. Put it all end to end without the DC5 etc intercut stuff from other shows and there's probably two hours or so of footage. A highly enjoyable DVD!

I have an amusing incident on video from VH-1 in the '90s which illustrates perfectly Clark's ego and resistance to any criticism. In an edition of Beat Club, a DC5 clip is introduced by Mark Ellen who insinuates the group are bandwagon-jumping in the upcoming song. In the repeat of the show a day or so later, Ellen's intro is followed by a then-current George Michael promo crashing straight in! After that, everything returns to Beat Club as if nothing had happened. Odd.

[john g]

Rights are everything, it does not matter how many prints anybody owns.
The NFTVA may have some prints, but if DC5 owns the rights to RSG then there is not a lot they can do with them.

Artists would have bought or been given TRs in those days rather than VTRs, simply because the ubiquitous
16mm projector was the 'home entertainment system'
of the time .

However would be interesting to know if he has a colour recording of the Hippodrome show?

[Stephen Doran]

ch4 repeats were very shoddy cut about etc.

[Laurence Piper]

john said:

Rights are everything, it does not matter how many prints anybody owns.
The NFTVA may have some prints, but if DC5 owns the rights to RSG then there is not a lot they can do with them.

Artists would have bought or been given TRs in those days rather than VTRs, simply because the ubiquitous
16mm projector was the 'home entertainment system'
of the time .

However would be interesting to know if he has a colour recording of the Hippodrome show?

I'm sure DC has some interesting stuff in his collection. I heard he used to take a print or tape of all the shows the band appeared in (or at least when he could). They are probably one of the better archived bands of the '60s (ironically).

With reference to the NFTVA prints of those whole shows, although they can't obviously do anything with them, I was meaning that they can at least screen them at the NFT from time to time in the form they were originally seen in (without bad edits or other material added). The pace and feel is quite different from the compilations in the 50 minute shows.

[Larry Dutch]

Laurence said:

I saw that Record Collector news item too (in the '90s), where it said that a cache of over 30 RSG shows were found in an underground vault that was preciously used to house government data. It said more info would be printed as and when. Nothing more was heard so we can assume it was all a false alarm.

Hi Laurence,
Not sure If I have posted about this previously but yeah, that story was a complete fabrication deliberately done to get back at a certain recluse. The reaction was predictable - lawsuits threatened unless material was handed over etc etc. It's actually quite a good story but probably not for me to tell as I will get the details wrong. Perhaps one for the source to discuss one day (if he is reading this).
As for other RSG stuff, I don't believe DC has other material floating around. He purchased those RSG film cans when they were found but I don't think he has an archive of other stuff. He is a businessman not a collector/enthusiast. When the Walker Bros clip on RSG was discovered in Germany in the past 10 years, this was the first clip of the show to surface in ages. I'd love to think that he is sitting on a box full of unseen eps but the reality is no. That Walkers Clip was supplied to DC so he definitely has that but then, so do a lot of collectors now so I guess it's not the rarity it was.
I know of an archive that have chunks of 2-3 episodes on 16mm (probably 30 mins worth, maybe less) but sadly, it is all the material we know about. They don't publicise it because they know the legal issue is a problem Re: supplying copies so it's not worth their trouble.
There are some silent colour home movies of RSG and also a stash of audio recordings taken from TV in quite good quality - I don't have these but I've heard and seen a brief selection.
Cheers
LD

[Oswald]

I brought up this topic on a Dave Clark Five forum a couple of weeks or so ago. I got a very nasty response from some "bootlegger" informing me that 10 shows were actually found and whats more he implied he had copies of them... he stated "nobody will see them except bootleggers like me ha ha". A polite request for details resulted in more smarminess and ultimately I replied berating the guy calling him "a clever little boy" and informing him to grow up. I was quickly barred from that forum.

[Laurence Piper]

On the subject of RSG, does anyone know exactly how many compilations Dave Clark put together? I was going through these recently and I count a total of 14, which comprises 11 "regular" compilations plus 3 specials (featuring respectively The Rolling Stones, The Sounds Of Motown and an original Otis Redding show). Seven compilations were shown originally in the 1980s Channel 4 run and a further four were screened amongst later repeats of the first seven in the early '90s (apart from show 2, it seems, which featured Cilla Black and The Animals amongst others) and the three specials. Are there any more (and if so, can anybody supply me with content listing)?

Related to RSG, did anybody buy any of the VHS compilation releases in the 1980s (three volumes in all, I think)? If so, how do these relate to the TV compilations? Is there any material in them not seen elsewhere? Are the releases just buffered-up TV compilations or different? Someone once told me that they also featured original 1960s ads in the commercial break points as well. Anybody know if this is true?

Any help on these questions would be appreciated!

[Peter Chadwick]

I'll check the three vids for the tracklistings tonight, but I'm certain there were no ads included; each video only ran for 55-60 minutes each anyway, but they were assembled as one long show.

[Uncle Arthur]

The copies of the comps I have here- either of US or Japanese origin - feature a bunch of ads from the 1960s. Off the top of my head, they include The Scaffold doing a reworked "Lily The Pink" for Watney's Beer, Simon Dee for Smith's Crisps, and a swingin' ad shot in the Cavern for Timex Watches. Nothing, RSG wise, that wasn't included in the British comps., though.

[Laurence Piper]

Uncle said:

The copies of the comps I have here- either of US or Japanese origin - feature a bunch of ads from the 1960s. Off the top of my head, they include The Scaffold doing a reworked "Lily The Pink" for Watney's Beer, Simon Dee for Smith's Crisps, and a swingin' ad shot in the Cavern for Timex Watches. Nothing, RSG wise, that wasn't included in the British comps., though.

Ah, these must be the ads I had heard about. I remember The Scaffold ad - wasn't it a re-working of Fox On The Run though? I can still recall the modified lyrics!