Country Turtle Records

Country Turtle Records was an independent American record label established in New York City during the 1970s by Don Kent. Its catalog concentrated on early American old-time and country music, particularly recordings originally issued on shellac 78 rpm discs before the Second World War. Rather than functioning primarily as a contemporary artist-development label, Country Turtle operated as an archival reissue imprint: it assembled historically significant performances, restored them for modern vinyl audiences, and presented them through albums and sampler compilations. The label formed part of a broader revival and preservation culture that brought older American roots recordings back into circulation. Its work was comparable in structure to that of Mamlish Records, a sister label associated with blues reissues. Whereas Mamlish focused on blues material, Country Turtle concentrated on country, old-time, and related regional traditions. This specialization gave the label a distinct role within the independent roots-music market, where collectors, folklorists, musicians, and specialist listeners sought access to recordings that were otherwise difficult to find outside original 78 rpm pressings. A notable achievement was Country Turtle's release of the Dixon Brothers' prewar recordings on vinyl for the first time. The Dixon Brothers were important figures in the early country and old-time recording tradition, and the label's releases helped make their work available in a format more practical for later listeners than fragile shellac discs. The label's catalog also included the compilation Gambler's Lament, which brought together recordings by artists and groups including Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Posey Rorer and the North Carolina Ramblers, Blind Andy, and Rabbit Brown. The compilation illustrated the label's broad approach to American vernacular music rather than limiting its releases to a single performer or narrow subgenre. Known Country Turtle releases include three catalog numbers in the 6000 series: The Dixon Brothers Beyond Black Smoke, Gambler's Lament, and The Dixon Brothers Rambling and Gambling. The records included historical or specialist liner documentation, with Pat Conte credited for notes on the Dixon Brothers releases and for contributions to Gambler's Lament alongside Frank Mare and Barbara Beamon. These credits indicate the importance the label placed on contextualizing archival material for listeners. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about the label's later activity, corporate structure, current ownership, or present operating status. It is therefore best understood as a historically significant independent reissue imprint whose documented catalog belongs to the preservation and circulation of prewar American country and old-time recordings.

Country Turtle Records emerged in New York City in the 1970s under the direction of Don Kent. The label was created as an independent imprint with a focused archival mission: to make early American old-time and country recordings available to later audiences. Much of the material it handled had originally appeared on shellac 78 rpm records, a format that was increasingly inaccessible to ordinary listeners because of its fragility, limited availability, and dependence on specialist collections. The label's activities reflected the growth of interest in American roots music and historical reissue publishing. Country Turtle did not primarily promote newly recorded commercial country acts. Instead, it reconstructed portions of the prewar recorded repertoire through albums and compilations, using modern vinyl releases to connect historic performances with collectors, researchers, musicians, and enthusiasts of traditional music. In this respect, the imprint shared an archival orientation with Mamlish Records, its sister label in the blues field. One of Country Turtle's documented contributions was its release of the Dixon Brothers' prewar material on vinyl for the first time. The Dixon Brothers' recordings represented an important part of early country and old-time music, and the label issued them through at least two albums in its 6000 catalog series: The Dixon Brothers Beyond Black Smoke and The Dixon Brothers Rambling and Gambling. Pat Conte is credited with the notes for both releases, providing specialist context for the historical recordings. Country Turtle also issued Gambler's Lament, a sampler that presented recordings by a varied group of performers and ensembles. Its selections included Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Posey Rorer and the North Carolina Ramblers, Blind Andy, and Rabbit Brown. The compilation showed that the label's scope extended across several strands of early American vernacular music rather than being restricted to one artist, region, or recording style. The release notes credited Pat Conte, Frank Mare, and Barbara Beamon. The available discographical record identifies at least three releases: Country Turtle 6000, The Dixon Brothers Beyond Black Smoke; Country Turtle 6001, Various Artists Gambler's Lament; and Country Turtle 6002, The Dixon Brothers Rambling and Gambling. These entries document a small but clearly defined catalog centered on historically important prewar material. Public reference sources do not establish a precise founding year, later ownership, distribution arrangements, or whether the label remains active. Its documented historical identity is consequently that of a New York-based independent reissue label associated with the preservation and vinyl-era circulation of early American country and old-time recordings.

• 1970

  Label established in New York City

  [1]Country Turtle Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Don Kent established Country Turtle Records as an independent American label specializing in early old-time and country music.

• First vinyl release of Dixon Brothers prewar material

  [1]Country Turtle Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Country Turtle became the first label documented as releasing the Dixon Brothers' prewar recordings on vinyl.

• 6000-series catalog issued

  [1]Country Turtle Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label's documented catalog included releases numbered Country Turtle 6000 through 6002, covering two Dixon Brothers albums and the Gambler's Lament sampler.

A specialist archival record label preserving and reissuing early American old-time and country music for collectors and roots-music audiences.

• Archival album

  The Dixon Brothers Beyond Black Smoke

  A Country Turtle archival release presenting prewar recordings by the Dixon Brothers. It was cataloged as Country Turtle 6000 and included liner notes by Pat Conte. The record is significant within the label's history because Country Turtle was the first label documented as bringing the Dixon Brothers' prewar material to vinyl.

• Compilation album

  Gambler's Lament

  A sampler of prewar American recordings issued as Country Turtle 6001. Its selections represented a range of early country, old-time, and related vernacular traditions, with artists and groups including Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Posey Rorer and the North Carolina Ramblers, Blind Andy, and Rabbit Brown. Notes were credited to Pat Conte, Frank Mare, and Barbara Beamon.

• Archival album

  The Dixon Brothers Rambling and Gambling

  A second documented Country Turtle album devoted to the Dixon Brothers' prewar recordings. Cataloged as Country Turtle 6002, the release included notes by Pat Conte and extended the label's effort to preserve and circulate the duo's work in a modern vinyl format.

1. 1Country Turtle Recordsen.wikipedia.org