Re: Harps and Commericals

[Steve Price <sprice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 21 Mar 1995, Thomas Hinkle wrote:

>  Does it seem to anyone else that the harmonica appears a lot more in
> commercials than it does in all other areas.  Why is it that the harmonica
> is exploited in such a way?  What is it that makes the harmonica sell
> trucks?  Can someone explain this to me.  I'm sick of hearing commercials
> end with some guy wailing on a three draw, as much as I love the
> instrument.  What is the commercial appeal?  Or perhaps the better
> question is, why isn't the harmonica more common in the rest of music (not
> that I particularly want to see heavy metal harp or rap harp)
> 

I grew up in the '60s and '70s and never heard harp on anything, except 
one Beatles song and the noise produced by Bob Dylan (his playing, I 
mean, not his singing).  Whenever I blew harp as child, usually blues,  
people thought it was cute, but they didn't have a clue what it was I 
was going for and they didn't know how to listen, or what to listen for.  
That was lonely.  People could make whatever noise they wanted on the 
guitar and everyone knew at least what they were trying for, but I had a 
hell of a time getting people to understand what it was I was doing with 
the harmonica.  People would listen for a minute and then tell me that 
was all very nice, but could I play a song--man, what did they think I 
was just doing?  I had to play songs like "Raindrops Keep Falling on my 
Head" to get people to understand that I knew what I was doing with the 
instrument.  

Now, thanks to truck commercials, Rosanne, Dan Ackroyd, people at least 
can HEAR the instrument and have the SLIGHTEST grasp of what they're 
hearing.  I say, bring on the parade of 4x4's, the quarter and half tons, 
the Peterbilts, the U-Hauls, the Riders, and anything else that makes it 
possible for a harp player to be considered a musician, and not just a 
noise maker.  How many times I played the opening of "Love Me Do" by 
request when I wanted to be playing Little Walter or Sonny Boy.  

	 Steve "Dylan is why I play the blues" Price