Ready Steady Pop! presents a quartet of 10-print sets featuring The Beatles' historic March 20, 1964 appearance on Britain's most influential pop show, Ready Steady Go! — nestled in a custom-made, archival portfolio.
Each portfolio collection is available in 12" X 12", 15" X 15", 20" X 20", and 24" X 24." 12" and 15" prints are strictly limited to 10 numbered sets, while the 20" and 24" collections are limited to 5 numbered sets worldwide.
The custom drop front portfolios are constructed of rigid acid- and lignin-free materials, providing archival storage worthy of museum-quality prints. Double thick side walls (1/4 inch) on the base of the box provide the extra structure needed for larger print sizes and for stacking. The exterior of the portfolios are covered in charcoal book binding cloth with a moisture-resistant, 100% aqueous acrylic coating, and feature our RSP! Star logo debossed on the cover.
The prints are interleaved by buffered, acid- and lignin-free purified wood pulp paper which will not degrade or cause harm to artwork.
Each portfolio includes the following prints:
The Story
In the few short months after The Beatles' first live appearance on Rediffusion's Ready Steady Go! on October 4, 1963, the band had grown from a national curiosity to a worldwide phenomenon. March 20, 1964 was an especially busy day for The Beatles. While the band was in the midst of production on their yet to be named debut film, their latest Parlophone single, 'Can't Buy Me Love' saw its UK release on this day. Despite the incredible workload, Beatles manager Brian Epstein, realized the necessity of booking the group for a second, all-important live appearance on Britain's trendiest pop show.
After spending the morning and most of the afternoon at Twickenham Studios filming television studio corridor scenes for what would become A Hard Day's Night, The Beatles were rushed by limousine to Associated-Rediffusion's Television House in Kingsway, London. Their car arrived outside Television House at 5:10 pm to be met by the now-familiar scene of a police cordon keeping Beatlemaniacs at bay, this time with the additional help of crash barriers. Show creator and producer Elkan Allan escorted The Beatles from their chauffeured Jaguar MK VIII, through the pandemonium, to the compact Studio Nine, located in the basement of Television House, and the home to Ready Steady Go!
Our collection captures The Beatles on the set of Ready Steady Go! during hasty camera rehearsals in preparation for that evening's live broadcast, which was to become the most-watched episode in the program's entire run with an estimated viewership of 13 million. The group would mime to three recordings: 'It Won't Be Long,' 'You Can't Do That,' and the previously mentioned 'Can't Buy Me Love.' That the show would dare shoehorn the biggest act in the world amongst a cadre of London mods gyrating before a makeshift backdrop of amateur fan-art only added to the gritty, warts-and-all image for which Ready Steady Go! was known. Photographer Richard Rosser's use of a fisheye lens was an insightful choice. In addition to the unique Escher-like quality the lens, lighting, and film grain add to the photographs, these images capture The Beatles at the outset of their all-enveloping fame. There’s also the surrealistic suggestion that life for the famous four was about to be like living in a fishbowl.
Also appearing on this week's Ready Steady Go! :The Animals (making their television debut), Dusty Springfield, Bobby Vee, Millicent Martin, and Alma Cogan (appearing with John Lennon during his guest DJ segment)
Photographs by Richard Rosser
The Process
The images featured on our site are reproduced directly from the original negatives in our collection. Each has been digitally drum scanned at 8000 DPI to ensure the highest quality prints up to the largest sizes.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping
Shipping is free on all domestic print orders. International shipping is free on all print orders of $275 and above. A flat shipping fee of $45 will be added to all international orders below $275. Shipping is charged on all Skateboard Pop!Art Deck orders. Shipping for t-shirt orders is $5.00 domestic, $10.00 for Canada, and $25.00 international.
Returns
Ready Steady Pop! Archives stands behind the quality of the prints we offer. If for any reason, you are not totally satisfied with your purchase, Ready Steady Pop! Archives will gladly refund or exchange your print provided your original purchase is returned in its original condition.