Show World (October 1910)

October 8, 1910. THE SHOW WORLD 11 IN THE FIELD WHERE ORPHEU S WORK S FOR PAY Review of Current Stage Music and Gossip of the Music Publishers and Singers. By c. p. McDonald. Rags, Torn and Other¬ wise. One of the besetting sins in the music publishing business: "THAT INDIAN RAO.” "THAT YODLIN’ ZULU RAG.” "THAT CHINATOWN RAG.” "THAT PECULIAR RAG.” "THE YIDDISHA RAG.” "THE GRAVEL RAG.” "THE ROUND UP RAG.” "SWEET ITALIAN RAG.” "DUBLIN RAG.” "COTTON BABES RAG.” "WAIMAN RAG.” “GOIN’ SOME RAG." “RICHMOND RAG.” "BUZZER RAG." "CARBOLIC ACID RAG.” “SURE FIRE RAG.“ “TEMPTATION RAG.” "BROADWAY RAG." "CANNON BALL RAG.” "CHILLY-BILLY-BEE RAG.” "RUSTY-CAN-O-RAa.” "OH. YOU BEAR CAT RAG.” "PARISIAN RAG." “DILL PICKLES RAG.” "BLACK AND WHITE RAG." "BOLO R*G.” ad lib. High as The Moon. Isn't it about time to come down earth for a short period and ease on this moon thing? “DREARY MOON.” "STINGY MOON.” "JUNGLE MOON.” “SUGAR MOON.” "LAZY MOON.” "SMILING MOON.” "PEKIN MOON." “RUBBER NECKING MOON.” "TROPICAL MOON.” "SILVERY MOON.” From the Press Agent. J. FRED HELP COMPANY. J ins ! e I* scoring his usual big hit Lewis Muir’s Italian love song, B Wljen My Marie Sings Chilly Billy Fre . a Half's love story march song, V. hen A Boy From Old New Hampshire Loves A Girl From Tennessee," (words by Robt. F. Roden and Wm. Cahalin), is being successfully used by hundreds or f ln S? r ®- It continues to be the big- SRtMt of the Dockstader show, in which it was first sung by Harry Jin- *81®, formerly with “The Quartet." Ai Jingle and dozens of o'ther artists Ms on the Pacific Coast ’ Play That Barber Shop Chord,” ——-greater ■ may mat Harder (the popularity of which s xxr ,, L ° v ? ls Greater Than the World, Arthur J. Lamb and J. Fred ES*? semi-high class ballad, has been called the most melodious song: of the ZJKL 11 f on immediate favor when first " "dueed, and is now being success- ”* Iy SU "S by many of the most promi- ne "t artists in the country. .tJ M T . l ? ree • Ji "S le s now playing on the big time in Greater New York, are tl l elr >i sual success with “Play That Barber Shop Chord.” The new “” yel ty hit, “The Oklahoma Twirl,” is *‘ ielr biggest encore winners. R»m h / en „ M / Marie Sings Chilly Billy Bee (called "Chilly Billy Bee Rag,” in kina «5 trumtntal form ) is the biggest •la ,°f. a .success for hundreds of artists musical* 561 "? Played by many Prominent CLASSIFICATION OF SONGS AND INSTRUMENTAL NUMBERS For the Guidance of Performers and Music Dealers CLASS E—EXCELLENT CLASS G—GOOD CLASS M—MEDIOCRE CLASS P—POOR CLASS A—AWFUL CLASS Z—Should be Ignored. Numbers Reviewed in this Issue, and their Classification “IMAM” (instrumental)—Claes E. “DANCING STARLIGHT,”—Class G. “MANDY JANE,”—Class G. “PUT ME IN MY BATHTUB,”—Class P. “IN ALL MY DREAMS I DREAM OP YOU,”—Class M. “PK AWFUL GLAD I’M IRISH,”—Class G. “I’M A-BRINGING UP A FAMILY,”—Class M. “SOMEBODY ELSE, IT’S ALWAYS SOMEBODY ELSE,”—Class G. “BELOVED,”—Class G. “TEDDY DA ROOSE,”—Class P. “IP THIS ROSE TOLD YOU ALL IT KNOWS,”—Class E. “A KNIGHT OP THE ROAD,” Class G. “STARLIGHT SIOUX,”—Class E. It isn’t often Mann writes a number. He is o: writers with w quainted who is i Perhaps this hat Nathaniel D. new instrumental e of the few good er-productive. .. jump m BMP _r the salient reasons why his work bears a dis¬ tinction which is at once perceptible and gratifying. Hence a reviewer who has to wade through a mass of new publications, few of which are characterized by careful study or construction, finds an added zest in coming across a number bearing Mr. Mann’s name. “IMAM, a Mohammedan Serenade,” is his latest and, if we are not at fault in our recollection, his greatest bit of work. It is in a class by itself, original, tuneful, and abound¬ ing in grace and finish of touch. -• The title word, “Imam," is apropos of the music Mr. Mann has given us in this number. Its derivation is perhaps best described in a note which is printed on the first page of the composition: “During certain ceremonies in the Mohammedan religion a high priest of an order was selected as Prince or Potentate to serve the order and rule same. He was given supreme spiritual and temporal power, mak¬ ing his word the court of last re¬ sort. And during his lifetme he ruled with an iron hand; hence the name ‘Imam,’ meaning power.” The music is in entire harmony with the title. It is powerful, yet delicate, refined, and of a quality of which we should enjoy to have far more. “Imam” ought to be good for the half million mark in point of sales. It is worthy of It. Robert Roden’s words to “DANC¬ ING STARLIGHT" are well written and praiseworthy. Jack Glogau’s music is not so finished but is fair enough to complete what we call a good song. Indian numbers, calamity howlers told us years ago, soon would die a natural death, yet we continue to receive them, and, as a rule, they are good examples of the art of songeraft. Of course, the music to most of these so-caltea "Indian" songs is as indianesque comparatively as hog Latin is to Greek, but it represents what w» for years have accepted as the gen¬ uine article. Charles Daniels and Leo Friedman have come nearer to producing our notion of Indian music than any of the other popular music composers. But we’re transgressing and hurry back to the particular song under discussion. “Dancing Starlight” doesn’t sparkle with new thought and musical phrases, but it nevertheless is a neat little song. (Leo Feist, publisher). As a quartet song, “MANDY JANE” is exceptionally adaptable. As a song for a single person, it is but fair. The words and music are revamped, but this is a pardonable sin these days, when we’ve ceased to expect novelty. This is no re¬ flection upon the merits of “Mandy Jane,” for “Mandy” will hold her own with songs of her kind. (Words by Karl Tausig, music by Ed. Gallager and Al. Shean. Chas. K. Harris, pub¬ lisher.) We’ve become so accustomed to the phrase, "Writers of,” that it no longer bears any special significance nor does it carry, we hardly believe, much weight with the music dealers or buyers of sheet music. It most cases it tells absolutely nothing. The obvious mission of the phrase un¬ doubtedly is to lead the unwary and unsophisticated to believe that the writers of a new song have, at some time in the near or remote past, written a very successful song. There, perhaps, was a time when this linej printed beneath the caption of a new song meant something to the pur¬ chaser and. possibly to the music dealer. In the last few years, how¬ ever, it has, peradventure, lost caste and now is passe so far as prospec¬ tive buyers and the dealers them¬ selves are concerned. This condition never was more thor¬ oughly exemplified than in the case of "PUT ME IN MY BATHTUB,” bn Irving B. Lee and W. R. Williams (Will Rossiter, publisher), quoted as “Writers of “When Teddy Comes Marching Home.’ ” We don’t know a thing more after reading this an¬ nouncement than we did before. "When Teddy Comes Marching Home’* is obsolete and, so far as we are aware, always has been. This same publisher also has done this identi¬ cal thing for us. Our song “Twilight” came out brazenly and declared that we were the authors of "Eternity.” Well, ask anybody in the business if they ever have heard our “Eter¬ nity” and they’ll answer, almost to nity ” and they’ll answer a per¬ son, in the negative. We now are and always have been against this false boosting. We now see no advantage in it or to be derived therefrom. To beftttingly close this short harangue, we wish to announce that "Put Me in My Bathtub” is a helovaspasm. W. R. Williams, who wrote the music, has done his part well and conscientiously. But the words—we pass and reach out for the chloroform. THEATER MANAGERS, SINGERS, MUSIC DEALERS THE SHOW WORLD, in furtherance of its crusade for clean amuse¬ ment, condemns the following songs because of their salacious words, in¬ decent lines, or suggestive titles: “GRIZZLY BEAR.” “THAT LOVING MELODY RUBENSTEIN WROTE.” “ANGLEWORM WIGGLE.” “FIDO SIMPLY SAID BOW BOW.” “OH, YOU BEAR CAT RAG.” ------PARLOR.” 2 SOME MORE!” The Music Editor will be pleased to reoeive, for review in the columns of THE SHOW WORLD, new publications printed by any music publisher in the It is the aim of the Music Editor to review new issues as soon after publication as possible, but publishers or writers wishing their publications reviewed imme¬ diately are invited to send in a written request for such courtesy. Address all communications to C. P. McDonald, Music Editor THE SHOW WORLD. We met Max Stone on the elevated train a few nights ago and Max, who always is lauding 1 ” * SL __Mi — ...3 skies Leo ; and the publications of said r eist, confided to us that "IN ALL MY DREAMS I DREAM OF YOU” was one of the best high class bal¬ lads published in recent years. We hurried home and dug out this Joe McCarthy-Al Piantadosi creation, and gave it close scrutiny. We are not opinionated and we want to play fair. With this senti¬ ment overriding our friendship for Mr. Stone, we grudingly confess our enthusiasm isn’t as combustible as is his. We’ve got our own (perhaps narrow) idea of what a world-beat¬ ing high class ballad should be, and therefore beg to differ, in all due candor, with the views expressed by this capable western representative of the house of Feist. Not, we ad- fit, that this ballad hasn’t its good points, for it has. But its qualities to us are vague and mystical, like blurred reflections in a purling brook, and we therefore must pray an ap¬ peal from Mr. Stone’s verdict. Pressed for an opinion, we’d say "In All My Dreams I Dream of You” is medi¬ ocre and not any better than a lot of others of its category. It wouldn’t arouse a theater manager to tha pitch of compelling a performer to abandon the song, and, by the same token, it wouldn’t prompt him to ex¬ tend or renew bookings. Quiescently v AWFUL GLAD IRISH,” another Feist publication. Here, indeed, is a song in which Mr. Stone might well indulge his imag¬ ination. Our verdict anent this pro¬ duction is irrevocably in its favor. It is clever, fraught with up-to-the-min¬ ute phraseology, and tuneful. An Irish song of first magnitude. Wri¬ ters, Edgar Leslie and Al Piantadosi. Irene Franklin and Burt Green, writers of "Redhead,” in their new effort. “I’M A’ BRINGING UP THE FAMILY,” haven’t written anything startlingly clever. Any song words which resort to the expediency of rhyming “home” with "alone” and “own,” even in a “kid” song, imme¬ diately arouse our caustic comment. Were this, however, the only thing about the song which does not ap¬ peal to us, we might easily pass it over without further ado, but the song in its entirety doesn’t stir our enthusiasm. Perhaps we expect too much in some concoctions. Leo Feist, the publisher, has furnished the cre¬ ation with a title page which is unique and extremely artistic. This is good for we earnestly believe it will help the sale of this song to a considerable extent. Mr. Stone, Mr. Feist’s genial Chicago representative, informs us that the song already iij in much demand. Which leads us to digress for the moment. We have several times been asked if we wouldn’t feel just a little cha¬ grined if a song which we failed to en¬ dorse turned out to be a big seller. Frankly, we confess we would not be at all disconcerted, but, on the contrary, would be highly pleased and gratified. At heart we wish the pub¬ lishers nothing but success and for¬ tune. And if a song which we can¬ not freely recommend branches out> into a hit, it doesn’t alter our opin¬ ion of the song. Many a publication has been immensely popular that were we called upon to express our candid opinion, we’d call mediocre or poor. A recent example which might well serve as a citation is "Has Any¬ body Here Seen Kelly.” That wasn’t at all our notion of a good song. The public, however, took a different view of it. It accepted it. Therein the public and we differed. (Continued on page 18)