Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
publishers going to the wall here and there, with
never a chance to struggle. Prices have had to go
up because royalties—even advance royalties to es-
tablished writers—are higher; the cost of print-
ing is higher, paper costs more, inks are higher,
salaries are higher, rents are higher, plates cost
more, arranging costs more, everything costs more.
While these increases have taken place the price
of popular music has gone down—an anomalous
situation that has prevailed in no other line of
business. Dealers have already sent in complaints
regarding the increase in the price of production
music, but we are hoping that when they under-
stand the situation they will co-operate with us.
It happens, too, that the increase in the wholesale
price means greater profit to them, for they will
make the retail price 30 cents instead of 25 cents.
We aim to build up, not to tear down, for, after
all, the prosperity of the music dealers is the pros-
perity of ourselves."
The Small Proportion of Real Hits.
An article relating to the sale of sheet music,
written by Edward Laska, of the Shuberts-Chas.
K. Harris music publishing alliance, will be found
elsewhere in this issue. Mr. Laska has worked
through the various phases of the music publish-
ing business, has been a writer of lyrics and music,
and has been a publisher himself. He has written
a forceful, able essay, one that will undoubtedly at-
tract wide attention. One of the points he makes,
however, seems to us debatable. He declares that
only four out of a thousand songs ever become
popular hits. We know that many music pub-
lishers agree with him on this point, but the state-
ment needs a word of explanation. It is probable
that only four out of a thousand achieve success,
but this proportion must be applied to all the thou-
sands of songs published each season. It could
not apply to four out of any given thousand.
For instance, we know of a publisher who puts
out some 350 songs a year, probably the largest
number issued by any one firm in the world.
This publisher manages to "put over" at least
four hits each year. Obviously, the rule of four
in a thousand does not apply to his productions.
As a consequence, if the rule isto hold, there must
be many thousands of songs issued by other pub-
lishers which are flat failures. On the whole the
statement will stand, it seems to us, if properly
understood, for if there be three or four thou-
sand popular songs published each year there will
hardly be more than twelve or sixteen real popu-
lar hits, if, indeed, there are that many really de-
serving of the characterization.
NEW CASINO MUSICAL PLAY A HIT.
'He-Came from Milwaukee" Is Successful and
Seems to Be Sam Bernard's Best Yet—Too
Many Cooks Do Not Spoil This Broth.
Sam Bernard in the new Shubert production,
"He Came From Milwaukee," with music pub-
lished by Chas. K. Harris, who also came from
Milwaukee, has landed in New York at the Casino
Theater an unqualified success. Seldom in his long
and prosperous career has this inimitable comedian
had such an excellent vehicle; and much credit is
due to Mark Swan, Edward Madden, Ben. M.
Jerome and Louis A. Hirsch, the little army of
writers from whose brains the work emanated.
From start to finish the book is laugh-provoking
and the lyrics and music are effervescent and
catchy. "Wedding Bells" bids fair to be either an-
other Florodora sextette or a "Hello People" hit.
"Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose" and "The Senti-
mental Moon" follow closely in eventual popularity
and both are finely given by Miss. Winona Winters.
The cast, the staging, the costumes and produc-
tion are excellent throughout, and the Casino has
another worthy successor to its famous "Havana,"
"Florodora," "Chinese Honeymoon" and "Belle of
New York."
The other numbers in the piece, all of which are
worthy of mention, are "Gypsy Land," "The Zinga
Zula Man," "Consequences," "Tie a Red Ribbon on
Me" and "The Regimental Romeo."
This is one of the productions published by
SAM BERNARD.
Chas. K. Harris by reason of the Shubcrt-Harris
music publishing alliance. Sam Bernard's show
last season, "The Girl and the Wizard," was pub-
lished by the Trebuhs Co., taken over by Harris.
WHAT IS SACRED MUSIC?
What is sacred music? It would appear to de-
pend upon the name. There is magic in names. It
is difficult to believe that there is anything in-
trinsically sacred in the "Glory Song," which re-
sembles a music hall jingle, or in Rossini's "Stabat
Mater," which is purely operatic. Father Stanton,
with characteristic shrewdness, defined the position
in one of his Sunday morning sermons at St.
Alban's, Holborn: "A man writes a waltz and calls
it 'The Sailor's Return,'" he said. "But religious
people will have nothing to do with it. It is
'secular' music. He sets it to a slower time and
labels it 'Jonah's Return from the Belly of the
Whale.' And that is oratorio."
YOU LOOK JUST LIKE A
G I R L I USED TO KNOW
By DON RAMSAY
KISS OF SPRING
(vocal)
By ROLFE and STAATS
THE STAR OF LOVE IS BURNING (3 keys)
BY DON RAMSAY
AGGRAVATION RAG
By GEORGE L. COBB
RUSSIAN PONY RAG
BY DON RAMSAY
HEART MURMURS (waltz)
By WALTER ROLFE
SPECIAL NOTICE!
If your jobber reports any of these titles "not obtainable,'
order direct from me as NONE of my publications are ever "out of print."
Steady Vocal Sellers
Some Day When Dreamt Come True
When the Robin Sings Again
Why Did You Break My Heart ?
Think Of The Girl Down Home
Trading Smiles
Whirling Over the Ball-Room Floor
WALTER JACOBS
167 Tremont Street,
BOSTON, MASS.
Publisher of "Jacobs' Orchestra Monthly" and "The Cadenza'
Steady Piano Sellers
Persian Lamb Rag
Rubber-Plant Rag
Hoop-e-Kack
Ah Sin
Romance of a Rose
Kiss of Spring