Music Trade Review
Issue: 1928 Vol. 87 N. 18 - Page 16
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted by Fred B. Diehl
Theme Songs, Music Publishers and the
Relation of the Picture Producers
One of the Leading Music Publishers States His Views on This New Development in
the Field of Musical Composition Exploitation
A
GREAT deal has been said in these col-
umns and elsewhere concerning the
growing importance of motion picture theme
songs to the music publishing industry, and
consequently to the retail music trade. At
present a veritable scramble is in progress in
which music publishers and picture producers
are vying with one another in the attempt to
form suitable, lasting alliances for the future, en-
titling individual producers to musical copy-
rights held by individual publishers for use in
sound films.
Although still in a formative stage the result-
ing arrangements are sure to bring photoplay
music to a higher plane than ever before in
the tens of thousands of picture theatres
throughout the country. With at least one ap-
propriate theme song for every picture pro-
duced, music dealers may look forward not only
to more best sellers of the heart-appeal variety
but also to an organized exploitation of each
song with the national showing of each pic-
ture.
Numerous problems are now involving the
publishers in making these new affiliations with
the picture people and the matter of royalties
on sheet music sales is one of the more im-
portant ones. We are presenting herewith the
views on this topic of an executive of one of
the leading music publishing houses. His an-
alysis of the situation follows: "With the wide-
spread synchronization of theme songs in mo-
tion pictures a new development and a new
problem confronts the publishers of this type of
song. In the beginning of the theme song era,
the producers of motion pictures were quite
willing and even glad to incorporate into their
n
Songs That Really
Sell
Outstanding Sellers in
Our Popular Catalog
THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU
YOU'LL NEVER KNOW
ARE WE DOWNHEARTED? NO!
FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE
(That's Just My Way of) FORGETTING
YOU
BLUE GRASS
MOONLIGHT MADNESS
synchronization a song submitted by the pub
lishers for the advertising value their picture
would get from the exploitation of the song
by the publishers, figuring that every copy of
music distributed by the publisher was just so
much good advertising for their film. Spurred
on by the success of 'Charmaine,' 'Ramona,'
'Angela Mia' and other theme songs they are
now no longer contented with the mere adver
tising and exploitation hook-up, but insist that
the publishers pay them a royalty on each copy
sold, and in some instances have asked for an
advance payment for the privilege of having
the song used in their picture.
"This places the theme song in exactly the
same position as a song from a musical comedy.
It has long been the practice of publishers to
pay a substantial cash advance for the publish-
ing rights to a musical comedy score, and in
addition the royalty paid on this class of music
is two or three times as much as the royalty
paid on popular songs, the producer of the
musical comedy sharing in this royalty as well
as the lyric and melody writer of the score.
"The same condition now exists with theme
songs, and it is only a matter of a very short
time when theme songs will be placed (if in
fact they are not already) in the same price
category as show music.
"So highly do the motion picture producers
regard the potential value of songs synchro-
nized with their films that several of them are
going into the music publishing business for
the express purpose of publishing all songs
used in their pictures. Two of the big pro-
ducers have already made this step; Famous
Players-Paramount having just formed a music
publishing alliance with Harms, Inc., the new
company to be known as Famous Music Co.,
Inc., and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Co. having
affiliated with the Robbins Music Corp. and
in the future is going to publish all their theme
songs through this house. Other deals are
pending between some of the big producers and
publishers for exclusive publication rights,
while other producers are preferring, for the
time being, to be free lancers and award the
synchronization rights to the publishers who
will pay the biggest royalty and who can de-
liver the most intensive exploitation campaign.
Dealers say —
It's the easiest thins
in the world to sell.
WORLD-FAMOUS
McKINLEY
MUSIC
SONNY BOY from "THE SINGING FOOL"
ANGELA MIA from "STREET ANGEL"
SOME DAY, SOMEWHERE (We'll Meet
Again) from "THE RED DANCE-
MARION (Love theme)
Ifrom
DESTINY (Dramatic theme) [ "4 DEVILS'
JUDY from "ROMANCE OF THE UNDER-
WORLD"
De Sylva, Brown & Henderson, Inc.
-
"Sally of My Dreams"
Secured by DeS. B. & H.
Another theme song has been secured by
De Sylva, Brown & Henderson, Inc., New York,
which now has an array of such numbers, the
new one being ' 'Sally of My Dreams,'" by
William Kernell. This song is used as theme
for the William Fox picture, "Mother Knows
Best," featuring Madge Bellamy, Barry Norton
and Louise Dresser. This photoplay, made with
the Movietone, is the first picture of its kind
with talking sequences at the dramatic points
of the story. The film will be given its na-
tional release shortly and a campaign will be
started on it by the publishers similar to the
i.nes already under way on "Sunny Boy,"
"Angela Mia," "Marion," "Destiny," "Sonic Day,
Somewhere" and others.
Handles Sheet Music
PKRRY, I A., October 29.—The first sheet music
department to be conducted in this city for
many years will be one of the features of the
new music store of E. C. Van Fossen, which
will be opened shortly on Third street.
NOW READY
METROPOLIS
Introduced and featured by Paul White-
man in all of hi* concert appearances.
Hear the Whiteman Victor record No.
35933 (Part 1 and Part 2) and No. 35934
(Part 3 and Part 4)!
Acclaimed by music critics as the logical
succeesor to the "Rhapsody in Blue."
List Price
ROBBINS MUSIC CORPORATION •
799 Seventh Ave
With the Wonderful Catalog,
Fin* Cabinet, Graded
Counter Portfolios,
Display Signs,
etc.,
IT SELLS
ITSELF!
Our Great Picture Theme
Songs
745 Seventh Ave.
All of which is going to add to the cost of
theme songs, and, while they are popular in
character, will eventually take them out of the
popular-price range and put them in the price
class of show music."
New York
16
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted by Fred B. Diehl
Theme Songs, Music Publishers and the
Relation of the Picture Producers
One of the Leading Music Publishers States His Views on This New Development in
the Field of Musical Composition Exploitation
A
GREAT deal has been said in these col-
umns and elsewhere concerning the
growing importance of motion picture theme
songs to the music publishing industry, and
consequently to the retail music trade. At
present a veritable scramble is in progress in
which music publishers and picture producers
are vying with one another in the attempt to
form suitable, lasting alliances for the future, en-
titling individual producers to musical copy-
rights held by individual publishers for use in
sound films.
Although still in a formative stage the result-
ing arrangements are sure to bring photoplay
music to a higher plane than ever before in
the tens of thousands of picture theatres
throughout the country. With at least one ap-
propriate theme song for every picture pro-
duced, music dealers may look forward not only
to more best sellers of the heart-appeal variety
but also to an organized exploitation of each
song with the national showing of each pic-
ture.
Numerous problems are now involving the
publishers in making these new affiliations with
the picture people and the matter of royalties
on sheet music sales is one of the more im-
portant ones. We are presenting herewith the
views on this topic of an executive of one of
the leading music publishing houses. His an-
alysis of the situation follows: "With the wide-
spread synchronization of theme songs in mo-
tion pictures a new development and a new
problem confronts the publishers of this type of
song. In the beginning of the theme song era,
the producers of motion pictures were quite
willing and even glad to incorporate into their
n
Songs That Really
Sell
Outstanding Sellers in
Our Popular Catalog
THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU
YOU'LL NEVER KNOW
ARE WE DOWNHEARTED? NO!
FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE
(That's Just My Way of) FORGETTING
YOU
BLUE GRASS
MOONLIGHT MADNESS
synchronization a song submitted by the pub
lishers for the advertising value their picture
would get from the exploitation of the song
by the publishers, figuring that every copy of
music distributed by the publisher was just so
much good advertising for their film. Spurred
on by the success of 'Charmaine,' 'Ramona,'
'Angela Mia' and other theme songs they are
now no longer contented with the mere adver
tising and exploitation hook-up, but insist that
the publishers pay them a royalty on each copy
sold, and in some instances have asked for an
advance payment for the privilege of having
the song used in their picture.
"This places the theme song in exactly the
same position as a song from a musical comedy.
It has long been the practice of publishers to
pay a substantial cash advance for the publish-
ing rights to a musical comedy score, and in
addition the royalty paid on this class of music
is two or three times as much as the royalty
paid on popular songs, the producer of the
musical comedy sharing in this royalty as well
as the lyric and melody writer of the score.
"The same condition now exists with theme
songs, and it is only a matter of a very short
time when theme songs will be placed (if in
fact they are not already) in the same price
category as show music.
"So highly do the motion picture producers
regard the potential value of songs synchro-
nized with their films that several of them are
going into the music publishing business for
the express purpose of publishing all songs
used in their pictures. Two of the big pro-
ducers have already made this step; Famous
Players-Paramount having just formed a music
publishing alliance with Harms, Inc., the new
company to be known as Famous Music Co.,
Inc., and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Co. having
affiliated with the Robbins Music Corp. and
in the future is going to publish all their theme
songs through this house. Other deals are
pending between some of the big producers and
publishers for exclusive publication rights,
while other producers are preferring, for the
time being, to be free lancers and award the
synchronization rights to the publishers who
will pay the biggest royalty and who can de-
liver the most intensive exploitation campaign.
Dealers say —
It's the easiest thins
in the world to sell.
WORLD-FAMOUS
McKINLEY
MUSIC
SONNY BOY from "THE SINGING FOOL"
ANGELA MIA from "STREET ANGEL"
SOME DAY, SOMEWHERE (We'll Meet
Again) from "THE RED DANCE-
MARION (Love theme)
Ifrom
DESTINY (Dramatic theme) [ "4 DEVILS'
JUDY from "ROMANCE OF THE UNDER-
WORLD"
De Sylva, Brown & Henderson, Inc.
-
"Sally of My Dreams"
Secured by DeS. B. & H.
Another theme song has been secured by
De Sylva, Brown & Henderson, Inc., New York,
which now has an array of such numbers, the
new one being ' 'Sally of My Dreams,'" by
William Kernell. This song is used as theme
for the William Fox picture, "Mother Knows
Best," featuring Madge Bellamy, Barry Norton
and Louise Dresser. This photoplay, made with
the Movietone, is the first picture of its kind
with talking sequences at the dramatic points
of the story. The film will be given its na-
tional release shortly and a campaign will be
started on it by the publishers similar to the
i.nes already under way on "Sunny Boy,"
"Angela Mia," "Marion," "Destiny," "Sonic Day,
Somewhere" and others.
Handles Sheet Music
PKRRY, I A., October 29.—The first sheet music
department to be conducted in this city for
many years will be one of the features of the
new music store of E. C. Van Fossen, which
will be opened shortly on Third street.
NOW READY
METROPOLIS
Introduced and featured by Paul White-
man in all of hi* concert appearances.
Hear the Whiteman Victor record No.
35933 (Part 1 and Part 2) and No. 35934
(Part 3 and Part 4)!
Acclaimed by music critics as the logical
succeesor to the "Rhapsody in Blue."
List Price
ROBBINS MUSIC CORPORATION •
799 Seventh Ave
With the Wonderful Catalog,
Fin* Cabinet, Graded
Counter Portfolios,
Display Signs,
etc.,
IT SELLS
ITSELF!
Our Great Picture Theme
Songs
745 Seventh Ave.
All of which is going to add to the cost of
theme songs, and, while they are popular in
character, will eventually take them out of the
popular-price range and put them in the price
class of show music."
New York
16
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