Here are some thoughts and memories from Denise about her friend Jim.
The first Jim in my life was Jim Addison, who introduced us young Whitlam renegades to interesting US music and bands. He would play us records in his bungalow in 1972-75, which included The Fugs, The Godz, The Holy Modal Rounders, Red Crayola, The Seeds, ? And the Mysterians, and a whole lot more.
In 2003 I created the primitivecalculators.com website. We dedicated our live album from 1979, put out by Alan Bamford in the early 80s, and our Meeuw Musak (from the Nederlands) single, released in 2003, to Jim McCarthy (from the Godz). I wrote that fact on the website. Google indexed that page, and Jim found out all about us after searching for The Godz.
In 2006 I got an email from someone asking me if they could buy the Primitive Calculators CD put out by Chapter Music in 2004. The email was signed, Jim McCarthy. (I’m trying to find that email, I’m sure it’s archived somewhere, I am obsessively organised.)
I answered yes sure, what’s your address and are you THAT Jim McCarthy, and yes it was. So we back and forthed via email for the next few years. Then in 2010, I was heading to Massachusetts to go to my niece’s wedding and was going to spend a week in NYC in October. “Would you like to meet up” I asked. He replied “Sure, why not”. And we have become good friends ever since then.
in September 2025 Jim spent a month with Denise in Melbourne to check out the southern hemisphere for the first time.
Listen to Jim and Denise discussing life and songs on 3PBS and 3CR (Thank you Paul W and Paul E – love your work)
Denise and Jim at the Cloisters, NYC, October 2010
During that visit I gave Jim a PC t/shirt. We meet up for dinner that night and he gave me a copy of an autographed photo of Jim, his bandmate Paul and Eric Burdon and the Animals.
It is now up on my “Jim” wall at home.
And the lovely Jim also sent me these photos he took during the New Orleans Jazz Festivals that he went to every year, from 1993 to 2003. His is a really really great photographer.
My Jim wall.
During another visit to NYC in 2015 Jim took me on a nice walk around the West Village, NYC.
I also visited him in 2017 (after another wedding in Massachusetts) and I recorded him singing a few things for me to use in the future. This is what we did …
https://deniseanddavesing.bandcamp.com/track/please-dont-breed
https://deniseanddavesing.bandcamp.com/track/diseases
Thanks so much Jim, for many years of friendship and inspiration and I absolutely love all of your work.
1954
Jim with his uncle Jimmy Matucha and uncle Arthur Swanson. Uncle Jimmy was responsible for beginning his musical instrument learning.
1966
Jim (from the Jud Yalkut film)
1966
First Godz album – Contact High – which Jim designed.
The cover of the 2nd pressing of Contact High was designed by Jay Dillion. It was hard to believe they got a 2nd pressing, according to Jim.
From the back of one of the CDs …
Click here to see more details on discog.com
On December 4th, 1966 The Godz played at the Night Beat Freakout Happening at Action House, Island Park, NY gig. Jim can’t remember much about this gig except that The Ronettes backing band had not shown up and the Godz were asked by the stage crew if they could do it and Jim replied “Have you not heard our band play?” They did not back up the Ronettes on that night.
1967
Godz 2
Click here to see more details on discog.com
Photo taken by Bernard’s sister Sandra Stollman during a Godz performance, 1967.
1968
The Third Testament
Click here to see more details on discog.com
1973
Godzundheit – 4th Godz album
Click here to see more details on discog.com
From left to right … Bob “Bingo” Gallagher, Paul Thornton, Bob Unger – bassist, Larry Kessler, U.E. Glass -guitarist, Pattie Thornton – Paul’s then wife, Jim McCarthy and “Smokey Head” (Larry’s neighbour and the driver of the car on the LP cover photo) at Inwood Park in northern Manhattan, 1973.
1973
Jim’s solo album – Alien
Click here to see more details on discog.com
1999
Jim and Ringo during the All Stars Band tour. Jim’s friend Gary Brooker was playing in the band at the time.
2007
Larry, Paul and Jim looking very serious during a reunion following the death of Jay Dillion a few years earlier. In early 2007, they reunited to produce new recordings. Five of these recordings appear on The Godz Remastered, released by Manta Ray Records in 2012 and another three of the recordings from this session appear on Gift from the Godz released in 2014 by Manta Ray Records.
Jim wrote “Dead and Gone” for Jay Dillion.
2025
Jim enjoying our weekly Signal catch-ups. He’s 81, alive and well, still in NYC, so I’m not sure why Brave browser AI thinks he isn’t!
Here is more info about Jim …
Jim’s very first band (the Dick Watson 5)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godz_(New_York_band)
Youtube video of the Godz by filmmaker Jud Yalkut from 1966
Jim’s photography website info 1993 to 2003 (pdfs)
Front page
About Jim
Index of photos (438 people!!) and the years they were taken
Jim would photograph as many of the musicans who he respected as was possible but not be put a face to the sounds only, rather to attempt to capture these gifted performers while they are in the rapture of creating their music, a truly magical state. The purpose of his work is to inform, educate and convey the special place these people reside in while providing so much pleasures to others.*
A very good history of the Godz here
https://raybrazen.blogspot.com/2016/09/this-is-godz-truth-50th-anniversary – Part 1
https://raybrazen.blogspot.com/2016/09/this-is-godz-truth-50th-anniversary – Part 2
https://raybrazen.blogspot.com/2016/09/this-is-godz-truth-50th-anniversary – Part 3
https://www.discogs.com/artist/348797
https://thegodz.bandcamp.com/music
https://myspace.com/originalgodz/bio
https://uglythingsmagazine.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-with-jim-mccarthy-of-godz.html
Albumoftheyear.org link
*from Jim’s about the photographer page