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Johnny's Lounge
The Lyric at Carleton Place
765 Hampden Ave
St Paul MN 55114

On the corner of Hampden and University - two blocks west of University and Vandalia, just north of I-94, and just east of Hwy 280. Also accessible by the #16 bus from both downtown Minneapolis and St Paul.

We've been hard at work for well over a year on a compilation of Twin Cities funk, soul, and R&B. Though the actual release won't be ready until September of this year, we've been hipped to a pair of tracks that we just can't keep to ourselves anymore.

On Record Store Day (4/21/12) we are going release a hand numbered 250 unit 45 rpm pressing of Rufus Lunley's "Minneap'lis, Minnesota" / Jackie Harris' "Do It, To It." This release will only be available at The Electric Fetus in Minneapolis. See below to learn a bit more about these tracks and hear samples.

SIDE A “Minneap’lis, Minnesota” by Rufus Lumley

This track was recorded in a bowling alley in Detroit in ’68. At the end of the song you can hear the background vocalists singing “We Got The Pennant,” an attempt to make a hit song based on the possibility of the Twins winning the Pennant that year (which didn’t happen).  Perhaps this track is just what Mauer and the boys need this year?

This track was licensed from the estate of Rufus Lumley.  It's been a pleasure working with Rufus' family.  It's clear that beyond leaving a musical legacy that is still celebrated by Northern Soul collectors the world over, he was also an incredible family man.

-It should be noted that although Lumley lived in many towns during the course of his life, he never resided in the Twin Cities. 

SIDE B “Do It, To It” by Jackie Harris
Jackie Harris ran what is believed to be the first ever black owned label in the Twin Cities, Black and Proud Records. They only put out a small handful of singles, including this one performed by Harris himself. Running this label was not Jackie’s full time job. He was a radio DJ at KUXL as well. He went on to own a couple radio stations, a night club, and a newspaper.  Harris is still alive and well and has been very helpful in our research for the Twin Cities funk, soul, and R&B compilation.  This track was licensed directly from Jackie Harris (who now goes by Jack).

Hey all you vinyl collectors! The fine folks at Flea Market Funk and Dust & Grooves are throwing a contest with some cool prizes. To enter you need to take vinyl related photos and submit them to here. The deadline is March 15, so don't miss out!

The Perlich Post has put together a list of their top 100 reissues of 2011. There are a couple Secret Stash mentions, but moreover it's a really great resource for music enthusiasts looking for some new (old) music!

Check it out here.

The vinyl, jackets, stickers, and polybags for the new Afro Funk reissue are trickling into our offices.  Everything will be here by the end of this week.  That means we're ready for ASSEMBLY PARTY TIME!  That's right, it's that time once again when we invite all our fellow vinyl addicts to the SSR offices to help assemble a new release. We have already assembled the limited edition pre-orders, so they will be ready for the taking at the end of the night - we only have a select number set aside, so please rsvp to reserve a limited edition version of the album. We do need help with the standard records, though.

We order all the different parts for our releases (jacket, vinyl, download card, etc) from different vendors.  Rather than ship all the parts to the vinyl manufacturer and have them assemble it, we bring the assembly in house.  This allows us a level of quality control that could never be achieved via 3rd party assembly.  It's also a great way to open our doors for the local community to come in and check out our operation from the inside.

Here is how it works.  Come on by our offices in uptown and help assemble Afro Funk records.  There will be FREE local pizza and beer.  There will also be a FREE copy of the limited edition version of the album (screen printed jacket with different artwork, and blue and white "smushed" vinyl) for those who help out - make sure to rsvp to guarantee a limited version (standard versions will be available if ltd editions run out).  It's a great way to meet other record enthusiasts in the Twin Cities.  We've got a set of turn tables in the office, so feel free to bring a few records to share with the group.  Check out the details below.  We hope to see you there.

Where: Secret Stash Records World Headquarters
711 W Lake St
STE 211
Minneapolis, MN 55408
When: Monday, February 20, 6:30 PM 'till we're done (usually take 2-3 hours)
Contact: 612-466-2224 or will@secretstashrecords.com

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