Hard to make an accurate and understandable subject line on this one.

I'm referring to bands like:
* Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
* Elvis Costello and the Attractions
* Frank Black and the Catholics
* Toots and the Maytals

where the "star" gets top billing, and the band follows.


This naming scheme is in the extreme minority, at least if my collection is any indication. I guess I have 3 questions related to this:

1) What is the advantage of using this type of name?

2) Assuming you store your albums alphabetically, where do you put these? Under the star's last name? Under the band name? Under the star's first name?

3) How many other "...and the..." bands can you think of? I can think of a couple others off the top of my head, not including bands like the Modern Lovers that had a name transformation in the process of CD reissue (e.g., --> Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers).

I can think of about thirty off the top of my head ... probably would peak at about 100 if given an hour or two. Most of the groups that come to mind were from the 50s/60s and tapering off in more recent years.

Other than that, I have nothing to offer.

Huey Lewis and The News
Morris Day and The Time
Prince and The Revolution
Siouxie and The Banshees
Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg Seven
Hootie and The Blowfish

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra

George Thorogood and The Destroyers

Ozzy & the Sabbaths

Shane MacGowan and the Popes
Hank McCoy and the Dead Ringers
Huey Lewis and the News
Mike Viola and the Candy Butchers

And to answer one of your questions, once I organize my collection (currently my CDs are strewn about the house), I'm going to arrange bands like these by the "star's" last name. I prefer to have all of my Elvis Costello releases (solo and group) together.

That's how I do it, except for groups like Toots and the Maytals (file under: Toots) or Jim & Jenny and the Pinetops (file under: Jim).

you hit max weinberg, but you forgot

Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band!

Booker T and the MGs
The Wailers (became)---> Bob Marley and the Wailers ---> The Wailers
Dr. Ring-Ding and the Senior All-Stars ()
David Hillyard and the Rocksteady Seven
Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians

------------------------

my theory for this naming structure is, that more often than not, the leader of the bands contribute most, if not all, to the creation of the songs played by the band. they are the primary talent. the "stars" of the band. it allows the leader to establish their own name, so that they can work independently of the rest of the band and still get recognized.

organization-wise:
i will usually file these bands under the last name (or name, assuming the artist is only going by a single name - i.e. Prince) of the band leader. for instance, I file Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band albums under Springsteen.

HOWEVER, bands that have the name of the leader that is not independent (as in, separated by "...and the...") of the rest of the band name (like "Dave Matthews Band"), i will file under Dave. (Ben Folds Five is another band wherein i filed under B, instead of F...) this, of course, can get complicated for somebody looking through my collection. for instance, my Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds "Live at Luther College" is filed under M for Matthews, but the rest of my Dave Matthews will be found under D, since it is the "Dave Matthews Band".

i hope this makes sense!
-di doctor-

George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic

Katrina and the Waves.

I would file under K. Most people would not think of her last name which is Leskovich or something like that.

The advantage? I think it gives star billing, yet shows that the band is an important part of it too, not just a replaceable group of studio musicians.

What about Kevin Rowland and Dexy's Midnight Runners? They would have never been the international superstars they are without the huge drawl of Kevin Rowland in front of their name.

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros

Well, take a band like Frank Black and the Catholics or Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. Frank Black and Joe Strummer were both very well known before they formed those bands. Putting Strummer or Black before their names increases name recognition immediately.

Echo & The Bunnymen
Martha & The Vendellas
Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones
David Vanian & The Phantom Chords
Adam & The Ants
Bill Haley & The Comets
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates
(insert band leader here ie: Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, etc...) & His Orchestra

Barry Jive and the Uptown Five

Benny & The Jets
Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars

oh, and of course, there are times when it's a collaboration. How do you file that? Take the example of Velvet Underground and Nico. I'm guessing most people would put it under VU...but what about if you're a huge Nico fan?

Used to be George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers. I guess when he got a little more famous he dropped the association with Delaware. LOL
Used to hear them jam at his house growing up.

Alvin And The Chipmunks

I always file under the main artist's last name. Since usually in those cases the front person is the "star" and the band is more of a backing band. Hence Prince & the Revolution would be filed under P and not R.

The only tricky one for me is Adam & the Ants, since his later solo work is under Adam Ant. I think we have those filed under Ant.

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers....

Jacob Dylan and the Wallflowers
Gwen Stefani and No Doubt

oops...

Since Jack Russell is the only original member, isn't The Band Formerly Known As Great White now known as:

Jack Russell and Great White or something like that.