This is a I.R.S. record label award for The Go-Gos debut signed by the full group: Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine and Jane Wiedlin. Beauty and the Beat was released on July 8, 1981 and this label issued award states on its presentation plate that it recognizes "a #1 album and attaining sales in excess of one million units". The album was in fact certified Platinum by the RIAA on March 8, 1982 for selling 1 million units, dating this award to that time. By 1984 the album was certified 2x Multi-Platinum. (Note: This is not a RIAA award). Notable also is that the band is the first all-female band to both write their own songs and play their own instruments to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.
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Item Highlights:
- Record label award from I.R.S. for The Go-Gos Beauty And The Beat album
- Photo inside the award signed by the full group: Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine and Jane Wiedlin in black marker
- Award estimated to have been made in 1982
- Presented to FMBQ, a radio industry promotion company
- Award measures approx. 17.25" x 21.5"
- Rare collector's item for any fan of The Go-Gos
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This is an I.R.S. label award signed by all five members of The Go-Gos given to industry partners, in this case FMQB (Friday Morning Quarterback) which was a major radio industry promotion/tip sheet that helped radio stations pick hits to play on their stations. Owned by Kal Rudman, it was a major key to success for many artists.
Dated to 1982, this award is 38 years old but is in Very Good condition, considering its age. There are a few mars on the wood frame as can be expected but all the internals are in very good shape with only a minor amount of fading.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage record awards like this one: Please do not buy this item if you want a brand new piece of memorabilia. These are historical artifacts from the year they were produced. As a result they may show signs of wear. Frankly, if you see a 50-year-old award purported to be in 100% perfect condition, it might be too good to be true. After all, an antique should have "good' wear. If not, you might want to question the piece.
As to where they came from, they could have been displayed in record label offices, recording studios, artist manager's offices, radio stations, private collector's homes and yes, of course, possibly the artist's or songwriter's home. Typically, we don't know all the places they may have been over the years other than what we've stated in the description.
Finally, a word on photos: Our photos are zoomable so you can get a very good look. Do let us know if you want photos of any other details on our pieces and we'll be happy to provide.
*RIAA sales data source: RIAA.com