RIAA Gold 45 "white matte" award for the Deep Purple single "Smoke On The Water" presented to Deep Purple guitarist and songwriter Ritchie Blackmore. The single was released in May 1973 off their 1972 Machine Head album and certified Gold by the RIAA on August 28, 1973 for 500,000 copies sold.
This truly iconic track, with its signature guitar lick, went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, #2 in Canada, #21 in the UK and charted in numerous other countries as well. Recorded based on their true life experience while in Montreux, Switzerland to record the album, the song chronicles a fire that destroyed the Montreux Casino by Lake Geneva. See image above for the RIAA sales certification of this single*.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold 45 award with white matte, gold disc, and gold info plate
- In VG to Excellent condition with some typical scratches and mars on the frame
- Made in 1973
- Presented to original Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore
- Has unopened original back with manufacturer sticker
- "White matte" awards (obviously so-named due to the white matte used) were made from from 1964-1974
- RIAA white matte awards numbered only 5-25 plaques worldwide for any given single/album;
- Award measures approx. 13" x 17"
- Beautiful and very rare collector's item for any Deep Purple fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold LP award was made in 1973 making it 48 years old. The award is presented to original (1968-75 and 1984-93) Deep Purple guitarist and songwriter of the track Ritchie Blackmore. It should be noted that the group is collectively credited as writing the song but Blackmore came up with its legendary guitar riff. Blackmore would later go on to found the group Rainbow and is widely considered one of the most influential guitarists in rock.
This award is 48 years old and yet is in Very Good to Excellent condition, considering its age. There are a very few mars and scratches on the wood frame as is expected but the matte, presentation plate and gold disc are in very good condition. The award also has its original backing paper with New York Frame & Picture Co. sticker still present.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage RIAA 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