Music Trade Review

Issue: 1908 Vol. 46 N. 18

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
VOL. XLVI. No. 18. Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at I Madison Ave., New York, May 2, 1908.
PUBLISHERS ELECT OFFICERS.
Annual Meeting of Publishers in "The Hub"—
Addition to Music Students' Library—B. F.
Wood Issues.
(Special to Tiie Review.)
Boston, Mass., April 28, 1908.
After having been once postponed, the annual
meeting of the Boston Music Publishers' Associa-
tion was held at the Hotel Oxford with a full
attendance, and resulted in a very enjoyable
time. These officers were re-elected: President,
George H. Schirmer; Vice-President, Charles W.
Thompson; Secretary, C. A. Woodman.
Manager Don Ramsey, of the Walter Jacobs
Co., spent this week on Publishers' Row, in New
York. He is at work on some new popular songs.
From the press of the Oliver Ditson Co. this
week came a big grist of new music, which has
doubtless been received by our editor.
A very fine addition to the Music Students' Li-
brary, issued by the Oliver Ditson Co., is the
little volume, "Twelve Lessons in the Funda-
mentals of Voice Production," by Arthur L. Man-
chester, director of music and professor of voice
culture at Converse College. In an interesting
"foreword" Mr. Manchester gets down to the
basic principles, and paves the way for a thor-
ough and interesting course. The list of suitable
songs for a student is one of the many practical
things the volume contains.
A new edition, with German text, of C. S.
Briggs' "Hold Thou My Hand" has been issued
by the B. F. Wood Music Co., together with
"Time's Roses," by Alice E. Gillington, and a
fine baritone solo, "From Oberon in Fairyland,"
music by Dick Slater. "The Borderer," words by
John Muir and music by D. K. Stevens, is an in-
spiriting piece, full of life and beauty.
"THE MERRY=G0=R0UND."
A
Musical Comedy " I n Two Balmy Breaths
from Bohemia"—Book by Edgar Smith—
Lyrics by Paul West—Music by Gus Ed-
wards.
ence—methods which are both distasteful and un-
necessary. But to return to Mr. Madden's song,
which is in truth a comedy gem. To be frank,
we have long suspected Mr. Madden of being a
humorist; indeed, after reading his pamphlet,
"Money, Madden and Music," together with a
number of his letters addressed to embryonic
song writers, we shared with his numerous pa-
trons the idea that he was a young man of "con-
siderable promise." "Stupid Mr. Cupid" bears out
this assumption, being a good idea well worked
out. Indeed, it goes far to prove that all Mr.
Madden said about himself in his booklet has
unexpectedly turned out to be true. Gus Ed-
wards' music, although tuneful in spots, is not up
to his general standard of "popular" excellence,
and therefore cannot conscientiously be given the
usual trade paper commendation of being a
"series of undisputed hits."
When the production is shortened by an hour,
and when Gus Edwards puts in some of his really
tuneful numbers, and when Edgar Smith gets
down to work; and when that really wonderful
stage manager, George Marion, is given abso-
lutely free rein, then no doubt we will be able to
say what we earnestly desire to say now, that
"The Merry-Go-Round" is a success. Gus Ed-
wards has gathered together an excellent cast,
and there is no reason whatsoever why a week
or two of hard work should not send "The
Merry-Go-Round" spinning on its way to success.
The music of the production, a full list of
which will be given in our next "month's new
music," is published by Gus Edwards. Inter-
polated numbers, "Under the Matzos Tree" (Fred
Fischer & Co.) and "Stupid Mr. Cupid" (F. B.
Haviland & Co.).
T H E MAN ON THE STREET.
OFFERS^IOjN GOLD.
E. T. Paull Will Pay This Sum for a Title for
His New March.
If during the next few weeks our Man on the
Street is observed endeavoring to hold animated
conversation with taximeter cab horses, ring not
If good wishes count for anything, then Gus for the wagon that approaches with a clang of
Edwards' new venture, entitled "The Merry-Go- belis, lest in the excitement of the moment he
Round,"' produced last Saturday night at the Cir- forget the carefully thought out title with which
cle Theatre (Gus Edwards' Music Hall) should l'e fondly hopes to win the $10 prize offered by
have been a veritable triumph. Unfortunately, E. T. Paull for a name for the new Paull march
however, Edgar Smith, to whom is accredited to be published in the early autumn.
E. T. Paull, who is proud, and very justly
the libretto, must have sat back in his chair at
the first rehearsal and instructed the assembled proud, of his numerous march successes, is
performers to "go ahead and do their damndest." somewhat of a crank on titles, and small blame
Let it be said at once that they took his no doubt to him, for in the past he has managed to corner
well intentioned advice, for when the writer left some of the best of them. But alas! the exist-
the Circle Theatre at midnight on Saturday they ing trade conditions have fogged the Paull
were still up and doing. In any case, Mr. Smith's brain, and though he has a good march he is
contribution to the evening's entertainment was afraid that marches, like dogs, when given a bad
evidently so infinitesimal that he can readily he name, will hang-—on the shelves indefinitely.
dismissed without any serious injury to his feel- Therefore he asks the music trade as a whole,
ings. The lyrics by Paul West are by no means which includes the wholesale, retail, department
startling, although well turned and occasionally store free distribution bureaus, and Jos. W.
funny. The song hit of the evening was a ditty Stern & Co., to help him out, and to the lady or
entitled "Stupid Mr. Cupid," from the pen of Ed- gentleman who sends in the accepted title a
ward Madden and sung by Mabel Hite, a young prize of $10 will be awarded. To this as second
lady who is far too clever to stoop to the confiden- prize will be added a postcard of George Wash-
tial methods which she assumed toward her audi- ington, who, it will be remembered, never told
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$8.00 PER YEAR.
a lie. If a music publisher wins the second
prize, it is expected that the picture of George
will be respectfully turned toward the wall.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, walk up and win
the prize. No conditions save that the title
must be of the same order as "Ben Hur Chariot
Race," "Midnight Fire Alarm," "The Storm
King," "The Midnight Flyer," "America For-
ever" and "Paul Revere's Ride." Address, E. T.
Paull, 46 West 28th street, New York, or the
editor of this department.
SONG WRITERS CONTEST
Inaugurated by Gus Edwards—$500 in Prizes
to be Distributed—Close June 1.
Gus Edwards announces his intention of in-
augurating a song writers' contest, beginning on
May 1 and ending on June 1. A committee will
select the six best songs submitted, and $500 in
prizes will be distributed, the largest prize, to
the winner, being $225. Mr. Edwards reserves
the right to publish any or all of the accepted
songs, and says he will pay the prize winners roy-
alties on each copy sold.
ALTERING VON TILZER BUILDING.
Plans were filed last week for making over the
three-story and basement residence at 125 West
43d street into an office building for Harry Von
Tilzer, its new owner, to be used as his new
music publishing house. He hopes to be estab-
lished in his new quarters on May 1, as no ex-
tensive alterations will be attempted until fall.
The Manhattan Music Publishing Co. has been
formed under the management of S. S. & L. Shu-
bert, Inc.
fust new enough to
w E be are novel.
MR. DEALER:
entitled
Have you heard a song
"If I Built A Nest Would
YouShareltWithMe?"
(By Mignon Ziegfeld)
P e r h a p s rVot
But You Will
Because it is a song that everyone will sing.
Our song-successes from Sam Bernard's
"NEARLY A HERO"
"A SINGER SANG A SONG"
(Heelan-Furth)
and
"I Get A Lonesome Feeling When
The Band Plays Home Sweet Home"
(Ziegfeld-Furth)
The Great Eastern Music Publishers
1431 Broadway, New York
(Orner 40th Street)
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
46
make no apology for producing in full, feeling that
it can be read and re-read by the local publish-
ing fraternity with considerable benefit. It reads:
"Dear Mr. Publisher:—Well! Well! I Well!!!
So the publishers are waking up. Just think of
all the dollars—real money—you have thrown
away in the past, and it's tough, isn't it? But
don't let us cry over milk that is spilled—let us
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
keep the screws down and live up to the new
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
resolutions. Some of the slide makers have told
us how several publishers are fast coming to
J . HAYDEN-CLARENDON, E d i t o r
that 10-cents-a-copy proposition from them and
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
the rental companies. It took a little time to
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and
wake up, but we did, and although there is not
Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada, $3.50; all other coun-
a great deal in it for us, nothing more perhaps
trles, $4.00.
than just a desire to better the conditions of a
Telephones—Numbers 4677 and 4678 Gramercy
Connecting all Departments
business that should be legitimate (and would
be, if we stood together) instead of which it is
NEW YORK, MAY 2, 1908
considered the prey of all the petty grafters in
the country. Are you getting wise to the big
printers' bills for throw-aways, chorus slips, let-
terheads, etc., that don't do you or your songs a
cent's worth of good? Are you wise to the
'amateur minstrel' gag? Your mail is full of
those programs every day, isn't it? How you do
shovel out the copies by mail (and pay the post-
A Study in Handwriting.
age) to all the amateurs, don't you? It is great
An echo of the professional copy abuse came
That abuses, like water, will eventually find
to see the firm's name on the nicely printed pro-
their own level is demonstrated by the fact that to hand this week when Theo. Morse, the well-
grams given for the benefit of 'The United Sew-
of late a system of petty graft which has thrived known composer, and incidentally the head of
ing Circle' and 'The Improved Order of Bar-
for the last twelve months or more in this "nar- the professional department of the F. B. Hav-
tenders,' and how we do swell up and say 'our
row strip of land," New York, narrow in more iland Co., showed the writer two letters in iden-
stuff is hitting them hard,' but do we realize
ways than one, be it said, has now become but tically the same handwriting written from 730
that the amateurs only sing what they know"
a bad memory, for the very excellent reason that East Main street, Stockton, Cal., one signed B.
That one show, perhaps, is given in a year, an-1
the grafter has pumped the well dry and must Miles, of Keller's "Virginia Belles"; the other,
for that program they get free music enough to
now seek other means to replenish his depleted Al Brown, who wrote as the ostensible head of a
stock a store.. Think it over. Think how you
income. Of the many impudent ways which have singing quartet. Mr. Morse sent a few selected
are piling the professional copies on all the
been devised to rob the publishing fraternity, professional copjes on receipt of the first letter,
pianos throughout the country, in the small
none was more barefaced than that adopted by as a program was duly enclosed, but very quickly
towns, in the big cities, and every copy ruins .
a young gentleman who claimed to have the "fell" to the second letter when it was decided
the sale of a regular copy.
authority to choose the interpolated music for that the writing was identical. Fortunately the
the musical productions of a New York theat- majority of the publishers having now awakened
Watch the Leak at Home.
rical manager. His mode of procedure was to to the fact that they have been giving away too
How about the piano players and clerks in the
invite a publisher to play over his latest unpub- much—giving everything that is—save attention firms' oflices rolling up a bunch of stuff for all
lished songs, one of which he would invariably to the abuses which they should be capable of
their friends and their frielids' friends, and so on
choose as being "the very thing he required." correcting by united effort, and which never will indefinitely. You, Mr. Publisher, watch the cash
Of course, he would make promises that the song be corrected so long as the music publishing in- drawer, don't you? Why not watch this leak,
would be produced in elaborate style, and before dustry resembles a well generaled and highly vi- then? And, by the way, the season will shortly
taking his leave would invariably suggest that tuperous cat fight.
open in full blast for the poor, starving burlesque
a small sum—say $25—would go some way to
and musical comedy manager, who will want a
Read This Letter—It's Worth It.
repay him for the amount of time and trouble
Apropos of the above, we have received from special drop, dresses for the girls, and 'props'
which he intended to expend on the song in ques- the anonymous music publisher who has done for the show to 'do' your song. He will 'do' it,
tion. And strangely enough, the publisher would such magnificent work in correcting the profes- too, perhaps for two or three weeks, and then he
pay the money without so much as a murmur. sional copy abuse, the following letter, which we will put on somebody else's number with your
May Be, May Be Not.
May be the song was placed in a production—
for a week or more. Again, may be it was not.
In any case the same old game would be repeated
With astonishing regularity, and most of the
leading publishers in turn would receive a visit
from this ingenious young grafter, who to-day is no
doubt trying to figure out some new scheme to vic-
timize the easy-going publisher. A glance at the
books of some well-known publishers would no
doubt show a debit in their accounts, of various
sums paid to this young gentleman.
But his
days of easily procured though doubtfully earned
money are now over, and this in spite of the fact
that the young blackmailer of late adopted the
whining tactics "that he was in debt or that he
was in immediate danger of being arrested on
an unsatisfied judgment," or some other such
plea. But now the publishers heed him not. It was
the old cry of "wolf," and it is very likely that if
the tale of arrest were sprung on them to-day
they would lend every assistance to the authori-
ties in a very laudable desire to put behind prison
bars a young gentleman who should have been
there long ago.
COMMENTS B Y -
C
M«KINLEYIO MUSIC
NOTICE OF REMOVAL
"THE MOST POPULAR
PIANO DANCE FOLIO"
HAVE REMOVED TO
One of the Best Folios in Our Series and the Only
Actually Complete Dance Folio Published.
1364 Broadway, NEW YORK
f y We Have Interesting Introductory Rates.
Write for descriplive circular and prices.
D
O
I
T
N
O
W
To the Dealer
If You Have Not Yet Got
OUR
19O8
NOVELTIES
You are Losing Money
It will pay you to ketp in touch with us. Write ,o-day.
THIEBES-ST1ERUN MUSIC CO., HI . Louis
D
O
I
T
N
O
W
Write To-Day for Simples and Special Offer
McKINLEY MUSIC CO. WM. McKINLEY, Pris.
158 Harrison St., Chicago
74 5th Ave., N. Y.
DEALERS WILL FIND OUR LATEST
PUBLICATION
Francis, Day & Hunter
THE TRADE WILL PLEASE NOTICE
Costs You 3 Cents
TEDDY
DEARS'
PICNIC
HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE
31-33-35 W. IStb St.
NEW YORK CITY
OUR NEW ISSUE PROPOSITION
is of great interest to every live Dealer. We
Bill our Monthly New Issues at 5 cents per
copy.
Subscribe now. The folio
lowing are
some of our best sellers:
"MOONBEAMS AND DREAMS OF YOU " — " A LITTLE
COZY FLAT * — - MONTEREY"—- NIGHT AND DAY *
— •WHILE YOU ARE MINE " — " MORNING CY"
"FOREST KING" March.
Write us To-day
VICTOR KREMER CO.
152 Lake Street
CHICAGO
By JOHN W. BRATTON
Without a doubt the greatest
charaeteristiqtxe Two - Step Hit
since "THE MOS^UITOKS'
PARADE."
MR. DKALKR —
It may not have reached your
vicinity as yet, but it won't take
long- before it arrives. Be pre-
pared; stock lip. You're sure
to have calls for it.
M. WITMARK ® SONS
144 West 37th Street,
New York

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