RIAA Gold Album award for April Wine album The Nature Of The Beast. Released on Jan. 12, 1981, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA on April 2, 1981 for 500,000 copies sold. Remember April Wine lead singer and guitarist Myles Goodwyn (1948-2023) with this award.
The album, the Canadian group's most successful in the U.S., featured several classic April Wine hits including "Just Between You and Me", which became the group's most successful U.S. single, hitting #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Sign Of The Gypsy Queen". The album reached #26 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, #48 in the UK, and #11 in Canada. By later 1982 the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA for one million copies sold.*
Includes MusicGoldmine.com Letter Of Authenticity
Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold Album award
- In VG condition
- Award from 1981
- Presented to record executive
- Known as a "floater" award because the components appear to "float" above the matte, they were made from 1975-1981. RIAA "floater" awards numbered only 25-50 plaques worldwide for any given single/album
- Award measures 17" x 21"
- Great collectors item for any April Wine fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This is a RIAA Gold Album award that was manufactured in 1981, making it approximately 44 years old. The award is presented to Vyto Lazauskas, who was the district manager of the Minneapolis office of Capitol Records.
This award is in VG condition with frame wear and mars on the plexiglass and appears to have been restored. It has been rebacked and minor scratches on the presentation plate indicate it has likely been repaired internally (most likely the presentation plate came loose). The matte may also have been changed out, but if so, it has been replaced with matte board that matches the original type used.
Finally, while the construction of this award tells us it was made by Creative Glassics, the adhesive residue on the bottom right corner is not original given that the backing paper has been changed. Someone clearly dabbed a small amount of adhesive onto the corner of the new backing paper perhaps to make it appear that the backing paper is original, but that is not the case. All that said, this is still a great looking award for a hard-to-find title.
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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 20 to 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