McCarthy

McCarthy were a British indie pop band, formed in Barking, Greater London, England in 1984 by schoolmates Malcolm Eden (voice and guitar) and Tim Gane (lead guitar) with John Williamson (bass guitar) and Gary Baker (drums). Lætitia Sadier later joined the band on vocals for their final studio album. The name McCarthy was a reference to American politician Joe McCarthy, who was known to support anti-communist laws in the United States. The group disbanded in 1990 with Gane and Sadier forming Stereolab, while Eden formed the short-lived Herzfeld. Baker went on to a career in radiography, before going on to work for The Guardian. Williamson went on to work for music publisher BMG and Domino Records.
== Links to Peel ==
Peel seemed to have discovered the band when the group released Celestial City on the C86 compilation album, which he would often play on his shows. Largely ignored by mainstream radio, Peel was enthusiastic about the band along with their left wing views and gave them the opportunity to do 3 sessions for his shows, as well as playing tracks from their singles and albums. After the group disbanded, he continued supporting ex-members new music projects including Stereolab, who would also gain airplay on his shows.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
* 1987 Festive Fifty: Frans Hals #35
* 1988 Festive Fifty: Should The Bible Be Banned? #38
== Sessions ==
All session tracks available on The Best Of McCarthy: That's All Very Well But... CD, 1996 (Cherry Red, CDMRED 125) & Complete Albums, Singles And BBC Sessions Collection 4xCD Box Set, 2014 (Cherry Red CRCDMBOX15)
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1. Recorded: 1986-10-07. Broadcast: 12 November 1986. Repeated: 03 December 1986, 19 January 1987
*A Child Soon In Chains / Frans Hals / An M.P. Speaks / Anti-Nature
2. Recorded: 1987-10-20. Broadcast: 28 October 1987. Repeated: 16 November 1987, 13 January 1988
*Charles Windsor / The Funeral / Should The Bible Be Banned? / This Nelson Rockefeller
3. Recorded: 1988-10-23. Broadcast: 01 November 1988. Repeated: 13 December 1988
*The Myth Of The North/South Divide / I'm Not A Patriot But? / Keep An Open Mind Or Else / The Lion Will Lie Down With The Lamb
== Other Shows Played ==
;1986
*thumb|330x330px14 June 1986 (BFBS): 'Celestial City (Compilation cassette-C86)' (New Musical Express)
*23 September 1986: Red Sleeping Beauty (12") The Pink Label
*30 September 1986: In Purgatory (v/a 12" - It Sells Or It Smells) The Pink Label
*06 October 1986: In Purgatory (v/a 12" - It Sells Or It Smells) The Pink Label
*14 October 1986: Red Sleeping Beauty (7") The Pink Label
*October 1986 (BBC World Service): From The Damned (12" - Red Sleeping Beauty) Pink Label
*October 1986 (BBC World Service): In Purgatory (v/a 12" - It Sells Or It Smells) Pink Label
*16 December 1986: Red Sleeping Beauty (7") The Pink Label
;1987
*thumb|330x330px07 January 1987 (Radio Bremen): Red Sleeping Beauty (7") The Pink Label
*02 March 1987: Frans Hals (7") The Pink Label
*23 March 1987: Frans Hals (7") The Pink Label
*March 1987 (BBC World Service): Frans Hals (7" single) Pink
*28 September 1987: The Well Of Loneliness (12") September
*06 October 1987: An MP Speaks (LP - I Am A Wallet) September
*15 October 1987 (BBC World Service): An MP Speaks (LP I Am A Wallet) September
*19 October 1987: The International Narcotics Traffic (LP - I Am A Wallet) September
*22 October 1987 (BBC World Service): The Way Of The World (LP I Am A Wallet) September
*26 October 1987: 'A Child Soon In Chains (LP-I Am A Wallet)' (September)
*27 October 1987: Antinature (LP - I Am A Wallet) September
*03 November 1987: An MP Speaks (LP - I Am A Wallet) September
*03 November 1987 (BBC World Service): A Child Soon In Chains (LP - I Am A Wallet) September
*05 November 1987 (BBC World Service): A Child Soon In Chains (LP - I Am A Wallet) September
*07 November 1987 (Radio Bremen): Antinature (album - I Am A Wallet) September
*07 November 1987 (Radio Bremen): A Child Soon In Chains (album - I Am A Wallet) September
*09 November 1987: The Well Of Loneliness (LP - I Am A Wallet) September
*13 November 1987 (BFBS): 'The Funeral (LP-I Am A Wallet)' (September)
*24 November 1987: Antinature (LP - I Am A Wallet) September
*23 December 1987: 'Frans Hals (7 inch)' (The Pink Label) FF #35
;1988
*thumb|330x330px01 March 1988: This Nelson Rockefeller (12") September
*14 March 1988: This Nelson Rockefeller (12") September
*16 March 1988: The Fall (12" - This Nelson Rockefeller) September
*23 March 1988: This Nelson Rockefeller (12" EP) September SEPT 4-T
*08 April 1988 (BFBS): 'This Nelson Rockefeller (12")' (September)
*12 April 1988: Should The Bible Be Banned? (12") September
*19 April 1988: Should The Bible Be Banned? (12") September
*23 April 1988 (BFBS): Should The Bible Be Banned? (12") September
*25 April 1988: Should The Bible Be Banned? (12") September
*16 May 1988: Should The Bible Be Banned? (12") September
*20 September 1988: Should The Bible Be Banned? (7" version) (v/a 7" - The Sounds Machine EP 3) Sounds
*21 December 1988: 'Should The Bible Be Banned (12 inch)' (September) FF #38
;1989
*thumb|330x330px13 February 1989: Keep An Open Mind Or Else (7") Midnight Music
*22 February 1989: Keep An Open Mind Or Else (7") Midnight Music
*06 March 1989: Keep An Open Mind Or Else (7") Midnight Music
*07 March 1989 (Ö3): Keep An Open Mind Or Else (7") Midnight Music
*10 April 1989: Governing Takes Brains (album - The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth) Midnight Music
*12 April 1989: Governing Takes Brains (album - The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth) Midnight Music 
*18 April 1989: The Home Secretary Briefs The Forces Of Law And Order (album - The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth) Midnight Music
*14 June 1989: The New Left Review #2 (12" - At War) Midnight Music
*25 July 1989: The New Left Review #2 (12" - At War) Midnight Music (JP: 'I like McCarthy and by and large I agree with them, but they do write themselves lines that are virtually un-singable like Let's Hope To God The Company Will Negotiate And They Took Our Funds And Put Hundreds Of Lads In Jail')
*29 July 1989 (BFBS): (JP: 'The latest record from McCarthy is a 12 inch EP called At War, and I suspect that really they seem to have gone off the boil slightly and they're trying to cram too much polemic into the tunes really, and they're singing things which are essentially unsingable: I mean, slogans are not necessarily made to be sung, I think. But nevertheless, this is worth hearing.') 'All Your Questions Answered (12"-At War)' (Midnight Music) (JP: 'If I was managing the band and they wanted my advice, which they almost certainly don't, but I would suggest to them that.....if you're going to write songs that end with words like 'products' and 'economic front,' quite clearly it's going to sound absurd, ultimately, I think, which is a pity because I like what they do.')
;1990
*thumb|330x330px13 March 1990: Get A Knife Between Your Teeth (12") Midnight Music
*28 March 1990: Get A Knife Between Your Teeth (12") Midnight Music
*24 March 1990 (BFBS): 'Get A Knife Between Your Teeth (12")' (Midnight Music)
*31 March 1990 (BFBS): 'Get A Knife Between Your Teeth (12")' (Midnight Music)
*09 April 1990: I'm On The Side Of Mankind As Much As The Next Man (album - Banking, Violence And The Inner Life Today) Midnight Music
*12 April 1990: Write to You M.P. Today (album - Banking, Violence And The Inner Life Today) Midnight Music
*21 April 1990 (BFBS): 'The Drinking Song Of The Merchant Bankers (LP-Banking, Violence And The Inner Life Today)' (Midnight Music)
*12 May 1990 (BFBS): 'The Drinking Song Of The Merchant Bankers (LP-Banking, Violence And The Inner Life Today)' (Midnight Music)
;1994
*06 May 1994: ‘The Procession Of Popular Capitalism (LP - I Am A Wallet)’ September
*14 May 1994 (BFBS): The Procession Of Popular Capitalism (album - I Am A Wallet) September
== See Also ==
*Gigography 1987
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
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