A&M Records is a US recording company founded by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. The name A&M Records was derived from the first letters of the founders surnames: A from “Alpert” and M from “Moss”.

Herb Alpert is a musician, producer, composer and music executive who is a trumpet player and who led the Tijuana Brass band. http://www.herbalpert.com/music_biography.shtml Jerry Moss was a music executive until he quit A&M Records in 1994. Moss is also horse breeder. http://www.artistshousemusic.org/videos/music+industry+profile+jerry+moss+of+a+m+records

Originally the A&M Records label was called Carnival Records, but after releasing two singles the name was changed because another company already traded under this name. A&M Records has published the work of over 2,400 artists and their have been in excess of 36,000 recordings published on the A&M and associated subsidiary labels. http://www.onamrecords.com/History_1.html

A&M Records was bought by Polygram Records in 1989 in a deal valued at about $500 million. http://ketupa.net/polygram2.htm Polygram Records was subsequently acquired by Seagram in 1998. Seagram then merged Polygram into their Universal Music Group subsidiary.http://www.milesago.com/industry/decca.htm

A&M Records is now owned by Universal Music Group and currently trades within the Interscope-Geffen A&M division. Universal Music Group decided to merge both A&M Records and Geffen Records into their Interscope division in 1999. http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3177121139

In 2001, A&M Records spearheaded a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) claim for copyright infringement against Napster. Although this case was backed by all RIAA members it was A&M that took the lead and the case is referred to as ‘’A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.’’ in legal circles.

In what was a landmark case for intellectual property and copyright ownership, A&M successfully argued that Napster were liable for contributory infringement and vicarious infringement of the plaintiffs' copyrights. http://www.unc.edu/courses/2009spring/law/357c/001/Piracy/cases.htm

Since 1962 the A&M label has published the work of a wide variety of musical artists. These are summarised below with artists for each decade. The lists below are just a sample as A&M has wroked with over 2,400 artists to date.

1960’s - Baja Marimba Band, Burt Bacharach, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 and We Five

1970’s – The Captain and Tennille, Carole King, The Carpenters, Chris Montez, Elkie Brooks, Fairport Convention, Free, Gene Clark, Hummingbird, Joan Baez, Joe Cocker, Laramy Smith, Liza Minnelli, The Move, Nazareth, Paul Williams, Peter Frampton, Phil Ochs, Procul Harum, Quincy Jones, Rick Wakeman, Sex Pistols, Spooky Tooth, Styx, Supertramp and Toni Basil.

1980’s – Annabel Lamb, Atlantic Starr, Bryan Adams, Chris de Burgh, Falco, Janet Jackson, Jim Diamond, Joe Jackson, Oingo Bongo, The Police, Suzanne Vega and Vital Signs.

1990’s – Aaron Neville, Amy Grant, Barry White, Ce Ce Peniston, Extreme, Gin Blossoms, John Hiatt, Sheryl Crow, Soundgarden, Sting, Therapy and Traveler.

2000’2 – Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Fergie, Keyshia Cole, Limp Bizkit, Maroon 5, Nicole Scherzinger, No Doubt, Puddle of Mudd, Pussy Cat Dolls, Queen of the Stone Age, Sting, Vanessa Carlton.