NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1941)

of several additional foreign catalogues, notably of Polish music. BMI has just closed a contract with Edward and Louis Rossi, 127 Mulberry Street, New York City, transferring the rights to some excellent Italian material, much of which is recorded. Among the recordings are the following: Campagnola by Bertini and recorded by Carlo Buti; Munez E Llenzole by Fusco-Falve, recorded by Gianninni; Popolanella by Martelli-Ruccione, recorded by Giglio; Come Bella A Stagione by , Piasano, recorded by Cibelli, and many others. Tid-BHs Cheer Up, a BMI controlled tune, published by the Foreign and Domestic Music Corporation, has been adopted by the BritishAmerican Ambulance Corps as its official theme song and a share of the profits from all regular music sheets sold will be donated to the Corps’ fund. The publishers have a letter from the office of Prime Minister Winston Churchill thanking them for licensing the tune. Hey, Stop Kissing My Sister, is not only the first song its writers have written together, but their first published song. The writers are Kay Coblin and Phil Coblin, brothers, and Eddie Peyton. Broadcast Music, Inc., has issued a list of the popular dance numbers controlled by BMI and recorded by name bands. Virtually all of the band leaders are represented. Benny Goodman and Horace Heidt have the largest number of recordings. BMI FEATURE TUNES May 12 May 19 1. MY SISTER AND I 2. WALKIN’ BY THE RIVER 3. WISE OLD OWL 4. FRIENDLY TAVERN POLKA 5. G’BYE NOW 6. WHAT D’YA HEAR FROM YOUR HEART 7. HERE’S MY HEART 8. WITH A TWIST OF THE WRIST 9. TALKIN’ TO THE WIND 10. THE RELUCTANT DRAGON BMI Feature Tunes The Music Popularity chart for the week ending May 3rd com¬ piled by Billboard, shows BMI holding firm to the first five places in leading music machine records with There'll Be Some Changes Made, It All Comes Back To Me Now, Amapola, Oh, Look At Me Now and The Wise Old Owl. Amapola leads all the lists of national and regional best selling retail records. In the sheet music best sellers, it has been replaced in the south by My Sister And I as the number one tune below the Mason-Dixon line. It is interesting to note that Number 10, Lullaby Lane holds the second place in south¬ ern popularity with Amapola third, with the new Because of You, by Arthur Hammerstein, holding fourth position. Among those coming up rapidly are: Lriendly Tavern Polka, G’Bye Now, which is being themed by Horace Heidt’s Ronnie Kemper, and Do 1 W'orry, on which Tommy Dorsey has concentrated. Just appearing over the horizon in fifteenth place in national sheet music best sellers is the Hut Sut Song, the rights to which have been acquired by BMI, and which bids fair to be the summer’s sensation. BMI Grants Clearance at the Source to Exhibitors The following extract of a letter from Sydney Kaye of Broadcast Music, Inc., has created wide spread comment among motion picture exhibitors: “It is, and always has been, the principle of BMI that the right sold to a motion picture producing corporation should include not only the right to record and synchronize the music with the action of the picture, but also the right to exhibit the picture in all parts of the world, without payment of any additional sum by the theatre owner. “This has been our policy with respect to all synchronization con¬ tracts that we have already made, and we are glad to confirm to you that it will continue to be our practice in the future. You may, therefore, be confident that where a BMI tune is legally in¬ cluded in a motion picture, that means that any exhibitor may freely exhibit the picture without any performing license.” In this connection. The Independent, motion picture trade maga¬ zine, makes the following comment: "The monopolistic practices of ASCAP have rubbed theatre owners sore for many years, and the constant hike in royalty charges has irked them that much more. The anti-ASCAP legis¬ lation in many states is a certain indication of how exhibitors in general feel and the fact that theatres were not covered in a recent consent decree entered into between ASC.AP and the Department of Justice has left theatre owners amazed, for certainly the more than a million dollars a year extracted from theatres by ASCAP is a considerable item and should immediately be eliminated.” It Happens to Titles Too By a coincidence of this curious music business BMI finds itself in a position of licensing two songs with the same title. Everything Happens to Me. One song was written by Louis A. Davis and his brother, Ernest Davis and published by Davis & Ostergard, and the other song by Tom Adair and Matt Dennis, and published by Embassy Music Corporation (Tommy Dorsey). There is no simi¬ larity in the music of the songs, nor in the sentiment, nor the lyric, except the title. There is no infringement involved, but the Davis brothers have offered to do a very sportsmanlike thing and substitute. Why Did It Happen To Me. There will be slight changes made in the lyric, one line of the verse being re-written. M. E. Tompkins, BMPs General Manager, is deeply appreciative of the generous attitude taken by the composers as well as by Davis and Ostergard, publishers. BMI Subscribers More Than Doubled When BMI entered the NAB Convention in San Francisco last August, subscribers numbered 311. They are now at a new high total of more than 700 including non-commercial. Renewals for BMPs new year, which runs from April to April, have included all but five of the subscribers for 1940 and many new names have been added to the list. It is interesting to read some of the com¬ ment which broadcasters have made on the progress of BMI. “Keep up the good work. You are going strong! and we like it . . . WFLA: “You are doing a great job, keep it up. We’re behind you 1000 percent.” . . . WCOU; “It is a pleasure to cooperate with you in every way, and we assure you we will be glad to work with Broadcast Music, Inc., at all times.” . . . WJAX; “As always we are only too happy to do anything that would further the cause of BMI” . . . WBAP; “We are behind BMI 100%, and nothing gives us more pleasure than to give BMI and its releases all the publicity possible” . . . KOH; “KFAM is happy to acknowl¬ edge and compliment the fine policies and wonderful progress made by Broadcast Music, Inc,, and its affiliated broadcasters in settling once and for all the serious question of fair practices in the use of music. You may count on our continued support in all matters” . . . KFAM. May 9, 1941 — 4 2 5