Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1921 Vol. 73 N. 15

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
50
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
OCTOBER 8,
1921
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
CHAIN STORES TO INVADE THE SHEET MUSIC FIELD
Retail Sheet Music Dealers Must Be Prepared to Meet Competition Which Will Be Offered Them
Through the Entry of Several New Syndicate Concerns in the Near Future
The Music Publishers' Protective Association
has, during the past few months, been ap-
proached by financial interests with a view to
inducing publishers to open up a chain of re-
tail music stores. These suggestions, while they
come from reliable sources, have been promptly
turned down by the organized publishers, for
as an association they did not care to become
involved in any such enterprise. The interests,
however, have continued to make repeated of-
fers, the last coming from a well-known capital-
ist, who. offered to put $250,000 in a chain of
stores if the publishers would put in $250,000
worth of stock—sheet music, player rolls and
records.
This is only one of a number of such offers
and every indication shows that the legitimate
sheet music dealer is to have much competition
during the year 1922 from syndicate stores other
than those already in existence.
Those who have made a minute study of the
possibilities of the sheet music field claim.it is
the "cleanest merchandising proposition in the
world" and the point to be made here is that
it behooves the legitimate dealer to do all he
can for his popular sheet music department or
otherwise the success that such departments
have attained in the past two years will be lost.
The latest entry into the sheet music field
is the announcement that the Piggley Wiggley
stores, with headquarters in Memphis, Tenn.,
are now about to open up "miscellaneous" stores
carrying sheet music departments similar to
those operated by Kress and Kresge.
In addition, the United States Music Stores,
Inc., a Maryland company, with headquarters in
Baltimore, recently organized with Thomas E.
Noonan as president; George West, who is a
member of Hecht Bros., of Baltimore, as vice-
president, and H. E. Paetow as secretary and
treasurer, contemplates opening up one hundred
retail stores during the year 1922, carrying sheet
music, player rolls and talking machine records.
Joseph Reinhorn, the well-known music dealer
of New York, who operates a number of stores
on Broadway, through his attorney, Julius Ray-
field, is now carrying on negotiations for the
purpose of opening up a national chain of re-
tail stores.
The Ohio Securities Corp., of Newark, O., is
also arranging plans to operate a chain of re-
tail stores carrying sheet music, player rolls and
talking machine records.
All of the above substantiates the rumors to
the effect that the dealers are to feel the com-
petition of syndicates.
That much business will leave the dealers' hands
is assured unless a fight is put up to meet such
competition. Such syndicate stores use tKe very
best merchandising methods and know-how to
make intensive sales drives for business. On the
other hand, the legitimate sheet music dealer all
too often makes popular music a side line and
gives it the smallest representation possible in
order to operate the department.
The publishers repeatedly claim that they get
little or no co-operation from the regular dealers
and, of course, if that is the case they will do
nothing to discourage the further opening of
syndicate propositions.
There has been some talk in recent months
by dealers to the effect that at the present re-
tail prices they were not getting enough profit.
When it is considered that popular sheet music
takes up little or no space and that the sales
are "quick turn-overs" the argument about
price hardly bears weight. The Woolworth
stores in times past made much money with a
much smaller profit, merely because they had a
quick turn-over. There is a quick turn-over
to-day in popular music. It is true that the
retail price is somewhat higher, but so, too, is the
profit larger, and while the sales may not be as
numerous as in the oldi 10-cent days they are
certainly active and, being active, the dealer
does not require as handsome a profit as if he
only made .a sale now and then.
A case in point was recently brought to the
writer's notice as to the methods pursued by the
legitimate dealer, particularly in regard to the
price question. A certain dealer wrote to a
publisher and stated that he was very sorry to
hear of the price, which was approximately 18
cents, on a fast-selling hit, the dealer taking the
stand that this did not allow him enough profit
and for that reason he intended to place the
goods under the counter and only sell them
when called for. This is, indeed, a case of spit-
ing one's self inasmuch as it is the hits that
attract the people "to the counter and make it
possible not only to sell the number called
for but the other mediocre material that is dis-
played. Hundreds of sales are probably lost in
this manner and probably will never be regained.
If such goods were displayed, even if the profit
were not as large as the dealer thought was jus-
tified, he would find that the volume of the busi-
ness would make up for the small profit. •
SONGS THAT SELL
Irving Berlin's
Song Hit of the Hour
All By Myself
Cry Baby Blues
Birds of a Feather
My Mammy
Home Again Blues
I Wonder Where
My Sweet, Sweet Daddy's Gone
Drowsy Head (Waltz)
Oh, My Sweet Hortense
Once in a Blue Moon
You're Just the Type for a
Bungalow
When the Sun Goes Down
I've Got the Joys
The New Sensational Hit
Tuck Me to Sleep in My Old
'Tucky Home
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1587 Broadway,
New York
This same question was brought up at the
recent convention of the National Association of
Sheet Music Dealers in Chicago in June and a
similar statement regarding the placing of goods
under the counter was made and concurred in
by a number of dealers present. It is certainly
poor business judgment and does not tend to
promote the success of music departments.
THE COUNTRY'S QUICKEST "BLUES" HIT
EVERYWHERE IS HEARD THE
Ta De Da Da De Dum
Already obtainable for player-piano
and any talking machine
Publishers J. W. JENKINS SONS MUSIC CO., Kansas City, Mo.
Also Publishers of "12th Street Rag," "Sweet Love," "Colleen O'Mine"
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
OCTOBER 8, 1921
51
REVIEW
wi/h any Jeisf.
desirous of having songs mechanically recorded,
felt that "this was too much," so he announced
Members of Popular Publishing Concerns and Talking Machine Record and Player Roll Men Gather to the assembled gathering that the publisher
in question had a new song which was fast
for Frolic at Glenwood Lodge—Closely Contested Ball Game a Feature
gaining prominence and that they would save
A gathering of popular music publishers and Black's "Who'll Be the Next One" (To Cry themselves time and trouble by hearing his story
in public. The number that raised all this pub-
a number of the members of the recording rooms Over You?).
of several talking machine record and player roll
During the course of the dinner one of the licity is entitled "There's a Bunch of Klucks in
manufacturing organizations held an outing on rising young publishers, who is noted for his the Ku Klux Klan."
Among those who attended were: Ed Bloedon,
Wednesday of last week at Glenwood Lodge, original publicity ideas, was called to the tele-
Glen Head, Long Island.
phone. Upon returning he whispered in the Cliff Hess, Justus Rose, Eddie Adams, Billy
The party met at the quarters of the National ears of those around his table that his office had Jones, Sam Ross, Edward B. Marks, Eliott Sha-
Vaudeville Artists, on West Forty-sixth street, just informed him that they were being swamped piro, Herman Rose, Sam Perry, Frank Wright,
and proceeded to Glenwood Lodge in private by professional singers appealing for his new Harry Blair, Jack Bliss, Donald Fendler, Jack
cars. Upon arriving there a luncheon was song just released. After the third repetition Glogau, Mack Starck, J. Gillespie, Sol Karp, Ed
served, following which a trip was made to the of the story Sam Perry, who has much first-hand Christie, Morris Rosen, Fred Hager, Leo Fried-
baseball grounds, where teams captained by Ed knowledge of the ways of publishers who are man, Jerry Levy and Frank Ferrara.
Bloedon and Jack Bliss played a six-inning ball
game, which resulted in a score of fifteen to four-
NEW INDICTMENTS IN BOSTON INFRINGEMENT CASE
teen in favor of the Bloedon team. The honors
were about even until the last inning, when the August H. Sullivan and Al Feldman Now Under Indictment, Following Previous Indictments Re-
Bliss aggregation failed to tie the score, thus
turned Against Sullivan and C. A. McGlue—Original Case to Be Tried This Month
ending the game. Justus Rose started the pro-
ceedings for the Bloedon outfit by knocking out
Charles A. McGlue, the head of the New Eng- was again indicted, followed by the indictment
a home run which took the Bliss faction a great land Music Co., one of the distributors in East- of Feldman.
length of time to retrieve.
Feldman now threatens to sue those whom he
ern territory, and August H. Sullivan, of
Following the ball game a trip was made to Worcester, Mass., were recently indicted on two claims have persecuted him. This indicates a
the beach and the usual water sports were in- counts by the Federal Grand Jury in Boston for suit against Clara I. Hicks, who operates a dis-
dulged in. Later this was succeeded by indoor violation of a Federal law and for conspiring tributing company in Boston; a suit against the
sports, including the universal pastime, "Put and to violate a Federal law. The charges included United States District Attorney and against
Take," mostly put, at least in the opinion of the pirating a number of song hits, including Sher- E. C. Mills, chairman of the board of directors
writer. In the evening an elaborate dinner was man, Clay & Co.'s "Whispering," Waterson, of the Music Publishers' Protective Associa-
served, which found Joe Smallwood, the host, at Berlin & Snyder's "Bright Eyes" and the Harms, tion, who originally ran down the infringers.
his best. An exclusive entertainment followed Inc., number, "Humming." A large amount of
The Music Publishers' Protective Associatior
the dinner, with the stage set a la Paree. We do the spurious ofopies of "Whispering" were im- is intensively following up all cases of piracy
not know how they do it over in Paris, but if pounded by the authorities. The spurious copies E. C. Mills now has permanently on his staff
they have anything better than the entertain- of "Bright Eyes" could not be found nor the an investigator whose business it is to travel
ment that was furnished by the committee it plates from which they were printed, although about the country locating infringers.
the printers, Goodman Bros., were located and re-
would be in order to call the police.
In addition, Billy Jones and Ernest Hare con- ported that the plates were taken by Sullivan.
tributed several vocal numbers, including the
Sullivan & McGlue were released under heavy
well-known "Home Again Blues" and the newest bail and the trial of the case is scheduled for
Feist number, "Ten Little Fingers and Ten October. However, their indictment did not end
WOLFE GILBERT'S TERRIFIC HIT
Little Toes." One of the lady entertainers sang the game, for shortly after spurious copies of
effectively Witmark's "Crooning" and Johnny "Humming" again were placed upon the market
and Sullivan and a man by the name of Al Feld-
HMMHtlMMMIIIMIMIMIIM
man, who at times has been associated with
Beautiful
several publishers, were found to be selling the
Waltz Songf
number to the trade for prices ranging from
10 to 14 cents per copy. The United States Dis-
Fox-trot
trict Attorney's office, as a result, placed the
Song
evidence before the Grand Jury and Sullivan
MUSIC PUBLISHERS AND RECORDING MEN HOLD OUTING
BIG SELLING SONGS
DOWN YONDER
GUARANTEED SELLERS!
My Chinese Cherry Blossom
Mabel
List ning
My China Man
You Are the Rose of My Heart
If You Only Knew
Sunshine
Only A Dream of You
AL ROSE MUSIC PUB. CO.
(Not Inc.)
3131 Douglas Boulevard, Chicago, III.
HIIMMIIIMMIIIMIIIMIMMH
NORTON SONG HITS
"FOOLING ME"
"SECRETS"
"HAUNTING"
"DIXIE"
ROBERT NORTON CO.
226 W e s t 46th Street
NEW YORK
SHADOW LANE
SLUMBERLAND
Steady
MY BUDDING ROSE A Seller
IF YOU LIKE ME A to s Plea
LIKE I LIKE YOU Daddy
THK LATKST
STOP! REST AWHILE
BLUES NOVKLTV FOX-TKOT
L. WOLFE GILBERT MUSIC CORP.
167 West 47fh Street
NEW YORK

Download Page 58: PDF File | Image

Download Page 59 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.