McCarthy (band)

McCarthy

Company type	Indie pop group
Industry	Music
Founded	1984
Headquarters	Barking, Greater London , England
Key people	Malcolm Eden, Tim Gane, John Williamson, Gary Baker, Lætitia Sadier
Products	Indie pop music albums and singles

McCarthy was an English indie pop group originating from Barking, Greater London, England, established in 1984 by school friends Malcolm Eden (vocals, guitar) and Tim Gane (lead guitar). They were later joined by John Williamson on bass and Gary Baker on drums. For their final studio album, Lætitia Sadier contributed additional vocals.

Their musical style featured Gane's melodic 12-string guitar intertwined with Eden's politically motivated and frequently satirical lyrics, reflecting the band's strong left-wing ideology.

History

Eden, Gane, and Williamson first connected while attending Barking Abbey Comprehensive School. Initially playing drums, Gane switched to guitar under Eden's guidance, who also instructed Williamson on bass. Early influences included punk icons such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash, whose songs they covered during initial performances. In 1984, Baker joined the ensemble, which then adopted the name McCarthy, a nod to politician Joe McCarthy. They independently produced their debut single "In Purgatory" in 1985. After signing with Pink Label, they released several singles including "Red Sleeping Beauty" and "Frans Hals". Their song "Celestial City" was featured on the notable NME C86 compilation.

Their first album, I Am a Wallet (1987), garnered attention from DJ John Peel, who invited them for a session on BBC radio. Eden’s Marxist beliefs aligned the band with other left-leaning artists like Billy Bragg. The record earned acclaim from musicians such as Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield for its fusion of political themes and melodic composition.

After releasing two singles in 1988, they followed up with The Enraged Will Inherit the Earth. Their third studio effort, Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today (1989), included vocals by Sadier. Eden regarded this album as their artistic zenith and decided against continuing the band. Their last live show took place at the London School of Economics in 1990.

Two McCarthy tracks made it into John Peel's annual Festive Fifty: "Frans Hals" reached #35 in 1987, while "Should the Bible Be Banned" attained #38 in 1988.

Following McCarthy’s disbandment, Gane and Sadier went on to form Stereolab, whereas Eden created the short-lived group Herzfeld. Baker pursued a career in radiography before moving to work at The Guardian, and Williamson transitioned into music publishing roles at BMG and Domino Records.

Influence

McCarthy had a notable impact on Manic Street Preachers, who covered three of their compositions: "We Are All Bourgeois Now" (as a hidden track on Know Your Enemy), "Charles Windsor" (b-side on Life Becoming a Landslide EP), and "Red Sleeping Beauty" (featured on the single "Autumnsong").

Nicky Wire expressed admiration for McCarthy and their album I Am a Wallet: "McCarthy—the overlooked band of the '80s—transformed my perception of politics within pop music by demonstrating it could be both intelligent and beautiful. They were delicate, tragic, romantic idealists. Their songs comforted your body while stimulating your mind. This album was my education and partly inspired the Manic Street Preachers. I find myself falling in love with it every six months; its excellence makes me feel guilty."

Discography

Positions listed refer to the UK Indie Chart.

Studio albums

• I Am a Wallet (September Records; released November 1987) (peaked at #7)
• The Enraged Will Inherit the Earth (Midnight Music; released March 1989) (reached #5)
• Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today (Midnight Music; released April 1990)

Singles/EPs

• "In Purgatory" [with B-sides "The Comrade Era", "Something Wrong Somewhere"] (Wall of Salmon; 1985)
• "Red Sleeping Beauty" [including "From the Damned", "The Comrade Era", "For the Fat Lady"] (Pink Label; October 1986)
• "Frans Hals" [featuring "The Fall (remix)", "Kill Kill Kill Kill", "Frans Hals (version)"] (Pink Label; March 1987) (charted at #4)
• "The Well of Loneliness" [with tracks "Unfortunately", "Bad Dreams", "Someone Worse Off", "Antiamericancretin"] (September Records; September 1987) (peaked at #10)
• "This Nelson Rockefeller" [including new versions of "The Fall," "The Funeral," "For the Fat Lady," and "The Way of the World"] (September Records; February 1988) (reached #9)
• "Should the Bible Be Banned" [with B-sides "Saint Francis Amongst the Mortals" and "We Are All Bourgeois Now"] (September Records; April 1988) (peaked at #9)
• "Keep an Open Mind or Else" [featuring "The New Left Review #1" and "Two Criminal Points of View"] (Midnight Music; February 1989) (charted at #10)
• At War EP ["Boy Meets Girl So What" version, "All Your Questions Answered", "New Left Review #2", "The Lion Will Lie Down with the Lamb"] (Midnight Music; May 1989) (reached #16)
• "Get a Knife Between Your Teeth" [with tracks "Nobody Could Care Less About Your Private Lives", "With One Eye on Getting Their Pay", and "Can the Haves Use Their Brains"] (Midnight Music; March 1990)

Compilations

• A La Guillotine! (Danceteria; February 1988)
• That's All Very Well But... (Midnight Music/Cherry Red; issued 1996)

Radio sessions

• John Peel Session (12 November 1986)

1. "A Child Soon in Chains"
2. "Frans Hals"
3. "An MP Speaks"
4. "Antinature"

• Janice Long Session (8 July 1987)

1. "The Wicked Palace Revolution"
2. "The Vision of Peregrine Worsthorne"
3. "The Well of Loneliness"
4. "Monetaries"

• John Peel Session (28 October 1987)

1. "Charles Windsor"
2. "The Funeral"
3. "Should the Bible Be Banned"
4. "This Nelson Rockefeller"

• John Peel Session (1 January 1988)

1. "The Myth of the North–South Divide"
2. "I'm Not a Patriot But..."
3. "Keep an Open Mind or Else"
4. "The Lion Will Lie Down with the Lamb"

External links

• Article on twee.net
• McCarthy John Peel Sessions archive
• Overview of McCarthy
• Lyrics collection