BPI (British Phonographic Industry) Silver LP award for Electric Light Orchestra's early greatest hits album The Light Shines On. The album was released on the Harvest label on Jan. 1, 1977 and was certified Silver in the U.K. by BPI on Jan. 6, 1979 for £150,000 worth sold. The measure for BPI silver certification in the 70s was the monetary value of records sold, much like the RIAA "white matte" awards of the 60s and early 70s.
It included ELO's hit cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" (#6 on UK Singles, #42 on Billboard Hot 100), "Showdown" (#12 on UK Singles, #53 on Billboard Hot 100), and "10538 Overture", ELO's first single which hit #9 in the UK. See image above for the BPI sales certification of this album*.
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Item Highlights:
- BPI Silver LP award with silver brushed metal frame, "silver" disc, album cover miniature, British flag and silver presentation plate with official BPI logo
- In VG to Excellent condition
- First presentation award from 1979
- Presentation to producer
- Award measures 16" x 20"
- Beautiful and rare early ELO collector's item for any ELO fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This is a first presentation BPI Silver award that would have been manufactured in 1979 making it approximately 42 years old. It is presented to British producer Colin Miles, who worked with ELO, T. Rex, The Hollies, Deep Purple and others.
The award is in VG to Excellent condition, with only a very few minor scratches on the frame and a slight fading of the matte.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage 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.
*BPI sales data source: bpi.co.uk