Music Trade Review
Issue: 1921 Vol. 72 N. 9 - Page 63
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
FEBRUARY 26,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1921
ROMANCE
THE COMINGS SONG
WALTZ HIT OF THE
THE NEW
DANCE MELODY.
SONG-FOX-TROT
PUBLISHER? GP'
SWEETlAVENDER
D NICE 600.
1544 BRCttDVAY
WONDRINC
NEW YORK CITY
TAKES STAND FOR CLEAN LYRICS
Publishers' Association to Take Action for
Good of Industry—Vaudeville Circuit Puts
Ban on Suggestive Songs and Lyrics
That the vogue of melody songs is not to
mark the end of progress in the standard of
present-day popular songs has recently been
evidenced by the action of the leading vaude-
ville circuit, which has announced that all "Blue"
and double-meaning- lyrics are to be banished
from vaudeville programs. Also no matter how
slight the degree of suggestiveness, it must be
eliminated.
The following letter has been sent out by
E. C. Mills, chairman of the Executive Board
of the Music Publishers' Protective Association,
which also shows that body is to take action on
the works of its members along the above lines
to forestall any outside reform:
"I take the liberty of suggesting a very care-
ful scrutiny of the lyrics of songs hereafter ac-
cepted, with a view to eliminating entirely the
suggestive, lascivious, double entendre or blue
material.
"Outside of the fact that as publishers we do
not wish to be sponsors for indecent material
or songs that are capable of indecent construc-
tion, the fact is that from now on in increas-
ing measure such songs are going to be barred
from the better vaudeville theatres, and the pub-
lisher who sponsors them may find all profes-
sional publicity sources withdrawn.
"Clean fun, wit and humor, yes, and plenty
of it. The more the better. Lyrics that inspire
lewd thought or action, NO! and none of them.
Let us attend to this now ourselves and out of
our own initiative, before others attend to it
for us and compel the action we should be
proud to voluntarily take.
"Will you please make it a point to make
Four Songs ^ibu are Having 3
Calls For.
* DoTfou Ever ThinJc of Me*
(successor to Whispering 1 )
L *Wandcrin^ Home'
W
^
Ballad Hit of the Year
Coral Sea* w A
Novelty Tax Trot Hit
!A\y Wonder Girl/ /
Art HicfotU.Tis Great Pox Trot Hit
r
v
—'
A l l oF these songs are o u t on
WD&t Records and Player Rolls
Sherman {play & Co.
San. Francisco
ere I
your writers understand? The subject will come
up for discussion at our next meeting."
Following the receipt of the communication
there were several meetings between the heads
of various houses and their writing staffs and
the order went out.that in the future no writer
could hope to receive consideration for any lyric
that bordered on the suggestive or lewd.
There is no doubt that many of the present-
day songs are not only objectionable for home
use, but also are entirely out of place in the
theatres or any other places where ladies and
gentlemen congregate.
The large number
which have during the past year or so been pub-
lished and exploited have in almost all instances
foiled to sell in any large quantities, and their
ptesence in the market has doubtless contributed
in some measure at least to the big music slump
from which the business is slowly emerging.
OF a
GOEAT FOJf-TROT S0N6
BY THE WRITER OF
J. FRED COOTS AT HIS DESK
J. Fred Coots, head of the mechanical depart-
ment of the New York offices of the McKinley
Music Co., who has been confined to his home
for the last two months, has returned to his
activities at the McKinlev Music Co. offices.
LEARNING
SOPHIE TUCKERS
VERYiOWN
iVIAZIE
SWEET MAMMA
CUBAN MOON
TO
I LOST MY HEART YOU
MAMMY'S TEARS
MANYANA
CALLING
WELCOME STRANGER
HEART OF MINE
STRUT M«s LIZZIE
JACK MILLS 5*
Music Publishers
152-54 W. 45th St., NEW YORK
FORSTER
'MUSIC PUBLISHER WC
^3^ SOUTH VWBMH/WI
FEBRUARY 26,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1921
ROMANCE
THE COMINGS SONG
WALTZ HIT OF THE
THE NEW
DANCE MELODY.
SONG-FOX-TROT
PUBLISHER? GP'
SWEETlAVENDER
D NICE 600.
1544 BRCttDVAY
WONDRINC
NEW YORK CITY
TAKES STAND FOR CLEAN LYRICS
Publishers' Association to Take Action for
Good of Industry—Vaudeville Circuit Puts
Ban on Suggestive Songs and Lyrics
That the vogue of melody songs is not to
mark the end of progress in the standard of
present-day popular songs has recently been
evidenced by the action of the leading vaude-
ville circuit, which has announced that all "Blue"
and double-meaning- lyrics are to be banished
from vaudeville programs. Also no matter how
slight the degree of suggestiveness, it must be
eliminated.
The following letter has been sent out by
E. C. Mills, chairman of the Executive Board
of the Music Publishers' Protective Association,
which also shows that body is to take action on
the works of its members along the above lines
to forestall any outside reform:
"I take the liberty of suggesting a very care-
ful scrutiny of the lyrics of songs hereafter ac-
cepted, with a view to eliminating entirely the
suggestive, lascivious, double entendre or blue
material.
"Outside of the fact that as publishers we do
not wish to be sponsors for indecent material
or songs that are capable of indecent construc-
tion, the fact is that from now on in increas-
ing measure such songs are going to be barred
from the better vaudeville theatres, and the pub-
lisher who sponsors them may find all profes-
sional publicity sources withdrawn.
"Clean fun, wit and humor, yes, and plenty
of it. The more the better. Lyrics that inspire
lewd thought or action, NO! and none of them.
Let us attend to this now ourselves and out of
our own initiative, before others attend to it
for us and compel the action we should be
proud to voluntarily take.
"Will you please make it a point to make
Four Songs ^ibu are Having 3
Calls For.
* DoTfou Ever ThinJc of Me*
(successor to Whispering 1 )
L *Wandcrin^ Home'
W
^
Ballad Hit of the Year
Coral Sea* w A
Novelty Tax Trot Hit
!A\y Wonder Girl/ /
Art HicfotU.Tis Great Pox Trot Hit
r
v
—'
A l l oF these songs are o u t on
WD&t Records and Player Rolls
Sherman {play & Co.
San. Francisco
ere I
your writers understand? The subject will come
up for discussion at our next meeting."
Following the receipt of the communication
there were several meetings between the heads
of various houses and their writing staffs and
the order went out.that in the future no writer
could hope to receive consideration for any lyric
that bordered on the suggestive or lewd.
There is no doubt that many of the present-
day songs are not only objectionable for home
use, but also are entirely out of place in the
theatres or any other places where ladies and
gentlemen congregate.
The large number
which have during the past year or so been pub-
lished and exploited have in almost all instances
foiled to sell in any large quantities, and their
ptesence in the market has doubtless contributed
in some measure at least to the big music slump
from which the business is slowly emerging.
OF a
GOEAT FOJf-TROT S0N6
BY THE WRITER OF
J. FRED COOTS AT HIS DESK
J. Fred Coots, head of the mechanical depart-
ment of the New York offices of the McKinley
Music Co., who has been confined to his home
for the last two months, has returned to his
activities at the McKinlev Music Co. offices.
LEARNING
SOPHIE TUCKERS
VERYiOWN
iVIAZIE
SWEET MAMMA
CUBAN MOON
TO
I LOST MY HEART YOU
MAMMY'S TEARS
MANYANA
CALLING
WELCOME STRANGER
HEART OF MINE
STRUT M«s LIZZIE
JACK MILLS 5*
Music Publishers
152-54 W. 45th St., NEW YORK
FORSTER
'MUSIC PUBLISHER WC
^3^ SOUTH VWBMH/WI
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