Record Source International (RSI) was a United States-based music service company that supplied radio stations with recordings from multiple labels. A 1964 Billboard advertisement noted that some 2,200 radio stations worldwide had used RSI’s services, which were tailored to formats including pop, Top 40, classical, jazz, show tunes, folk and country.[1] By 1990, RSI was also offering a subscription service for jukebox owners to ensure availability of 45 RPM records.[2]
Design and History
The Record Source International symbol was designed by S. Neil Fujita in 1959.[3] Fujita (1921-2010) was an American graphic designer best known for his book cover and record album designs.[4] He served as director of design and packaging at Columbia Records from 1954 to 1960, where he was the first graphic designer to use painters, photographers and illustrators for album cover artwork.[5] He later founded his own design studio, Fujita Design, and created logos and designs for corporations including General Foods, Random House and Standard Oil of New Jersey.[6]
The mark is categorized as a swirl-style logo with dot elements, reflecting the mid-century abstract design approach for which Fujita was known.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
No official documentation has been located that describes the intended symbolism of the Record Source International mark. The logo’s abstract swirl form is consistent with Fujita’s broader mid-century design style, which favored simplified, non-literal imagery, but specific meaning attributed to the mark cannot be verified from available sources.
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