MEET THE BEATLES
RECEIVING THEIR FIRST U.S. AWARDS N.Y.C. 1964
IIN 1964 THE BEATLES WERE AWARDED MANY OF THEIR FIRST RIAA LP AND 45 AWARDS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT AT THE TIME THEY RECEIVED THEIR AWARDS VERY
LITTLE IF ANY VALUE WAS PLACED ON THEM. EVEN INTO THE 70'S THE SELLING PRICE WAS AT TIMES LESS THAN 1/3 OF SOME OF THE PRICES TODAY. IN THE EARLY 1970'S THERE WAS AN AD IN ROLLING STONE THAT OFFERED 5 BEATLE RIAA LP AWARDS. THE AWARDS WERE QUITE REAL AND HIS PRICES WERE ABOUT $1200.00 EACH. EVEN AT SUCH LOW PRICES HE HAD A HARD TIME SELLING THEM. TODAY BEATLE AWARDS COMMAND THE HIGHEST PRICES. WHILE IT MAY AT TIMES SEEM THAT
THERE ARE BEATLE AWARDS EVERYWHERE,IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF THE SAME ONES BEING PASSED AROUND FROM COLLECTOR TO DEALERS ETC. FINDING ONE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW TITLES IS NOT THE DIFFICULT PART, IT'S FINDING AN AWARD THAT HASN'T HAD PARTS REPLACED. OVER THE MANY YEARS I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING OR SELLING I HAVE SEEN SO MANY AWARDS THAT CLAIM TO BE 100% REAL, ONLY TO FIND AFTER LOOKING THAT EXCEPT FOR THE PLATE ALL WAS CHANGED. MANY DEALERS WILL CLAIM THAT IF THE BACKING PAPER HAS BEEN CHANGED IT DESTROYS THE AWARD. DO NOT BELIEVE THAT FOR ONE SECOND. THE BACKING PAPER IS SIMPLY THERE AS WITH ANY FRAMED ITEM TO COVER UP THE "GUTS" OF THE AWARD AND TO PROTECT IT FROM DIRST, DUST ETC. IF THE PAPER HAS TORN THERE IS NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE IT, BECAUSE IF IT ISN'T REPLACED THE AWARD WILL OVER A SHORT TIME START TO DEGRADE.
IN 1964 THE BEATLES RELEASED THE CLASSIC FILM "A HARD DAYS NIGHT". IN THE 43 YEARS SINCE IT'S RELEASE IT HAS BEEN JUDGED A TRUE CLASSIC AND HAS BEEN RESTORED BY THE ACADAMY WHICH RESCUES FILM AND RESTORES THEM TO THE ORIGINAL OR BETTER CONDITION. BOTH THE FILM AND SOUNDTRACK BOTH ENJOYED HUGE SUCCESSES,THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NO R.I.A.A. WHITE MATTE FOR THE SOUNDTRACK. UNITED ARTISTS WHICH RELEASED THE FILM AND CAPITOL SEEMED NOT TO BE ABLE TO AGREE
AND THERE IT GETS VERY MURKY.....THE GOOD THING IS THAT AT LEAST THE SINGLE WAS CERTIFIED. THE SINGLE "A HARD DAYS NIGHT" IS ONE OF ONLY THREE "COIN" SINGLES ISSUED. THESE 45 AWARDS ARE THE THREE MOST VALUABLE RIAA WHITE MATTES FOR THE BEATLES,OR FOR ANY GROUP PROBABLY,WITH VALUES WELL IN EXCESS OF $20,000.
