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
Saxophone Folios of Popular Successes
Open New Field of Profit for the Dealer
Trend, Inaugurated by Leo Feist, Inc., Shows Growing Playing of Small Instruments
—The Question of Over-Production in Issues
I
V is now becoming quite the thing for most
popular music publishers to issue special
saxophone folios containing the current popu-
lar songs. This idea was originated by Leo
Feist, Inc., which has issued three or four such
folios during the past two years. The wide
acceptance of these issues not only indicates
their need but again proves how important small
musical instruments are in the life of the coun-
try.
The fact that there has been increasing in-
terest in sale in saxophone material, particularly
as it relates to current popular songs, demon-
strates that much of the appeal for small musi-
cal instruments is based upon the popular song.
The action of the popular publishers in making
special compilations of current successes for the
saxophone is with a view to giving popular
songs a wider sales appeal.
Much has been said in recent months about
the curtailed sales of popular music for piano
use.
With the special saxophone material it
may be that the volume of popular business will
be increased to a figure that would absorb the
lessened sales in other directions. Certainly it
proves that the popular publisher is alert and
plans to cover intensively every popular sales
channel.
The issuance of special material for particular
uses and for pai ticular instruments is a method
of making adjustments to meet the more mod-
ern conditions. These sales of special material
together with the increased sale of dance
orchestrations can be considered favorably by
the retailer. In fact, the sale of such material
is one measure of increasing the retail sales
volume. Furthermore, such sales bring a clien-
tele into the music store which makes it pos-
sible to increase business in other departments,
particularly all small musical goods.
At the coming convention of the National
Association of Sheet Music Dealers to be held
in Chicago in June the question of over-
production of standard music novelties will be
taken into consideration. It might be well at
the same time that some thought be given to
the great wealth of material that is issued in
the popular music line. So much new popular
music material is being presented to the public
that it is hardly possible that the buyer can
SB'XS
assimilate it in sufficient quantities to run up
the sales average of second best numbers to a
healthy point. If the release of new popular
song material were reduced 25 per cent with
more concentration and a longer period of ex-
ploitation, the sales interest might be increased.
At any rate the present volume of sales would
undoubtedly be maintained.
Maintaining the present volume of popular
sales with a reduced number of offerings would
serve to reduce the cost of doing business. Sub-
tracting 25 per cent from the cost of producing
songs and the relative cost of exploiting them
would run into a considerable figure. Some of
the popular publishers have endeavored to keep
their new issues at a minimum figure in recent
years. This and unusual care in the selection
of song material has continued to keep them in
the front of popular ranks. On the other hand,
other popular houses have issued song material
right and left.
No real good will be accomplished in curtail-
ing new issues by a few houses. There should
be unanimous action on the part of all of the
leading publishers, otherwise such a plan would
only serve to give an advantage to those who
did not agree to the proposal for keeping new
releases at a minimum figure.
The way has been shown to be a healthy one
by the action of one of the largest popular pub-
lishers. This is evidence of general health for
all of those who concur in a reduced issue plan.
It could be tried out for a season or two at
least, without great detriment to any of those
who took part. If it has the possibilities of
bringing more health to the industry from the
publishers' standpoint, and from that of the re-
tailers it should also be certainly given consid-
eration.
At the present time there is much talk on
plans along these lines, but very little is done
to put such a program in force. Possibly some
emphatic expressions from leading retailers at
the coming gathering in Chicago might serve
to bring about a more general compliance with
a reduced issue program.
Fox Supervises All
Paramount Music Scores
Arrangements Closed With Cleveland Publish-
ers by Paramount-Famous Players-Lasky
Corp. to This End
We are the exclusive
distributors for
The World Famous
Catalog of
Rudy Wiedoeft
SAXOPHONE SOLOS
!
M
also
The newly organized
PAUL WHITEMAN
PUBLICATIONS, Inc.
ROBBINS
Music CORPORATION •
799 Seventh Avenue.New York
The Sam Fox Publishing Co., of Cleveland,
Ohio, and New York, announces closing ar-
rangements with Paramount-Famous Players-
Lasky Corp. whereby the Fox organization will
supervise all musical scores of super-photoplay
productions made by that firm.
The Fox organization looks upon this as the
most important deal consummated in some time
as it will appropriately introduce a considerable
amount of Sam Fox music in the scores of some
of the most important photoplay productions
that are being produced or that will be pro-
duced.
In "Old Ironsides" a beautiful love theme ap-
pears in the score. This is published as a song
by the Fox Co., under the title "Your Love Is
All."
The words are by Harry D. Kerr and
the music is by J. S. Zamecnik.
32
"The Rough Riders March," by Hugo Reisen-
feld, was written especially for the great Roose-
velt picture entitled "The Rough Riders." This
number will be published by the Fox organiza-
tion for piano solo and orchestra.
Witmark Songs Prominent
in Mother's Day Programs
Firm Gives Special Co-operation to Retail Deal-
ers with Gratifying Results in the Event
The importance of the catalog of M. Witmark
& Sons and particularly of its "Black & White
Series," in having available for all occasions
particularly appropriate songs, was never better
demonstrated than the many uses found for
them during recent Mother's Day programs. ,
Music has become an important part of all pub-
lic Mother's Day programs. It is most fitting
that it should be so, as mother songs are al-
ways available, and what would be more fitting
than to pay tribute and do honor to mothers
by songs.
Among the Witmark numbers frequently used
in these recent programs were, of course, the
world-wide famous numbers "Mother Machree"
and "That Wonderful Mother of Mine." Both
numbers are by the late Ernest R. Ball, who
died the previous week.
It might be well if more songs were used in
special day celebrations when the occasion
offers. This can be done so readily that it is
an actual business loss not to take advantage
of the opportunities. All these special occasions
will draw more and more people to the music
stores, and invariably the goods offered for these
particular purposes will be found more appro-
priate than anything that can be offered in com-
peting retail establishments.
All of this can be done easily, as was demon- *
strated by the Witmark firm, in planning its share
of the celebration on Mother's Day.
Witmark
furnished to the trade an attractive show card
carrying special references to Mother's Day.
This card by special permission carried a pic-
ture of Madame Schumann-Heink, who is known
nationally as one of the world's most beloved
mothers.
Witmark also had available at least fourteen
other songs appropriate for Mother's Day pro-
grams. The results obtained by these special
plans of Witmark's, and the co-operation c-
tended to the publisher by dealers throughou*
the country proved all the activities were well
worth while.
New Fox News Sheet
The Sam Fox Publishing Co. is now issuing
a little news sheet called "Fox-o-grams." The
front carries a heading similar to the heading
of a telegraph blank. It is to be issued by the
Fox Co. from lime to time as the occasion war-
rants. On the front page also appear timely
news items pertaining to the Fox catalog and
its other activities. On the reverse side is re-
produced an order blank on current successes
and other material in the Fox catalog. Among
the numbers featured in the present issue are
"Broken Dreams," "Polly," "Nola," "In the
Heart of the Hills," "Dream of Love and You,"
the Piano solos, "Eskimo Shivers," and "All-of-
a-Twist," and similar timely material.
The stock and fixtures of the Slagel Music
Co., 215 East Broadway, dishing, Okla., have
been disposed of at public auction by J. M.
Grubbs, assignee.