Music Cataloging at Yale AACR2

Do not include in the heading:

• initial articles
  • Remove initial articles in German names, but don't ignore the declension.
    "Das Kleine [       ]" would be established as "Kleines [       ]"
• terms or abbreviations indicating incorporation (e.g., Inc., Ltd.)

Capitalization:

• Appendix A2.A1 has been revised to accommodate corporate names with unusual capitalization. Follow the capitalization practice for names spelled without an initial capital letter or with a capital letter or letters following a lower case letter or letters. Capitalize other words as instructed in the rules for the language involved.
• For names in foreign languages, follow the capitalization rules in AACR2 Appendix A see Capitalization of foreign terms: names of corporate bodies

Musical groups whose names appear in foreign languages:

• If the name appears in different languages, use the form in the official language of the body.
• If there is more than one official language and one of them is English, use the English form.
• If English is not one of the official languages, or if the official language is not known, use the form in the language used predominantly by the body.

24.4B1: If the name alone does not convey the idea of a corporate body, add a general designation in English.

A&M Records (Firm)
EMI (Firm)
Friedrich Hofmeister (Firm)

LCRI 24.4B: When establishing the heading for a performing group, apply the following:

• If the name contains a word that specifically designates a performing group or a corporate body in general (e.g., band, consort, society, collective) or contains a collective or plural noun (e.g., Ramblers, Boys, Hot Seven), do not add a designation to the name.
• If the name is extremely vague, consisting primarily of single, common words (e.g., Circle, Who, Jets) or the name has the appearance of a personal name (e.g., Jethro Tull), add a designation to the name.
• If the name falls between the above categories (e.g., Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane, Road Apple, L.A. Contempo), add a designation to the name.
• If there is doubt whether a designation should be added, add it.
• Use the designation "(Musical group)" unless special circumstances (such as a conflict) require a more specific term.
  • Keep in mind that the qualifier "(Musical group)" is not meant to be used to convey musicalness, only corporateness. LCRI 24.4B does not require that the name of a group or ensemble be identifiable as a performing group, only that it conveys the concept of a corporate body.

LCRI 24.4B: When establishing the name of a performing duet with a name consisting of two or more surnames (without forenames or without forename initials)

• Generally, a qualifier is not added.
• Apply this when the name contains two surnames (with or without forenames or forename initials) as well as when the name contains two forenames.

Examples of corporate names: qualified to resolve conflicts

Qualified by place:
Five Stars (Musical group : N.Z.)
Five Stars (Musical group : U.S.)

Musica Viva (Ensemble : Baltimore, Md.)
Musica Viva (Ensemble : Los Angeles, Calif.)
Musica Viva (Ensemble : Russia (Federation))

Qualified by type of music:
Southwind (Gospel musical group)
Southwind (Celtic musical group)

Qualified by date the group began:
Double Image (Musical group : 1977- )
Double Image (Musical group : 1989- )

Qualified by leader of the group:
House Rockers (Musical group)
House Rockers (Musical group : Jimmy Cavallo)

Qualified by more than one method:
Jets (Musical group)
Jets (Musical group : Bobby Webb)
Jets (Musical quartet)
Jets (Reggae group)
Jets (Rhythm and blues group)
Jets (Rock and roll group)
Jets (Rock group)

Qualifiers added to corporate names by Deta Davis, Library of Congress, 3/10/99

Qualifiers that establish the nature of the name

24.4 concerns qualifiers for corporate names not conveying the idea of a corporate body. Qualifiers for musical groups should only be added when the name of the group does not convey the idea of a corporate body or when there is an actual conflict. Frequently qualifiers for musical groups have been applied when the name of the group does not convey the idea of musicality. This is not authorized by the rules and interpretations. For instance, RI24.4B explicitly states that a general designation should not be added as a qualifier if the name of a performing duet contains two surnames or if the name contains two forenames.

LCRI 24.4B (p. 3) instructs that if the name of the group contains a word which specifically designates a performing group or a corporate body in general, such as Band, Consort, Society, etc., or which contains a collective or plural noun such as Ramblers, Boys, Brothers, Hot Seven, etc., or, in the case of performing duos, contains two forenames or surnames, a qualifier should not be added. Extremely vague names, which consist mostly of single common words (e.g., Circle, Who, Jets, etc.) and names which have the appearance of a personal name (e.g. Jethro Tull) should have a designation added. For the names of corporate bodies which fall between the above two categories, such as Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane, Road Apple, L.A. Contempo, etc., add the designation because the idea of corporateness is not definite from the name alone.

Since the purpose of this qualifier is merely to establish that this is the name of a corporate body, the general term "(Musical group)" is most appropriate. Caveat: in conflict situations, a more definite qualifier is permissible.

Qualifiers to resolve conflicts between identical names

If a more specific term is used to resolve a conflict, it should be kept as general as possible. For example, if the name of a male vocal quartet conflicts with an instrumental group already qualified with "(Musical group)," an appropriate qualifier would be "(Vocal group)," not "(Male vocal quartet)." Using the most general terms possible insures the viability of the qualifier despite the not infrequently changing personnel or focus of a group: what was at one time a quartet may lose a member and issue recordings as a trio before reconstituting as a quartet or even expanding to a quintet. Also note that the additional qualifiers stipulated in rule 24.4C and its RI are available for conflicts in which the types of qualifiers already discussed are inadequate, e.g., Musica Nova (Musical group : Sweden).

Comments to Mickey Koth Yale University Music Library
©Yale University Library Last revised April 14, 2011.