RIAA Gold 45 "white matte" award for Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs single "Wooly Bully". The single was released in March 12, 1965 and certified Gold by the RIAA on Aug. 5, 1965 for one million copies sold.
Led by Texas-born singer and front man Domingo "Sam" Samudio, the group reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with this track. It was the group's first top 10 hit, to be followed by "Li'l Red Riding Hood", which also reached the #2 in 1966. 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 condition with some typical scratches and mars on the frame
- Made in 1965
- Presented to artist manager/record executive
- Letter of provenance included
- Has been rebacked
- "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 Sam the Sham or 60s classics fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold LP award was made in 1965 making it about 56 years old. It is presented to Zach Glickman (d. 2015), who managed the Cowsills, Dion, a member of Earth Wind & Fire, Frank Zappa and many others through a 50+ year career in the music industry. The award is accompanied by a letter of provenance from Glickman's son Benny who took possession of his late father's awards after he passed away and who also worked extensively in the music industry (see image of letter).
This award is in Very Good condition, considering its age. There is some wear on the wood frame as is typical. The award has been rebacked but all internal components and frame are all original and its provenance is solid. (Also see item listing for Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs white matte RIAA award for "Li'l Red Riding Hood" to same recipient).
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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