Music Trade Review
Issue: 1908 Vol. 47 N. 16 - Page 73
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
73
the same set back to the publisher at five or six
If, therefore, publishers feel that they must
dollars and he, the publisher, would never be use slides, make the five and ten-cent theaters
A Few Pointed Facts Connected With This In-
any the wiser.
and the singers either buy them outright or
dustry in Connection With Music Publishing
The success of the five and ten-cent theaters pay a rental. They must have them, and if they
—The Use and Abuse of Song Slides, and a
throughout the United States during the past don't get them from the publisher, they will get
Suggested Remedy for Existing Conditions.
two or three years, and the great volume of
them from the manufacturer or the rental com-
money that has been made by their promoters, panies, and the advertising value is there just the
BY F. B. HAVILAND.
For the past twelve or fifteen years the iv well known. These theaters buy or rent their same without any cost or trouble of any kind.
It is a proposition that my follow publishers
method of popularizing a "popular" song by the moving picture films, but the music publisher
distribution of lantern slides to managers and has given up all the slides that they could use should consider very thoughtfully and carefully,
singers has been a strong feature of the publish- without cost, yet it is apparent that these and I predict the day is not far distant when
ing business and thousands upon thousands of theaters cannot do business without illustrated the manufacturer will be the man who will mon-
dollars have constantly been invested in these songs. Why, then, should they not be made to opolize the slide business. It is he who gets all
pictures. Lately, however, there have been some buy or rent their song slides, as they do their the money out of it and, therefore, why should
radical departures from the old lines and the films? They cannot work without tools, and the he not do all the work and take all the risk, if
publisher has awakened to the fact that many illustrated song undoubtedly cuts a large figure any.
hundreds of his dollars have been thrown away, in their business.
Furthermore, the free and liberal distribution
bringing absolutely no return to him.
HARRY LAUDERJVITH US AGAIN.
Up to quite recently, it was a common practice of professional copies to these slide rental com-
for the publisher to order from the slide manu- panies is a positive loss and detriment to the The Clever Scotch Comedian Getting New York
facturers, two or possibly three hundred sets of publishers. If the slide rental companies rent
Into Rare Good Humor.
slides for a certain song at six or seven dollars a set of slides which cost them say $5 over a
Harry Lauder, the well known Scotch come-
per set. These slides he would give or loan to circuit of theaters from which they get a stated
the singers of illustrated songs and in a large sum each week, they can clean-up on a cost of dian, arrived on the steamship Lusitania on
percentage of the cases he would never see them $5, perhaps fifteen or twenty dollars clear profit. Friday last for his second American engagement.
again. During the past year this slide question It is possible too that they never bought the A score of friends, led by several pipers, went
has received considerable attention in the columns slides in the first place, but obtained them from down the bay in a tug to meet him. He was in
of the Review, which agitated the question of some publisher for the asking, which makes it Highland costume, and said he was delighted to
cutting off this free distribution of pictures. The even worse. These slide rental companies have return to this country.
Seen by The Review, Mr. Lauder said: "I
result has been that many publishers have given been making the money and why should they
up the slide business entirely by turning all not be made to buy regular copies at a nominal am really glad to get back to New York, as I
requests for pictures over to the manufacturer, price? They get a profit from the slides, and cannot forget the royal way in which I was
or if they handle them at all, they insist upon a they ought to be made to pay for the music to treated during my visit last winter. This time
deposit on every set given out, which insures go with them. This question has been thrashed I hope to see a little more of the country, how-
their ultimate return. In some cases, too, they out within the past few months by the Review ever. I will certainly go as far west as Chicago
and has brought good results, for many of the and probably to the Pacific coast. Regarding
charge a rental for their use.
It has been positively proved that a set of publishers are now charging these rental com- my songs, I will sing all that have already been
slides bought and paid for and given out in good panies at least 10 cents per copy for regular heard in New York as well as some new ones
faith by the publisher, to exploit his songs, copies, refusing to supply "professionals" at any which have won considerable popularity on the
have been used by singers to illustrate ninety- price. The proof that the rental companies will other side. Among these I may mention "The
nine other songs not published by the firm who pay for their music is to be found in the fact Wedding of Sandy McNab," "He Was very Kind
originally paid for and loaned the slides to the that they are purchasing regular copies every to Me," "When I Get Back to Bonnie Scotland"
singer. Then again, it is a well known fact day from numerous publishers. I have known and "Hey Donal'." These and all other of Mr.
that many sets of slides obtained from the pub- of many instances where the slides given to I^auder's songs are published by T. B. Harms
lisher by so-called slide or illustrated singers the so-called performer have gone directly to & Francis Day Co.
have found their way direct from the publisher's the slide rental companies, who paid the per- On Monday afternoon Harry Lauder appeared
office (where the singer secured them without former perhaps one or two dollars for them. at the Blaney Lincoln Square Theater, where he
the payment of a cent) into the hands of the Taking it all in all, it is an admitted fact that was accorded an ovation. Amid shouts of the >
slide rental companies, who in turn charge the slides do not make the song. In past years, wildest approval, he made a short speech after '<
five cent theatefs a rental for their use. It may when there were perhaps no more than fifteen being on the stage upwards of an hour.
be said that if the song for which that particular or twenty picture songs published in a year by
set of slides were made was sung in these five the combined publishers of New York, slides
HELF & HAGER FOLLOW THE CROWD.
cent theaters, the publisher might receive some had much to do with the popularizing of a song.
One more important publishing house is ij
part of return for his outlay from the publicity Now the public are surfeited with them, and one
accorded his song, but in most cases his song large publisher in New York has proven conclu- shortly to strike its Twenty-eighth street camp ;'•
is not sung with his slides, and he is, therefore, sively that the statement that slides do not in the inevitable uptown march. Already the $
popularize a song is an absolute fact. This pub- "To Let" sign is to be seen outside the premises ^
the loser all around.
I had been told by slide manufacturers that it lisher had three excellent numbers for which no of Helf & Hager, and within a few weeks this ';
is a common occurrence for a so-called singer to less than 150 set of slides were given out for concern will be found in the vicinity of Fortieth
go to a publisher, get a set of slides presumably each song by the manufacturer, and the combined street and Broadway. What E. T. Paull, "the
for use in singing that publisher's song, and sale of the three songs did not aggregate 500 silent one," thinks of the general exodus will
when he or she gets them, to take them direct copies in six months. The slides were good and forever be concealed in his own breast, but the
to the manufacturer and offer to sell them at two the songs were good and if the publisher had put fact remains that he, and he alone, among the
or three dollars per set. These same slides cost these slides out at his own expense it would more important publishers, stays in the erst-
the publisher five or six dollars. If a manufac- have amounted to at least $750 for each while "Tin Pan Alley," a monument to what all
turer were unscrupulous enough to purchase song, and his return for the three would have music publishers should be, and often, alas, are
not.
thjem from the singer, he could keep on selling been less than one hundred dollars.
THE SLIDE OUESTION.
KISS ME, DEARIE
ALL BIG SELLERS
"MY BRUDDA SYLVEST"
"UNDER THE MATZO TREE"
" W h e n The Moon Plays Peek-A-Boo
With You"
"THE MEANEST MAN IN TOWN"
!
"IN GERMANY"
"I Never Knew What Love W a s
Till I Fell In Love Wltb You"
FRED. FISCHER MUSIC PUB. CO.
1431-33 BROADWAY, NEW YORK
Bob White's Sensational Waltz Song Hit.
Order from your Jobber Now.
MODERN MUSIC PUBLISHERS
121
Thompson's 1908 Hits
" I WISH IJjAD A GIRL"
"COMMON SENSE"
"BASEBALL"
and a lot of others. Ask your Jobber for them
THE THOMPSON MUSIC GO.
268 Wabash Ave.
CHICAGO
PLYMOUTH
STREET, CHICAGO
ANOTHER CHAS. K. HARRIS SONG
"A Man,
A lVf aid,
A Moon,
A Boat."
A Novelty That Will Sell. The Most
Original Ballad Ever Written.
Sold by your music jobber or direct from
the publisher
K HARRTC
31 West 31st St
IV. nAKJVlO,
NEW YORK
-
MEYER COHEN, Manager.
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
73
the same set back to the publisher at five or six
If, therefore, publishers feel that they must
dollars and he, the publisher, would never be use slides, make the five and ten-cent theaters
A Few Pointed Facts Connected With This In-
any the wiser.
and the singers either buy them outright or
dustry in Connection With Music Publishing
The success of the five and ten-cent theaters pay a rental. They must have them, and if they
—The Use and Abuse of Song Slides, and a
throughout the United States during the past don't get them from the publisher, they will get
Suggested Remedy for Existing Conditions.
two or three years, and the great volume of
them from the manufacturer or the rental com-
money that has been made by their promoters, panies, and the advertising value is there just the
BY F. B. HAVILAND.
For the past twelve or fifteen years the iv well known. These theaters buy or rent their same without any cost or trouble of any kind.
It is a proposition that my follow publishers
method of popularizing a "popular" song by the moving picture films, but the music publisher
distribution of lantern slides to managers and has given up all the slides that they could use should consider very thoughtfully and carefully,
singers has been a strong feature of the publish- without cost, yet it is apparent that these and I predict the day is not far distant when
ing business and thousands upon thousands of theaters cannot do business without illustrated the manufacturer will be the man who will mon-
dollars have constantly been invested in these songs. Why, then, should they not be made to opolize the slide business. It is he who gets all
pictures. Lately, however, there have been some buy or rent their song slides, as they do their the money out of it and, therefore, why should
radical departures from the old lines and the films? They cannot work without tools, and the he not do all the work and take all the risk, if
publisher has awakened to the fact that many illustrated song undoubtedly cuts a large figure any.
hundreds of his dollars have been thrown away, in their business.
Furthermore, the free and liberal distribution
bringing absolutely no return to him.
HARRY LAUDERJVITH US AGAIN.
Up to quite recently, it was a common practice of professional copies to these slide rental com-
for the publisher to order from the slide manu- panies is a positive loss and detriment to the The Clever Scotch Comedian Getting New York
facturers, two or possibly three hundred sets of publishers. If the slide rental companies rent
Into Rare Good Humor.
slides for a certain song at six or seven dollars a set of slides which cost them say $5 over a
Harry Lauder, the well known Scotch come-
per set. These slides he would give or loan to circuit of theaters from which they get a stated
the singers of illustrated songs and in a large sum each week, they can clean-up on a cost of dian, arrived on the steamship Lusitania on
percentage of the cases he would never see them $5, perhaps fifteen or twenty dollars clear profit. Friday last for his second American engagement.
again. During the past year this slide question It is possible too that they never bought the A score of friends, led by several pipers, went
has received considerable attention in the columns slides in the first place, but obtained them from down the bay in a tug to meet him. He was in
of the Review, which agitated the question of some publisher for the asking, which makes it Highland costume, and said he was delighted to
cutting off this free distribution of pictures. The even worse. These slide rental companies have return to this country.
Seen by The Review, Mr. Lauder said: "I
result has been that many publishers have given been making the money and why should they
up the slide business entirely by turning all not be made to buy regular copies at a nominal am really glad to get back to New York, as I
requests for pictures over to the manufacturer, price? They get a profit from the slides, and cannot forget the royal way in which I was
or if they handle them at all, they insist upon a they ought to be made to pay for the music to treated during my visit last winter. This time
deposit on every set given out, which insures go with them. This question has been thrashed I hope to see a little more of the country, how-
their ultimate return. In some cases, too, they out within the past few months by the Review ever. I will certainly go as far west as Chicago
and has brought good results, for many of the and probably to the Pacific coast. Regarding
charge a rental for their use.
It has been positively proved that a set of publishers are now charging these rental com- my songs, I will sing all that have already been
slides bought and paid for and given out in good panies at least 10 cents per copy for regular heard in New York as well as some new ones
faith by the publisher, to exploit his songs, copies, refusing to supply "professionals" at any which have won considerable popularity on the
have been used by singers to illustrate ninety- price. The proof that the rental companies will other side. Among these I may mention "The
nine other songs not published by the firm who pay for their music is to be found in the fact Wedding of Sandy McNab," "He Was very Kind
originally paid for and loaned the slides to the that they are purchasing regular copies every to Me," "When I Get Back to Bonnie Scotland"
singer. Then again, it is a well known fact day from numerous publishers. I have known and "Hey Donal'." These and all other of Mr.
that many sets of slides obtained from the pub- of many instances where the slides given to I^auder's songs are published by T. B. Harms
lisher by so-called slide or illustrated singers the so-called performer have gone directly to & Francis Day Co.
have found their way direct from the publisher's the slide rental companies, who paid the per- On Monday afternoon Harry Lauder appeared
office (where the singer secured them without former perhaps one or two dollars for them. at the Blaney Lincoln Square Theater, where he
the payment of a cent) into the hands of the Taking it all in all, it is an admitted fact that was accorded an ovation. Amid shouts of the >
slide rental companies, who in turn charge the slides do not make the song. In past years, wildest approval, he made a short speech after '<
five cent theatefs a rental for their use. It may when there were perhaps no more than fifteen being on the stage upwards of an hour.
be said that if the song for which that particular or twenty picture songs published in a year by
set of slides were made was sung in these five the combined publishers of New York, slides
HELF & HAGER FOLLOW THE CROWD.
cent theaters, the publisher might receive some had much to do with the popularizing of a song.
One more important publishing house is ij
part of return for his outlay from the publicity Now the public are surfeited with them, and one
accorded his song, but in most cases his song large publisher in New York has proven conclu- shortly to strike its Twenty-eighth street camp ;'•
is not sung with his slides, and he is, therefore, sively that the statement that slides do not in the inevitable uptown march. Already the $
popularize a song is an absolute fact. This pub- "To Let" sign is to be seen outside the premises ^
the loser all around.
I had been told by slide manufacturers that it lisher had three excellent numbers for which no of Helf & Hager, and within a few weeks this ';
is a common occurrence for a so-called singer to less than 150 set of slides were given out for concern will be found in the vicinity of Fortieth
go to a publisher, get a set of slides presumably each song by the manufacturer, and the combined street and Broadway. What E. T. Paull, "the
for use in singing that publisher's song, and sale of the three songs did not aggregate 500 silent one," thinks of the general exodus will
when he or she gets them, to take them direct copies in six months. The slides were good and forever be concealed in his own breast, but the
to the manufacturer and offer to sell them at two the songs were good and if the publisher had put fact remains that he, and he alone, among the
or three dollars per set. These same slides cost these slides out at his own expense it would more important publishers, stays in the erst-
the publisher five or six dollars. If a manufac- have amounted to at least $750 for each while "Tin Pan Alley," a monument to what all
turer were unscrupulous enough to purchase song, and his return for the three would have music publishers should be, and often, alas, are
not.
thjem from the singer, he could keep on selling been less than one hundred dollars.
THE SLIDE OUESTION.
KISS ME, DEARIE
ALL BIG SELLERS
"MY BRUDDA SYLVEST"
"UNDER THE MATZO TREE"
" W h e n The Moon Plays Peek-A-Boo
With You"
"THE MEANEST MAN IN TOWN"
!
"IN GERMANY"
"I Never Knew What Love W a s
Till I Fell In Love Wltb You"
FRED. FISCHER MUSIC PUB. CO.
1431-33 BROADWAY, NEW YORK
Bob White's Sensational Waltz Song Hit.
Order from your Jobber Now.
MODERN MUSIC PUBLISHERS
121
Thompson's 1908 Hits
" I WISH IJjAD A GIRL"
"COMMON SENSE"
"BASEBALL"
and a lot of others. Ask your Jobber for them
THE THOMPSON MUSIC GO.
268 Wabash Ave.
CHICAGO
PLYMOUTH
STREET, CHICAGO
ANOTHER CHAS. K. HARRIS SONG
"A Man,
A lVf aid,
A Moon,
A Boat."
A Novelty That Will Sell. The Most
Original Ballad Ever Written.
Sold by your music jobber or direct from
the publisher
K HARRTC
31 West 31st St
IV. nAKJVlO,
NEW YORK
-
MEYER COHEN, Manager.
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