Jim McCarty - featured drummer - The Yardbirds / video + commentary (notes from an old drummer) 1967 reflection
Posted 11-18-22
Notes From An Old Drummer Featured Drummer-Jim McCarty / The Yardbirds
(Notes # 5)
(1967-Cork Room-Gigs-Starving Artist-Summer of Love-Melbourne Civic Center-The Yardbirds-Mitch Ryder-Blues Magoos-Surf Music-Dick Dale-Ventures-Surfaris-Detroit Wheels-Orlando-Tiki Club-Sing Sing Sing-Gene Krupa-Main Act-Psychedelic-Top40- Radio-Record-Vox-60s-Vibe-Jefferson Airplane-The Dead-Strawberry Alarm clock-Eric Clapton-Jimi Hendrix-Purple Haze-Wind Cries Mary-Genre-Paul Butterfield-The Blues- Integrated-East West-Airwave-Playlist-British Invasion-Cream-The Who-The Beatles- The Stones-The Animals-Little Red Rooster-John Mayall-Graham Bond-Television-Pop- Groove-Sound Venture-Georgie Fame-Jimmy Page-Jeff Beck-Keith Relf-Phil Seaman- Procol Harum-Chris Dreja-Mitch Mitchell-Turned On-Fender-Gig-Ringo-Hal Blaine-Be My Baby-Ronettes-Down In The Boon Docks-Sonor-Drum Geek-Premier-Fill-Led Zeppelin-1966-1971)
Winter of 1967 was my baptism to the full time financial reality of being a musician. The Cork Room gig ended September of 1967. Gigs around the beach with a new group were slim.
___I experienced the starving artist way of life for the duration of the [Summer of Love] 1967___
___A highlight of [The Winter 1967] was my experience to hear The Yardbirds with drummer Jim McCarty...at the Melbourne Civic Center___
On the bill were 2 other acts. Mitch Ryder plus The Blues Magoos. Mitch Ryder seemed angry to be on the bill. Known more as a bluesman...he made a derogatory comment about surf-music.
___I didn’t quite get it. Melbourne wasn’t the West Coast with...Dick Dale...Ventures...Surfaris or any Surf Bands___
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Mitch’s back up band was tight and energized. I’d seen The Detroit Wheels in 1966 at Orlando, The Tiki Club. This was a different group. They opened without Mitch and played a modern cover of [Reach Out I’ll be There-By The Four Tops] It was very high energy.
The drummer played the groove off his floor tom. It was similar to a rhythmic rendition of Sing Sing Sing by Gene Krupa. Every band member was solid and played with attitude. Mitch Ryder continues to carry [The Detroit Blues] tradition. I’ve always been a fan.
The Blues Magoos may have been the main act. That’s a long- term memory blur after 50+ years. The Blues Magoos had a “45 record” on the radio called “We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet.” A popular song with a Vox continental organ-guitar riff and psychedelic solo...[The extended version didn’t get played on the radio] The Blues Magoos amps were really loud. The crowd- pleaser highlight was the bands light up-flashing band uniforms.
___They were visually entertaining and brought the 60s vibe___
[Similar 60s Hippie groups were having some commercial radio and media success] West Coast bands, like Jefferson Airplane, The Dead and Strawberry Alarm Clock.
I discuss in more detail my Space Coast [Summer of Love] experience in: ___Notes of a Young Drummer 1966-1969___
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In 1967...I was familiar with The Yardbirds. Many of the popular teenage bands I heard...covered renditions of:
___For Your Love...Train Kept A-Rollin...Shape of Things...Heart Full of Soul...Over Under Sideways Down...I’m a Man...Smokestack Lightning___
In 1967...I wasn’t aware of Eric Clapton. It wasn’t long before I was turned-on to a group called Cream. I would hear Jimi Hendrix on the radio first in...(1968)
In my radio airwave world...the first Hendrix tunes I heard were [Wind Cries Mary] and [Purple Haze] I became a huge fan, still am.
___My academic categories’ of music in 1967 were without genre or titles [I liked it all]___
In 1967...I’d seen and heard a record called “East-West” by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The word [Blues] in the groups name was a clue. They certainly played The Blues. Seeing that album jacket in 1967 as an 18-year old drummer...I noticed they were an integrated band. Looking closer...they were from Chicago.
Listening to the [East West] record...I heard something much different from the popular British Invasion bands on my 1967 playlist.
It would be decades before I put the British Blues music musician pieces together. In 1967...I never thought of The Stones...The Animals or The Yardbirds as Blues Bands. For me... they played popular music [I enjoyed]
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The Stone’s rendition of Little Red Rooster on American television was a different groove then most pop tunes. I recognized the non-pop form-tonality and attitude. “The Blues“ style was different.
It wasn’t until I saw the Ginger Baker-Eric Clapton-Jack Bruce association with Graham Bond and John Mayall that...___I began to look deeper...into their recorded past___
As I type this...I’m listening to Sound Venture by Georgie Fame & The Harry South Big Band. Georgie Fame is another name I would see associated with various British musicians.
Sound Venture has a Mose Allison...Mark Murphy...Joe Jackson...Ray Charles vibe with a taste of Count Basie. An amazing...well recorded...1966 release.
I recognize several musicians’ names on this record including: Ronnie Scott, Dick Morrissey, Kenny Wheeler plus Phil Seamen and Bill Eyden on drums. There aren’t any liner notes pertaining to...which drummer is on what tune.
Bill Eyden played drums on the big 1967 hit A Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum.
Phil Seamen was Ginger Baker’s main influence.
___Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix) plays drums on the 1966 Georgie Fame album Sweet Things___
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Playing drums with The Yardbirds was Jim McCarty. My view to see and hear The Yardbirds was great. The stage at the Melbourne Civic Center was wide...plenty of room. It was elevated about shoulder high from the floor. I stood down front ...standing in front of guitarist Jimmy Page. He had a Fender amplifier on a stand or chair.
I recognized Jimmy Page wasn’t Jeff Beck from seeing The Yardbirds record covers. The Yardbirds on that gig...in 1967 were a quartet.
___Jim McCarty-drums, Jimmy Page-lead guitar, Keith Relf- vocals / harmonica and Chris Dreja-electric bass___
By 1967...I’d heard various guitarist [name dropping] Jeff Beck...[how great he was]
___I would see Jimmy Page again (August 31, 1971) with Led Zeppelin at Eddie Graham’s Sports Stadium in Orlando___
I think the audience that night may have been a little underwhelmed with The Yardbirds. I could be wrong. Thinking back...the variety of music on the show...makes me wonder.
I totally enjoyed seeing and hearing The Yardbirds. I can’t remember any other bands I’d seen [like them] ___They seemed authentic___
They played all of...The Yardbirds tunes I was familiar with. I’d seen Mick Jagger occasionally play harmonica on a few Stones tunes. Keith Relf’s harmonica seemed to be more of a lead...full time instrument with The Yardbirds.
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___Jim McCarty’s role as The Yardbirds drummer was relaxed. The tunes and music they played weren’t pop tunes that needed to be played...[just like the record]___
___There are several Youtube videos of The Yardbirds available for viewing___
A [1965] For Your Love performance video includes Jeff Beck... playing 12-string acoustic guitar. It’s an up tempo version with Keith Relf singing and playing bongos. Jim McCarty is playing a nice Ludwig 4-piece kit. They play it live with a few screaming audience members.
Keith Relf ...has his [cool daddy –O hipster] look as he holds and plays the bongos. (Shades Included) I always thought this was a unique tune...(For Your Love) the bongos add to its character. Without bongos the record would have been much different. I don’t remember Keith playing bongos at The Melbourne gig.
Another Youtube video (Heart Full Of Soul) from 1965 with Jeff Beck is a live television performance. Jim McCarty playing his silver sparkle Ludwig 4-piece kit. His tuning and sound is very dynamic.
___I always liked The Yardbirds logo on his front “Bass Drum” head. That was a very popular 60s thing. The Beatles, The Animals, The Kinks, Buffalo Springfield, The Turtles, The Rascals, The Monkees, The Standells, Cream, The Byrds, The Who...They all had cool (Bass Drum) logos___
There’s a 1966 Youtube video...The Yardbirds faking a performance of Shapes of Things inside a racetrack. I don’t care about the video...but I always liked this tune.
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There are a several memorable parts to this song. (Shapes of Things) The rhythm of the verse is a non-backbeat straight 4/4 Cadence. The bridge goes into a [beatbeat] groove. Jim McCarty plays a great simple fill.
The first time I heard this fill...I thought it was great. It’s a typical 60s Ringo fill...technically not difficult...but in this tune...(Shapes of Things) it really fits. Coming out of the straight eighth note break...Jim McCarty plays another very cool fill to get the band back into the next verse. It’s a high hat bass drum lick, very hip.
A couple more verses to the bridge...(Shapes of Things) they go into the Jeff Beck guitar solo. Jim McCarty plays what I refer to as a Train Beat on the snare drum. He also plays downbeat cymbal crashes. The voice...saturated in reverb with Jeff Beck’s guitar really stood out to me when I first heard this. Jim McCarty repeats his high hat fill for the band to return into the final verse. The echo guitar tag still sounds great.
___Jim McCarty was the perfect drummer for The Yardbirds. All of the tunes I’ve mentioned have a special-subtle drum part___
You’ll see Jim McCarty usually playing traditional grip. His tight-pitched snare drum sound always fit the song. His technique and style wasn’t straight quarter and eighth note rock n roll beats. The Yardbirds liked shuffles...that incorporated triplets. Some of those tempos are challenging.
___Jim McCarty makes The Yardbirds tunes swing and groove___
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The Yardbirds provided Jim McCarty opportunities to put his drumming signature on the tunes. I never saw The Zombies in the 60s. Their tunes include many of my favorite drum fills and patterns.
There are a few Youtube videos of the 1967 edition of The Yardbirds...with Jimmy Page. The [French] video...April 30, 1967 is an interesting visit. Jim McCarty is playing a great sounding 5-piece set of Premier. I’ve seen other videos with him on that set. Jimmy Page plays the guitar solo of [Shapes of Things]...almost note per note.
___I’ve heard Keith Relf sound better...maybe a problem hearing him-self in the monitors. It’s still a cool music document from 1967___
Another Yardbirds 1967 [German] Youtube video presents Jim McCarty playing a 5-piece set of Sonor. I owned a 60s set of that vintage. Great sounding drums, wish I still had them.
[Drum Geek mumbo jumbo]...they were Beechwood shells [I think] with the [off-set] aligned lugs. You also needed the Sonor drum key. (Or a screwdriver)
This 1967...[German] Youtube video is accurate to The Yardbirds...that I heard at...[The Melbourne Civic Center] in 1967. That’s the same guitar Jimmy Page was playing. I remember it had those silver circles on it.
(Beat Club Video-I’m A Man & Outro) During the guitar-drum- Keith improvisation...Jimmy breaks out the violin bow. The Beat Club [Youtube] videos are very good.
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___The Yardbirds really play well on this Beat Club performance. Jim McCarty plays with style and confidence___
In my research...I discovered Jim McCarty has a Youtube channel. It doesn’t appear he’s uploaded any recent videos, but there a quite a few. I enjoyed watching his (1989) instruction videos.
He talked about “borrowing” the famous “Be My Baby” intro-fill created and played by Hal Blaine on the Ronettes record.
Jim McCarty’s reference to Hal Blaine-Be My Baby grabbed my attention. So many 60s drummers copied and used that pattern. I refer to it as the “Down In The Boondocks” beat.
Notes From An Old Drummer
Michael Welch – Michael Welch Publications
(Notes # 5)
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