Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 7,
THE MUSIC THADE REVIEW
1925
51
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Heavy Popular Production Largely Due
to Orchestral Demand for New Material
Tendency to Consider Good Melody Only Two or Three Weeks Old as Old Number on the Part
of Orchestra Conductors a Fallacy That Is Injurious to the Entire Trade
ffORTUNATELY for the sheet music, talking
machine record and player-roll industries,
popular songs, which do so much to bring cus-
tomers into music establisfiments, are not found
wanting in merit at present. There are some
outstanding successes on the market, not one
or two but close to a dozen active big sellers
and a fair proportion of second best offerings.
There is, however, a weakness in present-day
publishing, exploitation and distribution meth-
ods, the cause of which does not lie wholly with
the publishers who are responsible for the issu-
ance of voluminous number of prints. It is
more fundamental.
Naturally, there is a good reason for the great
number of offerings and some of the factors
that arc responsible do not emanate from pub-
lishing circles. Indeed, the conditions that
bring this situation about have several reasons
and up to this time the publishers have no way
of controlling the situation but have found it
necessary to ride along with the tide rather
than to bring fortli an issue that might require
some unity of action which undoubtedly would
be hard to obtain.
One of the prime causes of this situation is
the constant and increasing demand of orches-
tras, particularly of the dance variety, for new
tunes.
In the eyes and ears of these musical com-
binations any good melody three or four weeks
old becomes passe. It is true that once a num-
ber is accepted as a hit they frequently overdo
it so the many renditions lead them to believe
that the public feels the same way about the
number as they do. This is not always so as
experience shows.
After a dance tune has been efficiently intro-
duced, say over a week's period, it might be
well that the inclusion of that particular number
in the program be made less frequent. In this
manner not only would it be unnecessary for
the orchestra itself to be constantly looking for
new material for its own and the jaded ears
of the dancers, but all would be better pleased
over a longer period. This would certainly
serve to lengthen the popularity of a song and
give the writers and the publishers as well as
the talking machine record and player-roll co'm-
panies a chance to cash in to better advantage
on its popularity.
To-day the band and orchestra departments
of popular publishers receive visits from the
musicians of the same orchestras day after day,
always looking for new material. By no stretch
of the imagination would it be possible for such
organizations after daily visits to from twelve
to twenty publishing companies to present
properly the new offerings procured, not to say
that they could give a reasonable amount of
publicity to all the orchestrations already in
their books.
Publishers who have done more than their
share to make possible the large salaries re-
ceived by the members of the modern dance or-
chestra allow these organizations to make de-
mands upon them to their loss. It is time to
call a halt on the demands of orchestras for
new material. They are the real cause for the
over-supply of popular songs and they are the
real cause for the failure of many popular suc-
cesses to attain a proper sales total. If the
orchestras were to play, commencing to-day,
the popular orchestrations that they now have
in their books they would find enough material
to last well into the Summer season with an
occasional but not daily inclusion of some more
timely number.
There have been not a few instances during
the past year where a number has been intro-
duced for a short period by orchestras and then
discarded. It happens in these several cases,
however, that the publishers of the number
felt that there was a little more body to the
song than had been brought out in the initial
campaign. The number was therefore nursed
along without orchestra aid for several months
with the result that, in song form and through
theatre exploitation, interest was revived and it
was properly presented as an acknowledged
success.
The orchestras can play a wide variety of
numbers without daily incursions for new mate-
rial. If they will give going numbers a better
chance they probably will please their audiences
just as well and certainly they will make more
sales for the publisher, record manufacturer and
the player-roll company.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Feist Plans Campaign
on New Snodgrass Song
"The Moonlight, a Waltz and You," by Widely
Known Radio and Brunswick Artists, to Be
Featured
Harry Snodgrass, who has been named "King
of the Ivories" and who gained original recog-
nition through his broadcasting of piano compo-
sitions over station WOS, Jefferson City, Mo.,
is the writer of two songs, "The Moonlight, a
Waltz and You," published by Leo Feist, Inc.,
and "On the Air," published by the South Bend
Music Publishing Co., Inc.
The Feist organization plan to give wide pub-
licity to "The Moonlight, a Waltz and You."
The professional band and orchestra depart-
ment, the various Feist offices and its represent-
atives everywhere will take part in the cam-
paign on this song.
Harry M. Snodgrass has signed a contract
with the Orpheum Circuit to appear in vaude-
ville for a two-year period and he is now play-
ing to packed houses in all the cities he visits.
The unusual publicity he has received through
his radio work and the fact that he has been
elected the most popular radio artist in the
country, as well as his unique entertaining play-
ing at the piano, will all serve to add to the
publicity and sales of "The Moonlight, a Waltz
and You."
If It Wasn't
For You
let ft Rain^ i WOULDNT IT1M S O ! One Else
fU Be
V&iffoa
, ,
The Morning A
A Dixie Fbx Trot S o ^ '
With a Great Melodu
ou Cant
II All
Nil If
A Great Son#
Dandy Fox Trot;
Go Wrong
A Neu) Ballad by
the Mbers ^'Why
Should I Cry Ofer WA
[(And III Hade Someone
After You're Gone)
Fox Trot Sond
With Any FEIST' Song