[x] The Word "Featuring"

There has been a meeting of the minds and here is how the word "Featuring" in a band name will officially be handled. There are four situations that can occur which we will break down here:

1) Band "Featuring" Band
2) Solo "Featuring" Solo
---
3) Solo "Featuring" Band
4) Band "Featuring" Solo


1) As far as we know this instance has never, ever occured so we don't really care. If an example can be mustered up let us know.

2) This appears all the time, especially in the hip-hop world, and almost exclusively refers to a solo artist with the appearance of a guest solo artist on the track. To avoid trying to determine if each particular case is a collaboration or guest appearances every instance will be considered a guest appearance and the primary Solo will be credited with the release. The "Featuring" Solo will be considered a guest appearance and not counted.
Example: Ben Moody Feat Anastacia is a release by Ben Moody only.

3 & 4) These will be handled in the same fashion which will be:
a) "Featuring" will be considered an inconsequential highlighting of the solo artist if the "featured" artist is clearly shown to be a member of the band.
Example: Kevin's Quartet Featuring Mark. If the line-up consists of 4 and only 4 members, and Mark is acknowledged as one of those 4 members, then the "featuring" portion of the band name is ignored.
Band Aliasing: No band alias applies, "featuring" is ignored.

b) In all other cases "Featuring" between Solo / Band (in either order) is considered a collaboration keyword along with: And, &, +, With, /, etc.
Example: Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan. This is a collaboration between Rufus and Chaka Khan will all applicable Rule applied.
Band Aliasing: "Featuring" becomes the joining word for the collaboration.

c) In the very rare case where "Featuring" is used in conjunction with a band name to distinguish a new version of a band from a distinct other new version of the same band, "Featuring" becomes part of the new band name.
Example:
Barclay James Harvest splinters into:
Barclay James Harvest Featuring Les Holroyd
Barclay James Harvest Through The Eyes Of John Lees
Band Aliasing: not applicable.


That should cover all known "Featuring" cases. If it doesn't holla back.


Kevin

... featuring Adrian Gurvitz.

How does that fit in?

Hmmm, OK... so 3b means there are going to be a whole lot more collabs than previously identified. I can see the rationale for cases like "Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan" or "Return To Forever Featuring Chick Corea", but what about cases where "Featuring X" appears on the cover more as a marketing tool? Should we make judgment calls based on how the text reads (i.e., if "Featuring X" doesn't appear immediately following the band name we can safely ignore it a la 2 and 3a)?

Matt:
Graeme Edge Band Featuring Adrian Gurvitz
[eil.com] http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=209139

This is a clear cut example of
Band Featuring Solo Artist
and therefore is ruled a collaboration between the band "Graeme Edge Band" and "Adrian Gurvitz"


BG:
I am never comfortable trying to make case by case inferences based upon cover art, it is too open to interpritation. In terms of applying the proper Rule in a particular case default to Band + Solo collaboration and if there is an extreme case that you can produce where the "featuring" text appears to be a marketing scheme let us know and we'll review. Also remember if the "featuring" text appears to be a marketing tool it probably isn't associated with the band name to begin with (I'm speculating) so it shouldn't be a tough call.


Kevin

I think we'll still need to make case-by-case judgments, because "Featuring" can serve a variety of purposes, just like "With". We see plenty of jazz releases that say "Band X, With A, B, and C", where A, B, and C are the main artists (or possibly the only artists) on the release. In those cases we don't consider "With" to be a collab connector. I'm sure there must be many similar cases involving "Featuring".

Why should "Kevin's Quartet Featuring Mark" be treated differently from "The Graeme Edge Band Featuring Adrian Gurvitz"? Clearly the former (assuming that K's Q + M = 4) is merely a marketing tool (because without Mark it's not a quartet). Just because a distinction is made because of a convenient accident of nomenclature (i.e. Quartet = 4) doesn't sit well with me.

Sorry, but I think we *still* need to make a case-by-case distinction as to whether "featuring" means "and in addition as a special guest" or "oh and by the way we've got someone cool and marketable in the band" - but this is *no different* from the judgment calls we have to make on whether your traditional "guest musician" is a guest or a real member - by scouring the websites for confirmation.

I agree with Matt's points. It seems unwise to try to enforce a blanket rule saying that "Featuring" is always a collab connector unless the band name happens to specify a number of members.

Then again, I think we've already gone too far down the road of making things collaborations that aren't considered as such in the real world (Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Paul Collins & The Beat, etc.). I'm also worried about the practical aspect, since collabs take *forever* to get approved and joined properly -- in part because it can be very confusing trying to establish connectivity. So I'm not too thrilled at the prospect of us having to go back and changing the entries for Rufus, Return To Forever, etc., and also reassessing whatever's in the queue already...

I agree with Matt. The distinction Kevin draws with "group size" names seems bizarrely artificial to me. We are letting a needless fear of subjectivity ("...it is too open to interpritation [sic]") prevent us from documenting reality.

While I agree with the sentiments you guys express, I would balance that by saying that we already allow rules to over-rule reality. Long-standing collaborations that take over two arists' (or bands') careers entirely (e.g. Sutherland Brothers & Quiver) are deemed to lack connectivity; a day in the studio arseing around with a mate's mate (e.g. Smokin' Mojo Filters) gets the gold standard of 'collaboration with connectivity'. There's no doubt which of those collaborations in the real world most merits a linkage in this dB, but it isn't the one that gets it. This is a rules-based dB and although I tend towards allowing some subjectivity to creep in, we need to look at all our rules to make sure the task remains manageable and doesn't descend into constant subjective argument. Getting the damned line-up on albums agreed is hard enough sometimes....

I believe I found a use of the word "featuring" that is not covered by Rule 6:

[www.amazon.com] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000SXZ0O/104-3998172-9049509?v=glance&n=5...

Would this be a band featuring a collaboration (indicated by the ampersand)? Or could this be a band with core membership featuring himself and an "outside" collaborator? Per the rules, I don't see how Josh could be moved to solo artist status, as that would leave Desert Sessions with a total of 0 members, even though this cover clearly states there is a collaboration (at a minimum).

If "featuring" was determined as a possible marketing term for a member, and also as a possible sign of collaboration, can one instance of "featuring" be interpreted both ways at the same time per the Rules?

To address the outstanding issues of a band "featuring" a prominent (or the only) member of the band as Ryq has pointed out, we've discussed the situation and I've updated 3 & 4 to state:

3 & 4) These will be handled in the same fashion which will be:
a) "Featuring" will be considered an inconsequential highlighting of the solo artist if the "featured" artist is clearly shown to be a member of the band.

This should handle all the "featuring" trouble we've had to date. As always, if there's more trouble hit us.


Kevin

Okay, so...

* Chaka Khan was a member of Rufus
* Chick Corea was a member of Return To Forever

So albums credited to "Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan" or "Return To Forever Featuring Chick Corea" stay as is and don't have to be treated as collabs? Then what's an example where "Featuring" *does* work as a collab connector?

We don't have one in the database yet, but this one is close: [bandtoband.com] http://bandtoband.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1674