It's Always More Complicated

Why had I never heard of this woman, she sounds amazing? Though may well have come across her contributions in Fabulous when I was but a tot, and of course one really had no idea who was behind the scenes of Ready Steady Go!

Vicki Wickham obituary

Wickham, who has died aged 87, was a band manager, a journalist, a TV producer and a songwriter: she guided the careers of Dusty Springfield, Labelle and Marc Almond, wrote for the music paper Melody Maker, contributed to the teen magazine Fabulous, and assembled the talent for each weekly edition of the groundbreaking pop music programme Ready Steady Go!
She also managed the “unmanageable” (his word) Morrissey for a while, ran the New York office of the label set up by the Who’s management, Track Records, and co-wrote Springfield’s biggest hit, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.

Springfield, who had appeared on the RSG! pilot and became a lifelong friend, introduced Wickham to black music and singers; in turn, she booked them for the show. In March 1966, Wickham pulled off a feat in devoting an entire 50 minutes to James Brown, who was lionised by RSG!’s mod viewership; their parents, though, were so angry that half of all TV sets were reportedly switched off during the show. (She was something of a mod idol herself, writing for The Mod’s Monthly magazine.) She also produced a special Motown episode in 1965.