Turtle’s Records & Tapes
Store front of Turtle’s Records and Tapes on Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The photo is by Randy Blazak who used to work here in the early 1980s. Make sure to read his blog post about how music was his escape route from racism.
Turtle’s Records and Tapes was a Southern USA retail chain, based in Atlanta, that specialized in selling cassettes, records, and concert tickets […] Turtle’s was recognized for its trademark logo, an upright standing turtle with its neck twisted around in several coils as he attempts to look backwards.
The Turtle’s wordmark is in Mania, a film typeface issued by Lettergraphics in or before 1968. It was also available from Mecanorma as Photomania and by Formatt as Deborah Laureen. PLINC’s Obese (also in or before 1968) is only different in a few details, like the top of S.
This weathered logo is reproduced on a retro T-shirt sold by SE Apparel, Inc.: “With over 70 stores in the south, folks couldn’t wait to cash in Turtle stamps to get the newest LPs that shaped their lives. Lines of 200+ wrapped around the stores for the latest tickets to the Who and Champagne Jam every Saturday. Whether you were searching for Lynyrd Skynyrd in the ‘S’ section or hiding your latest purchases of Poison from your friends, Turtles was the Hangout for the music minded.”
A full page in a booklet of Turtle’s saving stamps. The Turtle’s logo is in Mania Contour. Secondary typefaces include Balloon Drop Shadow and Antique Olive (with Compact).
“Special” sticker. The script is Brush.
2 Comments on “Turtle’s Records & Tapes”
I started working at that store when I was 15. I stayed with them until I was 24 years old and Blockbuster was closing stores. I don’t remember race ever being thought about there. Really a great job experience.
There was a Turtle’s on Memorial Dr – but its not the one in the photo. That particular Turtle’s was on the end of the retail strip, facing Memorial; I waited up many a night to get in line for concert tickets: Prince, Queen, Journey …