Music Trade Review
Issue: 1920 Vol. 70 N. 8 - Page 49
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEBRUARY 21, 1920
49
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
SYNDICATE STORES AND
10-CENT SHEET MUSIC
Just Watch It Grow !
Claims Regarding
Enormous
Distribution
Which Can Be Secured for This Class of
Music Through Chain Stores Exaggerated
There recently appeared an announcement
that the Woolworth interests were going to
select popular songs from time to time and
make them national hits. The success or failure
of the effort will certainly be looked upon with
the greatest interest by the publishers. How-
ever, it is a question whether, even with the
efficient merchandising methods and splendid
sales organization possessed by the firm in ques-
tion, it will be possible for them to get any-
where near the sales volume that has been pre-
dicted in some quarters, these predictions
reaching a total of as high as two million copies
under the conditions as outlined. That this is
far above what the syndicate in question will be
able to dispose of is unquestionable. No matter
how successful the song, the distribution will
fall well below a million copies and some very
close students of the situation claim that their
very best sales total will hardly go above 500,000
copies.
In order to reach even the above figure Wool-
worth's certainly will have to give a good part
of their energies to pushing the number selected,
to the exclusion of other salable works. That
this will not make for good business must be
assumed, inasmuch as the public in many, many
cases will be desirous of purchasing other than
"their featured number." That they can carry
out such a policy over a long period of time
successfully is open to question. It, of course,
can be done, but -at a sacrifice of other profits
and by stunting their departments.
The Woolworth syndicate apparently have
been trying to solve a problem that is already
a closed issue as far as the majority of the
publishers, are concerned, and in endeavoring
to take some action that would tend to improve
their situation they have, if anything, added
newer problems.
The entry of the popular publishers into the
30-cent field has in no case, in itself, made them
exclusive, higher-priced publishers, with the ex-
ception where conditions forced them to con-
fine themselves to such prints. Most of the
popular publishers who are to-day exclusively
30-ceiit houses took such action when they were
eliminated from the 10-cent syndicates.
Many popular publishers have the intention
of remaining in the 10-cent field, as far as some
of their works are concerned, if it is possible to
do business with large distributors. They feel
that there are many songs that should he re-
On
Words by
WILLIAM LE BARON
Music by
VICTOR JACOB I
CHAPPELL & CO., LTD., New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne
tailed at 10 cents, or, at the most, 15 cents.
"BOHEMIA" WINNING SUCCESS
All through what-has been termed "the fight"
the leading popular publishers have issued many Fox-trot by Miss Ethel Broaker Meeting With
Increasing Popularity
10-cent works and many of these publishers
when questioned referred to the long list of hits
during the past twelve months that they have
One of the newer fox-trots, also successful as
sold to the syndicate stores with 10 cents as
a. song, which is be-
their maximum price. These were fast-selling
coming quite popular
numbers, numbers that were worked on by
is entitled "Bohemia."
professional departments, selections that were
As a dance it appears
played nightly by the orchestras.
to meet the require-
ments of the most en-
We do not think that the syndicate stores
thusiastic devotees of
confining themselves to a 10-cent maximum
sales price have shown any loss of business in
the art of Terpsichore
their music departments during the past twelve
and as a song it is also
months. On the other hand, we believe their
heard
frequently in
sales records show that they did a larger vol-
vaudeville and other
ume of business than ever before. What, then,
circles.
is the complaint? That they have not had all
. The appealing mel-
the fast-selling numbers on their counters? This
Ethel Broaker
.ody of this number is
the popular publishers cannot give them, inas-
from the pen of Miss Ethel Broaker and the
much as it is unprofitable to publish 10-cent
lyrics are by Louis Weslyn, author of "Send Me
music exclusively. And even if it were pos-
sible so to publish it would be foolhardy for Away With a Smile." The song attained im-
them to do so after it has been demonstrated mediate success in the East and from recent
that the public really wants 30-cent music and reports its popularity is traveling Westward at
that 30-cent popular prints can be sold in just a rapid rate. , The Boston Music Co., Boston,
as large a volume as was possible in the old Mass., now publish "Bohemia."
days when 10 cents was the retail price of all
popular songs.
GETS RIGHTS TO ^KABIBBLE"
Louis
Bernstein Acquires Talking Machine
Rights to Hershfield Cartoons
NEW NUMBER BY MONACO
Jimmy Monaco, who recently joined the writ-
ing staff of Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc., will
shortly have his first number released for that
firm, entitled "Oriental Stars." It is under-
stood that the Shapiro-Bernstein organization
will feature the number shortly.
OLJR BEST
Louis Bernstein, head of Shapiro, Bernstein
& Co.; "Trie.", has acquired the talking machine
rights to the "Abe Kabibble" and "Abie, the
Agent" characters from Harry Hershfield, the
cartoonist. Mr. Bernstein has applied for pat-
ents on the names to be used as trade-marks.
SELLERS A
SONG ONESTEP
OFTME
A WALTZ OF RARE
AND HAUNTING
BETTER.TYPE
LYRIC
• BY
BENNY DAVIS
CEORCaPLITTLE
MELODY-
J.STANLEY
BY
JIMMY MORGAN
CqpynjF*MCHXKtyHaunt* Ridmcnd"MuncQ*l*e
PRICE IS CENT5
^RICHMOND PUBLISHER,
145 WEST AK ST.. NEW YORK-CITY •
^^
PKICB t» CBffrTS
CRICHMOND PUBLISHER,
145 WEST 4 5 ™ ST.. NEW YORK C1TV
RICHMOND PUBLISHER,
14S WEST45™ST. NEW YORK CITY
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEBRUARY 21, 1920
49
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
SYNDICATE STORES AND
10-CENT SHEET MUSIC
Just Watch It Grow !
Claims Regarding
Enormous
Distribution
Which Can Be Secured for This Class of
Music Through Chain Stores Exaggerated
There recently appeared an announcement
that the Woolworth interests were going to
select popular songs from time to time and
make them national hits. The success or failure
of the effort will certainly be looked upon with
the greatest interest by the publishers. How-
ever, it is a question whether, even with the
efficient merchandising methods and splendid
sales organization possessed by the firm in ques-
tion, it will be possible for them to get any-
where near the sales volume that has been pre-
dicted in some quarters, these predictions
reaching a total of as high as two million copies
under the conditions as outlined. That this is
far above what the syndicate in question will be
able to dispose of is unquestionable. No matter
how successful the song, the distribution will
fall well below a million copies and some very
close students of the situation claim that their
very best sales total will hardly go above 500,000
copies.
In order to reach even the above figure Wool-
worth's certainly will have to give a good part
of their energies to pushing the number selected,
to the exclusion of other salable works. That
this will not make for good business must be
assumed, inasmuch as the public in many, many
cases will be desirous of purchasing other than
"their featured number." That they can carry
out such a policy over a long period of time
successfully is open to question. It, of course,
can be done, but -at a sacrifice of other profits
and by stunting their departments.
The Woolworth syndicate apparently have
been trying to solve a problem that is already
a closed issue as far as the majority of the
publishers, are concerned, and in endeavoring
to take some action that would tend to improve
their situation they have, if anything, added
newer problems.
The entry of the popular publishers into the
30-cent field has in no case, in itself, made them
exclusive, higher-priced publishers, with the ex-
ception where conditions forced them to con-
fine themselves to such prints. Most of the
popular publishers who are to-day exclusively
30-ceiit houses took such action when they were
eliminated from the 10-cent syndicates.
Many popular publishers have the intention
of remaining in the 10-cent field, as far as some
of their works are concerned, if it is possible to
do business with large distributors. They feel
that there are many songs that should he re-
On
Words by
WILLIAM LE BARON
Music by
VICTOR JACOB I
CHAPPELL & CO., LTD., New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne
tailed at 10 cents, or, at the most, 15 cents.
"BOHEMIA" WINNING SUCCESS
All through what-has been termed "the fight"
the leading popular publishers have issued many Fox-trot by Miss Ethel Broaker Meeting With
Increasing Popularity
10-cent works and many of these publishers
when questioned referred to the long list of hits
during the past twelve months that they have
One of the newer fox-trots, also successful as
sold to the syndicate stores with 10 cents as
a. song, which is be-
their maximum price. These were fast-selling
coming quite popular
numbers, numbers that were worked on by
is entitled "Bohemia."
professional departments, selections that were
As a dance it appears
played nightly by the orchestras.
to meet the require-
ments of the most en-
We do not think that the syndicate stores
thusiastic devotees of
confining themselves to a 10-cent maximum
sales price have shown any loss of business in
the art of Terpsichore
their music departments during the past twelve
and as a song it is also
months. On the other hand, we believe their
heard
frequently in
sales records show that they did a larger vol-
vaudeville and other
ume of business than ever before. What, then,
circles.
is the complaint? That they have not had all
. The appealing mel-
the fast-selling numbers on their counters? This
Ethel Broaker
.ody of this number is
the popular publishers cannot give them, inas-
from the pen of Miss Ethel Broaker and the
much as it is unprofitable to publish 10-cent
lyrics are by Louis Weslyn, author of "Send Me
music exclusively. And even if it were pos-
sible so to publish it would be foolhardy for Away With a Smile." The song attained im-
them to do so after it has been demonstrated mediate success in the East and from recent
that the public really wants 30-cent music and reports its popularity is traveling Westward at
that 30-cent popular prints can be sold in just a rapid rate. , The Boston Music Co., Boston,
as large a volume as was possible in the old Mass., now publish "Bohemia."
days when 10 cents was the retail price of all
popular songs.
GETS RIGHTS TO ^KABIBBLE"
Louis
Bernstein Acquires Talking Machine
Rights to Hershfield Cartoons
NEW NUMBER BY MONACO
Jimmy Monaco, who recently joined the writ-
ing staff of Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc., will
shortly have his first number released for that
firm, entitled "Oriental Stars." It is under-
stood that the Shapiro-Bernstein organization
will feature the number shortly.
OLJR BEST
Louis Bernstein, head of Shapiro, Bernstein
& Co.; "Trie.", has acquired the talking machine
rights to the "Abe Kabibble" and "Abie, the
Agent" characters from Harry Hershfield, the
cartoonist. Mr. Bernstein has applied for pat-
ents on the names to be used as trade-marks.
SELLERS A
SONG ONESTEP
OFTME
A WALTZ OF RARE
AND HAUNTING
BETTER.TYPE
LYRIC
• BY
BENNY DAVIS
CEORCaPLITTLE
MELODY-
J.STANLEY
BY
JIMMY MORGAN
CqpynjF*MCHXKtyHaunt* Ridmcnd"MuncQ*l*e
PRICE IS CENT5
^RICHMOND PUBLISHER,
145 WEST AK ST.. NEW YORK-CITY •
^^
PKICB t» CBffrTS
CRICHMOND PUBLISHER,
145 WEST 4 5 ™ ST.. NEW YORK C1TV
RICHMOND PUBLISHER,
14S WEST45™ST. NEW YORK CITY
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