Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
department stores for music are not the kind
we are looking for or catering to, consequently
Sales of Popular Music Have Been Large, But
the scheme to teach us a lesson in the sale of
Profit Margins Continue to Narrow Down—
our class of publications fell flat."
Efforts Toward a Price Understanding Still
Reports from jobbing authorities contain not
Ineffective—Publishers of a High Grade of
a sylable of complaint regarding business. Their
Music Are Doing Well and Developing Trade
trade is not quite as strong as a year ago, but
on More Correct Commercial Lines—Collec-
yet brisk and active. Collections are also good,
tions Are Improving.
but they are of the opinion that the days of cheap
It is admitted sales have been large with pub- music are bound to come to an end, and cite the
lishers, but the margin has been reduced almost recent collapse of several weak concerns in the
to the point of disappearing, except when no publishing line as indisputable evidence of the
royalties are paid. The best houses are slowly truth of this assertion. As proof of this, an
but surely getting in a position where they make aggressive publisher remarked to The Review:
their own prices, adhere to them, jobbers and "We cannot complain of business—it is really
"cheap store" chains to the contrary notwith- good; but we do it on such a small margin as
standing. Of course, efforts to effect a combina- compared to former years that it is all work
tion of or understanding between publishers on and bother. Our sales are really heavy, but the
profits—nothing to speak of. It is not exactly
the question of rates may continue; but judging
competition, but opposition, which is making the
from recent experience the endeavor promises to
trouble. One house is knocking the other, so
be fruitful of anything but success. As a busi-
that I would really dread to use even people to
ness the publishing of music in the lighter vein
whom I am well known as a mercantile reference,
does not seem to be founded on a rock, for when for I know the result."
the winds and waves of the public's disapproval
are encountered the structure is often tumbled
over, and disaster follows. Houses in the line
REVIEWOQRAPHS.
which have fortified themselves against tem-
Most of the music offered for sale at retail by
porary reverses by a strong, diversified cata-
logue, backed up by the financial sinews, are pre- the five and ten-cent stores east is of Boston ori-
pared, like commercial enterprises on a sound gin. With few exceptions the publications of
foundation, to await a return of favor when they New York publishers are absent, and none of the
have the goods that will command the market. leading houses are represented. It is believed
the day of the cheap store's manipulations are
The others are in a far from enviable position.
On the other hand, and in direct contrast, is drawing to a close, as they will be unable to ob-
the character of business carried on by publish- tain the desired stock, and consequently they
ers of the higher grades of music. Trade with may have to rely upon the "junk" they can pick
them has never been better or more satisfactory. up in the open market. Of course, the publisher
As a half dozen of these firms stated to The Re- who is perpetually hard up will remain a dis-
view, in discussing the situation, the recent at- turbing factor, but this kind, fortunately, is
tempt to slaughter prices on library and edition growing beautifully less, and, what is more to the
goods by a New York department store—a notori- point, seldom have the goods.
ous and unconscionable offender in this respect
In the so-called vaudeville parlors, where coin-
—was a dismal failure, because it was unable to
operated talking machines are the chief sources
get the stock. A weak attempt to mislead the
of entertainment, the sale of sheet music is by
public was made, but it did not carry, and the
no means inconsiderable. It is noticeable that
publishers, whose goods the store buyer threat-
publishers are securing exclusive privileges with
ened to sacrifice to make a bargain day for his
these institutions to exploit their prints, and the
department, have since enjoyed Jiis discomfor-
returns are very satisfactory, the price realized
ture and chagrin. As they pertinently said: "We
equaling that exacted by the best dealers. With
called the bluff of this price-cutter in great shape.
the introduction of each new melody via the
He was up against a different game than that
talking .machine record, an immediate demand
of dealing with such jellyfish as certain publish-
is created for the sheet music; or, at least, the
ers of popular music must be to yield to his
lyric, and dealers in that line are rapidly realiz-
high-handed demands. The people who go to
ing what this development may lead to by put-
ting in a line to correspond with their record
Complete vocal score and Separate Numbers of
acquisitions. Publishers should also be alive to
the situation by giving this new outlet for their
product the attention it deserves.
Book and Lyrics by CHAS. EMERSON COOK.
BUSINESS CONDITIONS REVIEWED.
"THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA"
Music by LUCIUS HOSMER.
Featurlug the well-known prlma donna,
Mme. LILLIAN BLAUVELT.
Supplementary Songs In the following productions :
EDNA MAY'S New Musical Play,
"THE CATCH OP THE SEASON."
"RAINING"
By Jerome D. Kern
SHUBEHT BROS.' English Musical Comedy Success,
"THE EARL AND THE GIRL."
"HOWD YOU LIKE TO SPOON WITH MB."
Max. C. Eugene's hit, "IN BOSELAND" Intermezzo
Published by
T.
B. HARMS CO.
126 West 44th St.
NEW YORK
"The House Melodious."
GUS EDWARDS
MUSIC PUBLISHING CO.
Publishers of Lillian Russell's and the Sea-
sons Song Hits,
" I f a Girl Like You Loved a Boy Like Me."
"Somebody's Sweetheart I Want to Be,"
and "Napoli," and Italian Love Story.
Our New Issues
" Pocahontas" (Tammany's sister). " I n a little Canoe
with Y o u " being featured by a LI the leading acts in
Vaudeville. "When the Green Leaves turn to Gold' a
Beautiful Rustic Ballad.
Gus Edwards Music Pub. Co.
1512 Broadway, New York.
T. B. Harms & Co. are having a run on the fol-
lowing songs: "I "Would Like to Marry You"
and "How Would You Like to Spoon With Me?"
by Edward Laska, which are featured in the
comic opera, "The Earl and the Girl," being
uniquely mounted and splendidly costumed. They
never fail to evoke less than a half dozen en-
cores. Another good seller is "My Cabin Door,"
by Tom Lemonier, a French colored writer, and
which is a hit in "The Rollicking Girl." Max
Dreyfuss, president and general manager of the
Harms Co., was in Boston this week on special
business.
Henry Krey, of Henry Krey & Co., Boston
publishers, is now the music buyer for F. "W.
Woolworth & Co.'s five and ten-cent stores. His
headquarters are at the firm's establishment on
14th street West, New York.
Gus Edwards has thus far been successful in
producing two successful musical sketches to
exploit the numbers from the "House Melodious."
His "School Girls and Boys" have made a phe-
nomenal success in vaudeville, and his "Postal
Telegraph" boys made a sensation at their open-
ing performance at the Dewey Theater last Sun-
day. The numbers these two acts are using are
"If a Girl Like You Loved a Boy Like Me,"
"Somebody's Sweetheart I Want to Be," "Two
Dirty Little Hands," "In a Little Canoe With
You," "When the Green Leaves Turn to Gold,"
"Pocahontas," "I'll Do Anything in the World
for You," "Cherokee," "Welcome to Our City,
Silas Brown," "The Hurdy-Gurdy Man" and "My
Fire Bug." From the different places where
these acts have been playing large orders have
been coming in, which shows Gus Edwards has
the right idea of exploiting the Gus Edwards
Music Publishing Co.'s publications.
Immediately following the death of Paul
Dresser, the originator of the "mother song,"
much was said of a benefit for the purpose of
raising funds to erect a monument to his mem-
ory. Arrangements were spoken of as being
made for the last Sunday in March, but as that
date is passed it appears the movement ended as
it began—in talk. A great deal of mawkish senti-
ment was expressed relative to the rare and
charming personal qualities of the lamented song
writer, only that and nothing more, as he is now
practically forgotten.
Fred Hager is so absorbed in his publishing
business that he has been compelled to resign
the leadership of Hager's Orchestra in their work
of record making for the Universal Talking Ma-
chine Manufacturing Co. The name will still be
retained, but Fred will no longer be the leader.
The Vincent Bryan Music Co. have their
catalogue to Jerome H. Remick & Co., and re-
tired from the publishing business; and the Na-
tional and Windsor Music Co.'s have closed their
New York branch, and will confine themselves to
the Chicago field.
panels,
Day' &. Hunter's
MARCH "NEW ISSUES"
Coming through the Rye, Jennie Mine
Rusti,- Man-li Sonir
VES,
DEAR
A noanliful Balla.1 t.v Artln
We All Walked Into the Shop
Comic SOIIJ;
u r e Up
In th<
"When YoiPnT
Up TnlhTworld
Philosophy SIHIK
DEVOTION Waltz
Mayi-'l liy all the Leailinn < >n:hi Send for particulars of special prices to subscribers.
PUBLISHERS
^FRANCIS, DAY & HUNTER, 15 W. 30th St., New Y o r k ^ J
3 REAL SELLING HITS 3
" C O M E BACK"
The Dainty
Novelty
Ballad
Success of America.
"GOOD-BYE 'DIXIE' DEAR"
The March Ballad Hit of America.
"NEATH THE SPREADING CHESTNUT TREE"
The Descriptive Rustic Ballad Hit of America.
Sand for Our Maw Catalogue*.
C m Dl HHM
UllL DLUUIn,
N
PUBLISHED BY
« w Amsterdam Theatre Bid*. U a u j Vnrb
42d Street, near BrotLdway R6W lUlft
LOOK!
HAPPY HEME
IS THE MOST TALKED OF
M A R C H T W O - S T E P.
Do you play it ?
JEROME H. REMICK & CO.
45 West 2Sth Street,
New York