PRESTO
January 20, 1923.
SHEET MUSIC TRADE
TO PUBLISHERS
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIII
THE COMBINED CIRCULATION
OF PRESTO (EST. 1884), AND MUS-
ICAL TIMES (EST. 1881), IS BY FAR
THE LARGEST IN THE FIELD OF
THE MUSIC TRADE. COMBINA-
TION RATES OF SPECIAL AT-
TRACTIVENESS FOR ADVERTIS-
ING SPACE IN BOTH PAPERS
WILL BE MADE TO MUSIC PUB-
LISHERS.
This department is designed to advance the sales
of sheet music, and give any current information in
the Sheet Music Trade.
This publication believes that Sheet Music will
pay the dealer, just as any other commodity pays
those who merchandise it properly.
The conductor of this department will review
any numbers that are sent in for the purpose. It is
not the intent to criticise, but to review these offer-
ings, giving particular information of the theme and
a description of the musical setting of the number
discussed.
Address all communications to Conductor Sheet
Music Dept., Presto, 407 S. Dearborn, Chicago, 111.
FAKE MUSIC PUBLISHERS
Their Methods Exposed at a Recent Convention in
New York City.
Some methods of fake song publishers were de-
scribed at the recent convention in New York of the
Music Teachers' National Association by William
Arms Fisher, manager of Oliver Ditson and Com-
pany, Boston music publishers, in a talk on "Song
Sharks and Their Victims." While there was noth-
ing in what Mr. Fisher said that has not been told in
earlier issues of Presto, his remarks were interesting
and instructive.
"Having received hundreds of pitiful letters from
victims of these sharks," said' Mr. Fisher, "I wrote
some verses entitled 'The Ache in My Heart for You,'
and sent them to the advertisers whose names I found
in the pages of over forty magazines. From the
flood of answers, the contracts for signature, booklets
of instructions and circulars warning me of fraud by
the other fellows, I let these people show me their
methods.
"These are for the most part to charge a would-be
song writer from $5 to as high as $90 for supplying
music for his verses, promising to secure publication
of the result from a reputable music publishing house.
This turns out to be a printing establishment, gener-
ally the shark's own shop, which turns out a few
copies of the song, and that is all that happens.
"THE LOVE YOU
FIRST GAVE ME"
A Song of the better class. Very pretty
melody. Will go well anywhere. One
of the kind that never grows old*
Orchestrations now ready
25c
WM. STERN, Publisher
6219 MAY ST.
:-:
CHICAGO, ILL.
American Popular Music Bulletin Service.
est
"These swindlers are careful to keep within the
postal laws, but the post office authorities at Wash-
ington have been advised of the extent of their prac-
tices, and are taking hold of the matter, recently clos-
ing up a Chicago concern which is reported to have
cleaned up over $500,000 in the last three years. So
great is the evil that the Music Publishers' Associa-
tion of the United States, the Music Publishers' Pro-
tective Association and the Music Industries Chamber
of Commerce have issued a warning against the
sharks through the Better Business Bureau of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Fisher said that the widely-published fact that
George M. Cohan received $25,000 for "Over There"
had, through swindles, cost gullible versifiers anxious
for "easy money" more than a million dollars.
DR. SPAETH ON COMPOSERS.
In one of his clever talks for the Ampico Series
of Distinguished Artist Concerts, broadcasted at the
Newark, N. J., station of the Westinghouse Electric
and Manufacturing Company, Dr. Sigmund Spaeth,
the noted musical authority, said: "American com-
posers began to find out some time ago that all the
best tunes were to be found in either classical or
folk music. The tunes that are in great music are
of the kind that remain permanently in the memory."
By way of example, he showed how the modern
tune, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" was taken
note for note from Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu in
C sharp minor, also how the fox-trot "Castle of
Dreams," from Irene, was extracted from Chopin's
delightful Waltz in D flat.
FEATURING GROVE'S DICTIONARY.
Louis Mack, sheet music dealer at 124 Broadway,
Portland, Oregon, is featuring "Grove's Dictionary of
Music and Musicians," published in six volumes by
Theo Presser of Philadelphia, and Mr. Mack says
that every musician and teacher as well as music
lovers should have a copy in their libraries.
EILERS' SHEET MUSIC STOCK.
In spite of the sale of the Oregon Eilers' bankrupt
stock at Portland, Ore., all the sheet music dealers
in that city report exceptional business. While the
stock was extensive, it was the accumulation of years,
and contained few late numbers, and those who at-
tended the sale looking for particular numbers and
not finding them went to other stores where their
wants were met.
Marks of Favor for Songs Plainly in Evidence All
Over the Country.
It 'is freely admitted that "Nobody Lied" tops the
list of song hits in the number of copies sold every
week. The big success of Jerome H. Remick & Co.
is the most sung, played, hummed and whistled tune
in the United States and Canada at the present time.
In the district offices in New York, Chicago and De-
troit and in every agency from the Atlantic to the
Pacific the same report is made.
But "Nobody Lied" does not monopolize the favor
of song buyers for other Remick productions. "Caro-
lina in the Morning" is a Remick song that gains in
favor and sales with the passing of every week.
"Down Old Virginia Way" and "Silver Swanee" are
other Remick songs with a Southern flavor that show
a steady and ever-increasing sale. "California" con-
tinues to retain the favor of the sheet music buyers
and this may be said of "Lovable Eyes," "Dixie High-
way," "My Buddy," and Childhood Days."
In Chicago there are big calls for "You're Eyes
Have Told Me So" and "Polly" and other steady fa-
vorites are "Lovable Eyes" and "Tomorrow Will Be
Brighter Than Today."
BE YOUR OWN PUBLISHER
The Means to Do So May Be Found with Rayner-
Dalheim & Co., Chicago.
The power of the fake song publishers for evil
would be almost nullified if the music dealers
throughout the country used the means at hand to
do so. And in doing this the sheet music dealers
would be performing beneficial services for them-
selves as well as for their customers. The best way
to curb the fake publisher pest is to promote the
methods for honest publishing.
There are a great many publishing houses where
the amateur composer and the lyric maker can get
a frank and honest opinion as to the worth of their
musical or lyrical productions. These houses are
keenly on the lookout for meritorious compositions,
musical and lyrical. They are quick to turn down
FORE!
MAKE WAY
FOR THE
Four Foremost Sellers
"LOVE OF THE AGES"
Endorsed and Sung by Cyrena Van Gordon
MUSIC PUBLISHERS INCORPORATE.
An already well-established music publishing house
of Rochester, N. Y., has incorporated. Some of the
songs of the company are already very popular, and
the success of the corporation is assured. The new
corporation is that of the Berardi Coccia Music Co.,
Rochester, sheet music; $50,000; V. Berardi, L. R.
Coccia, E. Blanchi. It is well for the sheet music
industry that publishers of the Berardi-Coccia kind
flourish. The heads of the company are skilled
musicians and lyricists whose songs have won wide
"DREAMING OF LOVE'S OLD DREAM"
The Song You Have Been Waiting For
"You're the One Little Girl for Me 1 '
A Ballad You Will Never Forget
"When I Dream that Auld Erin is Free"
A Tribute to Ireland's Independence
HERBERT J. GOTT
Successors to
GOTT ® HENDERSON
American sheet music is being brought into Canada
without payment of prescribed duty, according to
complaints of the Canadian Department of Customs
and Excise.
JUST OUT I
"Mother, Dear, I'm Sad and Lonely,"
A New Waltz Song; add this to your Xmas
list. Composed and published by
MAY BELL ANDREWS
ELDRED
(McKean Co.)
/
PENNA.
Gladly Furnished
on Anything in Music
Music Printers (
WestofNewYorkV
ANY PUBLISHER \ ;
OUR REFERENCE
^^
THE REMICK SONG HITS
^
_/
, WORK DONE BY
ALL PROCESSES
2054-2060 W.Lake St., Chicago, 111.
166 W. JACKSON BLVD.
CHICAGO
REMICK SONG HITS
Nobody Lied
Sweet Indiana Home
My Buddy
California
Tomorrow Will Be Brighter
Than Today
Carolina in the Morning
Silver Swanee
Childhood Days
When Shall We Meet Again
Lovable Eyes
Out of the Shadows
Your Eyes Have Told Me So
Dixie Highway
Just a Little Blue
Polly
J. H. REMICK & CO.
New York
Chicago
Detroit
BAYNEB, DALHEIM & Co.
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