Ready 'N Steady
Encyclopedia
"Ready 'n' Steady" is a song by the artist D.A. that appeared on Billboard
magazine's Bubbling Under the Hot 100
chart for three weeks in June 1979. The record, along with any information about it or the artist, has been notoriously hard to find, leading many collectors to consider it a "phantom record".
, whose company Record Research Inc. specializes in analyzing the Billboard charts, has published various books containing chart data. He has collected tens of thousands of hit records, including all of the 45s ever to hit the Hot 100 or Bubbling Under charts—all except "Ready 'n' Steady".
In a 1995 interview, Whitburn said he had never actually seen or heard the record but added "We think—we think—that it's a girl's rock group from Chicago
. Punk group, we think—1979. And we think that the Rascal label was out of a guy's home in Detroit." Whitburn found a small ad for the Rascal label (with a Detroit address) in a punk rock publication and had it checked out; unfortunately, the building was vacant, with no sign of the label or its only charted record. The entry in Billboard shows "Ready 'n' Steady" had a catalog number of 102; if there was a "Rascal 101" released, it too remains unknown to collectors.
A female-fronted punk rock group from Chicago called DA were active in the early 1980s. The band released a single and an EP on the Autumn Records label in 1981–82. This is presumably the band that Whitburn thought (as of the 1995 interview) could have recorded "Ready 'n' Steady" in 1979. However, Whitburn no longer seems to accept this possibility.
by the Christian rock band Daniel Amos
).
In the fourth edition of Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 book, published in 2005, the entry for "D.A." was amended with a note stating "the existence of this record and artist is in question," and quotes a price of $150 as its value.
Finally, in 2009, Whitburn brought out his newest Top Pop Singles book, which includes both Hot 100 and Bubbling Under singles—but D.A. is not listed at all. In an interview with the website CelebrityAccess, Whitburn noted he still has not been able to find "Ready 'n' Steady" and said "I don't think it exists."
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine's Bubbling Under the Hot 100
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart for three weeks in June 1979. The record, along with any information about it or the artist, has been notoriously hard to find, leading many collectors to consider it a "phantom record".
Bubbling Under
The June 16, 1979 issue of Billboard listed ten songs on its Bubbling Under chart, including "Ready 'n' Steady" by D.A. at number 106. The record, released on the Rascal label, moved up to 103 on June 23, then up to 102 the following week before dropping off the chart.Enter Joel Whitburn
Music historian Joel WhitburnJoel Whitburn
Joel Carver Whitburn is an American author and music historian.Whitburn founded Record Research Inc. in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1970, and put together a team of researchers to examine in detail all of Billboards music and video charts...
, whose company Record Research Inc. specializes in analyzing the Billboard charts, has published various books containing chart data. He has collected tens of thousands of hit records, including all of the 45s ever to hit the Hot 100 or Bubbling Under charts—all except "Ready 'n' Steady".
In a 1995 interview, Whitburn said he had never actually seen or heard the record but added "We think—we think—that it's a girl's rock group from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Punk group, we think—1979. And we think that the Rascal label was out of a guy's home in Detroit." Whitburn found a small ad for the Rascal label (with a Detroit address) in a punk rock publication and had it checked out; unfortunately, the building was vacant, with no sign of the label or its only charted record. The entry in Billboard shows "Ready 'n' Steady" had a catalog number of 102; if there was a "Rascal 101" released, it too remains unknown to collectors.
A female-fronted punk rock group from Chicago called DA were active in the early 1980s. The band released a single and an EP on the Autumn Records label in 1981–82. This is presumably the band that Whitburn thought (as of the 1995 interview) could have recorded "Ready 'n' Steady" in 1979. However, Whitburn no longer seems to accept this possibility.
Existence
The most recent edition of Jerry Osbourne's Official Price Guide to Records (16th Edition, published 2002) lists the record (and a value of $75–125), along with an unnamed LP on the Frontline label, dated 1985 or 1986 (this is actually the album Fearful SymmetryFearful Symmetry (album)
Fearful Symmetry is a 1986 album by rock band Daniel Amos, released on Frontline Records.Fearful Symmetry is a lush, synthesizer driven pop album, lyrically wrapped in puzzles that the listener has to decipher...
by the Christian rock band Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos is a rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. Current members include bassist Tim Chandler, guitarist Greg Flesch and drummer Ed McTaggart...
).
In the fourth edition of Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 book, published in 2005, the entry for "D.A." was amended with a note stating "the existence of this record and artist is in question," and quotes a price of $150 as its value.
Finally, in 2009, Whitburn brought out his newest Top Pop Singles book, which includes both Hot 100 and Bubbling Under singles—but D.A. is not listed at all. In an interview with the website CelebrityAccess, Whitburn noted he still has not been able to find "Ready 'n' Steady" and said "I don't think it exists."