Creativity Quote by Alan Price

Alan Price is quietly bragging, but he does it like a working musician, not a virtuoso on a pedestal. “I use a lot more chords than most organists” is a swipe at the stereotype of the organ as a blunt instrument in rock and R&B: big pads, blocky harmonies, sustain that forgives lazy voice-leading. Price’s claim is that his organ playing isn’t just texture, it’s harmony with opinions - choices that move, clash, resolve.

Then he slips in the real tell: “I’m careful to phrase them with the guitar.” That’s the subtext of a player who came up in bands, not conservatories. The guitar is rock’s default grammar: it breathes in strums, accents, backbeat syncopation, and the micro-timing that makes a groove feel human. Organ, by contrast, can sound like it’s always speaking in one long sentence. Price is saying he refuses that monotone; he chops the sustain, shapes attacks, and “strums” harmony so it sits in the pocket with the guitarist rather than floating above the band like church air-conditioning.

Context matters. Price, coming out of the British Invasion era (and his work with The Animals), helped define an organ-forward sound that still had bite. He’s signaling an arranger’s mindset: the organ isn’t there to impress, it’s there to lock in, push the chorus, and make the band sound bigger without getting in the singer’s way. It’s a philosophy of restraint disguised as swagger.