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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
and Herman are part of a well
CHICAGO NEWSPAPERS WAR ON SUGGESTIVE SONGS.
method of 'putting out" 'raw' songs."
60
Public Regaled with Series of Stories That Paint Popular Song Writers and Music Publishers
in Unpleasant Light—A Sample of One of the Articles.
i
(Special to The Review.)
if they were called that—if the term were ex-
Chicago, 111., March 10, 1913.
plained to them.
Several of the local daily papers, particularly
"They and their kind drink deeper, gamble
the Daily News, are carrying on a strong cam- harder and live faster than perhaps any other
paign against the indecent "popular"' song, and
class. They attempt to outrival each other in
are publishing numerous articles, some frankly
these things. And it is in this spirit that they
critical and others satirical, regarding the present
engage in their game .of grinding out 'hit numbers'
Hood of questionable songs. In the Daily News, —the popular songs of the day which filter through
one day last week, there appeared a column article cabaret and vaudeville and dances into homes."
headed "Genesis of Smut Song," which painted
After drawing a thoroughly unpleasant picture
in unalluring colors what was claimed to be an of the type of "degenerates'' who write "raw"
inside view of the manner in which the average
songs, and their sordid surroundings, a picture
"raw" song is written and composed by the "deni-
which is interesting in the manner in which it
zens of Tin-Pan alley." That the paper is not calls to mind some of the dens of the South Side,
inclined to separate the sheep from the goats in
but nevertheless far from actual truth, the writer
the matter of those who write and publish popular
says:
songs, is to be gleaned from the following quota-
"Back to Sammy and Herman, then, mucking
tions from the article in question:
pencil ends in a mad endeavor to go Sieferhauser,
"Sammy and Herman, who are song writers,
the rival publisher, one better.
had just finished the 'music" of a new 'number.'
"Sieferhauser had referred to the Turkish war.
They had 'lifted' a line or two from an old classic,
Sammy and Herman decided t o mention a battle.
inserted a couple of bars suggestive—suggestive is
Sieferhauser's song treated of a harem. Very
the word—of the World's Fair Midway and added well, they would suggest an entire Constantinople
plenty of syncopation and minor chords. So they
full of Turkish beauties.
made re,ady for the 'words.' They had some idea
" 'We gotta get something to put one over on
of what the words were going to be. Of course,
that "harem" song in that part where they come
it would have to be a Turkish song. The music
to the "hootch" dance,' explains Sammy.
shop across the way had turned out a 'hit num-
"Herman bites his pencil and polishes one of
ber'—as the successful song is called—that had
the diamond rings on his left hand.
not' only catchy music but 'classy' words—'classy'
" 'I tell you,' he exclaims. 'Where Sieferhauser
being high praise with Sammy and Herman and
just runs in that dance music we'll run in the
their kind.
words. Remember the ones they used during the
" 'We've got to give 'em something with harem
fair? Like this: "O, such a"
'
and the "hootch" in it," declared Sammy, twirling
"Sammy jumps to his feet in his joy.
around on the creaky piano stool. 'That Siefer-
" 'That'll be a scream!' he shouts. 'We'll make
hauser number's got 'em going. We'll be lined
Sieferhauser look as bashful as a kid with his
up for a class A gang of boobs if we let 'em get 'first pill. We'll go the limit.'
away with it like that. These words have gotta
They Try It on the Piano.
be the goods, too, Herman. We've gotta give
"Sammy sits at the piano. They hum the words
'em hot stuff and just keep enough out to sidestep
with the music. They are delighted with their
the "bulls."'
efforts.
Words That Go "The Limit."
" 'Sieferhauser's "harem" song will certainly
"Whereupon Sammy and Herman became en- look tame when we get this out," comments
grossed in the work of turning out something
Sammy. "They kill this in the cabaret dumps, you
that would be 'hot' and yet not claim police atten-
watch.
tion. Words of that sort are much in Sammy and
"Thus the work goes on. It is a keen competi-
Herman's line. They live in an atmosphere of
tion. Songs that would not have been allowed a
smut. The 'bear' songs, the 'alone' songc are decade ago are now looked upon as 'tame' stuff.
their metier. The nearest they have come to
"Sammy and Herman and their kind feel that
what they sometimes call 'clean' stuff are their
they are engaging in a legitimate business. As
'ballads'—they label them 'mother' stuff—and
long as they 'get away with it' they are quite
these have to be expurgated as well as corrected
willing to draw on their imaginations. Sammy
in spelling. Sammy and Herman are panderers to
indecency, although they would probably feel hurt
MILLION COPY HIT
NOW PLAYING IN NEW YORK
Three Big Musical Successes
At the Globe Theater
"The Lady of the Slipper"
Book by Ann Caldwell and Lawrence McCarty.
Lyrics by Tames O'Dea.
Music by Victor Herbert.
Down By The Old Midstream
TELL TAYLOR, MUSIC PUBLISHER
NEW YORK
CHICAGO
All the Music Now Ready.
M. WITMARK & SONS
Witmark Bldg., 144-146 West «7th St. N. Y. City.
Chicago San Francisco London Paris Melbourne
Believes Time Has Come for Use of
Native Characters and Locale.
With a well established reputation as the Amer-
ican March King and the composer of many operas
it is a curious fact that before "The American
Maid" John Philip Sousa had never written an
opera with an American locale.
"It so happened," he said the other day to a
Times man, "that it became the custom in times
past to set the scene of action in some kingdom
or principality where the postal service did no*;
reach, and then to build a story about the mythi-
cal personages inhabiting such strange and un-
familiar locales. The seeming necessity for mi-
grating no longer exists. Fifteen or twenty years
ago an American character in opera would have
been an impossibility. This was not because we
were any less musical than other nations, but it
seemed to be the custom to devote librettos to
some foreign land of mythical sort, and then it
mattered not what the chorus seemed to be, if
only there was a suggestion of foreign environment
in the character of dress. To-day that is changed.
"The American as a stage character in grand
opera has received recognition in 'Madame Butter-
fly' and 'The Girl of the Golden West," and he
will continue to receive recognition.
"For some years I have had in mind the writing
of a grand opera with the theme on an American
subject. The times of Dolly Madison, or the Mex-
ican War, seem to me to be the most inviting, and
I have that period in mind in advance of anj at-
tempt at writing. Of course, T would endeavor
to create something w'holly original and distinctive.
The American public is gaining in appreciation of
music. The public demands good music because
the people know music better. How quickly the
cheap hits go out! That means that the public
knows music better—they have liner attuned cars
and keener appreciation. The popular music may
win applause, but it will be. found that lliere is
needed the leaven of big music, and almost any
program will convince you t'hat musical conduc-
tors recognize the cosmopolitan taste."
NEW "MUTT AND JEFF" SHOW.
Will B. Cobb has written the lj rics and Leo.
Edwards the music for "Mutt and Jeff in Panama,"
a new musical comedy production which will open
in April. Six companies will be organized to play
the piece throughout the United States. The music
will be published by Chas. K. Harris.
Don't fail to order these Songs
My Dixie Rose
Who shall Wear them
You or I, Love?
My Caroline
one ^tory
Story the
f - one
tne
Music by Alfred G- Robyn.
Conceived by Arthur Voegtlin.
Book by Carroll Fleming.
Music and Lyrics by Manuel Klein.
Sousa
Gasoline
"All
For the Ladies"
Book and Lyrics by Henry Blossom.
"Under Many Flags"
AMERICA IN OPERA.
Also New Hits
New WHEN WE WERE SWEETHEARTS New
New
UNDER THE OLD OAK TREE New
New
WAY DOWN SOUTH
New
New
RAG RAG RAG
New
New
THAT SUBWAY RAG
New
New
FRANKIE AND JOHNNY
New
At the Lyric Theater
At the N. Y. Hippodrome
systematized
WALTER JACOBS
167 Tremont St.,
BOSTON. MASS
Publisher of
"Kiss of Spring," "Some Day When Dreams Com* True,"
And Some Others World Famous.
OLIVER
DITSON
COMPANY
BOSTON
NEW YORK
Anticipate and Supply Every Requirement of Music Dealers
WHITE-SMITH MUSIC PUB. CO.
PUBLISHERS, PRINTERS & ENGRAVERS OF MUSIC
Main Offices: 68-64 Stanhope S t . Boston
Branch Houses: New York ind Chicago
Roses Tell
'Mid the Purple Tint-
ed Hills of Tennessee
You Can't Repay the
Debt You Owe your Mother
Meet Me in the Twilight
NEW YORK
MCKINLEY MUSIC CO.
CHICAGO