Stan Krause was the Jersey City record store owner, record producer, and label founder behind Stan's Square Records and Catamount Records, a central figure in the city's acappella and rhythm-and-blues history.
The Persuasions
14 Karat Soul
As producer and label owner, Krause broke The Persuasions (No. 16 R&B, 1972) and 14 Karat Soul (Saturday Night Live, 1983), pushing Jersey City street-corner harmony onto the national stage.
Frank Zappa first heard The Persuasions singing over the phone from Krause's store, where Krause managed the group and recorded their first live tracks.
Krause's acts reached the national stage: The Persuasions charted on Billboard (Street Corner Symphony, No. 16 R&B and No. 88 pop, 1972), and 14 Karat Soul performed on Saturday Night Live in 1983 and drew large audiences in Japan.
He founded the United in Group Harmony Association (UGHA) and produced live vocal-harmony concerts for decades under the banner Classic Harmony Productions.
In 2015, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop honored him with a proclamation as “Stan the Music Man of Jersey City,” and in 2016 he received the Jersey City Living Legend Award.
Krause died on May 20, 2016, at the age of 74, and his store closed in 2018.
Stan Krause hosting a vocal-harmony event, microphone in hand.Stan Krause (center, in the Classic Harmony Productions shirt) with a vocal-harmony group at one of his events.
Flyers and photographs from across the archive that feature Stan Krause.
Chris and the Cytations — “Glory of Love” b/w “Unbelievable”. Catamount Records #100, 1965. From the Catamount Records archive.Savoys — “If You Were Gone From Me” b/w “Oh What A Dream”. Catamount Records #101, 1965. From the Catamount Records archive.Group Called Us (formerly The Five Fashions) — “Solitaire” b/w “Over The Rainbow”. Catamount Records #103, 1965. From the Catamount Records archive.Savoys — “Crazy” b/w “When I Fall In Love”. Catamount Records #104, 1965. From the Catamount Records archive.Savoys — “Gloria” b/w “The Closer You Are”. Catamount Records #105, 1965. From the Catamount Records archive.Meadowbrooks — “Time After Time” b/w “Seems Like Only Yesterday”. Catamount Records #106, 1965. From the Catamount Records archive.Foretells — “Exodus” b/w “Return To Me”. Catamount Records #109, 1965. From the Catamount Records archive.Foretells — “Somewhere (West Side Story)” b/w “Somewhere, Somewhere”. Catamount Records #113, 1966. From the Catamount Records archive.Jo Ann & Heartaches — “I'm So Young” b/w “A Lover's Call”. Catamount Records #114, 1966. From the Catamount Records archive.Del-Capris — “Man In The Moon” b/w “Teardrops Follow Me”. Catamount Records #115, 1966. From the Catamount Records archive.Dave Willis and the Jackson-Tones — “I'll Be Home For Christmas” b/w “After New Years Eve (Five Fashions)”. Catamount Records #116, 1966. From the Catamount Records archive.Copas — “When I'm With You” b/w “Heart and Soul”. Catamount Records #118, 1978. From the Catamount Records archive.Fourteen Karat Soul — “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” b/w “The Sun”. Catamount Records #120, 1979. From the Catamount Records archive.Bonaires — “My Heart's Desire” b/w “New Me”. Catamount Records #130, 1973. From the Catamount Records archive.Calvin & The Catamounts — “Creation of Love” b/w “I Know My Baby Cares For Me”. Catamount Records #131, 1976. From the Catamount Records archive.Metro-Liners — “I Don't Stand A Ghost of a Chance” b/w “Your Troubles Will Be My Troubles”. Catamount Records #132, 1976. From the Catamount Records archive.Skip Jackson & The Natural Experience — “Micro Wave Boogie”. Catamount Records #736, 1979. From the Catamount Records archive.Fourteen Karat Soul — “Doo-Wopp Disco” b/w “Doo-Wopp Disco (Instrumental)”. Catamount Records #737, 1979. From the Catamount Records archive.Fourteen Karat Soul — “Please Say You Want Me” b/w “The Trouble With Love”. Catamount Records #738, 1980. From the Catamount Records archive.Savoys — “Vision Of Love” b/w “Oh Gee Oh Gosh”. Catamount Records #778, 1964. From the Catamount Records archive.Juliettes — “Bye Bye Baby” b/w “Carol's Theme”. Catamount Records #779, 1964. From the Catamount Records archive.Persuasions — “Stardust” b/w “I Could Never Love Another”. Catamount Records #1957, 1972. From the Catamount Records archive.Royal Counts — “Way Over There” b/w “That's How I Feel”. Catamount Records #1958, 1972. From the Catamount Records archive.Superbs — “Love's Unpredictable” b/w “Happiest Girl In The World”. Catamount Records #2122, 1969. From the Catamount Records archive.
