The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-07
Jazz Composer
of DardanelId'
Here This Week
Andrew Copeland, Negro Comedian at
Novelty, Gets Two and Half
Cent Royalty ON Every Copy of
Song Sold.

How would you like to have a cut
in on the royalties from ''Dardanella,' .
the Oriental song-hit which bids fair
to establish new worlds record for
song saleso Would you care to sit by
and get a percentage of the returns
from the million and a half copies al
ready sold? Andrew Copeland. col
ored comedian appearing at the Nov
city the last half of the week, is doing
just that. AS composer of the jazz
lyric to the weirdly popular song
number, he says he is getting II cents
royalty on every copy of 'Dardanella"
that is sold.
There is an interesting history to
"Dardane1la," in which Copeland fig
ures. along with Bert Williams. IA
nous singer comedian; Will Vodery,
who arranges the scores for Ziegfeld,
and Fred Fisher. of the McCarty &
| Fisher Song Producing company. The
song originated with two composers
who were virtually unheard of before,
Johnny S. Black and Felix Bernard,
who called it Turkish Tom Toms"
Black composed the original strain,
using 1t in his act in the Winter Gar
den during the last three years. Ber-
/ nard heard the tune and suggested
several additions to the melody. II
went the rounds of the publishers but
| ing to its difficult bass accompani-
| ment.
Wrote Jazz Lyric to 1t.
Finally Mccarthy & Fisher accepted
| it last spring the sole work of Felix
! Bernard, who did not mention Johnny
Blacks collaboration. Copies were
printed with Demands name alone on
it, altho the trade had not gotten hold
| of it then. After a lively rumpus in
Fishers offices, Black convinced the
publishers he had been instrumental
in composing the number and was let
| in on a half interest
Orchestras did not take kindly to
| the new song, because of the difficult
| orchestral arrangement. Then it was
that Fisher called in Copeland, Will
liams and Nodery to simplify it. Two
| lyrics were written to the music, one
| by Fisher and a jazz lyric by Cope
land, which the latter himself intro
duced at the Harlem opera house, New
York. in October.
Altho Bernard had sold out his in
terest two months previous TO the
time the song began to catch, he
brought suit last winter against Fish
err, alleging that he was tricked into
selling out his interests for 500.
Fisher answered these charges with a
general denial, and his attorneys are
plaintiff who first approached Nc
Carthy & Fisher with an offer to sell.
Copeland says "Dardanella's record
is exceptional in that the instrumental
numbers are outselling the vocal
Has Appeared Here Before.
Copeland has had a wide experience
| on the stage, now serving his thirty
| sixth year on the boards" He has
been seen in Topeka several times at
the old Crawford theater in such pro-
auctions as Williams and Walkers
THE Hardest Coon. in Dixie" and
| THE Nashville Students"
Among his compositions are lyrics
for THE Whole Doggone World S
Gone Shimmie Wild" Josephine, MY
joe" Georgia Camp Meetin'," Hello.
Mr. Moon. Hello and my Creole
Sue" for Susie Curvan of the Wilbur
Opera company. He is now writing
lyrics for Francis, Day & Hunter and
T. B. Hirams, New York and London,
for review shows.
THE modern jazz is merely an up
to date version of the cakewalk that
was so popular in the nineties," is
iCopeland's characterization of the mu-
sic craze that has swept the country.
Copeland said he tried in vain to
purchase a copy of 'Dardanella' for
a friend in Topeka today. The stores
were sold out he said.