Stan's Square Records was a Jersey City record store founded by Stan Krause in 1965 in Journal Square, later moving to 349 Bergen Avenue.
In the Record§
For five decades the store was a cornerstone for music lovers and record diggers, known especially for preserving and promoting acappella, soul, and rhythm and blues.
The store sold mixtapes to the whole community from the city's top mixtape DJs, including DJ 007, DJ Mad Money, DJ E Double, DJ NEL E NEL, DJ Wimpy B, DJ Big Time, DJ Dyce, DJ Ju-Town, DJ DX, DJ Wizard, DJ Madden, DJ Walley Katt & X5, Semaj da DJ, and many more.
Krause founded Catamount Records (1964), the label that launched the recording careers of vocal groups including The Persuasions and 14 Karat Soul; Frank Zappa first heard The Persuasions singing over the phone from the store, where Krause was the group's manager.
Krause's Catamount 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 (1983) and drew large audiences in Japan.
Krause founded the United in Group Harmony Association (UGHA) and produced music and live vocal-harmony concerts.
In 2015, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop issued a proclamation for the store's 50th anniversary honoring Krause as 'Stan the Music Man of Jersey City'; in 2016 he received the Jersey City Living Legend Award.
Krause died on May 20, 2016, at age 74; the store closed in 2018 following his passing.
The Store§
Stan's Square Records at 349 Bergen Avenue, the acappella and R&B institution Stan Krause ran in Jersey City for over fifty years.
Appearances§
Flyers and photographs from across the archive that feature Stan's Square Records.
Sources§
- Classic Urban Harmony — Mourning the Passing of Stan Krause, Acappella Icon, Record Store Owner, Producer, Label Owner (2016) — link
- Classic Urban Harmony — Catamount Records label history — link
- Stan's Square Records — Facebook page, Jersey City NJ — link
Wanted for this Entry§
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- Locate the NJ.com legacy feature URL for citation
- Storefront photos — Journal Square and Bergen Avenue eras