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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OCTOBER 21. 1922
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
SPECIAL ORCHESTRAL ARRANGEMENTS NOW PROHIBITED
Music Publishers' Protective Association Passes Ruling Prohibiting Publishers From Making
Special Arrangements of Numbers for Orchestras—A Move in the Right Direction
At a recent meeting of the Music Publishers'
Protective Association the following resolution
was passed: "Prohibiting the furnishing, or the
payment for furnishing of, to an orchestra or
orchestra leader, without exception as to where
engaged or playing, for any purpose whatever
any special manuscript arrangement of a com-
position or any arrangement other than the
regular printed form."
There are two reasons for the passing of the
resolution which, undoubtedly, will have the
consent of every popular publisher, both of
which are of exceptional interest to the trade.
First, the making of special arrangements has
developed to a point where the yearly costs
for their production has assumed a very high
figure. Then, too, not only are the leading
orchestras demanding such special arrange-
ments, but even those of lesser caliber have
caught the fever. Some of the orchestras will
not even accept the special arrangements made
for their organizations by arranging staffs of
the publishers, but demand that they make their
own special arrangements for which they re-
quest the publishers to pay.
In some instances the practice has taken on
an aspect of graft so that it has become necessary
for the publishers to protect themselves against
these encroachments. Recently one of the pop-
ular publishers, who is ranked among the lead-
ers, found it necessary, in addition to the ex-
pensive arranging staff already on his pay roll,
to plan an additional appropriation of $20,000
to care for these special orchestrations. This
brought the point up so impressively as to call
forth the consideration of the Association.
Secondly, the publishers have found that the
special orchestration invariably, by its tricks
and novelties, injures the melody and in some
instances absolutely makes it unrecognizable.
A dancer in one place hears a popular fox-trot
and may show favor to the number. Upon
hearing it again by a different orchestra he may
hardly recognize the melody. Often the number
as played by different orchestras would lead
the hearer to believe that it was an entirely
different number in each instance, slightly remi-
niscent of something he had heard before.
This new move on the part of the Association
should have a tendency to increase retail music
sales and certainly if all the orchestras play
the original arrangement, as provided for in the
original form, the melody will be impressed
upon the dancer or the audience to the advan-
tage of the retailer and publisher.
Under the plan in vogue for the past two
years of making special orchestrations, many
orchestra leaders assumed a domineering atti-
tude towards the publisher and not only de-
manded special orchestrations, but were not
averse to insisting upon other favors. They
became temperamental and if all their wants
were not satisfied they assumed the attitude
that they had been humiliated.
The special orchestrations may be one of the
reasons why the average popular song of much
merit has only in a few instances had the large
sales that were prevalent some twenty months
ago. There has certainly been a falling off in
the average sale of foxtrots, although the
waltzes of exceptional merit still have the large
sales of some years ago. It might here be
pointed out that while the fox-trot lends itself
to novelty and trick rendition, the waltz, on the
other hand, invariably does not. It must be
played as it is written with little or no change.
Thus the waltz melody gets its plug regardless
of the caliber of the orchestra. We believe these
latter facts should be given consideration.
In all events the prohibiting of the special
orchestrations, as outlined in the first paragraph,
is interesting and, we believe, will be profitable
to the trade as a whole.
BIG GILBERT CORP. CAMPAIGN
L. Wolfe Gilbert to Supervise Extensive Ex-
ploitation Campaign on Several Numbers
SONGS THAT SELL
Irving Berlin's Latest,
Greatest Song Hit
1-frtin £> d i £* \x
Some Sunny Day
Don't Bring Me Posies
It's Shoesles I Need
Truly
Night
Send Back My Honey Man
While the Years Roll By
Just a Little Love Song
Kicky-Koo
Kicky-Koo
You tor Me—Me tor You
No Wonder I'm Lonesome
My Cradle Melody
Away Down South
Come Along
L. Wolfe Gilbert, the well-known composer
and head of the L. Wolfe Gilbert Music Corp.,
From Zlegfeld's Follies of 1922
1658 Broadway, is back at his desk after a well-
Our New Sensational
extended vaudeville tour which took him as far
West as the Pacific Coast. The company has
Song Hit
just arranged a Fall campaign in behalf of a
number of popular songs, including "The
Natchez and the Robert E. Lee" and "What
Does It Matter Who Was Wrong?" as well
as the past season's favorites, "Kentucky
Echoes" and "If You Like Me Like I Like
You." The company is enlarging its activities
1607 Broadway, New York
and is planning to expand on a large scale.
Offices are to be opened in Chicago and Boston
WHY SHERWOOD LOOKS PROUD
and additions are to be made in the local pro-
fessional department. Ed and I. Wolfe, of the
Vincent Sherwood, Eastern manager of the
sales staff, will return to New York on Novem-
ber 1 and details as planned for the further McKinley Music Co., is being congratulated by
growth of the concern will be announced at his friends on the addition to his family of a
baby girl on September 26.
that time.
1
YankeeDoodleBlues
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
Ted Snyder, of Waterson, Berlin & Snyder,
has returned to his desk after a month's vaca-
Lester Lutz has been appointed Cincinnati tion spent with his family at his cottage at Lake
representative for Waterson, Berlin & Snyder. Placid, New York.
NEW POST FORJLESTER LUTZ
Hits that an se
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