RIAA Gold LP award for George Harrison's master solo work All Things Must Pass, which was released on Nov. 27, 1970. This unusual triple album was quickly certified Gold by the RIAA on Dec. 17, 1970 for 500,000 copies sold.
In addition to well-loved hit "My Sweet Lord" the lead off track of disc 1 was "I'd Have You Anytime", a tune Harrison co-wrote with Bob Dylan and thus the reason for the "presented to" on this rare award.
It also featured many musicians of note including Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman, Gary Wright, the members of Badfinger and more. On release the album went to #1 in many countries. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2014. The album currently sits at RIAA certified 6x Multi-Platinum -- see image above for RIAA sales certifications of this album through the years*.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold LP award with all proper era components: Gold frame, gold disc, gold info plate
- In VG condition with a few very minor scratches on frame, slight matte and record label fading
- Second presentation award from the 1975-81 time frame
- Very desirable presentation to Bob Dylan, a co-writer on the album
- Brittle backing paper likely indicates that this has an unopened back but since manufacturer's sticker is missing more likely probably rebacked
- Gold disc is side 1, record 1 with the Harrison/Bob Dylan-penned track as lead off: "I'd Have You Anytime" (see label photo)
- Interesting record label from the "orange apple" Apple Records period
- Known as a "floater" award because the components appear to "float" above the matte, they were made 1975-1981. Floater awards numbered only 25-50 plaques worldwide for any given single/album
- Award measures 17.5" x 21.5"
- Beautiful, rare collectors item for George Harrison or Bob Dylan fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold award for George Harrison's All Things Must Pass is presented to the Bob Dylan, who co-wrote a track on the album. Artist presentations like this are the most valuable.
This is a second presentation RIAA Gold award that would have been manufactured sometime after 1975 since "floater" awards were produced from 1975-81 making this award approx. 40 years old.
The first presentation award for this album would be a 1964-74 "white matte" award. The album wasn't actually certified Platinum (and 2x Platinum) until Feb. 5, 1992, so all the plaques that could have been issued until that year would have been Gold awards, not Platinum. Obviously the album actually sold the number of units to be certified Platinum long before that date. It's likely the label didn't file the required paperwork proving those sales with the RIAA until 1992.
Finally, this award appears to be unaltered although there is a hole cut in the backing paper. Perhaps a previous owner had written their contact info and wanted to remove it before selling.
This award is in Excellent condition, with only a very few minor scratches on the frame and a few mars on the plexiglas. Also, one or two small paint flecks have gotten inside the frame. We have not removed these since we prefer to leave the award in its original condition. Note that these issues have very little effect on the appearance of the piece.
Interested in knowing more about RIAA awards and what makes them great to add to your collection? Read our article here.
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.
^Similar item sales data does not indicate value of item for sale. It is provided for information and reference only.