The Persuasions are an American a cappella group long celebrated as “the kings of a cappella,” whose early career ran through Jersey City.
Three charting albums in the early 1970s: Street Corner Symphony (No. 16 R&B / No. 88 pop, 1972), We Came to Play (No. 32 R&B, 1971), and Spread the Word (No. 40 R&B, 1972).
Sealed in the Record · 2026-07-13 · verify
In the Record§
Stan Krause discovered the group singing on the streets of Jersey City, recorded their first live tracks, and managed them in their early years.
Frank Zappa first heard the group singing over the phone from Stan Krause's Stan's Square Records store; Krause managed the group and issued their early recordings on his Catamount Records label, after which they signed to a major label.
The group charted on Billboard through the early 1970s: Street Corner Symphony (1972) reached No. 16 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and No. 88 on the Billboard 200; We Came to Play (1971) reached No. 32 R&B; and Spread the Word (1972) reached No. 40 R&B.
The group went on to a decades-long recording career across major and independent labels, influencing generations of a cappella and vocal-harmony singers.
Appearances§
Flyers and photographs from across the archive that feature The Persuasions.
Sources§
- Classic Urban Harmony — Catamount Records label history — link
- Billboard chart history (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Billboard 200)
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