Sonny Knight, Fred Welsy, Jabo Starks, And The Lakers on 89.3 The Current
Black Friday Through Cyber Monday Sale
It’s almost time once again for our annual Black Friday Through Cyber Monday Sale. Every year we like to say thanks to you, our loyal customers, by giving you a few days to rummage through our virtual shelves and take whatever you’d like at a very deep discount. Some folks stock up on recent releases they missed out on, while others dig deeper into our back catalog and pick up stuff we put out before they ever even heard of Secret Stash. Whatever the case, we hope you find something you’ll enjoy. Below are some highlights of this year’s sale, from restocks, to limited edition pressings.
7 OF OUR MOST POPULAR LPS BACK IN STOCK
All available at 30% off
LIMITED EDITION PRESSINGS
Once again, we’ve gathered up all of the limited edition pressings that have resurfaced over the last year here at the office, and decided to make them available to you during this sale only. Most of these are available in quantities of 2 or 3, so act fast if you see something you want. We did this last year and most of the titles sold out in under an hour!
In addition to the above mentioned highlights, every item in the store is discounted from 15% to 50% off! Mark your calendars, the sale goes live at 11 PM Central Time on Thursday, November 26.
Summer Conclusion and Fall Preview
It has been one heck of a summer here in Minnesota. After outlasting a Winter that dumped snow on us all the way up ’til May, we skipped Spring and caught Summer in mid-stride. On the Secret Stash side of things, we spent a lot of time looking into future projects… More info to come on those. All we can say is we are really excited for 2014!
Now that Summer is officially over, we are looking forward to a great Fall. As of October 15, we are kicking off a new sub-label called Reserve Records which tackles releases that don’t quite fit into the funky/afro/latin grooves of Secret Stash. Our first release will be George Jones’ debut on Starday.
We also built an analog studio in our headquarters and so far there are several 45s worth of material in the can, all of which we are eager to bring into the world. It was a long process, but we wanted to take our time to really develop an aesthetic we’re happy with. Over the last few years we’ve spent countless hours listening to records and talking about the best recipes and ingredients we’ve come across for tasty soul, funk, and afro-beat stews. We also went diving into an ocean of research, exploring sunken ships on a mission to learn about historic studios, recordings, arrangers, and producers. After holding our breath for many months, we brought to the surface with us a treasure chest of old recording techniques, equipment, and philosophies. Needless to say, we are enthusiastic about what’s to come.
Another Stellar Weekend of Afrobeat and Real Country in the Twin Cities
It was another action packed weekend here in the Twin Cities for us. With two new releases we are about to drop it was as good a time as any to celebrate with new music, classic tracks and some of our favorite live musicians in these parts. Black Market Brass are one of the hardest working bands in town. Often playing more than a couple shows a week the band sounds tighter than ever, have added a few players and truly brought the house down at the Nomad to celebrate the upcoming 45′ we’re about to help them unleash into the world.
As the place got more and more packed during the amazing opening sets from Grolar Bears and Liminal Phase, I had an awesome time DJing the proceedings from the comfort and security of the sound booth. By the time Black Market Brass hit the stage, the Nomad was boiling over with anticipation and they truly delivered the goods with an electrified set that included some new tunes as well as their new radio hit, “Big Muffler”.
Saturday night we brought the party to the other side of the river in Saint Paul. The Turf Club generously opened their doors for a great night of celebrating the music of our fave country crooner, George Jones. To celebrate the upcoming reissue of Grand Ole Opry’s New Star on our new imprint, Reserve Records a gang of local buddies took to the stage to perform some of the Possum’s signature songs. John Swardson, Eleganza!, Frankie Lee, Curtiss A, Actual Wolf and the Black Berry Brandy Boys took a pull from Jone’s string of hits and country staples to often amazing effect. A big thank you to everyone who performed and especially everyone who came out!
Peep these highlights from the evening..
Eleganza! “Whatcha Gonna Do”
Blackberry Brandy Boys with Actual Wolf “If Drinkin’ Don’t Kill Me”
Danny
Secret Stash
Propaganda Minister
Free Angela, our new label – Reserve Records and a new batch of 45’s from Secret Stash.
It’s Summertime in the City and we are emerging from hibernation to announce a whole slew of upcoming releases!
First, a simmering new reissue on Secret Stash, then the first release on our brand new sub-label Reserve Records, plus a series of red hot new 45s hitting turntables near you!
We will begin taking Pre-orders July 16 for our latest reissue, Free Angela. Originally released in 1971, the record was sold to raise money for the National United Committee to Free Angela Davis. Put together by singer, promoter, Alexander Randolph on his own Golden Triangle label the first half of the album was recorded in Muscle Shoals, beginning with the title track by Larry Saunders. Saunders’ vocals float above and transcend the ethereal backing of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section with a voice that could be compared to Donny Hathaway and Curtis Mayfield, but Saunders is his own man with his own style. In the realm of socially conscious soul music this is essential listening. The second half of the album continues with solid mid-1960s rarities from Randolph’s Sound of Soul label. Sound of Soul has long been known to record collectors, with singles routinely fetching hundreds of dollars.
Amidst the socially and politically tumultuous 1960s and 1970s, Angela Davis emerged as one of the era’s most controversial figures. In the early 1970s, her arrest, incarceration, and trial made international headlines and inspired a movement to free her. In April of 2013 a documentary on her life, Free Angela & All Political Prisoners, produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith was released to much critical acclaim, fetching awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, the London International Film Festival, as well as the Stockholm International Film Festival.
Working in coordination with Alexander Randolph, we’re excited to make available once again this soulful piece of history. Available on CD and vinyl with detailed liner notes and photos.
The first 350 copies of Free Angela come with a bonus 45 (“Leave Me Alone” b/w “Fell in Love” by Oscar Wright).
Next up, you can join us in celebrating a new label we are starting in September, Reserve Records.
Every once in a while we come across a record we really enjoy that falls outside the Funk/Soul/African/Latin/World Groove comfort zone of Secret Stash. So we decided to start Reserve Records to explore all things Soundtracks, Country, Rock and whatever else might strike our record craving fancies! What better way to start than with a reissue of the debut album by one of the greatest artists of all time?
We couldn’t be more excited to release back into the world George Jones’ debut record in September!
In 1956 The Grand Ole Opry invited a young country singer named George Jones to perform on their show. The 25 year-old Marine Corp veteran was already picking up momentum in his homeland of Texas, where he was signed to Starday Records. A year earlier his song “Why Baby, Why” became his first hit. However, in his own words, “My success as a country singer, no matter how big it became, would always be limited unless I appeared on the Grand Ole Opry.” When he finally got the call to perform at the Opry, he drove almost 800 miles from Houston, borrowed a guitar from Jimmy Dickens, and performed one song. His appearance was a success and he was quickly asked to come back and become a member.
Back in Beaumont, Texas, Jack Starnes and Pappy Daily knew they had to move quickly if their label, Starday Records, was going to keep up with Jones’ new found popularity. In early 1957 they released George Jones’ first album, Grand Ole Opry’s New Star. To this day, this record has never been reissued in its entirety, making it one of the most collectible country records in the world. Lovingly remastered and carefully restored, this remarkable piece of music history has never looked and sounded so good.
The first 500 copies of Grand Ole Opry’s New Star willcome with a bonus 45 (“Rock It” b/w “How Come It” by Thumper Jones – aka George Jones).
Expect the same quality, care, and attention to detail in each Reserve release that you would expect from Secret Stash.
Finally, get your record bag ready for a heeping batch of new music from Secret Stash!
We have been quite the busy bees around here. Building an all-analog studio in the office, rehearsing groups, and recording new music.
With that in mind, we are proud to announce the first releases in our series of new 45s:
Black Market Brass
Black Market Brass is a hard working Twin Cities Afrobeat group with a hypnotically tight and frenzied sound. We are jacked to release the killer tunes “Big Muffler” 
b/w “Snake Oil” by Black Market Brass as our first new 45 (SSR #1001), and look forward to many great recordings from them to come.
Sonny Knight
Sonny Knight first hit the Twin Cities music scene in 1965 with his group Little Sonny Knight & The Cymbals, and later was a part of the local group Haze. He has been working his tail off performing locally this year and developing quite a chemistry with our in-house band, The Lakers. We are thrilled to be working with Sonny and are blown away by his take on Rodriguez’s “Sugar Man.”
The Valdons
The Valdons are another group from the 1970s soul scene in the Twin Cities. The release of Twin Cities Funk & Soul saw the reunion of the group and we are excited that they have put together something very special for their first new 45 in 40 years. “Stop Wait A Minute Girl” and “Listen” are based on demos the band recorded around 1971 but never finished. Working with our house band, The Lakers, The Valdons have put together some mind blowing sweet soul!