The Great, Alan Murphy, whom even the master, Alan Holdsworth, was honoured to be invited to succeed

The late, great, but always the very pinnacle of timing, pitch and counterpoint with leaps, swoops and three semitone bends to die for with ultimate tone and bravura soloing, prodigiously gifted, Alan Murphy. Meticulously precise fretting, picking, vibrato, taste and feel with perfect pitching through the travel of the bends against the track itself.
Alan was prosecuting his blues roots a generation after Rod Stewart graduated from Long John Baldry’s blues band and Murph duly became a prolific sessioneer with milestone recordings with Mike and the Mechanics, Go West, Scritti Politti, Nick Heywood, and yes, Level 42. I was often arranging passes for Jeff Beck or Alan Holdsworth when they wanted to see Alan live and here Murph is plangently mellifluous as he effortlessly weaves a fusion narrative around Mark King’s allegorical sci-fi vernacular . . .
This Squier small Fender big JV 62 Stratocaster was the first of the FujiGen Gakki production specially selected by Dan Smith for Alan Murphy in January 1982 and various pups from proto noiseless preamp vintage, EMG and Reflex were swapped around and the Murphcaster Alan Murphy signature was proposed as this guitar, now owned by John Hill, former Director of Fender Artist and Brand AR&D, and then on a journey from Kahler and Floyd Rose (seen here) it became more of a Strat Plus which became identified strongly with Jeff Beck at the time and an Eric Clapton model version of the Murphcaster appeared with a V neck, Lace Sensors and a Floyd Rose light trem idea proto

[@macleenrangasamy5745]

Guitar master ❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏rest in power ✌️✌️

[@guitarnationtv]

Fender Hot Squad Guitarmaster! RIP

[@The.Last.Guitar.Hero.]

I saw him in 1989 with the second line up of level 42. I remember thinking at the time he didnt look well

[@poulter5150]

I'm a huge fan of Alan Murphy playing he's easily the biggest inspiration and influence on my playing over the years. I love finding out more about him there needs to be a documentary about him.

[@guitarnationtv]

Let’s do it

[@poulter5150]

@@guitarnationtv yes please, just let me know what I can do.

[@DangerNoodle-yw8yt]

There's not enough material out there beyond what is already in the public domain. He was a very private individual...which is completely understandable given how high profile gay celebrities were being ostracised by the papers at the time...Kenny Everett, Freddie Mercury etc.

[@danvelgtr]

@@DangerNoodle-yw8yt Alan was NOT gay . He got aids from a bad blood transfusion .

[@jonsilence]

I was fortunate to see Alan with Go West close to a dozen times and he was always mesmerizing. Just after he passed I happened to meet Mark King at a Tears For Fears show in LA and he was still in shock because he didn't even know Alan was sick. His loss is a great tragedy but he left a great recorded legacy. This clip is a gem, thank you!

[@guitarnationtv]

Jeff Beck went to see Murph play with Go West and at the Cricketers several times! Murph called Mark the fuhrer!

[@jonsilence]

@@guitarnationtv Great!

[@dubboyz4887]

Listen to an album Allan did called special sfx , he rips on that

[@jonsilence]

@@dubboyz4887 WARP FACTOR 6!!!!!!

[@mlx1639]

Stunning guitarist.

[@guitarnationtv]

True. When was he first brought to your attention?

[@mlx1639]

@@guitarnationtv Nick Heyward's Warning sign and then the first Go West album in 85 (Haunted esp.) - was hooked on his style and have tried to find and listen to all that is out there over the years.

[@guitarnationtv]

@@mlx1639 Warning Sign was stunning playing

[@mlx1639]

@@timeandtide6266 Great unique solo on Don't Look Down and an equally good outro as you say. 87 Princes Trust has gone for some reason but the live version from the Tube 85 is great: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep3QepWLjpZkh6s and the Runaway Train version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqXJc4N_e6yspc0

[@davefk]

The great Alan Murphy. Saw him play for Kate Bush during her 'Tour of Life' opening night at the Liverpool Empire 3rd April 1979. Great memories, even 44 years later.

[@guitarnationtv]

Totally GREAT! Yeh, you were so lucky to see him on that tour. Murph’s best mate Danny McIntosh is depping for him on Kate’s recordings to this day!

[@davefk]

@@guitarnationtv I was very lucky indeed! I actually did not want to go, I was not much of a 'Wuthering Heights' or Kate fan, but my best friend who had the tickets, talked me into going along. That evening was a whole new experience on a different level entirely. I became a Kate Bush fan and was knocked out by the KT band and the enthusiasm of Alan Murphy and Brian Bath. Alan was a real muso with his youth and long hair. I often wondered how he could hit those notes in the dark, with his long hair in front of his face lol. It's sad that we lost Alan Murphy, he was a true talent, and a big loss to music. He would be 69 now, a pensioner like myself. The years just flew by, in a blink... Cheers Alan and Brian, Long live good music and true talent.

[@guitarnationtv]

@@davefk Brian is going out as the KT Bush Band! I still see the guys Murph played with in those bands and recordings and we still talk about Alan like he’s still with us because he is and we do have a cry when we think about what fabulous things he would done if he was still recording and touring because he really could play blues rock like Bonamassa and make any track sparkle. I’m working on an Alan Murphy signature Stratocaster which was spec’ed by Alan and I am currently living with his iconic Stratocaster which I’ve been offered £55k for but I would never sell

[@poulter5150]

What are the specs of his signature guitar?​@@guitarnationtv

[@guitarnationtv]

The specs are peace + joy and phenomenal playing!

[@CasseNoisette19]

😢

[@Truthinshredding1]

Typo, Allan Holdsworth

[@guitarnationtv]

Apologies, thanks for correction will try to amend