Debut appearance on Ready, Steady, Go!

The Beatles performed three songs during their first of three appearances on Ready, Steady, Go!

The Beatles' first appearance on Ready, Steady, Go!, 4 October 1963

Broadcast on the ITV network, initially just in London, RSG! was British television’s leading pop music show at the time. The 4 October 1963 episode was broadcast live, with the performers miming to their hits, a typical situation for the time.

The show was recorded at Television House on London’s Kingsway. During the afternoon The Beatles rehearsed for the cameras, and recording took place from 6.15pm onwards.

A friend was designing sets for Ready, Steady, Go!, and he invited me to their first live TV performance. They were wearing the famous grey, buttoned-up suits, which really stood out at the time. I was the only one at the rehearsal when they played this song. To me it sounded like very good rock ‘n’ roll. But it wasn’t just the music, it was their personalities, the way they looked, the whole thing.
Pete Blake, artist

The Beatles mimed to ‘Twist And Shout’, ‘I’ll Get You’ and ‘She Loves You’, and were interviewed by Dusty Springfield and host Keith Fordyce. The episode was transmitted from 6.15-7pm.

The performance of She Loves You was repeated on RSG! on 8 November 1963, and the full set was shown again during a special New Year show on 31 December.

Last updated: 28 September 2016
Radio: The Public Ear
The Beatles live: Concert Hall, Glasgow
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