Music Trade Review

Issue: 1925 Vol. 81 N. 4

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JULY 25,
THE
1925
MUSIC TRADE
47
REVIEW
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Syndicate vs. Legitimate Dealer in
the Sale of Popular Sheet Music Prints
Sales To-day of Popular Prints by Former Outlet Only Amount to 20 Per Cent of the Total Vol-
ume of This Business—Means by Which the Dealer Can Increase His Volume
C I N C E the annual convention of the National
Association of Sheet Music Dealers held in
New York in June at which a committee was
appointed to confer with popular publishers on
further means of co-operation and for the ad-
vancement of sales of such music, there have
come to The Review numerous comments on
this problem.
It has been pointed out that, with a minimum
of sheet music outlets, stores handling popular
music should be busy marts. Many say that
where attention is given to popular music a
flourishing trade is the result. Where popular
music remains inactive invariably the cause is
the inattention and lack of interest on the part
of the merchant. Aside from the profits that
are derived from the sales of popular music,
those who have neglected this phase of their
business overlook the fact that such goods at-
tract customers to the store. Anything that
will lure customers into the store is the means
of adding to the sales volume of the stocks
in other departments. The dealer who takes
the attitude that there is not much merit to
popular music and therefore it should not be
encouraged is certainly doing nothing to add to
the clientele for standard selections. Music ap-
preciation is on the increase and the popular
clientele which comes to the store frequently
is undoubtedly the purchaser of music of a
more classical nature in months to come.
Syndicate vs. Legitimate Retailer
While an analysis has shown that the sales
of popular music made by syndicate stores are
only from 10 to 20 per cent of the volume and
a little less where production numbers are con-
cerned, this is really more than they are justly
entitled to. The syndicate after all makes his
10 or 20 per cent sales only in the six to twelve
weeks when the particular popular selection is
at its height.
Many popular publishers would look with
pleasure upon the elimination entirely of the
syndicate stores. They are probably power-
less, however, to eliminate arbitrarily such
outlets. With so many of the legitimate deal-
ers showing little or no interest in popular
prints, they would hardly be jusified in exclud-
ing syndicate stores. Until the legitimate deal-
er is able to care efficiently for all the sales
of popular music, the siutation will probably
H)hen the (hie
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remain along the distribution lines of the pres-
ent. Doubtless, however, it will not be many
seasons before it will be necessary for the legiti-
mate dealer to care for all the sales of popular
prints, the trend being certainly in the direc-
tion for the elimination of the syndicate estab-
lishments. How soon that will be brought
about is a question.
In most standard music establishments the
popular sheet music departments are in the rear
of the store. This position would probably be
all right in most instances if demonstrations
were given in that section. However, most
merchants feel that demonstrations are not
practical, do not add to their prestige and the
playing of the latest "Charleston" might drive
away the customer who came in to look over
a number of prints of more classical nature.
There is much truth in this. Therefore, the
popular department should be placed in the
front of the store. That this is advisable has
been proven in many instances where legitimate
dealers have made the change.
The best illustration of this, because it more
nearly resembles popular music business, is
shown by the evolution of talking machine es-
tablishments. In the early days of the talking
machine, in retailing, the front of such estab-
lishment was designed along the lines of the
old-time piano store. That is, the front was
made into a sort of reception room in which
were exhibited in attractive positions a few
models of talking machines. Closely in the rear
of this exhibit room, which might be termed
the foyer, appeared on- either side a series of
demonstrating booths and further back were
the record racks and general stock. Madam
on entering was greeted by the proprietor or
salesman and, if she was interested in records
only, she was taken to a booth. A series of
records were brought forth for demonstration
and, when the records desired were selected,
she walked to the rear of the store to have the
sale completed and her package wrapped.
About 1916 talking machine stores throughout
the country, or at least the most progressive of
them, decided that so many sales of talking
machines had already been made that the ma-
jority of purchasers came in for records. Such
being the case, the purchasers resented having
{Continued on page 50)
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SONGS THAT SELL
Yearning
Oh, How I Miss You Tonight
When You and 1 Were Seventeen
Ukulele Lady
Yes, Sir! That's My Baby
Silver Head
Sonya (Yup Alay Yup)
Cecilia
On a Night Like This
The Whole World Is Dreaming of Love
Summer Nights
My Sweetie Turned Me Down
Suite Sixteen
So That's the Kind of a Girl You Are
Waitin' for the Moon
Say, Arabella
Alone at Last
Sing Loo
One Smile
BOOKS THAT SELL
STRUM IT WITH CRUM1T—Songs for
Ukulele
T1DDLE DE UKES—Comic Songs for
the Ukulele
X Universal Dance Folio No. 9 (New)
Peterson's Ukulele Method

World's Favorite Songs
Hits from TOPSY and EVA
Rememb'ring
I Never Had a Mammy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
BECAUSE
iA Sentimental Ballad
With A Wonderful
,Fox Trot Tihijtkni!
Music by Walter Donaldson */%*
^ -"Vflttev\ by ft
CM Frb
lyric by Walter Hirsch
Music Joy Ted Fiorito
You cant do wrfong with
aixy FEIST
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
48
Tin.Y 25, 1925
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'MERCENARY MARY*
L. Lawrence Weberis New Musical Comedy
Cyrics and Music Jw
William B. friedlander w Con Conrad
Other Songs From The Same Bi^ Show Hit
UST YOU AND I AND THE BABY*-*MERCENARY MARY* - ^BEAUTIFUL BABY *
"You Can't Go Wrong With -Amj /JOT* Song*
How the Dealers Can Cash in on Sales
From Publishers' Exploitation Work
floors. These three .songs closely follow the
release of "Sonya" (Yup Alay Yup), and "Silver
Head," both of which have shown indications
of being important additions.
An Example of the Way the Cleveland Dealers Featured the Appearance of Harry Bloom, Rem-
ick Representative in That City, at Loew's Regent Theatre There
Live Dealers Tie-Up With
"The Flapper Wife" Week
"p\ EALERS throughout the country who are
•^"^ anxious to get the most out of popular
sales must watch the local billing of their
vaudeville theatres, and, if possible, feature the
songs that are most programmed. The same
holds true for the musical presentations at their
local photoplay houses. Both methods of ex-
ploiting songs create sales and properly hook-
A Dealer's Window Tie-up
ing up with vaudeville headliners and the photo-
play musical presentations will increase that
volume of business.
It has never been decided which of these two
methods of giving publicity to a song produce
the most sales and probably such a decision will
never be reached. For the song itself and the
type of rendition are both important influences.
WORTH WEIL TUNES
WORTH WHILE HAVING
NO OTHER
(No One But You)
HEADIN' FOR HOME
SOMEONE IS STEALING YOU
FROM ME
IF I EVER CRY
(You'll Never Know)
LADY OF THE NILE
(Ish Jones' Best)
WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE IN
YOU
AT THE END OF A WINDING
LANE
INSUFFICIENT SWEETIE
OLD VIRGINIA MOON
DADDY BOY
SPAIN
Published by
MILTON WEIL MUSIC CO., Inc.
81 W. Randolph St., Chicago. 111.
One method might produce unusual results with
a particular song and then not do the same
thing for a number of like caliber.
One thing is certain and that is that in the
long run a vocal rendition will produce larger
results more often than any other type of pub-
licity. The old saying that "the song is the
thing" has more than a little truth in it. Prop-
erly presented a meritorious song has too often
produced sales to leave any question of doubt.
The belief in vocal renditions is the reason
for the numerous branch offices of popular pub-
lishers. There probably would be no necessity
for as many of these if exploitation was to be
left to the orchestra rendition. Most of such
work could with little difficulty be carried on
with good results through the main office. The
branch office, however, is able to place singers
in photoplay houses, often in vaudeville the-
atres and other large -gathering places. This
is work that could not be efficiently carried on,
if at all, for instance, from the New York offices.
That the branch office is important was never
more aptly demonstrated than the recent ap-
pearance of Harry Bloom at Loew's Regent
Theatre, in Cleveland, O. Mr. Bloom is the
Cleveland representative for Jerome H. Remick
& Co. and he appeared at the Loew Theatre in
"a song cycle" with the Regent Concert Or-
chestra. He was billed as the feature attrac-
tion and he introduced such Remick numbers
as "Don't Bring Lulu," "Isn't She the Sweetest
Thing," "By the Light of the Stars," as well as
"Swanee Butterfly." The picture shown during
the same week was "The Little French Girl,"
with Alice Joyce and Neil Hamilton. The man-
agement of the Loew Theatre, however, thought
the Bloom appearance was the more important
of the two.
In conjunction with Mr. Bloom's appearance
at Loew's Regent Theatre a number of dealers
throughout the city of Cleveland featured the
above Remick numbers on their counters and
in window displays. Among the most effective
of these displays was that of the Pomeroy
Store, a reproduction of which is herewith
shown. The management reported that through
this display and Mr. Bloom's featured appear-
ance at the theatre the combination resulted in
a substantial business on these prints during
the week.
New Berlin Numbers
Among the new songs added to the catalog
of Irving Berlin, Inc., are "Cecilia," "Say Ara-
bella," and "One Smile." A campaign on these
numbers has been arranged and all of them are
to be introduced in vaudeville and on the dance
Recently the Sam Fox Publishing Co. cele-
brated "The Flapper Wife" Week and in both
sheet music and talking machine record stores
some remarkable sales totals were obtained.
Featuring "The Flapper Wife"
This "Flapper Wife" sales drive was made in
conjunction with the appearance of the serial
story of the same name which has been run-
ning in newspapers throughout the country.
During "Flapper Wife" week many music stores
made special window displays. Among these
was that of G. Schirmer music department op-
erated in White's Music House, of Cleveland,
O.
New Harris Number
Charles K. Harris has written in collabora-
tion with Charles Horwitz, the well-known play-
wright, a comedy entitled "What's the Matter
With Julius." This is to be presented by the
Davidson Stock Co. in Mr. Harris's old home
town, Milwaukee, Wis. Mr. Harris has also
completed the musical score of "Sweet Gene-
vieve," book of which is by Mr. Horwitz, the
well known librettist.
Slogan in a Song
Copies of sheet music of the song "Janssen
Wants To See You," based upon the thirty-year
slogan of August Janssen, are distributed to
guests nightly at the mid-town Hofbrau, New
York City. The song is by Al Dubin, writer
of "Just A Girl That Men Forget," and Irving
Aaronson, director of the Commanders Orches-
tra.

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