The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-16

OF mechanical reproduction w.
be disposed of to talking macs; ~,
and player piano COMPANIES LIE VA
song must be extensively ADDE'S
ed in the trade papers. An of ~ us Us
things must be attended IN b s'te'e
the factory's sales force entars et
music store field. '"i
An important item in Market.
a song is its cover Songs Wei Ii,4s
wide popular appeal are not na..
~ as numerous as thew ussd
be, The Love Nest" and w.. "a
pering," which were distinc,I, s
this order. were ONLY two an, "
dozens marketed the sana -.
But these other songs sold mod
ately well, in spite of their a.
of charm, probably because ~
offered something new and !.
cause OF their attractive covers
good cover contains the title a. a.,
song u large. clear print ana ~
extremely simple design. A wboT-
black cover with the title in Ia,-.
white letters has achieved -. -
popularity. while yellow is aJso -.
to attract the attention of the Duh
lie. p1'-
Songs That Sen
There are some songs. known g.,
the trade as counter songs
which sell altogether on HE met.
OF their covers. They are so Isck-
ing in appeal that no one expact,
the buyers to sing them. vet soma
of them have achieved a sale NJ
more than 100000 copies, much =,
the gratitied amazement of the nuh.
fishers, The counter song NAV
be anything from a fox-trot to
sentimental ballad, but it is al.
ways something which has cost the
song factory very little-probablv
not more than $50, paid TO sons
poverty stricken hack.
The name cover" featuring the
author of the song and sometimes
including his likeness, is Temporal
lily out Of fashion. for it has been
found that with the exception Of
one or two familiar names like
Ernest r. Ball and Irving Berlin
the name of the writer on q cover
is merely a waste of print The
public does not see it. Further
more. as has been intimated. names
are handled rather carelessly bv
song factories.
staff writers. says one SONG
writer. put their names on many
which they have heard
univ I11o Tho 81 y y--F+z- 4Ls---
be sentitled to a split on the roy-
alties and authorship for introduc
ng the writer to publisher
Some houses make it a practice to
sign everything with STANDARD
lanes which they attach TO every
hing. Many writer's who are in
With the publishers buy up songs
outright for few dollars and turn
hem in as their own work There
vas very popular war song that
made a great deal Of money for a
'ouple of fellows who signed i,.
,ut as a matter of fact they bought
t outright from a poor fellow who
leeded a little coin right away An
lther big hit of several years ago
vas the work OF z staff arrange.
Who sold the thing to a man Wh0
'laced it on a royalty basis.
In one case a young amateur
ong writer sold d melody and
yTics to d song producing plant
or $50, The firm published the
ong. and it became very popular
Believing that he had been delibe--
tely deceived as to its real value,
he young man brought suit for an
accounting, and the number has
zen withdrawn from the market
developments.
Most com petent SONG writers.
owever. have the saEactty TO ally
themselves with song factories AMI
lot to wander about attempting 10
ell their products to chance a.
They realize that Jazz
as passed into the hands Of Amer
can industry. and that the indie
carefree days OF Tin Pan
,lley are over. The Oidfashiou-l
houses on that famous
neIOdiC thOFoughfare t1therWiss
nOwn as West Twenty-eightb
treet are now silent. and Of the
aliant ragtime brigade that Cn-e
lade their old walls culver With
0isy melody. only . few person
litios have survived the subsltI-
ion of modern industrial methods
or what they chose to call art
hief among these survivors is the
inging Waiter Of Niger Mixes
i've in Peil street. VINO, success
lilly bridging the chasm nov owns
100000 residence on Fifth ave
Ne. his own theatre and bis own
III facI0rE- He IS IEEinE Rcr.l.