[Harp-L] Help with Delta Dawn

[Captron100@xxxxxxx]

Vern wrote:  I need some help from my diatonic-playing  friends.

I am scheduled to be in a theatrical where I will be mostly  playing guitar & 
chromatic and singing.  I have been asked to play some  backup harmonica on 
several songs.  I can handle most of it on my chromatic  but one piece needs a 
diatonic sound. I'm trying to decide whether to try it or  to decline.

On the Tanya Tucker recording of Delta Dawn, there are about  14 measures of 
the verse in Bb that have some bluesy, "crying" fills at the end  of the vocal 
phrases. The verse lyrics start "She's forty one and her Daddy  still calls 
her baby..."  I don't have to do it note-for-note but I would  like for it to 
have the same type of sound. The chorus, "Delta Dawn what's that  
flower......",  is in C and has no harmonica. 

My questions  are:

Q. Do I play in Bb cross-harp on an Eb diatonic?  I will have  to buy the 
diatonic for this one piece.

Q. What diatonic will be easiest  for me (not skilled in bending) to make 
"wail"?
 
Vern, correct re question 1.  
  Re question #2, if u are asking re Delta Dawn,  it makes very little 
difference in wail-ability for this song if u need a  particular key to play Delta 
Dawn in second position. 
   But if u are asking a general question, than imo, a D harp is  a good 
compromise for wail-ability because it requires a little less air  than the lower 
keys (like G, the lowest).  The higher keys  require less air, but tend to be 
shrill sounding when u get to the high range,  like F#.
  I havent' heard the song Delta Dawn in years so  I don't remember, but if 
Tanya Tucker had harp in the orig. version, my  guess is it was Charlie McCoy, 
because that was Charlie's M O on his own  recordings.  Charlie covered Delta 
Dawn on one of his own albums,  titled, "Charlie McCoy" (issued 1972).   
Anybody know?
  I just checked his key sheet on his website and it says he did  the song in 
A and uses 2nd position harp of D.   It one of my  fav. Charlie albums and 
seems to be only available on cassette.
Ron