Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
The Co-operation Which the Sheet
Music Merchant Gives the Publishers
Some Popular Publishers Declare They Do Not Receive the Co-operation From the Retail Trade
Which Their Exploitation Drives Behind Their Catalogs Warrant
SONGS THAT SELL
At Peace With the World (Irving Berlin) —
New
Always (Irving Berlin)
—
How Many Times? (Irving Berlin)—New
O ECENTLY there has been some expres- such is the case because the popular publish-
sions of opinion in the trade on the ing industry is not a new one and over a long
amount of co-operation received by publishers period of years has been successful. They feel,
from dealer sources. According to some points however, that a greater degree of co-operation
of view the popular publisher particularly docs between the popular publisher and the legiti-
not receive co-operation to the extent his
mate dealer would do much to further the in-
goods justify. It has been stated that if the terests of both.
margin of profit were somewhat larger the
If the. popular publisher creates a sale for
dealer would show more enthusiasm for popu- his prints covering every section of the coun-
lar prints. There may be some foundation for try, and this he undoubtedly does with all of
this contention although it would appear that
his "first" songs, how best can the legitimate
with the best sellers a small profit should not dealer co-operate, and what would such co-op-
be an obstacle. In fact, with the syndicate eration achieve for both interests, the pub-
stores who undoubtedly are excellent mer- lisher and the dealer?
chandisers the limited profit does not seem to
The main thing the dealer can do is
be a drawback. The volume here counts.
to display the goods in his window and
Dealers to-day are only buying successful on his counter. He can make good use
songs, and so far as the larger publishers are of the extra title pages that are al-
concerned that portion of the present situa- ways available and he can use to advantage the
tion is quite satisfactory. The larger publisher window trips, cut outs, and other advertising
material that frequently can be procured. If,
realizes he cannot expect any great amount of
co-operation on that portion of his catalog in his popular department the dealer also has
which perhaps does not show up to advantage. demonstrators this is a distinct added advan-
What he does want and what he thinks he de- tage.
serves is co-operation and sales on the num-
These acts on the part of the dealer are the
bers in his catalog that are considered suc- best co-operation he can give the publisher.
cesses.
The publisher through his exploitation chan-
The popular publisher has a wonderful
nels has aroused the interest and created a
means of exploiting his product through the desire for his songs. The dealers' activities
theatre, the photoplay house and the dance or- are those that close the sale, and from the
chestra. His numbers are placed before the profit standpoint are the most important of all
public in a manner that practically appeals to the activities connected with the exploitation
all of the senses. The words and melodies of
of popular songs. The dealers' activities are
popular songs arc to-day, in a short space of
to a great extent only reminders to purchasers
time, placed before thousands of hearers. to buy those things for which a sale had prev-
Such being the case sales are created at those iously been created. The passerby notes a
moments and it is the problem of the trade window strip on the dealer's store front which
to close such sales before this purchasing spirit
calls his attention to "Valencia," "Barcelona,"
begins to wane.
"How Many Times" or "Bye Bye Blackbird."
This is the problem which rests, however, to These, for instance, are all songs he has heard
a great extent with the dealer. After all there sung in vaudeville or heard played by his
are only at the most a little over 3,000 legiti- favorite organist or orchestra in a photoplay
mate sheet music dealers. The only other out- house, or numbers to the strains of which he
let that is a factor in retail distribution is the has danced. Through these means of publicity
syndicate store. With these combined trade a desire for the song was created and the
channels the total outlet figures are quite window strip on the store front catches his eye
small. Particularly when it is considered that and reminds him to purchase.
the sale created for popular prints reaches in
Songs are probably somewhat shorter lived
the aggregate millions of copies.
than was.the case some years back. They are
Of course, music is considered a luxury, but just as popular during their short life, how-
it is a luxury that has a wide appeal. In sheet ever. In fact a wider market is created, in a
music form, with its small unit of sale, the shorter space of time, than was ever hereto-
widespread interest created should be capital- fore possible and for that reason dealer co-op-
ized. Doubtless in any other industry a eration with the publisher has reached a new
product which had so wide a market created
stage of importance.
for it would have many more trade outlets
There are thousands more dance orchestras
than has popular sheet music.
to-day than was the case a decade ago. These
Additional trade outlets, however, do not
quickly reach hundreds of thousands of ears
strike the average publisher as a necessity. The that would have taken in a previous decade a
publishers think that present-day outlets can much longer period to reach. We have about
well care for all of the demands created for
18,000 photoplay houses, all of which have at
popular music. In fact they have proof that
least two shows a day and sometimes more,
Remember (Irving Berlin)
Don't Wait Too Long (Irving Berlin)
Venetian Isles (Irving Berlin)
I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (If I Knew
I'd Find You)
When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob,
Bobbin' Alone (New)
—
Gimme a Little Kiss (Will Ya—Huh?)
Poor Papa (Has Got Nuthin' At All)
Oh!
If I Only Had You—(New)
Say It A grain
Oh,
—
Boy! How It Was Raining—(New)
In the Middle of the Night
Who Wouldn't—(New)
Blue Bonnet—You Make Me Feel Blue
That's Annabel—(New)
Put Your Arms Where They Belong
Up and Down the Eight Mile Road—(New)
Trying to Forget—(New)
I Found a Roundabout Way to Heaven
And Then I Forgot—(New)
Roses Remind Me of Yon
But I Do (You Know I Do)
Then I'll Be Happy
I Never Knew
That Certain Party
If You Miss Me as I Miss You
Yes, Sir! That's My Baby
To-night's My Night With Baby
Oh, How I Miss You To-night
The Roses Brought Me You
—
—
—
—
BOOKS THAT SELL
New Universal Dance Folio
No. 11
Edition Extraordinary—Just Out
X
—
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
Tiddle De Ukes
Strum It With Crumit
Irving Berlin's Song Gems
From the Musical Comedy Sensation
"THE COCOANUTS"
—
Ting-aling the Bell'll Ring
Why Do You Want to Know Why?
Florida By the Sea
The Monkey Doodle Doo
Lucky Boy
We Should Care
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
and these huge audiences frequently hear the
current popular hits. This, too, is a market
that was not available some years back. On
top of these publicity channels and many
Consider the quality
MOST POPULAR MUSIC BOOKS
are worth a few cents more
Wire for descriptive catalog—order from jobber or direct from publisher
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, Inc., Publishers, New York City
42