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.
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.
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
McCarthy - Get a Knife Between Your Teeth
13 March 1990: Get A Knife Between Your Teeth (12") Midnight Music
28 March 1990: Get A Knife Between Your Teeth (12") Midnight Music
