In Memoriam Alan Murphy, died 19 October 1989

bigjon

Best ever short guitar solo on a pop record - 13 seconds of magic starting at 3:04

bigjon

Awesome control / compositional quality yet improvisational abandon, over a whole album but for example

spacecadet

Utterly mind boggling player. Keep trying to steal stuff but it doesn't quite work in Sweet Home Alabama!

Bucket

My dad introduced me to the joys of Alan's playing, truly awesome stuff. See 3:50 for details.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLXxBtg6Q2o

The distorted part that comes in at 4:30 is magnificent.

Bellycaster

What a great Guitarist he was.

Might as well serve up a treat for the occasion.

 

@bigjon

Thanks for introducing me to SFX, I was not aware of that project. Will need to listen to more of that.

I better give @Kebabkid a heads up on this thread too.

 

Kebabkid

Alan Murphy was superb and a gent. I first encountered him in the 80's playing at the Wembley Music Fair where he was part of the Fender All-Star Band - they were actually the SFX band - and I was lucky enough to chat to him about his gear once they finished their set. The key to his sound was a Fender Super Champ (18w). This was fed to a poweramp to ramp up the volume and he also used a racked Roland delay, Roland Dimension D (racked) and an MXR Dynacomp. I'd never heard a Strat sound so full on lead sounds and his clean sound was wonderful too, very chimey and all this from the 2, switchable channels from the Super Champ - those Rivera-designed amps are wonderful!
Once I'd found out that SFX played regularly at The Cricketers pub behind The Oval Cricket ground, I'd get myself down there as often as I could. I then followed his career when he was in Go West (he recorded all his parts on their first album in 2 days)! Sadly, I didn't get to see him with Level 42, but by that time he was in poor health

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Murphy
Happy birthday Alan and cheers @bigjon and @Bellycaster for reminding us all of this great talent.

FretKing

Ah, now we are talking...Mr Alan Murphy...absolute legend.

So glad I had the privilege of seeing Alan play with Go West & Level 42

before his sad passing.

What a player, what a tone...I have much footage from all those Tube/

OGWT/Meltdown etc performances and am enjoying re-living all the music

that I still hold dear now I'm in my 40's !

Thanks for starting this thread...

\m/

bigjon

Bellycaster said:

Might as well serve up a treat for the occasion.

There's another classic of the 15-second-pop-genius-guitar-solo genre at 9:38. The guy's soulful Floyd-control is just extraordinary.

Bellycaster

bigjon said:

Bellycaster said:

Might as well serve up a treat for the occasion.

There's another classic of the 15-second-pop-genius-guitar-solo genre at 9:38. The guy's soulful Floyd-control is just extraordinary.

Yep, very skilled touch, he is very subtle with the Trem at times too.

I was wondering what the issue with the Press was that he mentioned at 10:00 as he introduces the next track. It's a long time ago, do you have any recollection?

Kebabkid

No idea @Bellycaster what the press issue was although I think they confused the industry as that sat in the middle of being a pop band and having teen followers as well as attracting musos and possibly being a guilty pleasure for an older crowd - I have to admit I was like that with BBMak. :-SS

Here's a good link to AM - http://home.btconnect.com/auw/alanmurphy/sounds.htm

Bucket

IIRC he was homosexual, the press issue may have had something to do with that? (I don't know, just a guess)...

digitalkettle

Some great work on Kate Bush albums. Some of my earliest Guitarist magazine memories are of learning two solos from (don't laugh) 'Five Star'...figured out what 'scoop' meant...might try and dig it out later.

mudslide73

I gave "Staring at the Sun" a spin this morning... I'd forgotten how good he was.

digitalkettle

'In The Style Of Alan Murphy'...could be a good Fretboard Task*.

* hardtailers need not apply

digitalkettle

digitalkettle said:

Some great work on Kate Bush albums. Some of my earliest Guitarist magazine memories are of learning two solos from (don't laugh) 'Five Star'...figured out what 'scoop' meant...might try and dig it out later.

Oops...the Five Star tracks were some other session dudes...got confused with the two Go West tracks that are in Phil Hilborne's 'Solo' book (http://www.philhilborne.com/)...that's still in print so no scans!

Bellycaster

Kebabkid;63125" said:

No idea @Bellycaster what the press issue was although I think they confused the industry as that sat in the middle of being a pop band and having teen followers as well as attracting musos and possibly being a guilty pleasure for an older crowd - I have to admit I was like that with BBMak. :-SS



Here's a good link to AM - http://home.btconnect.com/auw/alanmurphy/sounds.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You old Teeny Bopper @Kebabkid

 

Thanks for the A.M link too

 

 

Kebabkid

@Bellycaster - BBMak had tremendous voices and harmonies live!

Re:the name of the guitarist on the Five Star stuff, I have the name Keith in my head - very similar style to AM., but the name escapes me and I can't find anything on the web.

digitalkettle

Kebabkid said:

Re:the name of the guitarist on the Five Star stuff, I have the name Keith in my head - very similar style to AM., but the name escapes me and I can't find anything on the web.

@Kebabkid: Keith More

Kebabkid

digitalkettle said:

Kebabkid said:

Re:the name of the guitarist on the Five Star stuff, I have the name Keith in my head - very similar style to AM., but the name escapes me and I can't find anything on the web.

@Kebabkid: Keith More

Good man @digitalkettle. I was going to say Keith Airey but he was Nick Kershaw's guitarist.

Bellycaster

@Kebabkid

Haha, just teasing.

As for the guy who played for five star, I honestly have no idea. It will take some finding out I presume.

Be handy to know which songs @digitalkettle was referring to if he can dig his old Five Star albums out ;-)

digitalkettle

@Bellycaster @Kebabkid

I'm just ahead of you...re-dug out Guitarist July 1987*:

Five Star 'Stay Out Of My Life' - solo by Keith More

Five Star 'The Slightest Touch' - solo by Pierre Gauthier

The album was 'Silk & Steel' if you're going to go looking

(I bet it's on Spotify!)

* Pino was on the front cover before John Mayer even thought about attending 'middle school'