RIAA Gold LP "white matte" award for Elton John's Caribou LP. The album was released in June 24, 1974 in the U.S. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on July 5, 1974 for one million dollars worth sold.
The album became Elton's third straight #1 on the Billboard album chart and it also went to #1 in the UK. It yielded the classic hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 on the UK Singles chart. "The Bitch Is Back" also charted in the top ten in the U.S. and Canada. The album was nominated for the Album of the Year at the Grammy awards in 1975. By 1993 it had been certified 2x Multi-Platinum.*
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold LP award with white matte, gold disc, album miniature, and gold info plate
- In VG condition
- A first presentation award from 1974
- Presentation to John's 1970 to 1998 manager
- Restored with original white matte parts (see details below)
- "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. 17" x 21"
- Beautiful and rare collector's item for any Elton John fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold LP award is from 1974, making it 48 years old. The award has a gold disc made by Disc Award Ltd. with its distinctive dragon logo engraved in the dead wax area (see detail image). It is presented to John Reid, Elton John's manager from 1970-1998. Reid also managed Queen from 1975-78.
The award is in Very Good condition, considering its age. There are a few mars and scratches on the wood frame as is expected. The presentation plate is in very good condition and the glass is clear. This award was restored using original white matte parts, and the restorer also re-applied a New York Frame & Picture Co. manufacturer sticker onto new backing paper. We performed none of the work on this award and acquired it as is.
This is a great opportunity to acquire a RIAA white matte award for one of Sir Elton John's classic early releases.
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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