ABSTRACT
One still hears people in the business referring to the A&R man. This is partly because the term rolls nicely off the tongue. Some maintain that the term man in this case is an abbreviation of the word manager. But also, in the past, A&R was regarded as a rather tough job, only for those who were prepared to dedicate themselves 100% to the record company and to the music. No social life, no regular office hours. In the male-dominated record business of the sixties and seventies it was therefore considered that women would neither stand for this nor be able to take the pressure. However, the eighties and nineties have seen an increasing number of A&R women succeed in the industry so today the blanket term A&R man is not just sexist but also inaccurate.
