Variety (March 1950)

Wednesday* March 22, 1950 PfiRIETY ORCHESTRAS-M1JSIC Spur To Music Biz Continued from page 1 iiava not been written. In fact, the need for their revival has only accented the deficiencies that Seem inherent with some of the present-day song output. It isn't as if the writers are cone: they're still around, more or less professionally working their craft but seemingly lacking the ■dark that made their yesteryear output so distinguished that revivals of a quarter-of-a-century jater click all over again. It's been an open secret that a to-called “country-club set" within ASCAP thought more of picking winners, sitting in the sun on the third base line, taking it easy in Hollywood, indulging in intra^ASCAP P°htics, and the like, than their basic craft of songWriting. Just as important, if not more so, is the business of making a song /into a hit; This calls for exploitation and working to further the popularization thereof. The result has been that Broad-* cast Music, Inc., which perhaps7 may have started off more or less as a company union of music copyright owners, for particular benefit of the radio industry, none the less has been the dominant licensee of some of the most popular current songs in recent years. Sortie of the provisions under the hew decree are palpably a blow to seniority and availability with the increased accent on current performance. There is a group of charter members of ASCAP who told Government investigators that the wealth of older copyrights, along with the seniority arid availability of these Works, had special intrinsic value to set them apart from such current quick hits as “Nature Boy," “Rag Mop," “Third Man Theme," “Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue," “You Call Everybody Darling" “Roomful of Roses," “You Can’t Be True, Dear,'' and the like. The Governmerit decree, however, does not feel likewise. Apparently the currently popular faves, arid the extent of their performances, are deemed as astute a measuring stick as anything. Certainly the degree does create an opensesame for what has been a closed door to higher ASCAP classifications for new writer-members. It removes ’ ASCAP from the pseudoHall 6f Fame it fancied itself to be, and reduces the organization to the fundamental of a collection agency for the usages of musical copyrights in public performance for profit ' As such it carries out the letter arid spirit of the ASCAP pioneer, Victor Herbert, and ASCAP’s founding attorney, Nathan Burkan. It will be recalled that the factor to inspire Herbert's ASCAP pioneering was . Shanley's restaurant playing his “Mile. Modiste" music as a gastronomic lure, but paying him— the composer-nothing. For the privilege of hearing his own works, performed by a three-piece ensemble, semi-hidden behind some potted palms in those 19131914 days, it was costing him a fancier fee for his food. Burkan's test case, which paved the way for the organization and prosperity of ASCAP, is now history. ASCAP has long been the envy of creative writers all over the World. So' long as the melody lingers on, the income has likewise, apparently. Dramatists, Writers for the screen, novelists and others have long wondered how they could create counterpart sources of con 100 Composer needs arranger. Must have tiyo. contacts with . successful pub* Ushers. . I . . Write: 0. H. N. 45*47, T72nd Sf., Flushing; N. Y. tinning income, rather than have the economic fruits of their liter-* ary labors die with the peak sales or production of their works. The new decree may achieve ari incentive objective which the richand-gone-lazy, established songsmiths seem long to have lacked. In fact, mariy a Lindy's vet has wondered, /“Why does Berlin knock himself out that way year after year when he doesn't have to?" They can’t understand the difference between replenishing performance versus stagnation— if you can call it "stagnation" at $20,000per-year. ASCAP cari still remain a gold mine for doubleA writers. As Billy Rose once expressed himself, "of all my worldly goods, the best thing I could leave Eleanor (his wife) is my A A rating' in ASCAP." At an $18,000-$20,000 surefire an _ MALE OR FEMALE E^P»rl*nc« and contacts desirable. Plug songs for producing unit. .Commission basis. • J*w V,3974, Variety <54 W. 46th St., New .YarK It. N. Y. A Savvy Decree In working out the expertly documented decree, the Government called in a number of outside interests, including major film company attorneys' as well as legalites of Broadcast Music, Inc,, to explore their views. Talks were either •exploratory or for background briefing. Trade Circles, however, credit them with considerable infii^ence in the preparation of some of the peculiarly intricate, intra-trade music angles, Despite some 01 the uncertainties over interpretation, the consent decree is replete with much savvy on the nuances pertaining to ASCAP. nual dividend, that's like a $1,000,Q00 cash annuity at 2%, or if you figure on a generous yield of 4%. it is compared to having $500,000 in gold bonds. The decree puts a new measure ment, possibly, on the manner of disbursing ASCAP'b revenue. The one-hit songwriter will be enabled to collect quicker and better coin for his current popularity, without worrying about a prolonged waiting period and a reclassification upwards. * Hollywood, March 21. Turk Murphy’s jazz band is the latest pixielaiid crew inked by MCA, which recently inked the Firehouse Five Plus Two. Murphy crew down from Frisco's Hangover House /for deal, also sigiied a new scalerplus-royalties ; deal With Les . Koenig’s Goodtime Jazz Records. He received only scale ■.before; ' v First sides under new pact, calling for minimum of 16 disks annually, Will be “Curse Gf An Aching Heart," “1919 Rag " “Waitin’ ! for Robert E. Lee” and “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue." DISK HEST SELLERS Survey of retail disk best sellers, based on reports obtained front leading stores in 12 cities and showing comparative sales rating for this and last week. National Rating This Last wk. wk. Artist, Label, Title to . d ' :©•■ co ed . tin . o > nl Q *3 ■ ©■ >i V d. z « ■«:' 0h t. •w no . ft w 1 to (V V •PR ja o 0 .ft ifi « m •ft ■S; m *— i O) ft <u p w. 1 73 to' "ft :< to 2 ■O P in -3 .3 © to O PQ ft l ea in © N PQ © e e. O w i: ■■ ©‘ Irt d Q 5 i c m S Ch ’ d .ft, CO d to d 3 w h C ■ CO . Oi o X3 'CO to ft -4-> -ft'. £ ed £ t ** d (fl . i«c ■ £ to 3 ■s- W). •p-4 * ’©■ •ft." ■I ••ft 3 . e P co .0; p TJ flj <3 ■is c » o u ■I •m c S c c n CO to... §: to U ed d IV 1 l ed ft ed IN 9 ft o p u to 3 ■.to; c M. C to ed to ft. ed ■ >>■ ed P. 1 ft ed l: d 9 co <d d CO T O T. A L P 0 1 N T S TERESA BREWER (London) “Music, Music, Music”— 604 . . 2# 3 2 10 80 ANTON KARAS (London) 9 “Third Man Theme"— 536 5 10 -51 TONY MARTIN (Victor) “There's No Tomorrow'"*— 20-3582 8 8 7 2 .4 10 45 SAMMY KAYE (Victor) “It Isn’t Fair”— 20-3609 ; , ........ 10 9 6 10 8 44 EILEEN BARTON (Mercury) 6 “Knew You Were Comihg”— 5392 . 42 RED FQ^EY (Decca) 6 A '4 "Chattanoogie Shine Boy"— 46205 . 8 1 8 40 FRANKIE LAINE (Mercury) 6B 7 “Cry of the Wild Goose"— 5363. . . 6 6 8 40 AMES BROS. (Coral) 7A 8 “Rag Mop”— 00140. 6 26 7B T. MARTIN-F. WARREN (Victor) “I Said My Pajamas"— 20-3616 . 9 26 E. MERMAN-R. BOLGER (Decca) 8 13 “Dearie"— 24873 . 10 22 9 BING CROSBY (Decca) “Chattanoogie Shine Boy"— 24863 19 BILLY ECKSTINE (M-G-M) 1.2G 10 “Enjoy Yourself ”—24825 . . . 10 14 13 GEORGIA GIBBS (Coral) “Knc^W You Were Coming”— 60169 12 GORDON JENKINS (Decca) “My Foolish Heart"— 24830 . . . . 8 6 DICK TODD (Rainbow) 14B 18 “Daddy’s Little Girl"— 80088 3 10 9 14C 17 . RUSS MORGAN (Decca) “Sentimental Me" — 24904 9 14D 15 ARTHUR GODFREY (Columbia) “Candy and. Cake”— 38721 . > ; 9 VICTOR YOUNG (Decca) 15 18 “La Vie En Rose”— 2481 6 . . ” JOHNNY DESMOND (M-G-M) 16 A 8 16B . JO STAFFORD (Capitol) “Diamonds Girls Best Friend"— 824 ... 4 Tt .**■■■•*.* L*. • / t '7 16C M. WHITING-E. DE VOL (Capitol) "I Said Mv Pajamas” — 841. .. . . ■ / ) ’ ;; 4 *n ■' '> A ■ ■ — i . .. . • .7 ' 1 2 3 , 4 ' • 5 FIVI : top SOUTH PACIFIC DIXIE §Y DORSEY SO NOS BY BILLY ECKSTINE GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES TEXAS LIT DARLIN' ALBUMS Broodwciy Cast Columbia Jimmy Dorsey . Columbia Billy Ecksline M-G-M Broad wqy Coftt Columbia Broadway. Ceil Decca Disk Best Seilers by Companies . (Based on Points Earned) No. of Label Records Decca . . ... 9 London • • • • ■ Victor' . . . .■ . • • • . « • * • • * • • ' Mercury .2 Columbia ; . . . • • 3 Points Label 152 Coral ... 131 M-G-M 115 Capitol 82 [ Rainbow . ^ . No. of Records 2 2 ... 2 ...’■I Points 38 24 14 8 39 |. IpA 13 “My Foolish Heart’’— 10623 A . . . . 5 . . 3 8 . A • • .• 4 • • * * 17 10B 19 : GUY LOMBARDO (Decca) “Third Man Theme"*— 24839 . . . 7 3 6 • 17 \ : 11 16 M. MARTIN A. GODFREY (Col) “Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep”— 38744 9 9 .. 9 . • ' «’ • • • 1 . . . 16 12A 16 MERVIN SHINER (Decca) “Peter Cottontail" — 46221 . . . . . ... 5 * • t i • • • • .. 3 •* »; 14 ■ ^ 12B 14 DINAH SHORE (Columbia) “So Nice to Have a Man"— 38689 .... . 7 9 10 . 6 9 • • ■ .. 14 GUY LOMBARDO (Decca) 1 prsssnting ths TOPS ill and SACRED MUSIC 3 CURRENT FAVORITES suri<) by tht MILLS cou with DECCA 24872 with L DECCA 25046 coupled with DECCA 14503 Single Records 75c each (plus tax) DECCA RECORDS