Anyone who has ever worked at a record store (or who has just been really anal about where they file their own albums and CDs on the shelves) knows this dilemma: Where to alphabetically file certain bands/artists in relation to the others. If it's a band that begins with a number, for example, does it go at the *beginning* of the alphabet (in front of the A's), or do you file it by how the number would be spelled?

In the library I used to work at symbols were filed before numbers and in the order they were placed on the standard typewriter/keyboard and MS word normal text symbol menu. So, if you choose to file ? and the Mysterians under the symbol then those albums could be filed before the numbers, and you could also file ¡Viva! L'American Death Ray Music by symbol, if that band uses Spanish grammer, don't know, or just by letter, but you get the gist. When in doubt ask a cataloging librarian, those people are anal beyond belief!

I forget where I was, but I once wandered into a record store somewhere... and for some reason I think it was down south, maybe in New Orleans, or it could have been Texas... anyway, they had everything, ALL genres, mixed together. I don't think they sold classical stuff, it was all rock/jazz/soul/R&B/country/punk/reggae/funk/pop and that (including a good chunk of garage shit), but it was all sorted A-Z. I felt not having to keep darting around the store for different sections very liberating. It was awesome just to start at the A's and start flipping through the records and having every genre right there at your fingertips. Doc Sanchez said:

Oh man, I know too well what you're talking about, and I really must stop myself from thinking about all this. Or as Leonard Cohen puts it: "If these thoughts interest you for even a moment, you're lost".
Actually, I don't file my records alphabetically, but rather roughly by genre, and there by preferences, or how the groups somehow go together (from the players, labels, producers or just how they sound) so I just can take all records from here to there when I DJ, and I know it will roughly fit. The single artists are sorted by date. But Jesus, if I even start thinking about filing them alphabetically by artist, I wouldn't find any sleep no more...

Oh man, I know too well what you're talking about, and I really must stop myself from thinking about all this. Or as Leonard Cohen puts it: "If these thoughts interest you for even a moment, you're lost".

Actually, I don't file my records alphabetically, but rather roughly by genre, and there by preferences, or how the groups somehow go together (from the players, labels, producers or just how they sound) so I just can take all records from here to there when I DJ, and I know it will roughly fit. The single artists are sorted by date.

But Jesus, if I even start thinking about filing them alphabetically by artist, I wouldn't find any sleep no more...

Names like Lightnin' Hopkins would go under H, since Hopkins is a typical last name and indeed was his real last name (his first name was Sam). Same with Mississippi Fred McDowell, which would go under M since that's his last name. "Mississippi" is just a nickname. Muddy Waters (since that's not his real name and "Waters" is not technically his last name) would go under M for "Muddy." Howlin' Wolf would go under H. Barbecue Bob under Ba, Roasting Banana Joe under R, but Bo Diddley, though, I file under "D" because a lot of people think that's his real name. Maybe it should go under B? Who knows for sure! I guess that one is a toss-up. My Teenage Shutdown rule only applies to Teenage Shutdown comps (I really wish Crypt had just made that the name of the series instead of the faux label name). All the rest go alphabetically by title. The screamin' Soul Preacher said:

And What about the bluesmen ? Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Screamin' Joe Neal, Mississippi Fred Mc Dowell, Barbecue Bob and Roasting Banana Joe ...
About comps, where do you file "Psycho Serenade" and "Four Hairy Policemen" for example ? Under W as "Wavy Gravy" as you would do for the "Teenage Shutdown" serie or...???
Ouch ! My head aches...
That's why I've stopped filing my records long years ago !!!
But now I'm lost in a labyrinth of records and I can't get out !!! Lps and cds are still "pretty easy" to find when I'm not too loaded but I can't search a 7 inch one week long without finding it and I admit that's quite a problem when you're deejaying !!!

ooh! my bad, it says 300 discs. meant to be 3000, means nuthin to you, but to me an the missus its an extra 3 inches haha!

i have around 300 discs, its so dis organized, its organised. My boot's are the same, Buddy Holly hotel demos next to seeds gigs.. Next to Morisons last words, Ramones talkin about glue sniffers in Edinburgh, I break it up with robots and space ships, and some psyche art... 4 walls, window only space not with discs, my film room is the same, Japanese, American, Europe, Rough idea of the genre, but thats it. Er no, lol.. I don't!

And What about the bluesmen ? Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Screamin' Joe Neal, Mississippi Fred Mc Dowell, Barbecue Bob and Roasting Banana Joe ...
About comps, where do you file "Psycho Serenade" and "Four Hairy Policemen" for example ? Under W as "Wavy Gravy" as you would do for the "Teenage Shutdown" serie or...???
Ouch ! My head aches...
That's why I've stopped filing my records long years ago !!!
But now I'm lost in a labyrinth of records and I can't get out !!! Lps and cds are still "pretty easy" to find when I'm not too loaded but I can't search a 7 inch one week long without finding it and I admit that's quite a problem when you're deejaying !!!

Yep, Los Straitjackets should go under S. Good point. And I have all the Stooges stuff under S and Iggy's solo stuff under P, since I always thought of "Pop" as his last name. And yeah, I have Lightning Beat-Man's stuff under L and Reverend Beat-Man under R. Maybe putting him in the B's would be better (or under Z for Zeller, ha!). That's a toughie. Mike said:

I used to do the number bands by letter, but I now find it easier to put them in front in numerical order, but there are a few that still throw a curve like 999 who on some releases go by Nine Nine Nine on the sleeve, but almost always 999 on the label. For now I still have them in "N".
The Stooges are another. You have Stooges, Iggy & the Stooges, Iggy Pop. I have any variation of Stooges filed under "S" and Iggy Pop under "I", not P as just saying Iggy is all it takes to know who you are talking about. But I do put artists like Johnny Thunders under "T". Comps/ Various Artists / Soundtracks/ and any splits with three or more bands I do as Kopper does and file them by title after the "Z"'s. Now here are my questions: 1. I'm an English speaker so I end up putting all the bands with Los, Las, and Die by those words ("L" & "D") though I know that is nothing more than "the". What do the rest of you do? 2. Split realeases, what to do?!? I generally put them under the band I view as being more significant (or that I just like better), but it makes it hard to remember what's on those other sides when I'm perusing a particular band whose split is filed under the other artists name. 3. My last question is what to do with someone like Beat-Man? Under "B" for Beat Man or under "L" when he's Lightning Beat Man, or "R" for his current Reverend Beat Man? I have his stuff scattered all over the place currently.

I used to do the number bands by letter, but I now find it easier to put them in front in numerical order, but there are a few that still throw a curve like 999 who on some releases go by Nine Nine Nine on the sleeve, but almost always 999 on the label. For now I still have them in "N".

The Stooges are another. You have Stooges, Iggy & the Stooges, Iggy Pop. I have any variation of Stooges filed under "S" and Iggy Pop under "I", not P as just saying Iggy is all it takes to know who you are talking about. But I do put artists like Johnny Thunders under "T".

Comps/ Various Artists / Soundtracks/ and any splits with three or more bands I do as Kopper does and file them by title after the "Z"'s.

Now here are my questions:
1. I'm an English speaker so I end up putting all the bands with Los, Las, and Die by those words ("L" & "D") though I know that is nothing more than "the". What do the rest of you do?
2. Split realeases, what to do?!? I generally put them under the band I view as being more significant (or that I just like better), but it makes it hard to remember what's on those other sides when I'm perusing a particular band whose split is filed under the other artists name.
3. My last question is what to do with someone like Beat-Man? Under "B" for Beat Man or under "L" when he's Lightning Beat Man, or "R" for his current Reverend Beat Man? I have his stuff scattered all over the place currently.

Compilations just go in a separate section after Z. This is exactly how I've seen them filed in record stores, too (which is where I learned all this). The only thing I do differently from how we did it at the record store is in regard to number bands, as I mentioned above. High Lord Mardy Pune said:

I've got a very convoluted system for my records. I used to use a purely alphabetical system to file em' but I still couldn't find what I was after or I would just start at the beginning when I wanted to listen to something and then not get very far into the collection.
So now I use a system based on band names, genre, label and then that's all filed using an alphabetical system. It sounds mad but it really works for me. I can remember where everything is and find anything in a couple of seconds. And to make sure I can find things when I want I use dividers to break up the collection. I always ignore 'The' or 'Thee' at the start band names and use the next word otherwise the 'T' section would be too big. I put all the bands that have numbers for names under 'Z' cause there's bugger all in there anyway. For instance; I collect musicals, you name it I've got it sometimes 3 or 4 copies of it! So instead of having them spread all through the collection I file them all under a divider named 'Musicals' which is filed in the 'M' section. So if someone comes around and wants to listen to say 7 brides for 7 brothers I can tell to look in a very specific place and then I get to abuse them when they put it back in the wrong place. And a question: where do people file compilations? under 'C' for compilations or under 'V' for various or just under the name of the compilation.

I've got a very convoluted system for my records. I used to use a purely alphabetical system to file em' but I still couldn't find what I was after or I would just start at the beginning when I wanted to listen to something and then not get very far into the collection.

So now I use a system based on band names, genre, label and then that's all filed using an alphabetical system. It sounds mad but it really works for me. I can remember where everything is and find anything in a couple of seconds. And to make sure I can find things when I want I use dividers to break up the collection. I always ignore 'The' or 'Thee' at the start band names and use the next word otherwise the 'T' section would be too big. I put all the bands that have numbers for names under 'Z' cause there's bugger all in there anyway.

For instance; I collect musicals, you name it I've got it sometimes 3 or 4 copies of it! So instead of having them spread all through the collection I file them all under a divider named 'Musicals' which is filed in the 'M' section. So if someone comes around and wants to listen to say 7 brides for 7 brothers I can tell to look in a very specific place and then I get to abuse them when they put it back in the wrong place.

And a question: where do people file compilations? under 'C' for compilations or under 'V' for various or just under the name of the compilation.

First: Here's why I don't file numbered bands in with the letter of how you'd spell the number... if you don't spell it, then it's a numeral. Numerals always precede letters in any filing system I've ever encountered. If the band wanted it spelled out, then they'd spell it out! The Five, Six, Seven, Eights would then go under F... IF they spelled it that way. But they don't. So it goes with the rest of the numeral bands at the beginning. I put ? and the Mysterians under Q because some of their records actually spell out "Question Mark," even though I don't think that was really how ? spelled it. His name was legally changed to ?, after all, not "Question Mark." Second: "Thee" is just "the" spelled with an extra e. Therefore it doesn't count and Thee Fine Lines should definitely go in the F's, esp. since you're already doing it right with Thee Mighty Caesars & Thee Milkshakes (btw, it wasn't always "Thee" Milkshakes... at least one or two of their records just say "The" Milkshakes). I rest my case. Third: With comps, I always just use the most logical title for the comp, and file them alphabetically by title. This caused some problem, though, when I got to the Teenage Shutdown series from Crypt, since technically "Teenage Shutdown" ain't part of the title. But I didn't want those comps scattered throughout the comps section, so I just filed them all in the T's between "Teen Blast USA" on Gyro Recordings and "Texas: A Collection of Texas Garage Punkers" on AuGoGo. I file my 10"s and 7"s the same exact way that I file my LPs and CDs. Numbered bands in the front, then alphabetically, and then I have splits sectioned off before comps (if there are more than two bands on the 7" or 10"). The splits are all filed alphabetically by the name of whichever band is on the A-side. whatwave dave said:

Gonna answer each section separatly as i'm pretty anal about filing stuff as i want to be able to find it quick...especially after some brews...
Where to alphabetically file certain bands/artists in relation to the others. If it's a band that begins with a number, for example, does it go at the *beginning* of the alphabet (in front of the A's), or do you file it by how the number would be spelled? I always file number bands, ie 63 Monroe, as if the number is a letter...ie sixty three goes right before Skeletons... I always filed bands like Davie Allan & the Arrows under A (for Allan), since it was clearly he and then his band. Mark & the Spies goes under M, even though it's his first name, because his last name isn't part of the band name. Those were easy. But then you have the case of band names that are also musician names: The Bobby Fuller Four, for example. Bobby Fuller also released some stuff before he named his band the Bobby Fuller Four, so I file that stuff under F for Fuller. But do you file the Bobby Fuller Four's stuff under B then, because it's a band name? What about other band names that also include the artist name? The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion or Jeffrey Novak One Man Band... JSBX under J or S? JNOMB under J or N? I do what you do Kopper...Allan for any Davie Allan stuff, F for any Bobby Fuller stuff, never B as i'd never find it. JSBE i file under Spencer, seems logical....JNOMB under N. Also, what about a band name that actually contains two names? The King Khan & BBQ Show, for example. I realize this one would just go under "K" because both "King" and "Khan" begin with "K," but do you file it by "King" or "Khan"? In other words, would it go before or after your Kingsmen, Kinks, and Kiss albums? Now for King Khan i had to go and check...LOL...so b4 Kingsmen, Kinks and Kiss LP's...Dunno why i file him by King, but whenever i speak about him, or to him, i always refer to him as King Khan even though that isn't his real name. Alice Cooper was the name of the band as well as the man. Go under "A" or "C"? Jethro Tull was a band name, not a person. It goes under J. Alice Cooper goes under C in my filing system, although A makes as much sense....Jethro Tull filed in the to get rid of milk crate... Also, just like you wouldn't file The Rolling Stones under "T" for "The," bands that begin with the word "Thee" would also not go under "T"... Thee Fine Lines go in the F's, Thee Mighty Caesars in the M's, and Thee Crucials under C. The Rolling Stones is filed under R for Rolling....but Thee Fine Lines dunno, still have to file that one as i got it recently. Thee Mighty Caesars i've got in the M's, right beside Milkshakes, which in this case makes a lot of sense with all of the incest between those 2 bands...but bands starting with Thee usually get filed by the name after Thee in my collection. To add to this, how do you people file your comps? I have literally thousands of comps.... Here's what i do, dunno if it's logical to you guys or not....all of my 60's comps are together. I put any series together, ie Pebbles, Back From The Grave etc, others i file by region, ie Texas or by country, ie Canada. This way i can usually find a 60's comp. All of my blues comps are together, again any series is together and rest by style or area. Trash comps are filed by any series and then by genre, ie surf or 50's. Rockabilly comps by series and then by region. 70's comps by series and then region, same with modern comps....but it ain't easy to find some comps as my logic deviates at times...LOL... Then there's the matter of 7" records.....my filing system is all of my US garage stuff is alphabetic. The exception to the ruler being that some labels i have all filed together...ie Get Hip, Dionysus, Dog Meat etc...Then each country has it's own alphabetic filing.....and that's only the garage records...Original 60's singles are filed by country alphabetically....all of my 7" flexis are together and man this is getting out of hand, better not let my wife read this...LOL...maybe i have a problem....

Where does Screaming Jay Hawkins go?

Gonna answer each section separatly as i'm pretty anal about filing stuff as i want to be able to find it quick...especially after some brews... Where to alphabetically file certain bands/artists in relation to the others. If it's a band that begins with a number, for example, does it go at the *beginning* of the alphabet (in front of the A's), or do you file it by how the number would be spelled? I always file number bands, ie 63 Monroe, as if the number is a letter...ie sixty three goes right before Skeletons... I always filed bands like Davie Allan & the Arrows under A (for Allan), since it was clearly he and then his band. Mark & the Spies goes under M, even though it's his first name, because his last name isn't part of the band name. Those were easy. But then you have the case of band names that are also musician names: The Bobby Fuller Four, for example. Bobby Fuller also released some stuff before he named his band the Bobby Fuller Four, so I file that stuff under F for Fuller. But do you file the Bobby Fuller Four's stuff under B then, because it's a band name? What about other band names that also include the artist name? The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion or Jeffrey Novak One Man Band... JSBX under J or S? JNOMB under J or N? I do what you do Kopper...Allan for any Davie Allan stuff, F for any Bobby Fuller stuff, never B as i'd never find it. JSBE i file under Spencer, seems logical....JNOMB under N. Also, what about a band name that actually contains two names? The King Khan & BBQ Show, for example. I realize this one would just go under "K" because both "King" and "Khan" begin with "K," but do you file it by "King" or "Khan"? In other words, would it go before or after your Kingsmen, Kinks, and Kiss albums? Now for King Khan i had to go and check...LOL...so b4 Kingsmen, Kinks and Kiss LP's...Dunno why i file him by King, but whenever i speak about him, or to him, i always refer to him as King Khan even though that isn't his real name. Alice Cooper was the name of the band as well as the man. Go under "A" or "C"? Jethro Tull was a band name, not a person. It goes under J. Alice Cooper goes under C in my filing system, although A makes as much sense....Jethro Tull filed in the to get rid of milk crate... Also, just like you wouldn't file The Rolling Stones under "T" for "The," bands that begin with the word "Thee" would also not go under "T"... Thee Fine Lines go in the F's, Thee Mighty Caesars in the M's, and Thee Crucials under C. The Rolling Stones is filed under R for Rolling....but Thee Fine Lines dunno, still have to file that one as i got it recently. Thee Mighty Caesars i've got in the M's, right beside Milkshakes, which in this case makes a lot of sense with all of the incest between those 2 bands...but bands starting with Thee usually get filed by the name after Thee in my collection. To add to this, how do you people file your comps? I have literally thousands of comps.... Here's what i do, dunno if it's logical to you guys or not....all of my 60's comps are together. I put any series together, ie Pebbles, Back From The Grave etc, others i file by region, ie Texas or by country, ie Canada. This way i can usually find a 60's comp. All of my blues comps are together, again any series is together and rest by style or area. Trash comps are filed by any series and then by genre, ie surf or 50's. Rockabilly comps by series and then by region. 70's comps by series and then region, same with modern comps....but it ain't easy to find some comps as my logic deviates at times...LOL... Then there's the matter of 7" records.....my filing system is all of my US garage stuff is alphabetic. The exception to the ruler being that some labels i have all filed together...ie Get Hip, Dionysus, Dog Meat etc...Then each country has it's own alphabetic filing.....and that's only the garage records...Original 60's singles are filed by country alphabetically....all of my 7" flexis are together and man this is getting out of hand, better not let my wife read this...LOL...maybe i have a problem....