The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-29

pressedly concluded, as dead to the
world" That may be true, but to my
thinking the usual sort of stuff is al
| ways acceptable providing the singer is
clever and can give new complexion
to it-at least, that is my experience,
| and have written and had published
| scores of music-hall songs.
Many of my most successful songs
have, curiously enough, been declined
with thanks" by the singers 1 original
! ly designed them for. That is another
| disappointing thing in connection win
| the business. You write a song for a
certain artist which you feel sure from
your knowledge of his or her abilities
will absolutely "fit" down to the
ground, and much to your surprise you
get it returned with an intimation that
| it is unsuitable.
You "get a bit of your own back"
though, when it turns out a big sue
| cess with another performer. One of
my biggest SuccesseS-a song which
| became known all over the world
| came back in this way, with a long let
ter in which the writer said: 'I don't
see the elements of a hit in it." He
was sorry he wrote that not long af-
terward, when the effusion was in ev-
erybody's mouth-except his own.
Another client, in returning a COM
ic' ballad specially written for him,
scathingly remarked: II want songs,
but they must at least be humorous"
Rather nasty. wasn't it? But that's
what you have to put up with.
Another well-known performer con-
Guided a long letter of instructions for
song he wanted me to write: Not
too good-it is useless me trying to
educate the masses" Rather a Gu
| rious remark for comic vocalist to
make-eh?"
One Of the best judges of a song 1
ever met was the late Great Macder-
mott, but then, he was himself pos
sesSed of considerable literary ability.
He once told me that he had only
missed one success among the songs he
mad refused the offer of, and l could
quite believe it. Mac was shreWder
by far than the comic singer of today,
though of course there were fewer at
the game when he was leading light.
There are, admit, good many sing
ers before the public nowadays who
know exactly what they want and ac-
cept a song the moment it is put be-
fore them, but the majority, it seems
to me, are copyiStS, incapable for the
most part of striking out a line of
their own. This makes easier work for
the author, in a way; but if he keeps
turning out stuff of exactly the same
pattern, the publishers are naturally
and the publishing profits on a sue
cessful song are pretty considerable.
That brings me to another point.
The publication of a song is sometimes
against its chances of long life. There
are many comic singers of a semi-pro-
fessional type who have sprung up of
late years, who do a round of din
ners' and smoking concerts in the win
ter season. and when the summer
comes take their holidays at some WELL
known seaside resort and give al fresco
performances on the sands.
The majority of these performers
have no songs of their own-they sim
ply rely for success on published dit
ties that professional singers have al
ready made popular in the variety
halls. They, of course, pay nothing for
singing rights Though why they should
not 1 never could make OUT, and thus
the song that might run for a sea-
son or two if retained for the original
singers sole use, has its popularity
worked out in a few months, and its
sale is, in consequence, much less than
it ordinarily would be.
So. take it altogether, concluded the
comic song provider. nowadays 1 may
fairly ask the question, Where do 1
come in?" Writing and composing
songs might have been a rosy business
| a few years back, but in the words of
a brother poet, ITS a horse of another
color now!"-Tit-Bits.
We have heard without protest much
music of Richard Strauss recently. A
| few years ago it would have been 9TH
erwise; but the human ear is an ac-
| commodating organ: what it first re-
| jects with violent scorn ii eagerly alb
serbs later. Strauss has ever Offend
I 4