Variety (Dec 1942)

40 MUSIC Wednesday, December 9, 1942 The Groaner in the African Veldt (Following IS a supptementory anecdote by the author of (he recent turo-part slory in the Satevepost on Bing Crosby, labeled in the na- tional mag 'The King 0/ the Crooners.') By H. ALLEN SMITH Not long ago I was trying to establish the extent o^ Bing Crosby's following throughout the world, working on the assumption that of all entertainers The Groaner is the most widely known. During this investigation I called on Jack Kapp. president of the company, which Issues the Crosby records. I asked Kapp if he had any method of demonstrating the global character o( Crosby's popularity. He studied the matter a while, then got up and went prowling in his flies. Finally he found a letter that came to him several years ago from an explorer who had just emerged from the African wilds. This man said that he had been roaming through Tanganyika territory for months and that an iii\portant part of his equipment was a portable phonograph and 60 Bing Crosby recordings. He told how his safari train would arrive at a native kraal, how he would immediately set up the phonograph and start a Crosby recital. It was his quickest and surest way of gaining the confldence o( the natives. Sometimes when the expedition camped over night in the jungles, he wrote, his native porters would ask for a Crosby recital and he'd play the phonograph for hours at a stretch. Thus the natives learned the songs—the only English they knew—and as they trudged forward through the wild country they would sing Crosby number after Crosby nu'mber, trying to copy Bing's style as they swung out with 'I Wish I Were Aladdin' or 'Go Fly a Kite.' Vanity Off-the-Air Recording Now A Big Biz for Audio-Scriptions Tell a guy you have a recording of a speech he's made on the radio and he won't sleep comfortably un- til he's bought the waxing and listen- ed to it himself. That's a principle Ezekiel Rabinowitz discovered a couple years ago and it's been paying dividends ever since. Rabinowitz operates Audio-Scriptions, Inc., New York, which keeps eight recording machines running simultaneously every day, waxing waves from the ether. First time you call someone to tell him you have a needling of his speech which he may buy, Rabino- witz has found, he'll almost in- variably h^.ilo¥.s,nXt">ve a E^ho- nograph to play it back and doesn't want it. Then, anytime from an hour to a year later, he'll suddenly 'discover' that he does have a phono- graph and asks that the recording be sent him. 'Most people seem to be too mod- est,' the ofT-the air needling spe- cialist explains, 'to admit that they want to hear the sound of their own voice. But the knowledge that a recording exists ^parently preys on ♦hem. Firallv. ihev canlt..,!?fiar.. it any more and I set a special de- livery letter or a long-distance phone call to send the record right out.' Charles F. Kettering, v.p. in charge of research for General Motors, was one of the bafhful types who's now a regular Audio-Scriptions customer. Rabinowitz recorded 10 of Ketter- ing's speeches over a period of sev- eral years. After each speech he'd send the GM biggie a card a^iking him if he'd like to buy a recording of il. At first Kettering would re- ply with testy letters, then he gave up replying altogether. Then he recorded all 10 recordings at one time. Rotkcfeller a Customer John D. Rockefeller, Jr., phoned Audio-Scriptions himself to order an etching of one of his infrequent radio appearances. Rabinowitz fig- ures the millionaire was ashamed to have his secretary call because he feared she'd think he wa.s vain. But not all of Rabinowitz's record- ings are made at random on the chance that the speaker will want t'oTjuy" a" pi^ssrhl. "7T''(Sifi-^'pi:r^ of the biz is taking ofT-thc-air waxings of important shows. The participants have a real professional interest in knowing how they sounded or want to keep a permanent file of their daily or weekly broadca-;;.';. The 'vanity' sale.';, however, are by far the most lucrative and Rabino- witz sold some 5,000 such discs last year. One of his angles is to watch the death notices in papers in large .Ri!j?s tJitaiiShgut the_cou_ntry. When- ever he sees "an obit "oil' som^h'e' who.'se voice he has etched, he writes a nole to the family. It's a 99-to-l shot that they'll order the disc or discs out of sentiment. 'Vanity' platters bring $4.50 for one side (3'/^ minutes). $5.50 for two sides and $8.50 to $10 for four sides, which would be a 15-minute (Continued on page 43) MiiiLita Miuiiiic, mnic. is honored to be detignated the publishen of the beloved Ralph Rainger'i latt big picture song hit, written with Leo Robin. TAKE IT FROM THERE From the mllllon-doll«r 20th Cenlury-Foi technicolor picture, "Coney lilend". A "Provtn" Best Bet For Cvtry Typt of Prognm STREET OF DREAMS Lyric by Sam M. Lewii Muiic by Victor Young MILLER MUSIC, Inc. 1639 Breadwoy New York HAROLD WALD, Prof. Mgr. GEORGE DALIN, Ait't Prof. Mgr. Part of CWrs New War Song Tips Already Tried in Music Biz Music publishers last week re- ceived a new batch of suggestions for war-efTort songs from the Of- fice of War Information. The sug- gestions were transmitted through the Music Publishers Protective Assn. The OWI wrote that songs could be helpful in putting over the Gov- ernment's current campaign on transportation conservation. The lettereven suggested a title, 'Wrap It Up and I'll Take It Home.' The OWIs communication con- cluded with: 'Some other important themes right now are the theme of the war worker (including the woman war worker); the funda- mental rationing theme, which is a theme of sacrifice: the theme of con- servation. This l.-ist means taking care of what wc have, making the things last, making things do. It i.i a necessary theme, because we ore putting all our materials and all our industry into the weapons our fight- ing men must have to win this war. Cheerful treatment of the theme of doing without, of getting along with what we have, helps keep us roll- ing toward victory.' Publisher comment on the OWI letter was that its writer apparently wasn't aware of what the business has already done on the conservation and woman war-worker themes. For instance, there's been 'I Can Do Without Sugar. But I Can't Do With- out 'Vou' and 'Rasie the Riveter.' FETE DR. BLACK ON HIS lOTH ANNI WITH NBC Dr. Frank Black was given a din- ner at the 21 Club last Saturday night (5) in celebration of his 10th anniversary as NBC director of mu- sic. Among the speakers were Da- vid SarnofT. Niles Trammell and Dr. Walter Damroseh. In ariswer lo the various tributes. Dr. Black spoke of the tremendous growth of music appreciation in the United States since the advent of radio. He said that music had be- come a powerful influence in strengthening the morale of the armed forces. Feel Disc Ban —— Continued from page 39 ^ the 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. stripe. To the publishers this is an audience that would be least inclined to fol- low up their musical fancy with a visit to a sheet music counter. One publisher, who has been consistently successful with new songs in recent years, made the ob- servation last week that if his trade confreres think that the recording ban, unless settled in the near fu- ture, won't damage their business seriously, they're 'just whistling in the dark.' This same pub held that the time wasn't far ofl when radio stations which specialize in record- ing would also feel the pinch. Such stations will make the discovery that listeners had become tired of hearing the old ones over and over again and had turned to the net- work outlets for newer materia!. Nde Stiiif-Miiac Walter Doyle, songwriter who has been inactive since 1930 due to a heart condition, and who has been in and out of the Phlla. Naval hospital in recent years, recently got a call from his draft board to appear for a physical. The Veterans' Bureau, to whom Doyle appealed, notified the draft board that the songwriter was rated as permanently disabled, but received word back that 'regardless of your ideas to the contrary, thc> Selective Service System is not Interested In the findings of the Veterans' Bureau.' Doyle says It took Washington Intervention to straighten the matter out. "I was merely reminded of it, Doyle wrote Variety, 'by your recent notice that Bert Gordon, the Mad Russian, received a similar call from his draft board despite a wound stripe from the last war.' Dixie hotel, N. 'v., asserts that it Is not making any attempt to keep music publisher's contact men from its new Plantation Room, regardless of its lack of minimum or cover. It claims that it has never barred any- one from entering, whether alone or escorted. Dixie makes this claim in answer to a story in last week's 'Variety' that songpluggers were being asked to steer clear ot the Plantation Room if they were unescorted. Trickle of new releases by disk companies has forced newspaper record reviewers attempting to keep up weekly departments to include hillbilly, cowboy and race platters, hitherto skipped by average critics. NBC. CBS. Blue. Mutual Plugs Follou'inp tabulation of popular music per/ormoncc! embraces all four iictujorfcs—WBC, CBS. Blue and Mutual—OS represented by WEAF, WJZ, WABC and WOR. N. Y. Compilation herewith covers week beginning Mondav through Sunday. Nov. 30-Dec. 6. from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and is based on data prouided by Accurate Reporting Service, regular source for music publishing industri/. TITLE PUBLISHES TOTAL White Christmas—t'Holiday Inn' Berlin 33 Mr. 5 by 5—t'Bchin(j 8 Ball* Leeds 25 Star'iqht Sonata BMI 25 Why bon't You Fall In Love With Me? Harms 25 I Had the Craziest Dream—t'Springtime" bvC 23 That Soldier of Mine National 23 Praise the Lord and Pass Ammunition Famou.s 21 Dearly Beloved'—t'You Were Never Lovelier"... chappell 20 Manhattan Serenade Robbins 20 A Touch of Texas—'Seven Days Leave' Southern IS Daybreak—t'Pvt. Miss Jones' Feist 13 Moonlight Becomes You—I'Road to Morocco'.. Famous 18 There Are Such Things Yankee 18 •I'm Getting Tired So I Can Sleep Army IT Rose Ann of Charing Cross Shapiro IT Velvet Moon Wilmark IT When the Lights Co on Again! CLP , 1<> There'll Never Be Another You—^'Iceland' Morris 15 Pennsylvania Polka Shapiro H I Get Neck of Chicken—t'Seven Days' Leave'.. Southern n The Steam Is on the Beam Crawford Constantly—t'Road to Morocco' Paramount I'd Do It Again Snntly Street of Dreams Miller ' '• Ten Little Soldiers Lincoln " For Mc and My Gal—-^'Me and My Gal' Mills " If I Cared a Little Bit Less Feist '' Moonlight Mood Robbins Every Night About This Time Warock ' ' "This Is the Army, Mr. Jones Army ' ' Yesterday's Gardenias Mayfair 1 ' Br t.'C Light of the Silvery Moon Rcmick . , Biazil Southern 8 Hip Hip Hooray Robbins 8 Serenade In Blue—fOrcheslra Wives' BVC " You'd Be So Nice lo Come Home To Cha:5pell 8 Blue Skies Berlin 7 Can't Get Out of Mood—v'Sevcn Days Leave". .Southern ' Rosie the Riveter ''.-inmouiit 7 Three Dreams—'.'Powers Girl' Remick J When You're a Long. Long Way from Home.. B'way A Boy In Khaki ABC ^ He's My Guy Leeds « If I Ever Get Back to Hannah Mutual <; I Met Her on Monday.: ABC J Over There—i'Yankee Doodle Dandy' Feist " Atlas Mutual ^ T. B. Harms S Paradise Valley American Prayer Carioca—t'Flying Down to Rio' Gobs of Love Paramount » •I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen. .Army ^ Please Think of Me Witmark J Romance a La Mode Remick Sentimental Feeling Marks » With a Pack on His Back Tenney » On the Upbeat ^= Continued from page 38 — Chicago, immediately following the 10-wcek engagement ot Hildegarde and Joe Reichman's orchestra, which opens Jan. 7. tFilmusical. •Tliis Is the Army' publishing subsid. Bustle Lodge, near Monroe. Mich., operated by Chuck Scgnclla and Marty Clarke, reopened Dec. 3 after suspension by the liquor board for violations. Sande Williams, orch leader at the Raleigh Room. Hotel Warwick, N. Y., has enlisted in the Army. Place will be taken by Roa Perry. Bob Dennis, sax player in Harle Bracht's band, playing in the Rain- bow Room. Hotel Willard, Toledo, is now in the Navy. Corwin Brandt replaced him. Henry Zelgler is new pianist with Piccolo Pete band at Nut House. Pittsburgh, succeeding Jim Wise, who has gone to work in defense plant. permanently with Max Adkins" house band at Stanley, Pittsburgh, replac- ing Carmen Rummo, now in the Army. Baron Elliott band renewed at Bill Green's, Pittsburgh, until after first of year. Outfit, doubling from stafT job at station WCAE. has been at Green's for two months. Lionel Hampton returning east shortly from long Coast sojourn; plays Regal theatre, Chicago, Dec. 25 week, and Paradise, Detroit, Jan. 1, week. ' Sonny Dunham loses his vocalist, Ray Kellogg, to the Army today (9). Kellogg has been with band since inception three years ago. Freddie Slack moves inlo the Golden' Gale, San Francisco. Dec. 9, as his first major theatre engage- ment. Herbie Fields, in the Army end leader of the reception center or- chestra at Fort Dix for months, has been transferred to Atlantic City. MarcU Rice, now vocalist with Tony Pastor's band, after brief atint with Sam Donahue's orchestra, un- til it broke up, and Bob Astor. Teddy Powell band has been held over at the Dixie hotel, New York. Joe Lescak has taken piano spot 3 MUSTS FOR YOUR BOOKS I BURNED A MATCH I MUMBLE JUMBLE OGEECHEE RIVER LULLABY t-.lll <'.\I.I.OU'AV No. SesOS Col. RVTVOC, Inc, 1585 B'way, N. Y. (A8CAP)