Back To The Sixties 2

'Ready Steady Go' first hit our TV screens on 9th August 1963. Hosted by Keith Fordyce, this Friday pop show with its slogan 'The Weekend Starts Here', quickly established itself with its teenage audience. Co-hosted by the trendy Cathy McGowan, the earlier live acts included Billy Fury and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. The original theme tune was 'Wipe Out' by The Surfari's but this was soon replaced by Manfred Mann's '5-4-3-2-1'. Like millions of other youngsters, I tuned in every Friday to ITV to watch the show and, in 1964 having become so popular, it was extended from its original 30 minute slot to 50 minutes. I decided, somewhat hopefully, to apply for tickets - you can imagine my surprise and delight when a letter arrived from TV House in Kingsway containing two priceless tickets for the show.

The following Friday, my work mate Pete and I arrived at the television studios and joined the queue. Once inside, you were divided into 'spectators' or 'dancers' - our tickets showed that we were 'spectators' which meant no access to the dance area and, thereby, no chance of getting close to the action. However, things changed rapidly - the floor manager approached me and asked, "Are you four together?" and despite the fact that the two girls standing next to us were complete strangers, I replied in the affirmative. "Good," came the reply "we need another two couples on the dance floor." And before, you could say 'Ready, Steady, Go' we were right in the centre of the studio enjoying the sights and sounds of Martha and the Vandella's, Rufus Thomas and Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. At one point in the proceeding, I found myself standing alongside Keith Fordyce as he announced the next act. Some 20 years later, whilst watching a re-run of the series on Channel 4 TV, I was surprised to see this clip from the programme - it was strange to see how I'd actually looked at the tender age of twenty…

'Top of the Pops' was another programme I managed to get tickets for on a more regular basis - thanks to a girlfriend who worked at the Beeb. In fact, we went along to the 'TOTP' studios in Lime Grove every week throughout the summer of '66. We also had access to the social club, which gave us the opportunity to meet up with some of the pop performers after the transmission. I well remember being clearly 'in shot' whilst dancing with my blonde girlfriend just a few feet in front of Chris Farlowe as he sang his classic No 1 hit 'Out of Time'. I recently saw Chris again when he appeared with 'The Manfreds' in concert - I have absolutely no idea what happened to the blonde!

In the previous edition of TWIL, I mentioned about meeting up with Paul McCartney and said I would tell you more about that 'next time around'. Well… that event happened a few years after the 60's had ended, during 1973 in fact. During the summer of that year, ATV produced an hour-long programme, at the Elstree Studios where I worked, called James Paul McCartney, which gave me the chance to see at close quarters, one of my musical heroes. Paul, with wife Linda and his group Wings, were in and around the studios for a few weeks. It was brilliant to see him both in rehearsals and then performing at a Sunday evening live concert in front of an excited studio audience. If my memory serves me right, he included renditions of 'Hi Hi Hi', 'C Moon' & 'My Love'.

To be so much part of the proceedings was, for a Beatles fan like myself, a truly exciting experience. There were a number of moments that spring to mind as I recollect that particular period. Once, I was walking behind Paul and Linda as they left the studio to return to their dressing room. Oblivious to my presence, they suddenly held hands and began skipping down the corridor, laughing together like two excited school children. It was a moment that seemed to reflect their true and spontaneous love for each other. On another occasion, I brought my Polaroid camera into work with me in the hope of getting a shot with Paul. I managed to catch him on his way into the studio one morning "Here Linda - take a picture will you?" he said as I passed the camera over. Linda took the camera and, before we knew it, had snapped said photo. Paul could see I was less than happy with the result as it started to appear, mainly because it showed him looking unprepared, staring vaguely into the distance. "Don't worry," he said reassuringly, "we'll take another later on". And, true to his word, he took time out to pose for another shot with me that same morning.

They say that to avoid disappointment, you shouldn't meet your heroes but Paul was exactly as I had imagined - polite, courteous and always ready to have a chat. I count myself as extremely fortunate to have been in such a unique situation during that summer of '73 and, more than once during that memorable time, as I watched Paul, Linda, Denny Laine, Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell run through their various numbers that, not only was I in a very privileged position, but I was also getting paid for it!

George Douglas
TWIL Issue Eight August 2002