Record Revolution opened on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights in 1967 just as the area was beginning to be a magnet for northeast Ohio’s hippie/freak/ underground population, as the old-school Jewish businesses gave way to stores (such as the appropriately named Generation Gap) selling psychedelic-patterned bell bottoms.
The day after Thanksgiving its owners announced that the long-running store, one of the oldest independent record stores in the country (if not the oldest), would be closing on December 31 when its lease is up.
The store was many things to many people during its heyday, which lasted for decades. Original owner Peter Schliewen was a dashing long-haired music lover who was part of the area’s in-crowd of taste-setting radio, concert promotion and record industry people. As music began to define Cleveland, he expanded the store, adding clothing and paraphernalia, which was quite controversial in the ’70s when a Parma councilwoman, during a debate on banning it there, said, “I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s bad and I know we don’t want it in Parma.”
The store became a sort of like a clubhouse for the music scene, where people congregated to listen to new releases and touring artists stopped in to cover its wall with their signatures. It expanded to two storefronts and a downstairs used record area. In the 80s, when many acts were bypassing Cleveland, you looked in Rec Rev’s window to see who was offering or needed a ride to Columbus to hear a hot underground band.
Schliewen died in a car accident in 1983 but the store continued to thrive until the era of file trading, downloading and streaming, when it relied on products such CBD products, glass pipes and T-shirts rather than music. In the mid 2000s, it shrank to one storefront again.
On November 25, owner Rob Love posted on its website, “Today I come to Facebook with a heavy heart. After much calculation, consideration, & deliberation we have decided to close the doors on our long standing beloved brick & mortar store- Record Revolution.
This decision did not come easily. We have enjoyed being a member of the Coventry community with it’s [sic] spirit of entrepreneurship, diversity, & encouragement of free thought and expression, for 55 years. Through those years, we have made many fond memories & personal connections with you, our valued customers. Without your support we never would have made it this far. So, a sincere & heartfelt thank you to all of you for this amazing experience of a lifetime!
Starting on Monday, November 28th we will go to a reduced hours schedule; Monday-Saturday 12:00-7:00 & Sunday 12:00-5:00. That will remain in place until the last day we are open to the public, which will be December 31st 2022.
So, post pictures, come into the shop & say hello or goodbye, give a hug, handshake, or a wave & know that you’ve been part of something truly special & that you will be missed. Goodbye for now & have a wonderful holiday season.”
facebook.com/RecordRevolution/