Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1922 Vol. 74 N. 11

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
MARCH 18, 1922
49
REVIEW
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
PRICE-CUTTING IN MEMPHIS TEACHES NEEDED LESSON
SONGS THAT SELL
Syndicate Store Discontinues Its Sheet Music Department Following Price-cutting Campaign in
Which Everyone Loses—Legitimate Dealer Need Not Fear Price-cutter
The outcome of the recent sheet music cut-
price war in Memphis, Tenn., has resulted in
the Piggly Wiggly Corp. store of that city dis-
continuing its sheet music department. A review
of the fight in question and the result thereof is
of particular interest and importance to every
legitimate sheet music dealer and for that matter
the syndicate music stores as well.
The Piggly Wiggly Corp. opened up a store
in the city in question with the price of all its
merchandise of the standard 25-cent variety
marked clown to 23 cents, including sheet music.
Immediately the W. T. Grant, the J. G. McCrory
and the S. H. Kress stores, located in the same
city, also cut prices on their goods, including
music, and the McCrory store even went as low
as 15 cents retail on sheet music.
As a result the Piggly Wiggly Corp. store in
Memphis discontinued its sheet music depart-
ment Rtid the corporation will shortly make an
announcement regarding its music department
in other cities. Naturally, the other syndicates
involved have returned to normal prices.
Here, then, is absolute proof of what price-
cutting does to any business. It makes it un-
profitable and over a long period often means
bankruptcy. Furthermore, little or no increase
in sales is made.
Seemingly the only thing for a legitimate
sheet music dealer to do in case his territory is
invaded by price-cutters is to stand firm, for in
no long space of time the price-cutter will return
to standard retail prices or will eliminate him-
self from business. Certainly any continued re-
ductions must eliminate somebody.
At the annual convention of the National
Association of Sheet Music Dealers held in
Chicago last June just such a situation as out-
lined above came up for discussion. The past
history of price-cutting wars was outlined by
some dealers who had lived through such situa-
tions and the consensus of opinion was that there
were two means of meeting this evil. One was
to ignore the situation and continue business
along legitimate lines at a fair profit. The other
method, where the dealer was financially able
to stand the expense of a price-cutting war, was
MO-NA-LU
BELWIN'S LATEST
to give battle along price-cutting lines until the
opponent was "fed up" on the idea.
Of the two the former is the most healthy
method, as business will continue at about nor-
mal, profits on goods sold are assured and the
price-cutter will not continue his activities in-
definitely.
The real lesson in the case of the Memphis
price-cutting war and all other under-selling
activities is that these tactics do not pay and that
the legitimate sheet music dealer who continues
to carry on his sales along the lines of good
business practice will not suffer in the long run.
The methods pursued by the Piggly Wiggly
Corp. store at Memphis and by another syndi-
cate which has reduced its retail price on sheet
music in many cities to 20 cents a copy are not
the result of mature deliberation as to the per-
manent value of under-selling competitors on
standard goods. The syndicates in question seem
to forget that after all sheet music proves an
attraction and a sales creator for their stores.
If their profits on sheet music were somewhat
smaller than those of their other departments
they could still afford to handle sheet music for
its advertising value, because sheet music is a
magnet that attracts people into the store, often
holding them for a longer period than is their
wont. Particularly is this true when it is con
sidcred that the sheet music department is often
placed in the basement, in the rear of the main
floor, or on the mezzanine floor, thus requiring
the purchaser of music to make practically an
entire tour of the various departments.
The Memphis situation proves that price-cut-
ting is dangerous to the success of the sheet
music business, and further demonstrates that
the legitimate dealer need not fear the temporary
influence of the price-cutter.
...
Successor to 'TICKY HOME
Granny
You're My Mammy's Mammy
Tuck Me to Sleep In My Old
Tucky Home
Just a Little Love Song
Poor Little Me
Lonesome Hours
I Wonder Where He Went
And When He's Coming Back Blues
You Can Have [very Light On Broadway
—
(Give Me One Little Light at Home)
Bow Wow Blues
— Birds of a Feather
Universal Dance Folio No. 2
Everybody Step
From the Musio Box Revue
They Call It Dancing
From the Musio Box Revue
The Greatest Song Success
Ever Written
Say It With Music
From the Music Box Revue
FEATURING NEW FOX=TROTS
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
Triangle Co. Conducting Campaign on "Thrills"
and "Carolina Blues"
1607 Broadway,
The Triangle Music Pub. Co., following the
opening of its branch office in Chicago, has
inaugurated an exploitation campaign on the
fox-trot songs, "Thrills" and "Carolina Blues."
During the week commencing March 25 the
dealers in the territory around Chicago will
co-operate in successfully putting over a "Tri-
angle Week." Five hundred one-sheet posters
will decorate the " L " stations of Chicago.
MR. DEALER! These Numbers Are Advertised
LONESOME MAMA BLUES
By the Composer who wrote "Dangerous Blues."
The feature song of the biggest Blues and Jazz
singers, and the orchestra favorite Fox Trot.
New York
NEW FISHER NUMBER
Among the songs in the new Eddie Cantor
show is one from the catalog of Fred Fisher,
Inc., entitled, "I Am Hungry for Beautiful Girls,
But They Are Too Darn Hungry for Me." The
number was written by Fred Fisher, Billy Rose
and William Held.
From Coast to Coast
SUPPOSE THE ROSE WERE YOU
By Lucien Denni. He wrote "Starlight Love."
Kitty Gordon's knock-out Hit.
Hundreds of other acts using it.
Make Your Profit—Have Them in Stock!
OTHER BIG SELLERS
12TH STREET RAG-Song
DANGEROUS BLUES
12TH STREET RAG—Instrumental
MANILA MEMORIES
KISS ME DEAR
J. W. JENKINS' SONS MUSIC CO.
Kansas City, Mo.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
50
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MARCH
18, 1922
BROADCASTING PROBLEMS
PLANNING SPRING CAMPAIGN
Writer in the Kansas City Star Outlines Some
of the Difficulties Which May Arise Through
the Radio as a Purveyor of Entertainment
E. G. Ege in New York to Complete Plans for
Featuring Jenkins Co. Hits
STASNY HITS
E. Grant Ege, head of the sheet music de-
partment of J. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co.,
Kansas City, Mo , arrived in New York early
this week. Mr. Ege will remain in New York
a week or ten days, completing plans for a
Spring campaign 0:1 his firm's catalog in East-
ern territory.
The J. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co. recently
added several new numbers to its catalog. One
is "Suppose the Ro.e Were You. ' This is
by Lucien Denni, author of "Starlight Love,"
and is being featured in vaudeville by Kitty Gor-
don, as well as many other actresses. In addi-
tion, another feature of the catalog is "Lone-
some Mama Blues," by the composer of "Dan-
gerous Blues."
Plantation Lullaby
Rio Nights
Kitty Donohuc
Hawaiian Eyes
Can't Feel Jolly Blues
Alter Today You'll
Realize
I Want My Sweetheart
Lonely
Broken Hearted Doll
One Little Word
Arabian Moon
[EDITOR'S N'IITK—litluw is reproduced, without eomiivcnt,
a report of a writer on the Kansas City Star relative to the
broadcasting of s:>nns, etc. Considering the fact that th Star has been active in aiding the radio stations, it should
be well worth reading. I
The wisest people in wl.at is commonly called
the show business probablv are turning their eyes
and ears to the possibilities of the radiophone.
It is a subject that must instantly challenge every
mind that houses whatever degree of intelligence
is required to cause a human individual to look
into the future and to look out for himself. Just
liow the performer, singer, player or composer
who is a creator of music or elocutionary utter-
ances might well consult a lawer or someone
versed in the drawing of contracts. The near
future is very apt to offer great opportunity for
any artist who can assist the purveyor of sound
through the air. Not only will concert and opera
managers have to hold forth some inducement
to performers in the way of royalties lor "air"
rights, but they themselves may be compelled to
pay royalties to composers for music broadcasted
on the ether waves. The producers of opera,
concerts, musical comedies and such who now are
finding wireless concerts broadcast by commer-
cal radio companies very profitable because of
tile unusual publicity accorded them soon may
discover there is a boomerang attached to the
radiophone. The air may kick back.
"ANGEL CHILD;' POPULAR
New Witmark Fox-trot Proving a Very Success-
ful Number
A. J. STASNY MUSIC CO.
The fox-trot song, "Angel Child," recently
56 West 45th Street, New York City
issued by M. Witmark & Sons, has in a very
short space of time made itself one of the leading
numbers of the present season. Not only is
SOUSA USES_FOX NUMBERS
this number heard frequently in vaudeville, but
as a fox-trot it is repeatedly programmed by all
Five Numbers From Fox Catalog Played at
the leading orchestras. From a sales stand-
Recent Hippodrome Concert
point it seemingly is among the most successful
For example, the Star on Friday recorded numbers issued by the publishers in some
The following numbers from the Sam Fox
several incidents where very worthy young men
seasons.
l'ub. Co. catalog were played by John Philip
and their mothers, who otherwise night have
Sousa and his baud at the recent concert at the
been at Convention Hall for the symphony con-
PROMINENT CANADIAN ORCHESTRA
New York Hippodrome, New York City:
cert, remained at hoir.e and heard the music on
their wireless sets.
Harry Thomas Has Gained Much Prominence "Camera Studies," "On the Campus," "Sabre and
Spurs," "Somewhere in Naples," and "Lassie
In addition to the amusement features of the
in Publishing Circles
o' Mine."
new craze it may also d:g into the coffers of the
baseball world. The Post lias announced tiuu
Canada is not without its prominent orchestras,
with the commencing of the coming season it althoughly, naturally, we do not hear overly
WOLFE GILBERTMN VAUDEVILLE
will broadcast the results of the three leading much of such organizations, as their prominence
L. Wolfe Gilbert, head of the L. Wolfe Gilbert
associations as fast as received.
is confined to their own territory. However,
Music Corp., is again in the East, playing vaude-
It is known that some of the local managers Harry Thomas, prominent orchestra leader of
are giving the matter much serious consideration, Halifax, N. S.. who makes records for His Mas- ville circles adjacent to New York. Ed Wolfe,
and, while they are lending their assistance to ter's Voice Co., is receiving some unusual pub- sales manager of the company, is also back at
the papers in their new playth'ng by allowing licity, so much so that in music publishing circles his desk after a successful Middle West trip.
acts to participate in the concerts, it would not he is given unusual consideration.
At the
TO THE
be surprising if they refused to allow the acts "Princess Mary's Wedding Ball," which took
to work outside the theatres in the near future. place in Halifax a short time ago, he introduced
DEALER
a new number, published by Leo Feist, Inc.,
THAT'S OUR MOTTO
entitled "Just Married," which, naturally, was
NEW YORK
BELWIN
very appropriate for the occasion. The number
INC.
N . Y.
received generous applause.
1OO
FIFTEEN CENTS RETAIL!
TWO
"Selling Better Than Ever and Staple as
Wheat" Is What Our Big Army of
McKinley Dealers Write Us in
These Unsettled Times!
New Numbers and New Catalogs
READY FOR 1922
Send in Your Stock Orders Now and
Take Advantage of Our Free
Catalog Offer
SONGS
"There's a Little Lass in Scotland"
and "My Nellie Lies Sleeping"
Published by FLORA ULRICH
MAIN OFFICE: 531 Quimby St.. GRAND RAPIDS. MICH.
BRANCH OFFICES:
Suite 406. Randolph Bldg.. 145 N. Clark St., CHICAGO, ILL.
1658 Broadway. Broadway Central Bldg., NEW YORK CITY.
REMICKS BEST SELLERS
She's ~A Sensation*
OLD FASHIONED
GIRL
ROBERT TELLER SONS & DORNER
Music Engravers and Printers
200% Profit on
World Famous
McKINLEV
MUSIC
All of the Best Reprints and More Big
Selling Copyrights Than Any
Other Low-Priced Edition!
Free Catalogs With Stock Orders—We
Pay for Your Advertising—Write
for Samples Today!
Chicago McKinley Music Co. NewY ° rk
WHEN SHALL WE MEET AGAIN
REMEMBER THE ROSE
CALIFORNIA {NEW)
DON'T LEAVE ME MAMMY
000 ERNEST (NEW)
yoo-Hoo
WHILE MIAMI DREAMS
AFTER THE RAIN
BQOKEN TOY
SHE'S A MEAN JOB
SING SONG MAN (
JEROME
H.
REMICK6CO.
DETROIT
NEW YORK
CHICAGO
SEND MANUSCRIPT AND IDEA OF
TITLE FOF ESTIMATE
New York City
311 West 43d
BUY YOUR MUSIC FROM
p blishers
BOSTON »
WALTER JACOBS BSSTON^S.
"Peter Gink" JH»["Arabella" Fosx o nT ; ot
Oliver Ditson Company
NEW YORK
BOSTON
Anticipate and supply Every Requirement of Music
Dealers
White-Smith Music Pub. Co.
PUBLItHEKI, P l I H T I I I AND ENGRAVERS OF MUSIC
Main Offices: 40-44 Winchester St., Boston.
Branch Houses: New York and Chicago

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