Music Trade Review
Issue: 1917 Vol. 65 N. 13 - Page 69
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
65
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEIST PATRIOTIC HIT BEING STRONGLY FEATURED
One of the newer wartime songs, that has
really proven a hit, is the Feist song, "Where Do
We Go From Here, Boys?" which has a sing-
able melody that has made a strong appeal
as a center piece a cutout showing the rear
platform of a railroad car crowded with soldiers
off to the front. At each side was shown groups
of soldiers cheering wildly. Copies of the song
W.
TUP VICTORIOUS SONG SlOGMt ATRHWNDOIJSy
C3O
Display of "Where Do We Go From Here, Boys," at Woolworth Store in Chicago
throughout the country. The number has been itself were arranged artistically around the win-
well featured by music dealers and syndicate dow, and the song title was spread across a
stores in all sections with excellent success, and large banner at the top of the window. The title
the accompanying illustration shows the atten- was also printed on a sign spread across the rear
railing of the car, where it could not be missed.
tion given to a display of the song by one of
the Woolworth stores in Chicago. The display The results of the display repaid the efforts that
occupied the entire window space and had were put into the details of its arrangement.
DEATH OF PROR^OTTO HACKH
PATRIOTIC MUSICj;ORP. CHARTERED
Prof. Otto Hackh, a veteran musician, com-
poser and vocal instructer, died last Friday at
257 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N. Y. Over
400 compositions of orchestral and chamber
music, of which he was the author, have been
published in Europe and in this country. He
was sixty-six years old.
A certificate of incorporation has been granted
by the Secretary of State of New York to the
Patriotic Music Corp., Manhattan. The incor-
porators include J. H. Lockwood, F. Beaton
and W. H. D. Pell, 5 Nassau street. The com-
pany will start business with a capitalization of
$10,000.
THE CLAIMANTS TO POPULAR SONGS
Rush of Those Who Claim to Have Originated
Melodies of Hits Proves a Burden to Legiti-
mate Publishers—Should Endeavor to Find
Organized Methods for Combating Evil
The numerous actions now before the courts
over the rights of the several litigants to the
melodies of more or less popular songs, and par-
ticularly the suit over "Tipperary" now before
the New York Supreme Court, should serve as
a warning to music publishers to take every
step possible to protect their interests. It is
a noteworthy fact that charges of plagiarism
are brought only in cases where the songs have
won popularity, and in most cases the suits
are brought by people more or less obscure, so
far as the professional music field is concerned.
Although in a majority of cases the plaintiffs
fail to win, the publisher is generally called
upon to stand for heavy legal fees.
There are at the present time several organi-
zations of publishers designed to accomplish
certain things, and it would seem quite possible
for one of these organizations to take up the
question of combating these late claimants to
popular song rights. In very few cases have
the obscure ones any tangible proof in law that
their claims are just. In many instances, as
a matter of fact, they have failed utterly to
observe the provisions of the copyright law and
throw themselves upon the protection of the
common law to gain their ends.
Regardless
of the justice of various claims made, it seems
little short of ridiculous that a plaintiff who
holds that a popular song has been stolen from
him waits two or three years, and until after
the song has become a hit, to bring suit.
If the publishers through organization could
find means to discourage such suits as are not
well founded, it would serve to save Tnany thou-
sands of dollars now, to all intents and purposes,
squandered in legal fees. If a claimant has to
Hglit an organization instead of an individual'he
might not be so anxious to go to law.
Important Announcement
This is to announce that Ernest R. Ball and J. Keirn
Brennan are under exclusive contract to us for a term
of years for all their writings. These contracts are in
full force and effect, any claims of said Ball or Brennan
or any publisher to the contrary notwithstanding.
We propose to enforce our rights to publish any
number or numbers these writers, either singly or jointly,
may write or control, to the fullest extent of the law.
M. WITMARK & SONS
Nathan Burkan, Counsel
65
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEIST PATRIOTIC HIT BEING STRONGLY FEATURED
One of the newer wartime songs, that has
really proven a hit, is the Feist song, "Where Do
We Go From Here, Boys?" which has a sing-
able melody that has made a strong appeal
as a center piece a cutout showing the rear
platform of a railroad car crowded with soldiers
off to the front. At each side was shown groups
of soldiers cheering wildly. Copies of the song
W.
TUP VICTORIOUS SONG SlOGMt ATRHWNDOIJSy
C3O
Display of "Where Do We Go From Here, Boys," at Woolworth Store in Chicago
throughout the country. The number has been itself were arranged artistically around the win-
well featured by music dealers and syndicate dow, and the song title was spread across a
stores in all sections with excellent success, and large banner at the top of the window. The title
the accompanying illustration shows the atten- was also printed on a sign spread across the rear
railing of the car, where it could not be missed.
tion given to a display of the song by one of
the Woolworth stores in Chicago. The display The results of the display repaid the efforts that
occupied the entire window space and had were put into the details of its arrangement.
DEATH OF PROR^OTTO HACKH
PATRIOTIC MUSICj;ORP. CHARTERED
Prof. Otto Hackh, a veteran musician, com-
poser and vocal instructer, died last Friday at
257 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N. Y. Over
400 compositions of orchestral and chamber
music, of which he was the author, have been
published in Europe and in this country. He
was sixty-six years old.
A certificate of incorporation has been granted
by the Secretary of State of New York to the
Patriotic Music Corp., Manhattan. The incor-
porators include J. H. Lockwood, F. Beaton
and W. H. D. Pell, 5 Nassau street. The com-
pany will start business with a capitalization of
$10,000.
THE CLAIMANTS TO POPULAR SONGS
Rush of Those Who Claim to Have Originated
Melodies of Hits Proves a Burden to Legiti-
mate Publishers—Should Endeavor to Find
Organized Methods for Combating Evil
The numerous actions now before the courts
over the rights of the several litigants to the
melodies of more or less popular songs, and par-
ticularly the suit over "Tipperary" now before
the New York Supreme Court, should serve as
a warning to music publishers to take every
step possible to protect their interests. It is
a noteworthy fact that charges of plagiarism
are brought only in cases where the songs have
won popularity, and in most cases the suits
are brought by people more or less obscure, so
far as the professional music field is concerned.
Although in a majority of cases the plaintiffs
fail to win, the publisher is generally called
upon to stand for heavy legal fees.
There are at the present time several organi-
zations of publishers designed to accomplish
certain things, and it would seem quite possible
for one of these organizations to take up the
question of combating these late claimants to
popular song rights. In very few cases have
the obscure ones any tangible proof in law that
their claims are just. In many instances, as
a matter of fact, they have failed utterly to
observe the provisions of the copyright law and
throw themselves upon the protection of the
common law to gain their ends.
Regardless
of the justice of various claims made, it seems
little short of ridiculous that a plaintiff who
holds that a popular song has been stolen from
him waits two or three years, and until after
the song has become a hit, to bring suit.
If the publishers through organization could
find means to discourage such suits as are not
well founded, it would serve to save Tnany thou-
sands of dollars now, to all intents and purposes,
squandered in legal fees. If a claimant has to
Hglit an organization instead of an individual'he
might not be so anxious to go to law.
Important Announcement
This is to announce that Ernest R. Ball and J. Keirn
Brennan are under exclusive contract to us for a term
of years for all their writings. These contracts are in
full force and effect, any claims of said Ball or Brennan
or any publisher to the contrary notwithstanding.
We propose to enforce our rights to publish any
number or numbers these writers, either singly or jointly,
may write or control, to the fullest extent of the law.
M. WITMARK & SONS
Nathan Burkan, Counsel
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