The Spider Murphy Gang is a German rock band from

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

best known for their greatest hit " Skandal im Sperrbezirk", which is a famous song of the

Neue Deutsche Welle Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW, , "New German Wave") is a genre of West German rock music originally derived from post-punk and new wave music with electronic influences. The term was first coined by Dutch radio DJ Frits Ritmeester on the popular na ...

. It was founded in 1977 by bank clerk Günther Sigl, together with Gerhard Gmell ("Barny Murphy"), Michael Busse and Franz Trojan. Elements of the Bavarian German dialect are used in many songs. Their name is a reference to

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

's song, " Jailhouse Rock", in which a 'Spider Murphy' played the

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

. "Spider Murphy" is also referred to in a song written by Larry Kirwan of the Irish fusion Band Black 47's song, "Forty Deuce." The song appears referential to both the Spider Murphy Gang and to "Jailhouse Rock", for the live version from 2006's "Bittersweet 16" includes a saxophone solo which the singer recalls having heard in Sing Sing prison.

Band members

* Günther Sigl – Vocals/Bass *Gerhard Gmell – Guitar *Willie Duncan – Guitar/Bass/Lap Steel/Mandolin/Vocals *Otto Staniloi – Sax *Paul Dax – Drums *Ludwig Seuss – Keys

Discography

Albums

*''Rock'n'Roll'' (1978) *''Rock'n'Roll Schuah'' (1980) *''Dolce Vita'' (1981) *''Tutti Frutti'' (1982) *''Spider Murphy Gang live!'' (1983) *''Scharf wia Peperoni'' (1984) *''Wahre Liebe'' (1985) *''Überdosis Rock'n'Roll'' (1987) *''In Flagranti'' (1989) *''Hokuspokus'' (1990) *''Keine Lust auf schlechte Zeiten'' (1997) *''Rock'n'Roll Story'' (1997) *''Das komplette Konzert'' (1999) *''Radio Hitz'' (2002) *''Skandal im Lustspielhaus'' (2004)

External links

Official homepage

Wort-Laut

Management
* {{Authority control 1977 establishments in West Germany Neue Deutsche Welle groups German rock music groups Musical groups established in 1977 Musical groups from Munich