Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC PUBLISHERS' "LIVE WIRES.
Reginald De Koven has recently renewed his
contract with the Witmark Music Library, the old
flve-year contract having expired. Under the
terms of the new engagement the library will
have, in addition to those already under its con-
trol, the sole handling for the production of such
big successes as "Robin Hood," "The Highway-
man," "Foxy Quiller," "Maid Marian," "The Little
Dutchess" and "The Algerians." The Witmark
Library, by the way, is commonly reported as con-
trolling the producing rights of the largest num-
ber of famous operas of any similar concern in
the world.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
the house of M. Witmark & Sons. Indeed, he has
been writing almost exclusively for them for
some time, and has been fortunate in landing a
number of real bona-fide hits of the popular order.
Those that are now being sung are, "Soldier Boys
Are Only Toys," "The Forty-second Cousin of
Bold Brennan on the Moor" and "On a Beautiful
Bluff by the River." The full list embraces many
others. Then another is Dave Reed, Jr., who has
signed with the same house to write for them ex-
clusively, and they have already placed some of
that clever young man's work with prominent peo-
ple. Mr. Reed is one of that popular family, who,
under the team name of "The Reed Birds," have
been entertaining the public so efficiently for some
years past with bright sketches and songs, most of
which were written by Dave Reed, Jr., himself.
Mr. Reed's two most famous song successes were
"The Leader of Company B" and "My Hannah
Lady."
Observers of public inclination in popular music
are speaking of "The Gondolier" as the big hit of
the year. At least, predictions are now being
made as to its turning out as the leader before the
Summer is over. These prophesies are not eman-
Dr. I. L. Mitchell and E. P. Parks, of Martins-
ating from the publishers, or the jobber, or the ville, and J. N. Brownrigg, of New York City, have
dealers, but from the "crowd," with which this formed a company to publish the musical produc-
frolicsome, energetic melody seems to be a prime tions of Dr. Mitchell and Mr. Parks. The house
favorite. As proof of his faith and belief last will be situated in Indianapolis. The capital stock
week a jobber placed an order for 10,000 copies of is $30,000, and the company will be incorporated in
"The Gondolier."
a short time. Mr. Parks is president, Dr. Mitchell,
vice-president, and J. N. Brownrigg, secretary and
Edward B. Marks of Jos. W. Stern & Co., after treasurer.
an absence of several weeks, returned to New
York Tuesday. Yesterday, L. Waldman Teschner,
Ben M. Jerome, on the writing staff of the F. B.
who prepares the "smooth stuff" for the newspa- Haviland Publishing Co., tells some interesting
pers, will start on a fortnight's vacation in the stories of his career with a wandering minstrel
Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. This is the show in Europe, of which he was musical director,
first absence from his desk in two years, and the and getting his "blue envelope" from the manage-
change and rest is expected to be highly beneficial. ment unexpectedly in Moscow. His adventures
would fill a book. Mr. Jerome has had some no-
The latest two interpolations in "A Little of table successes in the song writing line, his latest
Everything" are "My Blue Eyed Sue," by James being the comic opera "The Royal Chief," now
Europe, and "The Salt of the Sea for Me," by Ar- playing in Chicago.
thur A. Penn. Both are introduced with effect by
Susie Fisher. Another effort of James Europe's
Ned Wayburn's novelty this year has been pro-
is called "My Heart Goes a Thumpin' and a nounced by competent critics to be his best effort
Bumpin' for You," a novel coon number, which up to date. It is the ludicrous rendition of his
has already caught the fancy of prominent coon own song, "My Little Chick," on the New York
singers all over the country. A song by B. .T. Roof. The song in itself, written in collaboration
Perkinson and F. Ora Gamble, "Roses at Twi- with George Totten Smith, is an exceptionally
light," is said to have been accepted by competent clever one, and is introduced with genuinely
critics in Europe, and especially in Paris and Ber- funny business.
lin, as the successor to the famous "Violets."
He had just finished a new song, and in pass-
Orchestrations gratis to professional musical ing judgment upon the melody his enthusiasm
organizations is a drain which publishers would overflowed in praise of the lyric as well. "Every
fain abolish if the abuse had not become so deep line of this song," the writer remarked with em-
rooted. Very many publishing houses of standing phasis, seemingly born of experience and convic-
maintain a list of orchestras which has grown to tion, "will be appropriated for the title of a new
formidable proportions. One who acknowledged composition. That's the way all my songs are
carrying 1,200 names was seemingly aghast in its used, or rather misused. Song writers are al-
contemplation and what it meant when figured ways hunting for effective titles, and every one of
up at $1.50 to $2 per. Not but what publishers these lines, as you notice, is a crackajack; and
would like to discontinue the practice, which has after you get the name it is easy to supply the
grown gradually under that grafter's plea of story and the words.
"trade usage" until it is an account which men-
aces the peace of mind of more than one house,
NOT A BODY ATTACHMENT.
yet the Frankenstein will not be switched unless
drastic measures are taken. Publishers discuss
In the report of the Howley-Dresser bankruptcy
the necessity of "a firm stand" against further proceedings in last Saturday's Review reference
misuse of the courtesy, but the initiatory move was made in Mr. Howley's evidence to G. J.
has not materialized.
Couchois. In answer to a question Mr. Howley
referred to his firm as having got an attachment
A new Summer song which is running "Follow against Couchois. In this story our reporter
the Crowd on a Sunday" a close second for popu- wrote it as an attachment "for his person."
larity is "Gliding Down the Bay," by those writ-
Mr. Couchois has called our attention to this
ers of song successes, Joe Standish and J. A. Sil- report and claims that it could be construed to
berberg. It was recently introduced to the public mean a body attachment. Of course, no such
by the vivacious singer, Marian Stanley, and im- thing was in the mind of the writer. The at-
mediately became a big favorite. There are few tachment referred to by Mr. Howley was not a
professional or amateur singers who use popular body attachment, and it was not designed by the
songs that are not including this one in their rep- writer that it should be so understood.
ertoires.
The York Music Co., under the management of
Albert von Tilzer, has started its catalogue with
several titles warmly praised by the profession
and the trade. They are "Tell Me With Your
Eyes," "You Musn't Pick Plums From My Plum
Tree" and "Teasing," all of which bear the name
of Mr. Von Tilzer as the writer.
Bartley Costello, the well-known and successful
lyrist, has recently signed to write exclusively for
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Their latest numbers are included in the music
issued by the following publishers: F. B. Haviland
Co.—Vocal: "It's a Way They Have in Chicago"
(from "The Royal Chef"), by Ben M. Jerome;
"Why! Hello, Bill, Who's Yo' Friend?" by Chris.
Smith and Harry Brown. Instrumental: "True
Blue," march and two-step, by Theodore F.
Morse; "Jasmine," schottische caprice, by John
J. Fitzpatrick; "The Ivory City Waltzes," by
Wallie Tangerfeld. Robert E. Larkins, Los An-
geles, Cal.—"Papa's Baby," song, and "Oneonta,"
intermezzo, by Chas. E. Bray. Both have hand-
some title pages, an exception worth noting for
an out-of-New York publisher.
MELVILLE ELLIS.
The above is a very good picture of Melville
Ellis, the composer and singer, who is probably
one of the hardest of workers in his own par-
ticular line. During the past winter, besides
having placed a lot of separate numbers with his
publishers, M. Witmark and Sons, he composed
the exquisite incidental music for Bertha Gal-
land's play "Dorothy Vernon," finished the score
of a Japanese play which is to be produced by a
prominent management in the fall and filled an
important place in the company of "The Rogers
Bros, in London." Mr. Ellis' most successful com-
positions this year have been his "Pense D'Au-
tomne," the valse sentimentale to which words
were written by Rida Johnson Young and which
has proven itself an invaluable number for color-
atura soloists, and a charming instrumental num-
ber, "Love's Return," which is as fine an example
of emotional descriptive writing as one could
wish to hear.
CONCERNING PROCTOR'S.
In this season of general theatrical depres-
sion it is interesting to note that the Proctor
Theaters' statement shows that in the past year,
when most managers have so bitterly complained
of bad business, five of the seven Proctor Thea-
ters show an increase of more than one-third
over the business of the preceding season; the
other two showing an advance in business of
more than one-half. A part of this additional in-
come is undoubtedly to be credited to the gen-
erally accepted theory that in times of business
depression the popular-priced house is the more
profitable. In part it is due to the fact that-
through his long experience Mr. Proctor has suc-
ceeded in gaging so admirably the tastes of his
audiences that he is enabled to present, at a
comfortable profit, performances easily worth
two dollars at an average price of fifty cents.
More than this, Mr. Proctor attributes his suc-
cess to his knowledge of the demand of his vari-
ous clientels.
SEPARATE NUMBERS AND SCORES
OK TUB
COMIC OPERA 6 MUSICAL
FOLI OWING
COMEDY SUCCESSES
OFFICE BOY
MOCKING BIRD
RED FEATHER
NANCY BROWN
ISLE OF SPICE
A MADCAP
Published by
PRINCESS
J O S . W . STERN & CO.
34 East 21st Street, New York
GIRL FROM DIXIE
WINSOME WINNIE
CHICAGO
LONDON
SAN FRANCISCO