Record Service Business Records, 1971-2010 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Record Service was founded in November 1969 as the Undergraduate Student Association Record Ordering Service, and located in the Illini Union basement.  Students could order commercially released albums for $2.95, at a time when standard retail price for an LP was $4.99.  The Record Service soon became too profitable to operate legally from a campus building, and vacated its location in the Union.

After a short stint in the basement of the campus YMCA, Record Service incorporated and moved to Green St. between 5^th and 6^th Street in May 1971.  At the beginning, Record Service was operated as a worker-controlled collective, eventually having 18 employee-owners.  Over time, partners were bought out as they left, eventually leaving co-founder Phil Strang as sole owner.  Record Service moved to 621 E. Green St. in December 1981, and this was the final location of the Champaign store until it closed in 2003.  At various times there were also stores in Normal, IL and Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana.