Jim McCarty

Jim McCarty is an original Yardbird member, Renaissance member, and has a great new book on Amazon, Nobody Told Me.

The British Invasion band The Yardbirds are one of rock and roll’s most famous and influential bands of all time, as well as being known for starting the careers of other famous acts such as Led Zeppelin and Renaissance. While starting as a blues-influenced band, they went on to do pop, psychedelic rock, and pioneer in hard rock, as well as influence other styles such as punk, prog-rock, and heavy metal. They had many hits in the 60s including, “For Your Love“, “Heart Full of Soul“, “Shapes of Things” and “Over Under Sideways Down“.

Their drummer, Jim McCarty, has been in every Yardbirds lineup since their formation in London in 1963, as well as gone on to form other musical acts such as 1970’s prog-rock band Renaissance. I was lucky enough to see The Yardbirds on their 2017 tour, where I was also able to meet all of them including Jim McCarty, as well as meet their Social Media Director, Russ Garrett, who became a good friend and helped me connect with Jim for this interview.

Jim has graciously allowed me to interview him, and has given me such thorough and interesting answers. I hope you all enjoy it. And be sure to check out his book on Amazon, Nobody Told Me.

Emily Wells: How old you were when you began playing with The Yardbirds? Tell me about the band’s formation, and what it was like in the beginning. 

Jim McCarty: I was 20 when The Yardbirds started. Paul Samwell-Smith had been at school with me (we had a band at school), and always “turned me on” to new bands and new music–although he played me “Jimmy Reed Live at Carnegie Hall”, which, although new to us, was an old recording. To me, this was a fresh new music: raw, exciting and rocky. He also took me to see The Stones (pre-Charlie Watts), who were playing in a church hall in Richmond, near where we lived. I lost touch with Paul after we left school, and he had met up with Keith Relf–later to be the Yardbirds’ singer–in a pub in Kingston, Surrey. They formed a country blues band, and did some shows in the local pubs around Kingston. Meanwhile, I had met Chris Dreja and Top Topham, also keen musicians, and we too started a little blues band. We only played a couple of live shows, and after the last one Paul and Keith showed up, saying they wanted to be a much more “rocky” band, and wanted to amalgamate with us, particularly as I was a good rock drummer at the time. So Keith, Paul, Top, Chris and Me got together what was to be the “Yardbirds”. Don’t know how it happened, but we managed to do an interval spot at Eel Pie Island, with Cyril Davies–a great blues harmonica player–who was another person Paul and I would go to see. At the end of our set Cyril congratulated us, and asked Keith the name of the band: “The Yardbirds”, he said–the first time I had heard it.

Emily Wells: Was there a “turning point” moment where you all knew you were “The Yardbirds” and that you had something solid?

Jim McCarty: From that interval spot with Cyril Davies: he gave us a couple of his own shows in a pub in Harrow, which he couldn’t do (probably getting more money somewhere else!) Then we started to play more clubs around London, and we took off quickly! Paul and Keith contacted Giorgio Gomelsky, who ran The Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, as we heard that The Stones were going to leave. He came to see us rehearsing, and was so impressed with our “rave-ups”, he booked us to play. Then it was obvious we were going to get somewhere, and I needed to convince my mum that this was going to be a success, and I needed to give up my job in the London stockbrokers (earning about £15 per week). She wasn’t really convinced until I was on the TV a bit later, and she could tell the neighbours!

Emily Wells: Can you tell me more about the “rave up” instrumental breaks?

Jim McCarty: The “rave-up” was an idea of Pauls–I don’t know where he got it.

Emily Wells: What was it like being so young and successful in the British rhythm and blues scene? Was it exciting? Were you aware at the time of the fame and influence you had, and were achieving?

Jim McCarty: As you can imagine, it got busier and busier, finally getting a record contract and being in the teen magazines. It was really so fast and relentless, we never had time to think where it was all going. We loved playing, and having fun with the music. We didn’t really do it for fame and fortune, but once it came we “sort of” enjoyed it!

Emily Wells: What is behind the band’s name “The Yardbirds”? 

Jim McCarty: Keith saw the “Yardbirds” mentioned in a Jack Kerouac book, maybe On the Road. They were hobos, who would travel around the US on the steam run goods trains, and also lived in the rail yards.

Emily Wells: Was there anything that you couldn’t do because of your ages? Did you ever get into trouble with the law?

Jim McCarty: Never got in trouble with the Law.

Emily Wells: What is your favorite Yardbirds song to perform? What is your favorite Yardbirds song ever recorded?

Jim McCarty: Fave Yardbirds song “Shapes”–written within the band–groundbreaking (as they say).

[“Shapes Of Things” © Songwriters: Paul Samwell-smith / Keith Relf / James Stanley Mccarty]

Emily Wells: Tell me what you think made the Yardbirds successful.

Jim McCarty: I think what I said before about having fun with the music was the reason the sound still stands up (plus some good songs). We did blues covers, but wanted to make them different in some way. Jeff Beck was ideal because he added so many different sounds and textures–and we all worked as a team–it was a good chemistry. Nobody on the business level was quite able to hold it all together. Maybe with the right manager we would have lasted longer.

Emily Wells: Who and what are some of your personal influences as a musician and artist? Who and what would you say were influences to the Yardbirds as a band? What blues musicians were an influence to the beginning sound of The Yardbirds?

Jim McCarty: I was always influenced by drummers, rock and jazz. I fell in love with drumming when I was in the Boys Brigade and played the marching snare. Jo Morello from Dave Brubeck I liked, plus Keith Moon and Ginger [Baker] of course. Generally I like all sorts of music: blues, folk and jazz. I love Alli Farha Toure the African singer. As a band we started with Jimmy Reed, Howling Wolf, Bo Diddley, plus many others.

Emily Wells: I understand you were born in Liverpool but moved to London as a young child. What was your childhood like, and who and what influenced you growing up? As a child, did you dream of being a musician, or did you have other aspirations? Would you say your upbringing influenced your success? 

Jim McCarty: Growing up in the London suburbs never had much influence in what I would become–not until I heard American rock music, Buddy Holly, Everlys etc. This is what I based my style upon. Plus a bit of jazz.

Emily Wells: What was the first musical instrument you played? What is the first gig you ever had?

Jim McCarty: I bought my first drum kit for £11, and my first gig was probably in one of the local pubs with the school band. I always thought I was a pretty simple drummer, and I laughed when someone told me I invented thrash metal drumming! Touring in the 60’s consisted of a lot of ups and downs. I’ve always been quite sensitive, and I would get quite tired, and consequently a bit depressed. It was relentless, and difficult most of the time to see where it was all going. Of course, there were great moments! Getting inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in ‘92 was pretty good, and playing a show when everything was “on” was special. Now it’s much better, as it’s so much more controllable with the travelling and the sound systems, but my age is starting to show a little!

Emily Wells: Do you have a cool or funny story you would like to share about being on tour? In the 60’s? More recently?

Jim McCarty: Bit stuck Emily–trying to think of funny stories–of course there are many, but not so many outrageous ones. There was the show where Jeff flipped, and disappeared for weeks. It was after the first night of the Dick Clark Tour–pretty dreadful–I don’t blame him really! He lost it and smashed up his Les Paul in the dressing room in pure frustration. He said later to Jimmy Page, “You could have stopped me doing that!” There was another one when Keith and I gave a lift to a fan after a show in the UK. I was driving, and cursed when some other driver cut me up. The fan said, “Wow, I didn’t know pop stars swore!”

Emily Wells: You are the only member of The Yardbirds to be in every single lineup of the band. What has brought that loyalty? 

Jim McCarty: I keep doing it because I am able, first thing, and I enjoy playing that amazing repertoire. It always makes people happy, and now it’s not 350 nights of the year–maybe 30 tops. I’ve always liked a broad range of music, and got very attracted to the “balladeer” sort of singer/songwriter, in more of a prog/folk style. This came out of Renaissance, and carried on through Illusion and my solo stuff. I love to write songs with meaning, and enjoy singing them too.

Emily Wells: Tell me about your solo career.

Jim McCarty: My first “solo” effort was back in the early 90’s, and I managed to get plenty of encouragement, which helped a lot. I was also helped by Matthew Fisher, from Procol Harem, who did a lot of programming for the recording. That was quite fascinating for me at the time. The other two solo CDs I’ve recorded in Toronto, in between US tours. My wife, Elisabeth, and I would go there for “house swaps” in the summer. I like Toronto very much–a good music scene, a bit like London used to be! Going back to the Yardbirds, Paul Samwell-Smith was always a big musical influence on my life, and apart from the Yardbirds, we’ve worked together on Renaissance, Illusion and Box of Frogs. Jeff was a great person to play with, but so unpredictable (I said that before?) I’ve been very lucky to have music supporting me through my life, and always managed to survive, and be able to create. Big blow for me last year when I lost my wife to cancer, but things are slowly looking up (another story).

Emily Wells: I’m so sorry to hear about the passing of your wife Jim.

Thank you Jim this is great!

Be sure to check out Jim McCarty’s current book sold currently on Lulu.com and Amazon, Nobody Told Me.

Jim McCarty: That’s great Emily–my pleasure.