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
Group Advertising in National Media
Advocated for Sheet Music Publishers
SONGS THAT SELL
Monthly Advertising, Centered on the Leading Selling Numbers, Held to Be a Big
Asset in Increasing Demand for Sheet Music Prints Today
A PUBLISHER has again made the sugges--
•**• tion that the popular music industry should
arouse more intense interest in its prints and
lure purchasers who have already been sold on
melodies into music stores through the aid of
national publicity. It is his contention that
nothing is done by popular publishers in the
way of advertising other than through their
usual exploitation channels, this supplemented
by publicity matter along lines that have not
changed in recent years.
It is the present contention that a number of
the leaders of the industry could carry on
monthly activities as a group that would re-
sult in concentrating attention on some of the
outstanding issues of the month. He points out
that many industries, including the electrical
and the jewelry trade, are carrying on such pro-
grarns. The latest of these group plans which
is particularly interesting to the music indus-
try is the campaign of the National Piano
Manufacturers Association.
It is thought that the group activities of popu-
lar publishers in national media which might be
co-operated in by the player roll manufacturers
and the talking machine interests should re-
sult in bringing more purchasers into music
stores. It is now a well-known fact that
through the various means of present-day song
exploitation thousands of customers are sold on
melodies, but, through delay in closing the sale
and later through the overemphasis given these
popular and winning melodies, many of the
sales are not brought to completion. In other
words, popular songs are getting enough, and
sometimes too much, of certain types of pub-
licity. More concentration on fewer numbers
in monthly allotments might be worth trying
out, particularly if every channel of the indus-
try were to co-operate.
Owing to the great volume of popular prints
the merchant hesitates to stock heavily other
than a very few numbers. This great amount of
popular material has also brought the merchant
to a stage where he does not concentrate on any
of the releases. Rather he waits and supplies
the customers' calls. A monthly program, be-
sides concentrating attention of possible pur-
chasers on a grouped list, would have the added
value of inducing the merchant to give his very
best co-operation in advancing the interest of
these well-advertised numbers. This would be
a group of selections of meritorious character
which, through this national publicity, would be
t'^e, inducement that brought the customer into
tfi%"store. Therefore, the merchant could hardly
do other than to show interest and co-operation
lor the added sales so procured.
Any suggestion coming from authoritative
sources and which has the nucleus of an idea
which "might add considerably to sales volume
should be, and probably would be, looked upon
;is worthy of attention. Songs are reaching a
great height of popularity without a commen-
surate volume of sales. There is no question
about the fact that present-day issues in both
song and dance form are alluring. There is
hardly any question about the ability of the
public to buy such music at present-day prices.
That they have not been making such purchases
in normal volume is not due to the lack of merit
of the offerings. It is the result of too many
numbers to choose from and too much publicity
on others.
The suggestion outlined here has the merit
of getting people- into music stores. Bringing
a larger number of people into retail establish-
ments as monthly visitors should run up gross
sales and profits. Granted that popular songs
have sufficient exploitation, the newer program
could be looked up then as an educational meas-
ure, a measure that would bring the desire to
completion in sales form before the interest had
waned.
Blue Skies (New) (Irving Berlin)
Because I Love You (Irving Berlin)
(I'm Tellin' the Birds—Tellin' the Bees)
How I Love You
Put Your Arms Where They Belong-
Just a Little Longer (Irving Berlin)
I Never See Mag-pie Alone
Here or There as Long as I'm With You
My Baby Knows How
How Many Times (Irving Berlin)
Rags
Some Day
I'm on My Way Home (Irving Berlin)
When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob,
Bobbin' Along
Wait'll We're Married
Carolina Mine
That's What I Call a l'al
Song of Shanghai
Yankee Rose
I Never Knew What the Moonlight Could Do
That's a Good Girl (Irving Berlin)
At Peace With the World
Oh! How She Could Play a Ukulele
Susie's Feller
When I'm in Your Arms
Klsie Shultz-en-Heim
So Will I
I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (If I Knew
I'd Find You)
I'd Love to Meet That Old Sweetheart of
Mine
Remember
Always
Let's Make Up
In the Middle of the Night
Roses Remind Me of You
Tonight's My Night With Baby
Pretty Cinderella
—
—
—
Irving Berlin Issues
First Saxophone Folio
No.
1 Includes Fifteen Numbers, Including
Many of the Most Popular in the Berlin Cata-
log
BOOKS THAT SELL
X
New Universal Dance Folio No. 12
Special Kdltion for 1927
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Bongs
Tiddle De Ukes
Strum It With Orumlt
—
Irving Berlin, Inc., 1607 Broadway, New York
City, will shortly release its first saxophone
folio. This will be known as Saxophone Folio
No. 1 and will embody fifteen of the most suc-
Irving Berlin's Song Gems
cessful songs in the Berlin catalog, including
From the Musical Comedy Sensation
"Because I Love You," "Always," "Tellin' the
"THE COCOANUTS"
Birds, Tellin' the Bees,' "How Many Times,"
Tlng-aling the Bell'll Ring
and "I'm On My Way Home." This is the first
Why Do Yon Want to Know Why?
of this type of publication issued by the Berlin
Florida By the Sea
Co. and it will carry arrangements for three
The Monkey Doodle Doo
keys, K-flat, C melody and B-flat alto with piano
Lucky Boy
accompaniment.
We Should Caro
Harry Engel, sales manager of Irving Berlin,
Inc., promises that this new release in the Ber-
lin offices will carry several innovations that will
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
be of particular interest to saxophone enthusi-
asts and to the trade. The publication is now
1607 Broadway, New York
on the press and copies will be forwarded to
ballad
fox-trot; "(.'lu-rit/a," a Viennese waltz, and
retailers shortly. It is understood that the Ber-
"Oh!
Lizzie,"
a novelty fox-trot. The com-
lin Co. will follow its first saxophone folio with
pany also announces that it will release a "sur-
a series of later releases at appropriate times.
prise" melody early in February, the title of
which is "Underneath the Weeping Willow."
Three New Numbers
Bibo, Bloedon & Lang, Inc., publishers of
"Am I Wasting My Time On You" and other
successes, have just announced three new num-
bers, all of which have been placed in an imme-
diate exploitation campaign. The songs include
"If Tears Could Bring You Back to Me," a
39
The ranks of coining composers and music
lovers were somewhat augmented recently
through the announcement of Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph M. Davis of the arrival of Lucille Joan
Davis on January 17. Joe Davis, who is known
ever the radio as the Melody Man, is also head
of the Triangle Music Publishing Co.