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The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) awards produced
before 1975 have a white matte background and were made only for the artiste
and others closely related to the specific recording i.e. the producer/s
and record company executives. They are much rarer than those produced
after 1975 because so many more were produced after this time and because
the awards changed noticeably. Until the mid 1970s The New York Frame
and Picture Company was exclusively contracted to manufacture the awards.
After the company went out of business in the mid 1970s Creative Glassics
took over the production of the awards.
The look of the awards changed subtly during the 70s. The white matte
changed from a wide weave - a sort of linen effect - to a much smoother
white. In the beginning the mattes were cut by hand, but were later machine
cut. Even the frame changed slightly. The gold album itself is a real
album that has been dipped but not necessarily a copy of the actual album!
Each gold album is a yardstick of sales. It testifies that the album
achieved sales of a million dollars.
From the middle of 1975 the format and look for RIAA awards altered.
There were more gold awards per each recording and the matte background
was changed from white to black. Quality was also compromised. The awards
continue to change with the times. The hologram was introduced in 1985
and has been updated regularly to defeat counterfeiters, and in the 1980s
the Association began to acknowledge CD sales.
Although more Beatles gold awards come up for sale than those for any
band or group, interest and value is maintained because they are always
in demand. The most sought after is 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.
Others highly prized are 'Meet The Beatles!', the album that broke the
Beatles in the US and the Beatles Second Album (which has 'She Loves You'
on it). At auction some pre-1975 RIAA awards - the white mattes - have
been known to fetch over $25,000.
Julian's gold album collection, predominately white mattes, charts the
phenomenal success of the Beatles and of John Lennon's solo career. Julian
has every Beatles and John Lennon album that went gold and many of the
singles. All the Beatles awards are white matte, as are most of John's.
Julian gifted his 'Yesterday' to Paul McCartney who didn't own a copy
of his most famous composition!
Among bands, the Beatles hold the most gold records - 41 in all. They
are third in the final list with Elvis Presley in pole position and Barbra
Streisand having the second greatest number of gold records. For his solo
career John Lennon was awarded 13 gold albums.
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