Music Trade Review

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MARCH 8,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1924
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New York
Importance of Proper
National Representation
Talk of Curtailing Activities in This Direction
Not Warranted by Conditions in Distribution
of Sheet Music
Branch offices and traveling and local repre-
sentatives for the popular publisher are, if any-
thing, gaining added importance. There has
been some talk in recent months of plans to
curtail activities in that direction in order to re-
duce expenses. This has not been evident in
the attitude of any specific houses, but more
general propaganda to this effect has been circu-
lating. Present-day activities, however, will
probably discourage any big movement in that
direction. Radio activities, weekly record re-
leases, the overnight and national distribution
of dance orchestrations and several other fac-
tors justify and make necessary personal repre-
sentation on a wide scale for the popular
publisher.
In the talk of curtailment the evidence of
widespread popularity of single issues from
smaller catalogs is generally mentioned. These,
however, are the exceptions. They are particu-
larly meritorious offerings, are unusual and are
bound to happen from time to time. Numbers
of like or better merit come from larger pub-
lishing houses, but that does not deter such
organizations from issuing other works. Indeed,
if the trade were to confine its entire activities
to exceptional issues, the popular music coun-
ters would do a very limited volume of business.
The reaction would also be felt in the demand
for talking machine records, player rolls and
other musical channels. The vaudeville per-
former, the dance orchestra, the talking machine
record and player roll field and the radio broad-
casting stations need constant additions to their
lists in order to keep up general interest and
enthusiasm.
The fact that one single issue or even two
occasionally win national or almost national
recognition, although published in a smaller
trade center, is not of sufficient importance to
change the plans of large organizations, or even
the smaller ones, plans which have proved suc-
cessful over a long period of years in the pub-
lishing field.
It is doubtful whether some of the single
issues published by small firms have had their
full volume of sales. No figures can be arrived
at in this direction for the simple reason that
there is no way of telling how large a sale a
particular number should have. Its individual
qualities, distinct from all other offerings, are
the basis of its volume for one thing and the
manner of exploitation and scope of such ac-
tivities should be the other criterion.
In the days when the syndicate stores were
more important factors in distribution than they
are to-day, individual members gained popu-
larity in local territory. When purchased by
publishers with national organizations the same
numbers did not always prove fruitful of sales
on a wider scale. Only recently such a case
was brought to notice where the purchase of a
song from the Northwest was made by a Chi-
cago publisher after it had gained wide terri-
torial popularity. In exploiting this issue on a
national scale the response did not justify the
purchase.
All songs that gain wide popularity receive
wide exploitation whether they get "it from a
large or small publisher. They don't just hap-
pen. The fact that a small publisher issues the
number allows the general trade sometimes to
believe that the number made itself. The sales
manager of any of these organizations would
not only dispute the fact but would show much
material to prove the contrary.
There has been some talk of songs that have
been made in certain localities by radio. Radio,
undoubtedly, did give these numbers a limited
aid in such territory, but it will also be found
that the numbers were exceptional and invari-
ably the dance orchestras and other musical
channels of the city had contributed their share
BIG SELLERS
in the various catalogs of
M. Witmark & Sons
THE
WITMARK BLACK AND WHITE
SERIES
Dear Little Boy of Mine
Gypsy Love Song:
I'll Forget You
June's the Time for Roses
Just to Hear Yon Whisper I Love Ton
Just Been Wond'rlng All Day Lone
Kiss Me Again
Let the Rest of the World Oo By
Mother Machree
My Jean
My Wild Irish Rose
Smilin' Through
Sunrise and You
That Wonderful Mother of Mine
Ten Thousand Years from Now
The Lampllt Hour
OPERATIC
From "The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly"
When June ' Comes Along With a Song
Born and Bred in Brooklyn
From "Little Nellie Kelly"
Nellie Kelly, I Love You
You Remind Me of My Mother
POPULAR STANDARD PICTORIAL
NUMBERS
Midnight Rose
I'm Goin' South
California, Here I Come
Bebe
I'm Sitting Pretty
That Bran' New Gal of Mine
Out There in the Sunshine With You
Alabamy Blacksheep
Hugo
More
I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa, but He Looks
Straight to Me
I LOVE YOU
LOYE TALES
NO, NO, NORA
EASY MELODY
SONG OF LOVE
JOURNEY'S END
HALF PAST TEN
LINGER AWHILE
WONDERFUL ONE
CAROLINA MAMMY
BLUE HOOSIER BLUES
MAMMA LOVES PAPA
RIVER SHANNON MOON
STEALING TO VIRGINIA
SAW MILL RIVER ROAD
SWINGIN' DOWN THE LANE
CUT YOURSELF A PIECE OF CAKE
EVERY NIGHT I CRY MVSELF TO
SLEEP OVER YOU
TAKE, OH TAKE, THttSE LIPS AWAY
Write for Dealers' Prices
LEO.
F E I S T , Inc.,
FEIST Bid*. New York
towards the exploitation. Picking out numbers
of unusual merit and confining the exploitation
to a limited locality will give the number a sale
in that territory. An unusual number exploited
by the means of orchestra only or by vaude-
ville only, and, of course, by radio, would have
a good sale. The point is that the number is
unusual.
The popular publisher to-day uses every avail-
able channel for the exploitation of his goods
and to do this he needs wide personal represen-
tation in order to get the highest volume'of
sales on each issue.
WATERSON,
BERLIN & SNYDER CO.
S-O-N-G H-l-T-S
A Smile Will Go a Long, Long Way
Maybe (She'll Write Me, She'll
Phone Me)
Down Where the South Begins
It's Not the First Time You Left
Me
If I Can't Sing About My Mammy
(I Don't Wanna Sing at All)
On the Blue Lagoon
I've Got a Song for Sale
My Sunflower Maid
Sometime in Junetime
Down the Road to Yesterday
That's Why You Make Me Cry
You're in Love With Everyone But
the One Who's in Love With
You
Wop Blues
If You Do What You Do
Published by
WATERSON,
BERLIN & SNYDER CO.
Strand Tktttrt BIdg., N.w York City, N. Y-
Victor Herbert
MASTERPIECE
A KISS
THE