Sunday, January 15, 2006
Peaches Records & Tapes - 5150 S. Sheridan Rd.
In the 1970s, deep discounted music was a rare occurance. Small, independently owned shops couldn't afford to do without the small profit they were making off low-volume album sales. At some point during the decade, Honest John's (predecessor to Starship Records) and Sound Warehouse started discounting. In 1976, a new store owned by the Peaches record chain was built near 51st and Sheridan. They boasted a million dollar inventory...practically everything (domestic) in print was stocked. You could find almost anything there without having to order it. Since they had deeper pockets, they cut prices even more than the local guys. They focused keenly on high-volume album and tape sales, although they also did a brisk business in a few accessories items like the popular Peaches album or tape wooden crates. Woodland Hills Mall opened a few years later, adding more cookie-cutter music stores to the area. Sadly, by the end of the '70s, most of Tulsa's independant record stores had been put out business by these new corporate stores in town.
Peaches' future wasn't that great, either. They made a gamble when they decided that the average consumer would not be interested in a budding new audio format, the Compact Disc. This proved to be quite untrue. Before they could change course, the cash-poor business faltered and the company went bankrupt in the mid-'80s. The store was quickly reopened as another large chain music store called Buttons. After a few years, it failed as well. It was also a Blockbuster for a period of time before the current furniture store took ownership.
Part of the Peaches tradition was to have large concrete squares along the sidewalks surrounding the building. Musicians would be asked to sign and put their handprints into the squares like Mann's Chinese Theater. Quite a few celebrities visited the Tulsa store long enough to leave a memento behind. Despite the turnover of the Peaches property, all owners have left the handprints alone. Some have aged so badly that they are completely unreadable, but most are still in decent shape. I took a visit over there yesterday to get them all recorded for posterity...just in case. There's a new Peaches photoset available of these photos.
The pic above was a feeble attempt at recreating the look of the original Peaches. I chose 1981, since that was the year I probably spent the most money in Peaches. Don't scrutinize the photo too closely, as I'm no master of Photoshop.
How many Peaches crates do you still have?
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What was the name of the record store that went in across the street from Peaches? Is it still there? I used to get a lot of alternative imports there in the late 80s/early 90s
(enjoying your site)
/BA native
(enjoying your site)
/BA native
# posted by 
: 2/07/2006 11:59 AM
: 2/07/2006 11:59 AM
I think your 'unknown' Peaches photo might be Nick Gilder.
And this is a great site. : )
And this is a great site. : )
# posted by : 3/04/2006 11:26 PM
: 3/04/2006 11:26 PM
/BA Native...
The store you're thinking of was Mohawk Music. They were an awesome little store where I used to buy, trade, and sell my tapes.
The store you're thinking of was Mohawk Music. They were an awesome little store where I used to buy, trade, and sell my tapes.
# posted by : 5/07/2006 5:52 PM
: 5/07/2006 5:52 PM
I used to buy all kinds of CDs..etc at Mohawk Music..In fact I am trying to locate the old owner Paul and can't seem to locate his card to find his last name...is there anyone who can tell me how to get in touch with him??? tannerboys@sigecom.net
# posted by : 5/17/2006 12:54 PM
: 5/17/2006 12:54 PM
I was a customer of Mohawk Music from late 1988 through June 30th, 2001, their final day of business.
I can't count the number of Fridays that I would rush over there right after work and blow a big chunk of my paycheck. It was a great place to meet with other music junkies, discuss tunes, soak up (and spread) local gossip, and seek amateur (but helpful) relationship and/or psychological advice.
On their last day, I showed up 5 minutes after they opened, with a lawn chair and a big bucket-o-bagels, and I just camped there, talking to Paul, the staff, and other friends who were coming by to say their farewells. I stayed (along with many others) until almost an hour after the normal closing time, trying to be the very last person to make an actual purchase there. Unfortunately, due to another engagement that evening, I wasn't able to succeed with that endeavour, but at least I was 'one of the last.'
After Mohawk closed, I wrote a fairly massive letter which was published in Urban Tulsa, decrying the local musical climate and 'do-anything-for-a-bargain' attitude that had killed yet another wonderful local mom-and-pop business.
Mohawk was an extremely special place, and I still feel very sentimental when I think about it. It will always hold a very precious place in my heart, and Tulsa will never have another music retailer like it.
- DJ Badger
[By the way... I stumbled onto LostTulsa.com for the first time today. This is an excellent site!]
I can't count the number of Fridays that I would rush over there right after work and blow a big chunk of my paycheck. It was a great place to meet with other music junkies, discuss tunes, soak up (and spread) local gossip, and seek amateur (but helpful) relationship and/or psychological advice.
On their last day, I showed up 5 minutes after they opened, with a lawn chair and a big bucket-o-bagels, and I just camped there, talking to Paul, the staff, and other friends who were coming by to say their farewells. I stayed (along with many others) until almost an hour after the normal closing time, trying to be the very last person to make an actual purchase there. Unfortunately, due to another engagement that evening, I wasn't able to succeed with that endeavour, but at least I was 'one of the last.'
After Mohawk closed, I wrote a fairly massive letter which was published in Urban Tulsa, decrying the local musical climate and 'do-anything-for-a-bargain' attitude that had killed yet another wonderful local mom-and-pop business.
Mohawk was an extremely special place, and I still feel very sentimental when I think about it. It will always hold a very precious place in my heart, and Tulsa will never have another music retailer like it.
- DJ Badger
[By the way... I stumbled onto LostTulsa.com for the first time today. This is an excellent site!]
I can recall the time Fanzine did a gig in the corner of Mohawk Music. Great place and people!
# posted by : 6/30/2006 9:49 PM
: 6/30/2006 9:49 PM
As a teenager in Muskogee, I used to drive to Tulsa, just to shop at Peaches for the records I couldn't find back home. And shopped while proudly wearing my KMOD t-shirt, of course.
And yes, I still have a Peaches crate somewhere in my closet. Back in the day, it held LPs. I think there are shoes and electronic parts in it now.
Matt
And yes, I still have a Peaches crate somewhere in my closet. Back in the day, it held LPs. I think there are shoes and electronic parts in it now.
Matt
# posted by : 8/27/2006 3:42 PM
: 8/27/2006 3:42 PM
I worked at Sound Warehouse in OKC in the early 80's and Buttons was actually a division of Sound Warehouse, it was mainly meant to be a electronics outlet but never completely evolved into that. The OKC and Tulsa stores were changed to Buttons when Peaches closed the Oklahoma stores.
The big push behind Buttons was the owner, it was his baby. He was killed in a car wreck in the fall of 1983 and when his wife took over she did not have the same vision behind Buttons that he did and eventually closed them. The one in OKC is now an Akins Health store.
She eventually merged with the owner of the Dallas franchise stores, then they sold out to another company, which sold out to Blockbuster.
The big push behind Buttons was the owner, it was his baby. He was killed in a car wreck in the fall of 1983 and when his wife took over she did not have the same vision behind Buttons that he did and eventually closed them. The one in OKC is now an Akins Health store.
She eventually merged with the owner of the Dallas franchise stores, then they sold out to another company, which sold out to Blockbuster.
# posted by : 9/09/2006 2:47 PM
: 9/09/2006 2:47 PM
I worked at the very last Peaches Records and Tapes store to open in Tacoma Washington in 1978. "Boston" did our gala grand opening and what a time of extravagance it was.
After Peaches, I got into the radio business but will always be thankful to Neil Heiman and Peaches, to have launched my "Music" biz career when the business was still enjoying good times. Man, how much the game of music, both retail, and on the radio has truely changed.
Dwaine Luna
Currently in Cincinnati
After Peaches, I got into the radio business but will always be thankful to Neil Heiman and Peaches, to have launched my "Music" biz career when the business was still enjoying good times. Man, how much the game of music, both retail, and on the radio has truely changed.
Dwaine Luna
Currently in Cincinnati
# posted by : 3/30/2007 10:40 AM
: 3/30/2007 10:40 AM
I remember my 16th birthday in 1977. I went to Peachs, and bought almost every Ted Nugent 8 track tape they had. The sales guy rolled his eyes!
# posted by : 7/17/2007 3:26 PM
: 7/17/2007 3:26 PM
Does anyone know if new Peaches T-Shirts are available anywhere? Man, I would love to have a few, even repros would be ok with me.
I loved the Seattle U-District store. It was the first place I headed when I turned 16 and got my drivers license. Kids today don't know what they are missing with record stores disappearing the way they are. Downloading music will never replace the magical experience of physically shopping in a record store.
I loved the Seattle U-District store. It was the first place I headed when I turned 16 and got my drivers license. Kids today don't know what they are missing with record stores disappearing the way they are. Downloading music will never replace the magical experience of physically shopping in a record store.
# posted by : 7/26/2007 3:36 PM
: 7/26/2007 3:36 PM
The reason I had the thought of remembering Peaches, was yesterday when I came across a tshirt website that had peaches tshirts.
http://www.wornfree.com
It is a shirt that Joan Jett is wearing.
http://www.wornfree.com
It is a shirt that Joan Jett is wearing.
# posted by : 7/28/2007 10:16 PM
: 7/28/2007 10:16 PM
I worked at Buttons from 87 to 1991. It was a great place to work for a HS kid! I would estimate Buttons lasted 10 years in that spot. It was interesting to note, even several years after it was Buttons people would still come in and say, "wasn't this Peaches just a few months ago?"
As I remember, there were only two Buttons stores -- one in Tulsa and one in OKC. The rest of the chain was Sound Warehouse stores. There may have been some relationship in the early years, but by the time I worked there, Buttons and Tulsa SW were separate entities.
Anyone else work there in my time frame??
Joey
As I remember, there were only two Buttons stores -- one in Tulsa and one in OKC. The rest of the chain was Sound Warehouse stores. There may have been some relationship in the early years, but by the time I worked there, Buttons and Tulsa SW were separate entities.
Anyone else work there in my time frame??
Joey
# posted by : 8/02/2007 2:08 PM
: 8/02/2007 2:08 PM
We used to have Peaches in Cleveland,OH too...wonder if it's the same chain? I don't remember concrete squares around the building, but there were huge paintings of album covers hanging around the store. I have one of Billy Joel/52nd Street - it's probably 5x5 feet and nicely done! Anyone else have one or seen these around?
# posted by : 9/19/2007 11:36 AM
: 9/19/2007 11:36 AM
I have such great memories of Peaches... some of my best early memories were of my parents driving me and my brother downtown to the Atlanta Peaches, riding in their 70s van, covered from head to toe in deep shag carpet. Dad would play the 8-tracks (Tommy by the Who, Dylan, Stevie Wonder) loud and we'd just lay back and bliss out...
And I used to love to browse in Peaches with them. That's where I learned my love of record stores that continues to this day.
Thanks for the photos and memories!
And I used to love to browse in Peaches with them. That's where I learned my love of record stores that continues to this day.
Thanks for the photos and memories!
# posted by : 9/25/2007 8:18 PM
: 9/25/2007 8:18 PM
Joey - There were only the two Buttons stores as you stated, I think someone bought the Tulsa store and ran it separately after Kay shut down the OKC store in the mid-80's.
# posted by : 10/12/2007 10:20 PM
: 10/12/2007 10:20 PM
I love reading all of this and seeing the handprint photos! I grew up across the street from Peaches and started working at Buttons when I was 16. If anyone has ever seen Empire Records, that was my experience. Except that the Buttons building was old and nasty, but lots of fun.
# posted by : 11/05/2007 12:00 PM
: 11/05/2007 12:00 PM
Yes, the Peaches in Cleveland were the same chain. 3 of them eventually. And Dallas. And Detroit. And Indianapolis, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus, Atlanta, Ft. Lauderdale, Clearwater, Orlando, L.A., and finally Omaha. I don't know when the last store opened, but I know it wasn't in Tacoma. At least it wasn't in 1978. I was Regional Advertising and Promotions Manager for Peaches' midwest stores. We opened one in Omaha on Friday May 25, 1979. Head East appeared and signed autographs and yes, put their hands in cement. Sunday of that opening weekend Bad Company did an in-store appearance and 3500 people showed up for autographs. Free ones. Those days are gone, and alas, so is Peaches. Tom and Neil Heiman were the best. But there was such a variance of opinion in management as to the company's direction coming out of the 70's. I know. I was on those conference calls. Oh well. The kids today have no idea what they missed.
# posted by : 11/13/2007 8:03 PM
: 11/13/2007 8:03 PM
I worked at the Tulsa Peaches from before it opened until 1977. What an amazing time!! I feel so lucky. My 25 year old daughter has my peaches crates; I had 1,000 albums by the time I left and all those free tickets and backstage passes! Anyone else out there that worked there at that time?
# posted by : 11/26/2007 10:04 AM
: 11/26/2007 10:04 AM
Oh I loved Peaches when I was a kid. I lived nearby and would walk over there with my best friend and we would just bum around in the store looking at records. Don't know where my Peaches crates went though . . .
On the other side of 51st street from where Peaches was --and this would have been early-mid 80s--does anyone remember the name of the teen club that was back behind the Woodcraft furniture --I think the Woodcraft was there at that point, I moved away 10 years ago and don't know what is there now-- It was a little kid indoor playground place called Huggy Bear's and then it became like a under 16 dance club and then it became the Beat Club. was it called Ziggy's or something? My friend and I used to go every weekend and we are dying trying to think of the name of it.
Good memories, love the site!
On the other side of 51st street from where Peaches was --and this would have been early-mid 80s--does anyone remember the name of the teen club that was back behind the Woodcraft furniture --I think the Woodcraft was there at that point, I moved away 10 years ago and don't know what is there now-- It was a little kid indoor playground place called Huggy Bear's and then it became like a under 16 dance club and then it became the Beat Club. was it called Ziggy's or something? My friend and I used to go every weekend and we are dying trying to think of the name of it.
Good memories, love the site!
# posted by : 12/19/2007 3:28 PM
: 12/19/2007 3:28 PM
I was the manager of the Tulsa Peaches store through it's transition from Peaches to Buttons (1982-84) and stayed about 18 months after the remodel. The earlier poster who talked about Button's being Dan Moran's (the owner) baby is exactly right. After Dan was killed in the traffic accident the idea to open a chain of Button's stores based on the Tulsa prototype also died. Once the merger with Sound Warehouse-Dallas took place Button's just became a typical Sound Warehouse with a different name and an expanded electronics department.
The reason for this post was to take issue with the original posting about the demise of the original Peaches due to its not embracing cds. Peaches corporate parent Nehi, Inc. filed bankruptcy and sold off their stores in 1981. Compact Discs didn't hit the market until 1983, 2 years after Peaches was sold. I was told that a flawed business plan plus some um,
corporate "extravagances" were the downfall of the original Peaches. Under Dan Moran's (Sound Warehouse-OKC) ownership we were very aggressive in marketing the new CD format.
The Tulsa Peaches/Button's store was an amazing music store, both in its size and heritage. I had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of people and will always have great memories of them and the store.
Steve Wagner
Steve Wagner
The reason for this post was to take issue with the original posting about the demise of the original Peaches due to its not embracing cds. Peaches corporate parent Nehi, Inc. filed bankruptcy and sold off their stores in 1981. Compact Discs didn't hit the market until 1983, 2 years after Peaches was sold. I was told that a flawed business plan plus some um,
corporate "extravagances" were the downfall of the original Peaches. Under Dan Moran's (Sound Warehouse-OKC) ownership we were very aggressive in marketing the new CD format.
The Tulsa Peaches/Button's store was an amazing music store, both in its size and heritage. I had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of people and will always have great memories of them and the store.
Steve Wagner
Steve Wagner
# posted by : 10/04/2008 10:08 PM
: 10/04/2008 10:08 PM
Steve~
You're absolutely correct about Peaches' management short comings and the fact that CD's were certainly NOT a factor of it filing the Chapter 11 and eventually the Chapter 13 that followed in late 1981. I know, I was there. The leather couch in the Manager's office and the unwatched budget of the Store Credit Card and our store's parties would have blown the NEHI CPA's mind. Those parties happened before I was there, but I saw enough pictures of them to confirm their existence. My Director was much more business minded and ran a tight store, but we all had fun too.
I have read and heard much talk over the years, about how people feel that Peaches moved in and ran the local guys out of business.
It's always someone that wasn't on the other side of the counter saying that, and the facts are set in stone that the MUSIC BUSINESS ran the local guys out of business.
The changes that took place between 1980 and 1990 were devastating to the small record shops. There were just too many changes in types of product, hard accessories and also the manner in which they were ALL sold. Perpetual Automated Inventory Systems (PAIRS) were starting to be implemented by 1990, and virtually all the stores that had any money changed over to PAIRS by 1996. They had to.
And so it was set...inventory, stocking and reordering products would never be the same. The little guys couldn't keep up. In 1990 there were plenty of little shops STILL sitting on a few old 8 tracks, old cassettes and LP's.
So Peaches was merely in that spot at that time, when "the change" hit.
I'm no stats professor, but in 1995-96 I worked at Hastings Books Music and Videos and saw the second phase of "change" in the industry. DVD's did a number on a lot of people too, and it wasn't Hastings or any other company's fault...it's called Progress of Product Developement.
For the guy wanting Peaches T-shirts, Crosby Still and Nash have a cool repo version on their website.
At the end of the day, Peaches was a piece of the Music History puzzle. So was Sound Wherehouse and the other ones in the malls in this great country. Let's remember them and not forget how fun it was to go look at LP covers for hours and hours. I feel bad for the music fans now, they have all the neat stuff all hidden inside the plastic. Set it free and let it be what it used to be...music trivia.
You're absolutely correct about Peaches' management short comings and the fact that CD's were certainly NOT a factor of it filing the Chapter 11 and eventually the Chapter 13 that followed in late 1981. I know, I was there. The leather couch in the Manager's office and the unwatched budget of the Store Credit Card and our store's parties would have blown the NEHI CPA's mind. Those parties happened before I was there, but I saw enough pictures of them to confirm their existence. My Director was much more business minded and ran a tight store, but we all had fun too.
I have read and heard much talk over the years, about how people feel that Peaches moved in and ran the local guys out of business.
It's always someone that wasn't on the other side of the counter saying that, and the facts are set in stone that the MUSIC BUSINESS ran the local guys out of business.
The changes that took place between 1980 and 1990 were devastating to the small record shops. There were just too many changes in types of product, hard accessories and also the manner in which they were ALL sold. Perpetual Automated Inventory Systems (PAIRS) were starting to be implemented by 1990, and virtually all the stores that had any money changed over to PAIRS by 1996. They had to.
And so it was set...inventory, stocking and reordering products would never be the same. The little guys couldn't keep up. In 1990 there were plenty of little shops STILL sitting on a few old 8 tracks, old cassettes and LP's.
So Peaches was merely in that spot at that time, when "the change" hit.
I'm no stats professor, but in 1995-96 I worked at Hastings Books Music and Videos and saw the second phase of "change" in the industry. DVD's did a number on a lot of people too, and it wasn't Hastings or any other company's fault...it's called Progress of Product Developement.
For the guy wanting Peaches T-shirts, Crosby Still and Nash have a cool repo version on their website.
At the end of the day, Peaches was a piece of the Music History puzzle. So was Sound Wherehouse and the other ones in the malls in this great country. Let's remember them and not forget how fun it was to go look at LP covers for hours and hours. I feel bad for the music fans now, they have all the neat stuff all hidden inside the plastic. Set it free and let it be what it used to be...music trivia.
I worked for Peaches in the 70's. Boy what a blast. Tom & Neil were great. I worked at one of the St Louis stores. The one in Ballwin. I was one of the mgr's and enjoy'd everyday I worked there. I will never forget a event we had with Budwiser and the local police for drug awareness. We had hotair balloons and Charlie Daniels did a concert. All was free. I did however at one point went in the backroom and found the band, not Charlie, smoking pot. How crazy at a drug awareness event with police crawling all over the place. I told them at least go out to the limo... It was some great times. I still have one of the original airbrushed Peaches shirts. When I moved to Tacoma in 1986 I drove by a store and knew it was a old peaches store. It is now auto parts store. how sad. I also took the time to go to NEHI and see the operation as well as the artists painting the boards. Greg Biggs took me on that tour. Any of you that did any purchasing for Peaches would have talked to him. Great guy. I think if they would not have expanded so fast they still may be around. Our kids have really missed out on a great thing.
Robin
"they use to call me Rockin Robin"
no more however, I'm too old for that. boo who.....
Robin
"they use to call me Rockin Robin"
no more however, I'm too old for that. boo who.....
Banana's Records (phenom collection of used vinyl), St. Petersburg, FL has a fairly large stash of used Peaches LP and 45 crates for sale (cheap). Our Clearwater Peaches was astounding. I savored the huge cut-out bins (loads of non-Beatle Apple releases, for one). The site, at the corner of US-19 and Gulf To Bay Blvd., is now a Sam's Club. I presume all of the concrete impressions were bulldozed with the building (sad). The store reopened briefly at a new location a couple of miles north, but it was a shadow of itself and sterile, and CD's were now the norm at this point.
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