The New York Clipper (December 1919)

16 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER December 17, 1919 Popular Music Records • All Broken This Year Song Hit* Have Registered Biggest Safes and Income* From Phono- graph and Roll Manufacturing Companies Have Reached Highest Mark Reg iste red Since the Beginning of the ' The year 1819, rapidly drawing to a close bas been an eventful one to the publishers of music and especially those who specialize in the so called popular prints..-. • Never in the : history of the business in America'which dates hack many years have ' the songs which have scored hits sold in such enormous quantities. But a comparatively short period ago the popular song which sold a hundred thousand copies.was a national hit and the few numbers which ran into .the hundreds of thou- sands of copies are not only well re- membered to-day. but are spoken of in awe and with pride. A song of to-day issued by one of the popular houses which sells less than half a million is looked upon as a failure and it is just that, for a number which- has been advertised, worked upon and exploited in the pro- fessional channels .which does not sur- pass the half million mark by many thousands of copies registers a finan- cial loss and is quickly thrown into the discard and forgotten. The mil- lion copy hit is now far from rare and songs which have sold over two mil- lion are comparatively common. One of the big! popular successes issued -within the last year is now- well on its way to a three million figure. Several songs baTe during the past year close- ly approached this figure and popular publishers, the same ones who a few- years ago by the way, stated that no two million copy song would ever be published are now freely predicting a five million copy hit within the next two years. The wonderful growth of music in America has not been confined to the music publishing-end of the industry but has reached out and includes every department of the business. The sale. for pianos is greater than 1 ever before, phonographs and talking machines and their records are in. greater de- mand than ever and judging from the vast amount of unfilled orders which record makers state are continually piling up, the surface of musical Ame- rica bas only been scratched. Publishers who in the past received but a small amount of money from the sales of records now look forward to tbe royalties from these sales.as one of the most important branches of their business and the royalty increase from the sales of piano rolls is con- stantly on the increase. ■Particularly is this true in connection with the word rolls which are selling faster to- day than ever before and the royalties are assuming important proportions. Added to all this the public for some unaccountable reason seem« perfectly willing to pay a higher price for music than evw before. While the ten cent retail price for popular prints seemed firmly established it has during the past year jumped to thirty almost without an effort. - Not that- the ten cent sheet of music has disappeared, not at all, it is still sold In great quan- titres but publishers seeking a means of overcoming the'high cost of print- ing and paper and, stamping a good grade of popular song high-priced or standard have experienced not the slightest difficulty in getting thine times tbe old rate. The songs marked at the Ugh price that are being ex- ploited by the big publishers are now in the big majority, many of them are already established successes and the publishers incomes from them is far in excess of the. figure he expected when first he decided to publish them. The outlook for the coming year is bright for tbe music publisher, the author, composer and in fact everyone connected with the music business. CHAPPELL HAS SONG HIT "On -Miami Shore", a new waltz song recently issued by Chappeu & Co. is fast entering the big hit class. It is being sung by scores of well known singers ird is a big favorite with the leading oitliestras. PRODUCTION HIT RELEASED "When Yon Look In The Heart of a Rose," the big hit of the "Better 'Ole" has been released to the singing pro- fession by the Leo Feist house and it is being sung in scores of the big acts. FORSTER OPENS PROF. OFFICE F. J. A. Forster, the Chicago publish- er! who for the past year or so has been identified with instrumental numbers, is going ont after the song end of the game and has opened professional of- fices in the Loop End Building, Chicago. Abe. Olman, the composer, will be in charge. PHIL. KORNHEISER BACK Phil. Koniheiser, professional ma- nager of the Leo Feist Inc. house is back-in-town after a week's stay in Chicago. The.Feist songs are .big fav- orites in the windy city and are getting a wonderful 'play *S" Kxrrhheisei's' report FOX HAS NEW NOVELTY In *Ts3d" the Sam For Company/of Cleveland has a new novelty .song' that is meeting-with much success. It'_ is being featured by many of'the big time singers. * : ~' ■ HARRIS GETS COBURN SHOW Chas. K. Harris has secured the pub- lication rights of the new Mr. and Mrs. Coburn musical comedy production "ThreeJShowers." The book of the new piece/uThy W. H. : Post with lyrics and musfc 3 by. Creamer and Ley ton. The piece is _now being cast arid will be given a New York presentation early- next' year.; '* ■*•"' DE CALVE ON PANT AGES TIME Miss Sonia De Calve, the singing violinist, is scoring a hit of great pro- portions on her tour of the Pantages time. She is'singing'a number "of-Feist songs in her act. SCH1RMER OPENS IN CHICAGO O. Schirmer, Inc., has opened a pro- fessional office in Chicago under the direction of Zez Confrey, formerly with the Broadway Music. Corp. MUSICAL TRAINING FREE Tbe U. S. Army is offering a fine musical training or education free. That in effect is the proposition that the War Department is making in a call recently issued. In a statement recently issued in which denning the new musical policy of the army the following, appears:— Among the more definite lessons which war has taught, is the vital necessity and unquestioned value of music in the field in creating and sustaining morale. As a builder and sustainer of staunch morale and as a relief for tired nerves and as a tonic for flagging spirits music was found indispenslble and its develop- ment was encouraged to the utmost by all great military leaders. The statement goes on to . say that demobilization of the A. E. F. has left the army bands in a somewhat chaotic condition, and it was with tbe idea of rehabilitating them that "a new plan bas been devised for keeping tnem up to standard. The recruiting section of the adjunct general's office therefore bas reached the following conclusions: "The enlistment of trained musicians is becoming increasingly difficult be- cause of the great demand for them in civil life and the unusually large sal- aries and short hours. Much canvassing bas "been done among the army bauds during demobilization by commercial bands. "Since this condition is apparent, and shows no signs of immediate change, it has been determined by the War De- partment that the only certain source of musicians-lies in the training by the army in all authorized bands of as many men as possible who have musical talent or aspirations. In furtherance of this policy orders have been issued which make it incumbant upon com- manding officers of all authorized bands to promote and encourage in every* way the study of music and to furnish lead- ers every facility to offer a complete musical education." "MY CAIRO LOVE" SCORES "My Cairo Love," a new Oriental song recently issued by the Sam Fox Co. of Cleveland is one of the best songs of the type published in many years. It has an intoxicating melody and a lyric of decided merit. The song is a big favorite with the tetter class of singers. BEEFSTEAK FOR MUSIC MEN A beefsteak dinner for the employees of the New York branch of Jerome H. Bemick & Co. is to be given at Beisen- weber's on Tuesday night of next week. JAMES BOYS FOR VAUDEVILLE James KendJs and James Brock- man, the two. James Boys as. they are known in song circles are going into vaudeville .in a singing and piano play- ing act. A big time' agent suggested that in their act they, give a.demonstra- tion of their methods of song gelling but 1 this "was quickly and positively, re- jected.- .--•;■ ■/"""':.'.£.-". VON TILZER SONG SCORES ' "Carolina .Sunshine" continues ' to score a big hit in the "Creole Fashion Plate" act.' It continues to lead tie Yon Tilzer catalogue in sales. COHEN DIED INTESTATE Meyer Cohen, the music publisher who died in the Misericordia Hospital on December 3rd, left no will and his estate will therefore necessarily-be di- vided by the courts. His next of kin are a brother and sister -both of whom reside in California, Mr. Cohen's.birth- place. The estate, consists of a $5000 life insurance policy, jewelry and per- sonal effects amounting to several thousands of dollars, some real estate holdings to the value of a few thous- and dollars and the Meyer Cohen Music Publishing Co., a corporation in which he was the majority stock holder. PIANTADOSI FOR VAUDEVILLE Al. Piantadosi, the song writer and music publisher, is going into vaude- ville with a new singing and piano act. STASNY TO MOVE The business of the A. J. Stasny Music Co. has grown so rapidly during the past few months that its present quarters in the office building at No. 62 West Forty-fifth Street are far too small and Mr. Stasny is now looking about for a new location. An entire floor in a new office building now near- ing completion in the theatrical district is under consideration. GILBERTS SONG FEATURED Al. Gilbert's new song, "Peaches," is being featured by the Dan Cupid company now touring the South. JIM CASEY COMING EAST Jim. Casey, of the Echo Music Co., of Seattle, is coming East to open a branch office in New York. Harold Weeks, the composer, who is now a member, of the company, will remain in the West in charge of the Seattle Of- fice. ■ BLAIR SUED FOR DIVORCE George W. Blair, a member of the professional department of the Broad- way Music Corporation, was the defend- ant in the trial of a suit for divorce tried last week in the undefended term before Supreme Court Justice Giegerich. Mrs. Blair made the usual statutory charges and said she desired no support from her husband. Her father is a wealthy hat manufacturer. Mrs. Blair named an unknown woman as the cause of disrupting her home and designated her as a mysterious "Woman in Brown." George W. Sullivan, one of the witnesses for the plaintiff, stated that on October 6th last he was in a 45th street restaurant when Blair entered with a young woman. Sulli- van then stepped across the street to the Palace hotel and brought Mrs. Blair and her sister Mrs. Letterie to the scene. Shortly afterward, accord- ing to Sullivan, Blair and the woman came out and entered a taxicab. The witness and tbe two women took another cab and followed. The end of the trip was a West 40th Street apart- ment house where. on the fifth floor Sullivan and the ladies with him knocked on the do.ir and demanded ad- mittance. Blair,'but partially'clothed, opened the.door, swore Sullivan who further, stated that a brown coat and skirt of a similar color were carelessly draped .over the back' of a chair, and the young woman to whom, they doubt- less' belonged '. was jpresejbfc' : V*"j X Mrs- Blair remarked] stated Sullivan, "WelT I've, gat j;ou at hjat" .'*I should wbrry" was all Blair 'answered, said the witness" '. ■?! '* ..". .* '._ , Justice GiegericBftob^'th,e papers in the case and reserved decision.