M.WITMARK & SONS
Harry Armstrong, who liked singing in vocal quartets, had writtern a melody in Boston in 1896. There were no lyrics until he came to New York to work as a Pianist for M. Witmark & Sons. He asked Richard H. Gerard to write a Lyric for his melody and Witmark accepted "Sweet Adeline" for publication.

After winning a toy printing press from school, Isadore, Julius, and J. Witmark opened a printing establishment in their home on West 40th Street in New York City. They earned a modest living printing Christmas cards.

To augment his earnings, Jay became a successful performer of ballads in minstrel and variety shows. It suddenly occurred to Jay, if it was possible for him to establish hit songs for others, why couldn't he publish his own music? After all, Isadore could write songs, Jay could sing them, and, finally, they had a printing press on which to print the music. So the brothers became "music publishers." Since the brothers were too young to run a business, their father, Marcus, became director of the company, and thus M. Witmark & Sons was established in 1885.

Learning from the newspapers that President Grover Cleveland was to marry Francis Folsom, Isadore decided to write a wedding march for the 1886 wedding at the White House. The House of Witmark, being first with an appropraite song, made a great deal of money while establishing a new trend in the music business, which was to introduce songs based upon front page stories.

The Witmarks were the first to pay singers to perform their songs. Isadore found the contracts, and Julius sang and demonstrated the songs, thereby becoming the first song pluggers in the young industry. They were so successful, they moved to larger quarters at 32 East 14th Street, New York City, in 1888, the first music publisher to open shop in the theatre district. They were soon to publish songs of other writers, such as Charles K. Harris, an unknown who wrote "After the Ball," the first song to sell more than two million copies in the United States. Witmark hits were numerious. Perhaps one of the most successful songs of all times was "Sweet Adeline," published by M. Witmark & Sons in 1903. It even entered politics when John J. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald used it several times as his theme song when running for major for Boston.

However, there was soon to be a change in the entertainment business, as the theatre produced another kind of music in the nineties, forcing the successful Witmark company to move up to the new music hall neighborhood on 28th Street.

One of Witmark's first successes on "Broadway" was the musical comedy Floridora in 1899, which was produced at the Lyric Theatre with the music of British composer Leslie Stuart, which was acquired from the British publisher Francis Day & Hunter.

The signing of Victor Herbert as a writer at the turn of the century set M. Witmark & Sons as a leading music publisher of theatre music.

The Witmarks became influential in the music publishing business through the introduction and development of exploitation and sales methods that eventually became basic with their competitors.

They were the first to distribute free "professional copies" to performing artists.

They were the first to introduce new orchestrations with unusual harmonies and instrumental effects, opening a new world of song presentations.

They were the first publisher to open up a music library.

In December 1898, the Witmarks advertised in the New York Dramatic Mirror that they were offering "for sale or to hire the largest collection of vocal concert numbers and excerpts in America...music of every description, arranged, transposed, copied, lithographed."

In its entire career, Witmark absorbed ten other publishing houses. In 1886 it had acquired the publications of the New York Variety Publishing Company. A few years later, they became the proprietors of the Dobson Banjo Music catalog. In 1892, with the acquisition of the Prophetic Catalogue, the Witmarks became the sponsors for a number of important composers, among them the pioneer Negro writer, Gussie L. Davis.

Other catalogues to come were the publications of Dave Martin, the Fred J. Hamill Company, B.D. Nice catalogue, the Weber & Field catalogue, the Rogers Brothers catalogue with songs of Maurice Levi.

Then followed the Gus Edwards publications, including "Tammany" and "In My Merry Oldsmobile."

In 1907, the Sol Bloom catalog was bought which contained, among others, Hutchinson's "Sammy" and Arthur Penn's "Carrissima."

But Witmark hired a pianist who ended up with a 20 year contract when he wrote his first hit song with James J. Walker in 1903, "Will You Love Me In December As You Do In May?" James J. "Jimmy" Walker eventually became mayor of New York City and Ernest R. Ball, in cooperation with Chauncey Olcott, a star in Irish musicals, added "Mother Machree" and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling."

REMICK MUSIC CORPORATION
Jerome H. Remick, a milkman, acquired a music publishing firm in Detroit known as Whitney-Warner Publishing Company and moved to New York in 1894.

Jerome Remick, together with Maurice Shapiro, established Shapiro-Remick & Company in 1902. In 1905 they sold several million copies of "In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree," with words by Harry Williams and Egbert van Alstyne.

But in 1906, Maurice Shapiro split with Remick, and Remick formed his own Jerome H. Remick & Co., taking over the domestic rights to the Shapiro-Remick catalogue. Van Alstyne remained with Remick and soon came up with a string of hits songs such as "Pretty Baby" and "Your Eyes have Told Me So."

In 1909 Remick had three ballads that passed the million copy sale mark, one being "Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet." These were followed by other successes including "Moonlight Bay" in 1912 and "When You Wore A Tulip" in 1914.

In 1914 Jerome H. Remick and Company, now in a brownstone walk-up on West 28th Street, began hiring song pluggers to sell their tunes to performers.

However, there was always a musical salesman left on the premises to demonstrate songs in the shop and George Gershwin, becoming that type demonstrator, entered the song plugging field when he joined Remick in 1914. While at Remick, Gershwin composed many songs, hoping they would be published. He left Remick shortly after they finally published one entitled "Rialto Ripples" in 1917, with a lyric by Will Donaldson.

To meet further competition and develop a catalogue, Jerome Remick began to sign such young writers as Harry Warren, Al Dubin, Gus Kahn, Richard Whiting and others. The golden era of the music of the roaring twenties was born. But soon the entertainment business saw more changes. Needing music for their new talking pictures, the Warner Brothers began to buy publishing houses. In acquiring Jerome H. Remick and Company in 1929, they acquired not just the catalogue, but the staff writers as well. Harry Warren and Al Dubin brought their musical talents on to the Warner Brothers' studio lot, creating such hits as "42nd Street" and "I Only Have Eyes For You."

TOM B. HARMS
A composer by the name of Harry Dacre came to the United States in 1891 with a bicycle for which he had to pay duty. William Jerome, a lyricist friend, met him at the pier and jokingly remarked that if Dacre came over with a bicycle built for two, he would have to pay double.

The phrase stuck in Dacre's mind, and he used it for the first song he wrote in America. The song became an instant hit, but in England. Late in 1891, cycling became a health fad in America, and women were encouraged by their doctors to ride. "Bicycle Built For Two" became a hit, but under the title of "Daisy Bell." Tom B. Harms published the song in 1892.

Tom Harms became the first publisher to discover that printing the sheet music of a successful Broadway show was quite profitable. He published "The Bowery," "Reuben, Reuben," and "Push Them Clouds Away" from the show A Trip To Chinatown in 1892. "The Bowery" was an instant success, while "Push Them Clouds Away" sold thousands of copies. This was the first time a stage production in the United States proved an instant source of revenue for a publisher.

Max Dreyfus joined the Tom B. Harms Company in 1901 as an arranger. He demonstrated his ability in lifting songs out of Broadway musicals and making them hits. Also, by placing Tom B. Harms Company songs in Broadway shows, Max Dreyfus became a top executive in the Company. In 1904, Alex and Tom Harms left the company and Dreyfus, who already had acquired a 25% interest in the firm, became its head. His creativity as a publisher made him one of the most influential figures in the music publishing business.

T.B. Harms Company became successor-in-interest to Tom B. Harms & Co. in 1904.

MAX DREYFUS
In 1905 Francis Day & Hunter, Ltd., one of the larger British publishing firms, conceived the idea of opening an office in New York City.

But Francis Day & Hunter soon learned that American writers and performers were too busy promoting their own material with the growing national spirit of the States. English songs were never favored in spite of all the efforts to put them over. Further, with the margin of profit being lowered due to economical conditions at the time, many small firms found it impossible to continue. With this in view, Francis Day & Hunter decided to merge their American branch with the Tom B. Harms firm, now known as T.B. Harms which was directed by both Max and Louis Dreyfus. The new company was called T.B. Harms & Francis Day & Hunter, with Fred Day, Max, and Louis Dreyfus as equal shareholders. The firm of T.B. Harms & Francis Day & Hunter, Inc. was incorporated in 1908.

The merger was quite successful, and the company became the largest publishing house in America at that time.

Max Dreyfus was successful in signing up song pluggers who had talent, stealing Jerome Kern and George Gershwin from the Jerome H. Remick company.

World War I now brought on different problems. While music publishers began a search for good patriotic songs, publishing staffs became depleted. Fred Day, because of his fluent knowledge of German, returned to London and entered the British Intelligence Corps.

In 1920 William Boosey of Chappell & Co. Ltd. approached Max and Louis Dreyfus to take over the business of Chappell & Co. Inc. In New York on a long term contract. In return, Chappell & Co. Ltd. Would become sub-publisher of the catalogue of T.B. Harms for Great Britain. Francis Day & Hunter, Ltd. meanwhile, had made a very satisfactory sub-publishing arrangement with the Leo Feist Company, which was, at that time, also one of the most outstanding popular music publishers in the United States.

So from this evolved the following:
Fred Day returned to Francis Day & Hunter Ltd. in London, Louis Dreyfus took over as manager of Chappell & Co. Inc. in New York, the firm of T.B. Harms & Francis Day & Hunter Inc. was unscrambled, becoming Harms, Incorporated in 1921 with Max Dreyfus as the manager.

HARMS, INC.
Max Dreyfus had an uncommon gift for picking out potential genius in young undiscovered composers. Jerome Kern was only nineteen years of age when Max Dreyfus hired him as a song plugger. His position was to play the piano and sell songs at department stores such as R. H. Macy's in New York City as well as rehearsal pianist for Broadway musicals. Kern's talent as a composer soon made music critics take notice. Kern became such a top contributor to the T.B. Harms catalogue that Max Dreyfus gave him a partnership interest in the firm.

In 1917 Jerome Kern wrote some special material for a Victor Herbert show, Miss 1917. Kern was so impressed with the show's rehearsal pianist that he insisted Max Dreyfus meet him. Dreyfus, therefore, set up a meeting with this young pianist, who turned out to be George Gershwin. Gershwin's talent impressed the publisher, and Dreyfus hired him just to write songs at a salary of thirty-five dollars a week.

Like Jerome Kern and George Gershwin, Vincent Youmans became another Max Dreyfus discovery and was also employed as a staff pianist and song plugger.

As M. Witmark & Sons had the big three operetta composers, Victor Herbert, Sigmund Romberg and Rudolf Friml, so Max Dreyfus and his Harms, Inc. firm had the new popular Broadway Musical writers: Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, and Vincent Youmans.

It wasn't long, however, before Max Dreyfus contracted Rudolf Friml for Harms, Inc.

In 1925 the young members of the Theatre Guild put on an intimate review to raise money for draperies and curtains for a new Broadway theatre. Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart contributed several songs to the revue which became successful. Max Dreyfus called Rogers and Hart into his office to sign exclusive Harms, Inc. contracts.

In 1924 Cole Porter contributed five songs to the Greenwich Village Follies, but it wasn't until 1928 when Irene Bordoni's rendition of "Let's Do It" in her provocative French accent caused Max Dreyfus to add another composer to his already well-stocked staff of writers.

By the end of the 1920s, the Harms, Inc. office at 62 West 45th Street became a club where composers made it a habit to meet at noon for "shoptalk" and to listen to George Gershwin. Young composers would also come up to Harms at these noon-hour sessions to play their songs for George Gershwin. The list of composers to join the Harms, Inc. staff soon made Harms, Inc. the top Broadway Musical publisher. Some of the writers to swell the ranks were:
Arthur Schwartz, Irving Caesar, Howard Dietz
Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, Vernon Duke
E.Y. Harburg, Herman Hupfield, Ira Gershwin

WARNER BROS.
On August 6, 1926, the Warner Brothers presented the first motion picture with a synchronized accompaniment at the Warner Theatre on Broadway in New York City. The feature film was Don Juan with John Barrymore, Mary Astor, Warner Oland, Myrna Loy and others. This was followed by The Jazz Singer, which proved a sensation, grossing millions for the Warner Brothers and also making Al Jolson Hollywood's new king. The Jazz Singer was actually silent through most of the film. During the film, the audience suddenly heard Al Jolson sing a few of his specialty songs. But during one scene, while singing for his mother, Jolson suddenly stopped singing and began to ad-lib dialogue without music. Then he went back into song. Since this was the first time speech was heard in a full length film, it proved that sound in the movies was here to stay. The age of the talking picture had arrived!

Talking pictures had proved no fad, as they were here to stay. And now the Warner Brothers and their competitors went into a mad production schedule producing all talking and singing motion pictures.

The enormous demand for music by the Hollywood Studios soon led to studio buy-outs of music publishers.

In 1928 Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. acquired M. Witmark & Sons, and in 1929 it purchased Remick Music Corporation. In 1929 Max and Louis Dreyfus sold out their holdings in harms, Inc. to Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. for $11,000,000.

In 1929 Music Publishers Holding Corporation was formed to acquire the capitol stock of M. Witmark & sons, Remick Music Corporation and Harms, Inc.

CONCLUSION
Prior to the Max Dreyfus sale of Harms, Inc. to Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., Max Dreyfus formed a corporation in 1927 to contain principally the compositions of George and Ira Gershwin. In 1948 all the Gershwin works were assigned to the New world Music Corporation catalogue. New World Music corporation entered the Warner group of publishers through part ownership of its capitol stock by Harms, Inc. Advanced Music Corporation, a company formed in 1940 by Moe Gale to specialize in Latin-American music, acquired the catalogue of Ager, Yellen & Bornstein, Inc., a company in existence since 1922, which published most of the compositions of Milton Ager and jack Yellen, including the most famous "Happy Days Are Here Again."

Pepamar Music Corporation, whose name is a contraction of the first names of Peter Yarrow, Paul (Noel) Stookey and Mary Travers, was formed in 1962 to publish the works of these three writers and others associated with them.

In 1963 a young writer by the name of Bob Dylan, whose songs became associated with the changing times of the 1960's period, composing such songs as "Blowin' In The Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'," signed an exclusive writer agreement, with his copyrights assigned to the M. Witmark & sons catalogue.

In 1967 Harms, Inc., Remick Music Corporation, M. Witmark & Sons, Music Publishers Holding Corporation and Advanced Music Corporation were merged into Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Inc. Under the division name Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Music (which has since become Warner Bros. Music, a division of Warner Bros. Inc.), the following companies came into existence.

Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Music, a division of Warner Bros. Seven Arts, Inc. controlled all the Standard Catalogues developed or acquired by the original firms of Harms, Inc., Remick Music Corporation.

W-7 Music Corp. was formed to contain all contemporary ASCAP copyrights acquired or developed from 1967 on.

Warner-Sevarts Publishing Corp was the newly formed BMI company.

Further name changes came when Kinney Services (now known as Warner Communications, Inc.) assumed ownership of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Inc.

Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Music, a division of Warner Bros. Seven Arts, Inc. became Warner Bros Music, a division of Warner Bros. Inc. This was effective from December 15, 1969.

W-7 Music Corp. became WB Music Corp., effective from December 15, 1969.

Tamerlane Music, Inc., a BMI Company owned by Barry Devorzon and Billy Sherman, was acquired by Warner-Sevarts Publishing Corp. in 1969. The corporation was dissolved September 30, 1969, and the organization became known as Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. effective from December 17, 1969.