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72
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
Conducted by B. B. Wilson
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SHEET MUSIC BUSINESS
"VERY GOOD EDDIE" PRESENTED.
As Related to General Music Business Set Forth by Thomas F. Delaney, Manager of Sheet
Music Department of Lyon & Healy, Chicago—Good Service Secret of Success.
New Musical Comedy by Jerome Kern Shown
at the Princess Theatre.
On the subject of "The Relation and Importance
of the Sheet Music Business to the General Music
Business" Thomas F. Delaney, manager of the
sheet music department of Lyon & Healy, Chicago,
recently contributed the following very interesting
article to Sharps and Flats, the bright new Lyon &
Healy house organ. It is well worth reading:
"It is generally recognized that sheet music is
the foundation upon which the whole music busi-
ness rests, for if music were not composed and
published there would not be much need for in-
struments, or, at least, there would not be a large
or profitable sale for them.
"Until comparatively recent times songs were
sung, and music was produced from instruments,
without written or printed music, but the great de-
velopment of the business as we know it to-day
has been brought about largely through the genius,
industry and enterprise of composers and publish-
ers whose efforts have inspired so many to turn
toward music as a means of entertainment, ex-
pression and education
"With a fair knowledge of what a sheet music
department well handled will do, not only as a
direct and indirect means of advertising a general
music business but also as a part of the business
that yields a fair profit when carried on as it
should be, greater interest should be shown in its
success by dealers generally. More money with
less effort can be made in other branches of the
business, but if the best returns are to be obtained
the sheet music business cannot be neglected.
"In recent years there has been much time,
thought and talk given by music dealers to so-
caHed popular music, particularly to what is known
aS ten-cent music, with the result that the more
profitable side of the business has not received the
attention that it deserves. A real music store
should sell a popular song as cheerfully as a sym-
phony, and the popular music side of the business
must receive its share of attention, but its im-
portance should not be exaggerated, for the stand-
ard publications arc the backbone of the business,
in profit as well as in advertising, and when they
are bought with any kind of judgment can always
be sold sooner or later, which is not the case with
music of the day or the hour or the minute.
"The tendency of the ten-cent music business
has been largely destructive rather than construct-
ive, with the result that it has hurt the sheet music
business, and anything which hurts that part of
the business ultimately hurts every part of it. There
can be little or no profit in such music to the
dealer or the publisher, and its advertising value
is doubtful. Music dealers handle it only in order
to meet the competition of ten-cent stores and dry
goods stores that use it largely as a 6ait for the
sale of profitable general merchandise.
"The only way to build up a good business is
to develop it along sound business lines, and the
After long and careful preparation "Very Good,
Eddie," the new musical comedy by Philip Bar-
tholomae and Guy Bolton, with music by Jerome
Kern, was announced for presentation at the
Princess Theatre, New York, on Friday evening
of this week, under the management of the Mar-
bury-Comstock Co., and with an excellent cast
headed by Ernest Truex and Ada Lewis. The
piece, and especially the music, has been highly
spoken of. The score is published by T. B. Harms
& Francis, Day & Hunter.
OLLA
TOPULAR
PIANO
PIECES
W. C. POLLA & CO.
1547 Broadway
New York
VALSE SUBLIME
Great Waltz Hit
FLOWERLAND VALTZES
W. C. Powell's 1915 Hit
SPRING TIME REVERIE
Fine Teaching Piece
BEAUTIFUL ISLE OF ERIN
best thing that you can give a customer is good
service, which means, principally, carrying as com-
plete a stock as conditions will allow and ordering
intelligently and promptly music that is not in
stock. Cut prices do not count for nearly as much
with most customers as good service, and unless
goods are sold at a profit good service cannot be
given. Our very large and complete stock, and
our prompt handling of orders, greatly aids our
customers in rendering such service."
THE "FATHER SONG" HAS ARRIVED.
Jerome H. Remick & Co. Publish "No One Like
Your Dear Old Dad," by Murphy and Marshall.
Mother has had songs written about her since
time immemorial and has been particularly favored
during the past few months. Father, however,
has had little show until recently, when Jerome H.
Remick & Co. launched their latest number, a
"father song." The title of the piece is "No One
Like Your Dear Old Dad," written by Stanley
Murphy and Henry Marshall. The tenor of the
song may be judged from the chorus, which is as
follows:
IMPORTANT VICTORY FOR HARMS CO.
U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals Reverses De-
cision of Circuit Court in Suit Brought by
That Company Against Stern & Co.
Who hurries out at daybreak to the office or the mill,
To keep the wolf from howling at the door?
Who hurries home at night to greet Iiis kiddies with delight
When the toil of the day is o'er?
Who fought for the freedom of this land of liberty,
And gave his country everything he had?
And who'd go again to-morrow if his country called?
Why, no one but your dear old dad.
Copyright, Jerome H. Remick & Co.
The United States Circuit Court of Appeals, as
reported in The Review last week, has reversed
the decision of the District Court on the appeal
brought by T. B. Harms & Francis, Day & Hunter
in the suit of that company against Joseph W.
Stern & Co. The suit was brought against Stern
over the publication of the music in the "Maid in
America" show, composed by Sigmund Romberg,
particularly the number called "Oh, Those Days."
The application of the Harms Co. for a prelimi-
nary injunction was refused by the District Court,
which upheld the validity of the contract between
Stern and Romberg. This decision has just been
reversed and an injunction granted.
NO SONG HIT THIS WINTER.
NATHAN BURKANJMSTR1CT LEADER.
CHORUS.
Declares a Writer in the World but He Con- Weil-Known Attorney to Represent Tammany
Hall in,.t&P Twenty-sixth Assembly District.
cedes That There Have Been Some Very
Good Sellers Among the Popular Prints.
A writer in the New York World on Sunday
makes the assertion that there has not been a song
hit produced this winter. He says :
"This is the first winter in many years which has
not produced a 'song hit' Since 'It's a Long Way
to Tipperary' swept the country, more than a year
ago, there has not been a single 'song hit' worthy
of the name. For unless a million copies of a pop-
ular song are sold it is not accounted a real hit by
music publishers."
The writer, however, concedes that "among the
biggest sellers of the so-called popular music dur-
ing the past year were Irving Berlin's 'My Bird of
Paradise,' 'I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Sol-
dier,' 'Chinatown' and 'Dublin Bay.' All of these
songs passed the half-million mark.
"Among the 'operatic numbers,' as the songs
from musical plays are called and which sell for
twenty cents wholesale, 'Good-bye, Girls, I'm
Through,' from 'Chin-Chin,' and 'Hello, Frisco,'
from 'The Follies of 1915,' have had the biggest
sales."
"PRESIDENT'S SONG" PURCHASED.
"My Pretty Indian Maid," the song which was
declared to refer to the marriage of President
Wilson and Mrs. Gait and which brought from
the President's secretary a request that it not be
published, was purchased last week by Waterson,
Berlin & Snyder from the writer, J. Fitzpatrick. of
New York.
A NIGHT IN JUNE
KING'S BEAUTIFUL SERENADE
A Master Melody—That has won its way to
the hearts of the people purely on merit.
PIANO SOLO, 25c.
Ask your dealer or send direct to publisher.
C. L. BARNHOUSE, Oskaloosa, Iowa, I . S. A.
Nathan Burkan, well'known to the music pub-
lishing trade as an attorney in matters concerning
copyright, on which he is considered an authority
and counsel for several trade organizations in ad-
dition to a number of individual concerns, has be-
come a district leader in New York. Mr. Burkan
succeeds James J. Frawley as Tammany Hall's
leader of the Twenty-sixth Assembly District, one
of the most populous and cosmopolitan districts of
the F.ast Side.
Sensational Song Hits
r
H
"MOLLY DEAR IT'5 YOU IN AFTER"
"TKWEDDIN{™SUNSHINE«ROSE"
"SWEETEST GIRL" MONTEREY'
"DANCING THE JELLY ROLL"
"MEMORIES'
"SOONER OR LATER"
"CIRCUS DAY IN DIXIE"
f ,3
BIG INSTRUMENTAL HITS
GOOD SCOUT-MARCH-TWO STEP
'KANGAROO H O P - F O X TROT
"GERALDINE WALTZES"