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IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
The Music Trade of the Golden Gate,
One of the Country's Greatest Cities
Maurice Richmond, Head of the Richmond Musical Supply Corp., New York, Requires Several
Articles to Tell of All He Found There, of Which This Is the Second
DAUL WHITEMAN, the king of symphonic
jazz, on his recent trip to the Pacific Coast
played at the exposition auditorium for the San
Francisco Auto Show. Yes, Whiteman is a big
figure in the musical
world, a big figure
physically, too, and he
plays for big figures.
It seems that George
Wahlgreen, who man-
aged t h e automobile
show for the Dealers'
Association, had been
busy for several days
framing a long speech
to be spoken when he
turned o v e r White-
man's salary check to
him. He was going to
let loose a variety of
Maurice Richmond
long words that would
stump Noah Webster himself. Well, the pres-
entation took place. Wahlgreen wrote out the
$25,000 check and started a search for White-
man. He found the leader down at the truck
display studying the new bodies of rival heavy-
weights. "Paul, I have your salary check here,"
Wahlgreen began. "I am
." He didn't get
a chance to finish. Whiteman grabbed the
check, shoved it inside his pocket, murmured a
thanks and continued his survey of the trucks.
John P. Broder
J. P. Broder, at 140 Stockton street, does a
general music business and particularly stocks
educational material. He also specializes in
the orchestra field, catering to musicians. From
his experience he thinks the popular pub-
lisher has never given serious consideration
to the popular orchestration end of the
business. Until recently the publisher gave
away gratis practically every popular or-
chestration he printed, being under the im-
pression that this would help to popularize the
tunes. But how does that affect the dealer?
If the publisher will co-operate with the dealer
and stop giving away his merchandise it will
create a healthier condition for both the dealer
and publisher. There should be no discount
allowed to the musician unless the publisher is
willing to give the dealer a sufficient profit to
warrant it. The fact remains, however, that the
musician is willing to pay any reasonable
amount for an orchestration if he wants it.
Many old-timers will remember the old firm
of Broder & Schlam, a music publishing con-
cern in San Francisco years ago and the pub-
lisher of quite a few hits back in those days.
The junior member was lured away by the call
of New York's tin pan alley and has since
passed on. Our good friend, Mr. Broder, how-
ever, remained in San Francisco and is enjoy-
ing a prosperous retail business. All of his
friends will undoubtedly be glad to know that
Mr. Broder is back on the job with renewed
energy and regained health.
Emil Cruells
My visit with my good friend, Emil Cruells,
at the Mission Music House, was purely a social
one. However, he did give me a few facts about
himself which may be interesting. He started
in business in 1898 with a Michigan bank roll
of $2,000. He said, "Watch the pile grow,"
and it did. He carried a complete popular music
department and a selected line of standard ma-
terial together with the Columbia and Victor
products. However, in 1907, during the big
San Francisco fire, Mr. Cruells sustained a loss
of $15,000 and collected insurance of only $3,500.
The pile which had grown was sadly diminished
then, but he re-established his business at 2538
Mission street, where he prospered for many
years and is now preparing to move into his
own concrete building at 2226 Mission street.
Mr. Cruells disclosed the fact that he can lay
his hands on $50,000 in cash and that his stock
is valued at about $50,000, so that he is rather
confident he can keep the wolf away from his
door for quite some time.
He attributes his good health and smiling
countenance to his good wife, Mrs. Isabelle
Cruells, who has been feeding him Scotch oats
(mush) every morning for breakfast and mush
cakes on Sunday since 1909. He looks good
and feels good, so evidently he likes it.
While Mr. Cruells contemplates being active
in his business for a long while to come, he be-
lieves in making way for the younger genera-
tion and some day intends to hand it over to
some live wire who has proved himself worthy.
Gene Florentine
Just how much Florentine knows about the
music business he has never disclosed to me,
and it is just as well, perhaps, that he didn't.
He is interested mostly in the live, popular hits
of the day where he can make a quick turnover.
He appreciates that Mr. Ditson and Mr. Schir-
mer are doing a splendid business, he knows
about Mr. Wood and his "wood pile," he knows
how to spell "Carl Fischer," but he prefers to
sell popular music. All he handles in classic
music is the Century Edition and a few studies
and methods. He told me it doesn't take any
time or energy to sell Century music. The old
and young come in with their lists and say:
"Please give me copies of Nos. 937, 924, 1743,
2099, etc." They know that it is 15 cents per
copy and they bring the right change. "You
might just as well put Century music in a cafe-
teria. It sells itself," says he.
It took quite a few visits before I located
Gene Florentine. I don't know what his side
line is, but I hope it is real estate and not what
you mean. When I did find him he insisted
upon knowing what hotel I was stopping at.
Wanting a complete rest, I told him I was at
the Clift, far away from all the night owls and
no parties for me. Finally he said: "Unless you
move over to the Plaza Hotel where all the
music boys make their headquarters I won't
take you to 'tea' with me and I'll tell the gang
that you are high-hatting us." While at Floren-
tine's store I met Ray W. Maxwell, who is the
auditor of the Hotel Plaza, and I found him a
very cordial chap. I promised that on my next
trip to the Coast I'd be glad to stay at his
hotel providing he'd keep it a secret from Gene
Florentine. I've an idea that Gene must be col-
lecting some commission for his propaganda
and boosting. Perhaps he takes it out in trade.
The most enjoyable part of my visit with
Gene was the dianer I had at his home with his
sweet mother. After dinner it was Gene's idea
of a good time to play pinochle or poker and
bust. However, what we did do was attend an
elaborate ceremonial at the Scottish Rites Tem-
ple, of the fourteenth grade, Lodge of Perfec-
tion. The work was so soothing to my friend
Gene that he fell asleep directly after it began.
42
SONGS THAT SELL
—
At Peace With the World—(Irving
Berlin)—New
Always—(Irving Berlin)—New.
Remember (Irving Berlin)
Don't Walt Too Long: (Irving Berlin)
Venetian Isles (Irving Berlin)
Then I'll Be Happy
I Never Knew
That Certain Party
In the Middle of the Night
I Wonder Where My Baby Is To-night
Poor Papa (Has Got Nuthin' at All)
I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (If I Knew
I'd Find You)
Gimme a Little Kiss (Will Ta-Huh?)
Tentin' Down in Tennessee
But I Do (You Know I Do)
What! No Women
Pining for You
Somebody's Eyes
Chlnky Butterfly
Say It Again
He Ain't Done Right by Nell
What Am I Supposed to Do?
The Wind Blew Thru His Whisker.
Cecilia
I Wish't I Was in Peorla
Yes, Sir! That's My Baby
Oh, How I Miss You To-night
The Roses Brought Me You
Yearning
Waltzing the Blues Away
Miami, You Owe a Lot to Me
When Autumn Leaves Are Falling
Take This Rose
Tell Me Why You and I Should Be Strangers
The Day That I Met You
—
—
—
BOOKS THAT SELL
X
—
New Universal Dance Folio
No. 11
Edition Extraordinary—Just Out
Peterson's I'kulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
Tiddle De Ukes
Strum It With Crumlt
Irving Berlin's Song Gems
From the Musical Comedy Sensation
"THE COCOANUTS"
A Little Bungalow
Florida By the Sea
We Should Care
The Monkey Doodle Doo
Lucky Boy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
At the end I had to rap him on the "dome" and
shout: "All aboard for Carnarsie."
Gene Florentine was the first publisher to dis-
cover the selling qualities of "Cielito Lindo"
(Beautiful Heaven) and put it on the market.
If he hadn't encountered a lot of competition
it probably would have been better than boot-
legging. However, many other wise ones dis-
covered it was anybody's property and they all
went after it.
His more recent composition, "A Dream of
Love and You," was accepted by Sam Fox dur-
ing his recent trip to the Coast. Sam expects
to make a go of it. Gene's newest number,
"Count the Stars," looks like his best to him.