RIAA Gold 45 "white matte" award for the Beatles "We Can Work It Out", which was released on Dec. 3, 1965 and just a month later certified Gold® by the RIAA on Jan. 6, 1966 for 1 million copies sold.
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One of the most famous hits of the Beatles career, it went to #1 in virtually every major music market worldwide. It spent three weeks at #1 and was the group's 11th chart topper in the U.S. It was also #1 in the UK and won the Ivor Novello Award (Europe's most prestigious songwriting award) as the biggest-selling A-side of 1965. It also is a relatively rare example of a Lennon-McCartney co-written track from early in the Beatles' career. See image above for the RIAA sales certification info on this single*.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold 45 award with white matte, gold disc, and gold info plate
- In Good to VG condition with some typical scratches and mars on the frame and some discoloration on the inner side of the glass (see detail below)
- Estimated to have been made in 1969
- Presented to Capitol Records
- Has unopened original back with New York Frame & Picture Co. 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 rare collector's item
- FREE WORLDWIDE insured shipping on this item (see details in red above)
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold LP award must have been made between 1969 and 1973 given that white matte awards were only made until 1973 and that the New York Picture & Frame Co. label has a John Street address (where it had moved in 1969).
The award is presented to Capitol Records and all elements, presentation plate, frame are correct. This award is 50 years old and yet is in very good to excellent condition, considering its age. There are a few mars and scratches on the wood frame and tears on the backing paper as is expected.
There is some residue from what appears to have possibly been fogging/moisture at one time inside the glass. It has not discolored the matte or award components but is visible in certain light conditions. It could be cleaned by dismantling the award but we have not disturbed the award to preserve its' unopened back and original condition. The presentation plate is in very good condition and the disc is in good condition with some minor discoloration.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to get a highly coveted early Beatles RIAA white matte award. Did you know the Beatles have more RIAA sales in the top 10 highest auction sales than any other artist? See the top 10 in our article here.
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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