WEALTH IN SONG-WRITING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 318, 3 June 1911, Page 10

WEALTH IN SONG-WRITING.

£14,000 A YEAR. Talk about literature and the law and all the other professions, said a London music publisher recently, they are simply "not in it" compared with the writing of popular gongs, some of the composers of which can afford to turn up their noses at the income of a West End physician or even of a LoTd Chancellor. Why, only the other day I was talking to Mr. Irving Berlin, the, most popular writer of songs in America. There's a case very much in point, A couple of years ago Mr. Berlin was a poor man, who would have thought a of hundred a year a princely income. Now he is making between £14,000 and £16,000 a year, although he has yet to see his twenty-third birthday! The remarkable thing is that he has had scarcely any musical education. He is practically self-taught, and was glad to earn a few dollars a week by singing at cafes, when it occurred to fllrr. to h'y his hand at writing a song—his inspiration being the race between Dorando and Hayes. That song, "Dorando," brought him a paltry £5, although it earned 800 times that sum. Then followed "Sadie Salome—go Home," which sold like hot cakes. A quarter of a million copies went in no time, and Mr. Berlin pocketed £I2OO in royalties. Not bad for -the second effort of a boy of twenty, was it? The day of big things had now dawned. Mr. Berlin's next song, "That Mesmerising Medelssohn Tune," went like wildfire; 1,500,0.00 copies were sold, and the author-composer added £OOOO to his bank balance. A fourth song, with the attractive title, "My Wife's Gone to the Country. Hurrah! Hurrah!" written and composed at a cafe and sung the same evening, took America by storm; everybody sang or whistled it, and the parsons even preached about it. It became the rage and the fashion; and every note of it brought its lucky parent a big shower of gold. Since then Mr. Berlin has written something like 200 songs, a score at least of which have been huge successes, and have brought him a deluge of dollars. No wonder he can coin money at the rate of over £IOOO a month, and can afford to smile at the income of a Chancellor of the Exchequer. Of course, this talented song-writer, who has a perfect genius for-hitting the popular taste, is exceptionally fortunate. But there are, others, several of them in America, who are coining money out of their songs at a rate which may well make the mouth water. __ j The man who wrote "Break the News to Mother" is said to have made £4OOO out of this pathetic ballad. A few years ago, when he wrote "After the Ball," he was poor and unknown. Ho offered that song to publisher after publisher for nothing, and not one of them would look a\. it. At last he borrowed a little monc} and published it himself; and now he blesses those publishers, for it made his name and fortune. He writes three or four songs a year, publishes about half-a-dozen songs of other writers, and enjoys a snug little income of 35,000d015. to 40,000d015. a year. A few years ago two young men wrote a lachrymose song entitled, "My Mother was a Lady," and published it with gratifying success. They continued writing and publishing, and to-day it is said they have a. joint income of something like £■20.000 ii year. Another American s.mgwriter. who, not long ago, was glad to sell his songs outright, for lOdols. or lo dols. apiece, can now rely on an average income of CSOOO a year by writing one song a month-often no more than a morning's work; and the man who wrote those Transatlantic successes, "Rastus on Parade" and "A Georgia Camp-meeting," is credited with a similar income. No, I'm afraid our English song-writers don't earn such princely incomes as this; but thev have had some amazing successes, 'it is said that the universallypopular "Queen of My Hfarf" made four substantial fortunes,' and in one year earned over £40,000. Yet this song had been going a-begging for many a year under the title of "Old Dreams" before it attained fame and fortune. "The Man that, Broke the Bank of Monte Carlo" and "The Rowdy-Dowdy Boys" swept like a tornado over practically the whole world, and earned many thousands of pounds in royalties. •iter Golden Hair was Hanging Down Her Back" is credited with having earned £20,0(10 for author and publisher; "Hush! Hush! the Bogey Man!" cleared a good G 10.000; and "Tn Friendship's Name," introduced in the musical corned v, "Tin Ta-ulv Slavey," reached the enormous s a l o of 20,000 copies a year, I and yielded an annual £5 for every note I in it.

I know at least fifty songs that have returned from £IOOO to £IOOO a line to their composers. Sir Arthur Sullivan received quite £IO,OOO in royalties from The Lost Chord"; "In Old Madrid" rewarded publisher and composer to the tunc of Cb">.ono: and "My Pretty .lane" is said to have yielded £2OOO a line. "Tommy Atkins," which, by the way, was. it is reported, purchased for a guinea, coined £SOOO during its first year; and Mr. Milton Welling's "Some Day," for which the composer is said to have received 10 guineas, is credited with having yielded ' £IO.OOO. "Alice. Where are Thou?" was offered to several publishers for a five-pound note and "declined with thanks,'' and "Kathleen Mavonrneen" was actually parted with for this absurd sum. Who can estimate the golden harvest that, has been reaped from these two songs of worldwide oopularitv and undying fame? And the same may be said of Bnlfe's exquisite •'Come'into the Garden, Maud," sob! by the composer for £100; of "Cheer.' I'.ovs, Cheer!" sold by Henry Russell for' C 3; and of Milton Welling's "Cohlen Love," for which he was paid i ight guineas. 'Kveu aflcr long year-- of popularity sonic of these songs are still worth a substantial sum. Thus, not, long ago. the copyright of "For all Eternity" was sold f0r'.C2240. Arditi's "Tl Bacio" for £716, ami '-The Arab's Farewell to his Steed' for £(itfl.