Music Trade Review
Issue: 1921 Vol. 72 N. 7 - Page 48
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
48
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEBRUARY 12, 1921
WHY DONT YOU
THE BIG MELODY HIT FROM AFGAR"
XU N G
BY
PUBLISHED
LEO FEIST Inc.
ALICE DELYSIA
FEIST BLDG. NEW YORK
foci can I oo wronq wilk an,
PUBLISHERS SHOULD KEEP BOOSTING RECORDED NUMBERS
Practice Among Some Publishers to Forget All About a Song After It Has Been Recorded
Mechanically Serves to Hurt Entire Industry—Closer Co-operation Needed
There seems to be a feeling in mechanical
recording circles that the methods of receiv-
ing and selecting songs for recording purposes
will have to undergo an improvement, either
voluntarily at the hands of the publishers them-
selves or arbitrarily by action of the recording
interests. This feeling is due to the actions
of some publishers who, from time to time.
have added meritorious numbers to their cata-
logs, featured them for a limited period until
they have been accepted for recording, and
then ceased exploitation work.
In many cases songs are accepted by re-
corders on the assurance of the publisher that
he is carrying on, or is going to carry on, a
live campaign to popularize the number in
sheet music form. When, after securing all the
mechanical contracts in sight, the publisher puts
the song on the shelf and forgets about it, the
recorders naturally feel that they have been
imposed upon.
The publishers using such methods appar-
ently labor under the impression that they are
putting something over on the mechanical peo-
ple, and for a time they accomplish their ob-
ject, but the reaction is in sight, and the ma-
jority of recording rooms now watch carefully
what is being done with the number before
they issue it in record or music roll form.
Inasmuch as some of the larger publishers
have an arrangement with the player roll com-
panies whereby the latter record two numbers
•from the catalog of each publisher every
month, it has become necessary for smaller
houses to prove the value of their publications
before they are able to squeeze them into the
record and roll lists. To accomplish this pur-
pose on false pretenses, as it were, is cer-
tainly not going to bring any lasting benefit
to the offending publisher, and is, moreover, a
very unfair procedure.
For the purpose of having their numbers re-
corded, all of the publishers, both large and
small, have on their staff one whose particular
purpose is to handle mechanical reproductions,
and in this they are justified, but it is useless
to have a representative carrying messages as
to the value of specific numbers if some sub-
stantial effort is not made to meet the reason-
able obligations assumed when a number is
recorded.
A case in point was recently brought to the
writer's attention, where a publisher of a small
variety had a fox-trot song which was readily
accepted by almost every recording room, both
VAN ALSTYNE & CURTIS
oiler
THE OVERNIGHT HIT
BIG SELLERS
in the talking machine record and player roll
field, all of whom acknowledged it was a num-
ber of exceptional merit. The publisher, how-
ever, for some reason or other, did not seem
to think its value in sheet music form would
prove a sales "getter" and shortly after it was
accepted for recording by most^ of the com-
panies he simply ceased his activities and ex-
ploitation of the number. As a result of this
action this particular publisher has incurred the
ill-feeling of the recorders and is likely to have
considerable trouble getting future numbers on
records or rolls unless there is a mighty ap-
parent change in his attitude and system in this
particular avenue.
3 SELLING HITS
GOING BIGGER
that
AND BIGGER!
"HER MOTHER IS A BETTER PAL
THAN MARY"
I "I'VK (JOT THE I
I OVKHALI, BI.UKS" I
"THAT'S WIIKN I'M
I'ININC FOK YOU"
ORDER FROM "YOUR JOBBER OR DIRECT
BIGGER-HAND ATX
99 Nassau Street, New York
Waltz Ballad Success
Special Price 15 cents
•elected from the
STARTING VERY BIG!
Popular Standard
chic.,0 McKinley Music Co."-**
Pictorial Catalog of
M. Witmark & Sons
All 30 cent numbers
DOWN THE TRAIL TO HOME, SWEET HOME
LET THE REST OF THE WORLD GO BY
TRIPOLI (On the Shores of Tripoli)
MV MOTHER'S EVENING PRAYER
KENTUCKY BLUES (I've Got the Blues for My
Kentucky Home)
IN THE DUSK—RIO GRANDE
JUST A WEEK FROM TO-DAY
MY HOME TOWN IS A ONE-HORSE TOWN
But It's Big Enough for Me
WHO'LL TAKE THE PLACE OF MARY?
BECKY FROM BABYLON—THE SWEETEST
MELODY
THAT'S HOW YOU CAN TELL THEY'RE IRISH
DEENAH (My Argentina Rose)
JUST LOVE—FANCIES
LILAH (Sugar Baby of Mine)
COTTON (Cotton Was a Little Dixie Rose)
VISION GIRL—HUMMING BIRD
I'M DOUBLIN' BACK TO DUBLIN
PARISIOLA—RIVOLI
SHE'S THE HEART OF DIXIELAND
DEALERS—It's a real hit, have it first in
your city.
Order at once from your jobber or direct 18c
VAN ALSTYNE & CURTIS
Send all ordert to Toledo office
NEW YORK
TOLEDO
CHICAGO
48
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEBRUARY 12, 1921
WHY DONT YOU
THE BIG MELODY HIT FROM AFGAR"
XU N G
BY
PUBLISHED
LEO FEIST Inc.
ALICE DELYSIA
FEIST BLDG. NEW YORK
foci can I oo wronq wilk an,
PUBLISHERS SHOULD KEEP BOOSTING RECORDED NUMBERS
Practice Among Some Publishers to Forget All About a Song After It Has Been Recorded
Mechanically Serves to Hurt Entire Industry—Closer Co-operation Needed
There seems to be a feeling in mechanical
recording circles that the methods of receiv-
ing and selecting songs for recording purposes
will have to undergo an improvement, either
voluntarily at the hands of the publishers them-
selves or arbitrarily by action of the recording
interests. This feeling is due to the actions
of some publishers who, from time to time.
have added meritorious numbers to their cata-
logs, featured them for a limited period until
they have been accepted for recording, and
then ceased exploitation work.
In many cases songs are accepted by re-
corders on the assurance of the publisher that
he is carrying on, or is going to carry on, a
live campaign to popularize the number in
sheet music form. When, after securing all the
mechanical contracts in sight, the publisher puts
the song on the shelf and forgets about it, the
recorders naturally feel that they have been
imposed upon.
The publishers using such methods appar-
ently labor under the impression that they are
putting something over on the mechanical peo-
ple, and for a time they accomplish their ob-
ject, but the reaction is in sight, and the ma-
jority of recording rooms now watch carefully
what is being done with the number before
they issue it in record or music roll form.
Inasmuch as some of the larger publishers
have an arrangement with the player roll com-
panies whereby the latter record two numbers
•from the catalog of each publisher every
month, it has become necessary for smaller
houses to prove the value of their publications
before they are able to squeeze them into the
record and roll lists. To accomplish this pur-
pose on false pretenses, as it were, is cer-
tainly not going to bring any lasting benefit
to the offending publisher, and is, moreover, a
very unfair procedure.
For the purpose of having their numbers re-
corded, all of the publishers, both large and
small, have on their staff one whose particular
purpose is to handle mechanical reproductions,
and in this they are justified, but it is useless
to have a representative carrying messages as
to the value of specific numbers if some sub-
stantial effort is not made to meet the reason-
able obligations assumed when a number is
recorded.
A case in point was recently brought to the
writer's attention, where a publisher of a small
variety had a fox-trot song which was readily
accepted by almost every recording room, both
VAN ALSTYNE & CURTIS
oiler
THE OVERNIGHT HIT
BIG SELLERS
in the talking machine record and player roll
field, all of whom acknowledged it was a num-
ber of exceptional merit. The publisher, how-
ever, for some reason or other, did not seem
to think its value in sheet music form would
prove a sales "getter" and shortly after it was
accepted for recording by most^ of the com-
panies he simply ceased his activities and ex-
ploitation of the number. As a result of this
action this particular publisher has incurred the
ill-feeling of the recorders and is likely to have
considerable trouble getting future numbers on
records or rolls unless there is a mighty ap-
parent change in his attitude and system in this
particular avenue.
3 SELLING HITS
GOING BIGGER
that
AND BIGGER!
"HER MOTHER IS A BETTER PAL
THAN MARY"
I "I'VK (JOT THE I
I OVKHALI, BI.UKS" I
"THAT'S WIIKN I'M
I'ININC FOK YOU"
ORDER FROM "YOUR JOBBER OR DIRECT
BIGGER-HAND ATX
99 Nassau Street, New York
Waltz Ballad Success
Special Price 15 cents
•elected from the
STARTING VERY BIG!
Popular Standard
chic.,0 McKinley Music Co."-**
Pictorial Catalog of
M. Witmark & Sons
All 30 cent numbers
DOWN THE TRAIL TO HOME, SWEET HOME
LET THE REST OF THE WORLD GO BY
TRIPOLI (On the Shores of Tripoli)
MV MOTHER'S EVENING PRAYER
KENTUCKY BLUES (I've Got the Blues for My
Kentucky Home)
IN THE DUSK—RIO GRANDE
JUST A WEEK FROM TO-DAY
MY HOME TOWN IS A ONE-HORSE TOWN
But It's Big Enough for Me
WHO'LL TAKE THE PLACE OF MARY?
BECKY FROM BABYLON—THE SWEETEST
MELODY
THAT'S HOW YOU CAN TELL THEY'RE IRISH
DEENAH (My Argentina Rose)
JUST LOVE—FANCIES
LILAH (Sugar Baby of Mine)
COTTON (Cotton Was a Little Dixie Rose)
VISION GIRL—HUMMING BIRD
I'M DOUBLIN' BACK TO DUBLIN
PARISIOLA—RIVOLI
SHE'S THE HEART OF DIXIELAND
DEALERS—It's a real hit, have it first in
your city.
Order at once from your jobber or direct 18c
VAN ALSTYNE & CURTIS
Send all ordert to Toledo office
NEW YORK
TOLEDO
CHICAGO
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).