NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1941)

clay and will become available in the next few years are Be Home When The Clock Strikes Ten, Boy’s Best Friend Is His Mother, Broivn October Ale, from Reginald De Koven’s Opera Robin Hood, Doivn Went McGinty, I Believe It For My Mother Told Me So, In the Evening By the Moonlight, and Her Golden Hair IRai Hanging Down Her Neck. Tin Pan Alley Into Main Street Just as radio has widened the horizons of music, so has BMI taken songwriters out of that narrow little square in New York known as Tin Pan Alley into the broad highways of the nation. A glance over the addresses of the writers who have produced BMI originals shows that it is no longer necessary to live in New York to make a living at songwriting. A glance over the BMI songs which are broadcast most frequently outside of New York shows that the big city does not necessarily determine what the nation whistles and sings. Many tunes which never reach the Hit Parade are played over and over again for the home town folks and return their writers some worthwhile checks for per¬ formance rights. Every state in the union is represented by a BMI writer. Many outstanding hits have come from west of the Hudson. California is the new Mecca with many of its writers clustered around Hollywood, but a few from San Francisco and two from Sierra Madre. Denver is represented by the writers of Shy Ann From Old Cheyenne and X Marks the Spot; Iowa by When the Night Was New and Years From Now; Oklahoma by Stars Went To Sleep; Texas by Walking On Air and Eloise ; Canada by Too Late and C oast -To-C oast; Illinois comes through with too many tunes to mention, but among the better known are You’re A Double Lovely, There’s An Old Easy Chair By The Fireplace and Rip Schottische. When we come ea.st, Baltimore does the honors for Maryland, the best known tunes from the city of the little white stoops being Stompin’ Room Only, I Do Mean You and Business In Baltimore. New Jersey has so much talent that we suspect that some of it is only sleeping there. One of the best of the Jersey tunes is Let’s Dream This One Out by Eddie Lane, while Johnny Messner, the rhythm king of Ridgefield Park didn’t do so badly with Clarinet In .A Haunted House, not to speak of Toy Piano Minuet and Toy Piano Jump. Northern Ohio will be remembered as the home of Helen Bliss, writer of I Went Out of My Way, who lives in Cleveland and shares honors with the two Cleveland boys who collaborated with Ray Herbeck on Time Stood Still. Southern Ohio reports George Dunning, writer of To Be Continued and I Can’t Remember To Forget. Pennsylvania is the home of one of BMPs two blind songwriters, Mabel Helen Toole, who wrote Why Am I Still Dreaming, while the City of Brotherly Love con¬ tributed ,1 Penny For Your Thoughts. Coast-to-Coast The parade is on for Hi, Neighbor and the song is winning ac¬ ceptance as a "welcomer” the country over. Virtually eveiw beach resort in Southern California is featuring a cordial “Hi” to visitors, and Jones Beach, New York’s own, is offering the song as a greeter from Guy Lombardo’s band playing there. Ted Lewis, head liner at Loew’s State, New York, is billing it right close to his Is Every¬ body Happy? Thanks Letter to BMI: "We received our first royalty check from BMI for the months of Jan , Feb., and March, which showed that they had played our tunes 5600 times. If I had to buy the station time to play these tunes 5600 times it would take a great deal of money — but BMI did this gratis. “In addition, BMI paid me three cents for each inlaying instead of two as my contract called for, "What more fair treatment could anyone ask? “We also wish to thank you per.sonally for your splendid co¬ operation .” U. S. O. Tune Melody Moderne, Inc., a BMI affiliate, is releasing for public performance a new patriotic tune. Land of the Free, with lyrics by Lee Ryer and music by Noel Marchant, dedicated to the L^nited Service Organizations. The U. S. O. has accepted the dedication and has stated its willingness to promote the tune. New Subscribers Four new' stations bring the BMI list to a total of 668: KBUR, Burlington, Iowa; WTNJ, Trenton. N. J,; W-39-B, Mt. Wash¬ ington, New' Hampshire; W-43-B, Boston, Mass. Page Boy to Publisher Versatile Ted Steele, who three years ago was a page boy at NBC and w'ho now plays the Novachord, sings, announces, and is the young man in “Young Man With A Band”, an NBC pro¬ gram, has added the formation of a publishing house to his many accomplishments, Ted, frequently referred to as ‘A one-man program department’, w'rote the music of the first offering. Home Town Blues. His w'ife, Doris Brooks, has written the words and added a little touch of something which she thinks will make it a hit. Say It With a Song Not the least of the profitable adventures with which BMI has been identified is Greeting Card Hit Parade, Inc. Tieing a friendly greeting to a hit tune, the card offers both music and lyric of the song. For example: “There’s nothing like a song of cheer To clear a dismal atmosphere. A lively tune will do the trick (And, incidentally, do it quick). So, w'hen you find that things are wrong, Just hum yourself a little song. And presto 1 In the shortest while Your face once more w'ill w'ear a smile!” Then you turn the page and find a song. More than 200,000 of the cards have been sold through both chain stores and independents. The idea was tried a few years ago and flopped, .Apparently, blending of the entertaining lines of the BMI lyrics w'ith the verses did the trick the second time around or perhaps the country is just enjoying a wave of friend¬ liness. The cards are circulated after the songs have run the gamut of popularity, BMI receives a percentage of the gross revenue which it divides equally with the writers. So, when you think of greetings, think of BMI and pick a card carrying one of the following tunes: Practice Makes Perfect, So You’re the One, Accident’ly On Purpose, There I Go, I Give You My Word or Keep An Eye On Your Heart. BMI FEATURE TUNES July 28 August 4 1. I WENT OUT OF MY WAY 2. WASN’T IT YOU 3. ALL ALONE AND LONELY 4. MY SISTER AND I 5. BECAUSE OF YOU 6. G’BYE NOW 7. WITH A TWIST OF THE WRIST 8. THE RELUCTANT DRAGON Two great numbers — “Yo Te Amo,” an unusual novelty, and “Hi, Neighbor!” will be ready next week. 630 — July 25, 1941 (.signed) O. B. Clow.