The talking machine world (Jan-June 1928)

174 (World of Music) The Talking Machine World, New York, June, 1928 Robbins Activities Cover Wide Scope Musical Scores of Two Broadway Productions Now on Presses — Sales for 1928 Show Tremendous Increase Over 1927 Despite unsettled conditions in the music industry, with many music publishers reporting sales lower than last year, the Robbins Music Corp., New York City, evidences a 100 per cent increase for its 1928 business, compared to the last half of 1927. J. J. Robbins, president of this enterprising and progressive music Jack Robbins publishing house, ascribes this showing to the stability of the Robbins Music Corp.'s standard catalog. The publications in the photoplay music series, folios, books, production music, etc., have summed up into huge gross sales. The Robbins organization was also fortunate with its popular music catalog, "Rain" proving one of the season's outstanding hits. Two new roadway productions, "Say When" and Earl Carroll's "Vanities," are now in press under the Robbins imprint. As with the two preceding editions of the "Vanities," the songs are Robbins publications, composed by Jesse Greer, Lou Alter and Raymond Klages. The most important numbers in the forthcoming edition are titled: "Once in a Lifetime," "Sophomore Prom" and "Blue Shadows." "Say When," the new Elizabeth MarburyCarl Reed production, is distinguished by one of the songs, "Cheerio!" being the composition of Mayor James J. Walker, of New York City, whose song hit, "Will You Love Me in December as You Did in May?" is a standard in the music industry. "Cheerio!" is a typical Walkerian optimistic gang song. Other "Say When" hits are: "One Step to Heaven," "How About It?" and "Say When," the works of Jesse Greer and Ray Klages. The Robbins Music Corp.'s rating in the Vitaphone royalty distribution as the second highest contributor to the synchronous screen, is a tribute to the standing of the firm. With "talking movies" impending as a most revolutionary phase of the show business, Robbins is "sitting pretty," considering the cream of creative talent under exclusive contract to the rapidly growing organization. Among the composers exclusively aligned with the Robbins organization are Domenico Savino, music editor and vice-president of the firm, admitted to be one of the peers of cinematic-theme composers; Ferde Grofe, Dr. William Axt, of the Capitol Theatre; Erno Rapee, general musical director of the Roxy Theatre; Nathaniel Finston, in charge of all music of the Publix and Loew Theatres; Dr. Hugo Riesenfeld and David Mendoza. In the field of developing a new American music, Ferde Grofe's "Metropolis," the jazz rhapsody which Paul Whiteman is featuring on his tour and which the jazz maestro introduced on the radio, is the season's most noteworthy composition of its type. It rivals the justly famous "Rhapsodie in Blue," by George Gershwin, also a Whiteman staple, and which Grofe, incidentally, scored originally. Whiteman's Victor recording of the "Metropolis" rhapsody will be released shortly. Another Grofe composition, "Three Shades of Blue," along with Savino's "Study in Blue" and Louis Alter's "Manhattan Serenade," are the standards of the most important commercial radio broadcasting conductors like Nathaniel Shilkret, Walter G. (Gus) Haenschen, et al. These numbers have been featured on the Eveready, Palmolive, Wrigley and similarly important radio hours. Merle Johnston Signs With Robbins Co. Merle Johnston, featured saxophone soloist on the Palmolive Hour, Wrigley Revue, RCA Demonstration Hour, Champion Sparkers Hour, the Mediterraneans, the new Burns Brothers Hour and with his own saxophone quartet, among other prominent commercial radio broadcasting periods, has been signed by the Robbins Music Corp., New York City, to compose exclusively for them for a period of two years. Johnston, who is one of the best-known reed specialists in the radio and recording fields, has created the Johnston Super-Series of Saxophone Solos for Robbins publication, the first issues of which are shortly due off the presses. Johnston's career is musical history. He records with every prominent orchestra in the country, making discs for Victor, Brunswick, Columbia, Edison, Okeh and all the others, and has been under the baton of such leaders as Frank Black, Isham Jones, Gus Haenschen, Ben Selvin, Bennie Krueger, Sam Lanin, Nathaniel Shilkret, Ben Bernie, Charles Dornberger and William F. Wirges. New Number Added to Piantadosi List The popular catalog of the Al Piantadosi Music Co. has been rounded out by the addition of a new fox-trot, "Just a Dance Program of Long Ago," which Mr. Piantadosi recently accepted. The firm's catalog, which is headed by Mr. Piantadosi's own number, "I'm Tired of Making Believe," written with . George A. Kelley, contains in addition to the above named numbers "Louisiana," "My Stormy Fred. K. Steele, Inc. Policy Wins Success Selection of Quality Numbers Rather Than Quantity of Songs Has Been the Policy of Organization Since Inception The music publishing firm of Fred. K. Steele, Inc., 745 Seventh avenue, New York City, is concentrating its energies at the present time on a well-rounded and varied catalog, including "Blue Idol," an Oriental fox-trot; "Dreaming Alone in Hawaii," Hawaiian waltz; "Hurry On," fox-trot fantasy; "Lei-Lani" (Wreath of Fred. K. Steele Heaven), Hawaiian fox-trot; "I Can't Believe It's True," waltz ballad, and "Bells of Hawaii," the Hawaiian bell song. The success which this firm has won in its brief existence (it was organized late in 1926) is ample proof of the sound policy followed by Mr. Steele in selecting "quality" numbers rather than quantity of songs. Mr. Steele's wide experience in publishing circles has proved of inestimable value in his leading the firm to success. He started with Jos. W. Stern, Inc., and was for a time professional manager of this firm. Following this he was general manager of the Broadway Music Corp. and later with Irving Berlin, Inc. The first number published, "Every Little While," was written by Billy Heagney and lyrics by Fred Steele. An interesting feature regarding this song is that Lawrence Wright, English publisher, recently wrote Mr. Steele informing him that the number is still proving popular throughout England and is expected to grow to even greater favor. New Feist Glass "A" Songs The following new publications recently issued by Leo Feist, Inc., New York City, are listed as class "A" or twenty cents a copy until June JO: "Two Busy," by Ned Miller and Chester Cohn, and "I'm Wingin' Home," by Renee Russell and Henry H. Tobias, now being featured by Gene Austin. On and after July 1 these songs .are listed as class "B" or twenty-two AN ORIENTAL. FOX-TROT BLUE IDOL A FOX-TROT FANTASY HURRY ON WALTZ BALLAD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S TRUE HAWAIIAN WALTZ DREAMING ALONE IN HAWAII FRED K. STEELE, Inc., music HAWAIIAN FOX-TROT LEI-LANI (WREATH OF HEAVEN) PUBLISHERS 745 . 7th ^ THE HAWAIIAN BELL SONG BELLS OF HAWAII l venue, New York, N. Y.