Someday We'll Be Together Motown Double Gold Record Award

Since SWBT seems to be a topic of conversation in the DRATS section lately, I figured I'd share this acquisition I made a year ago. This is the double gold record award presented to Johnny Bristol for the song. The man I purchased it from in Detroit had acquired the award through the purchase of Bristol's delinquent storage unit around 25 years ago, he couldn't remember for sure. I don't feel there were too many of these double gold record awards given out by Motown, so a double from any artist is a rarity. These were made by Disc Award Ltd. in Los Angeles and as many know, since Motown was not an RIAA member at the time, these are called "in-house" gold record awards. They were awarded by the company as a way of recognizing a record's sales achievement and are not "official" gold record awards. In my opinion they're much cooler than RIAA awards and are much more rare, as they were only given to the artists and people directly connected with the record. RIAA awards were given to almost anyone with some claim to the records success it seems.

The only photo I've ever been able to find of a double gold set being awarded is with Barney giving Marvin his awards for "Grapevine". Motown used a different award company in the mid-60's, but changed to Disc Award Ltd. in the late 60's and used them through mid-70's from what I've found. I figured the forum would enjoy seeing this award up close. The award did not come with a presentation plate, so I had the engraver my company works with match the exact font used on awards that have them. I wanted to make sure the history of who this award belonged to was not lost and proper recognition was given to Mr. Bristol.
Darin


Attachment 21225

Attachment 21226

Attachment 21227

Attachment 21228

I don't know why they didn't just give a Platinum record award

Platinum wasn't a designated sales award until 1976......

Some time ago, I saw the photo of Marvin with Barney Ales so I knew he had such an award. But I had no idea that the Supremes did as well. I wonder if the Pips also have such an award for their version of GRAPEVINE since it was supposedly the biggest-selling Motown record until Marvin topped it with his version.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DWSheffer

Platinum wasn't a designated sales award until 1976......

---

but if you look in the booklet for the Motown Story box set, which came out in think in late 70 or early 71, there's a pic of recent record awards which included some J5 tunes, Ladder and Stoned Love for the girls. Mountain. and some of the discs are gold and a few are platinum.

none of these were "official" anyway since motown didn't partner with the industry on it. these were just motown awards.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sup_fan

but if you look in the booklet for the Motown Story box set, which came out in think in late 70 or early 71, there's a pic of recent record awards which included some J5 tunes, Ladder and Stoned Love for the girls. Mountain. and some of the discs are gold and a few are platinum.

none of these were "official" anyway since motown didn't partner with the industry on it. these were just motown awards.

---

I guess Motown started awarding platinum records in the early 70s. Besides those pictured in THE MOTOWN STORY booklet, I've seen a few clips of the Tempts' on stage introducing JUST MY IMAGINATION as their first platinum record.

what a treasure for you to own. Makes me sad that so much 'stuff' winds up tucked away in peoples storage units .... [guilty as charged] ....

But thankfully it survived to see the light of day:cool: and has wound up in good caring hands.

Very cool the way Motown often called their own shots rather than kowtowing to an industry.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Boogiedown

Very cool the way Motown often called their own shots rather than kowtowing to an industry.

---

You have a point here, Boogie.

[I've been sad/mad before that Motown artists were not recognized or able to be "officially" recognized by the RIAA, but had decided "whatever".]

Yes but it has been plenty of time to replace those awards accordingly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

Yes but it has been plenty of time to replace those awards accordingly.

---

Some of them were. In the nineties, the successor of Motown [[MCA ? Polygram ?) opened the books for RIAA and a few of the classic Motown singles were RIAA certified gold. BABY LOVE and STOP. SOMEDAY was certified Platinum.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reese

Some time ago, I saw the photo of Marvin with Barney Ales so I knew he had such an award. But I had no idea that the Supremes did as well. I wonder if the Pips also have such an award for their version of GRAPEVINE since it was supposedly the biggest-selling Motown record until Marvin topped it with his version.

---

I never heard that Grapevine was the biggest selling Motown record by Gladys and the Pips. It didn’t even go #1. I did hear that Marvin’s was the biggest Motown single at the time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by vgalindo

I never heard that Grapevine was the biggest selling Motown record by Gladys and the Pips. It didn’t even go #1. I did hear that Marvin’s was the biggest Motown single at the time.

---

On THE MOTOWN STORY five-album set [1970], the announcer said that the Pips' version was Motown's biggest-selling single, to be topped one year later. Whether that is true or not, only Motown knows.

The Pips' version went to #2 pop and stayed on the chart for quite a while, I believe.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reese

On THE MOTOWN STORY five-album set [1970], the announcer said that the Pips' version was Motown's biggest-selling single, to be topped one year later. Whether that is true or not, only Motown knows.

The Pips' version went to #2 pop and stayed on the chart for quite a while, I believe.

---

Yes, I remember learning that, though I don't remember if it was from The Motown Story.

I was in junior high in 1967 and I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Gladys & the Pips was indeed a really big hit. It was also different from the Motown Sound we were used to, but we really dug it. Looking back, I realize now that 1967 was when Aretha arrived and Soul music other than Motown [Stax, Atlantic, Memphis, Philly] had become part of the mainstream. Exciting times.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lucky2012

Yes, I remember learning that, though I don't remember if it was from The Motown Story.

I was in junior high in 1967 and I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Gladys & the Pips was indeed a really big hit. It was also different from the Motown Sound we were used to, but we really dug it. Looking back, I realize now that 1967 was when Aretha arrived and Soul music other than Motown [Stax, Atlantic, Memphis, Philly] had become part of the mainstream. Exciting times.

---

Bayou has shared some great insights about the big sellers at motown. often it wasn't the #1 hits but those that just stayed on the charts for eons. Songs like Grapevine by GKATP, What becomes of the broken hearted, tracks of my tears.

the supremes would typically rocket to #1, they'd be in the top ten for several weeks but then be gone. these other motown songs might have only gone top 20 or maybe top 10 but they remained on the charts far longer.

When Motown finally joined the RIAA in 1977, the very first albums awarded were Rick James' Come Get It and the Commodores' Natural High in August 1978. Diana didn't get her first gold RIAA award until the soundtrack to The Wiz, with which she participated on, went gold but through MCA Records. A year before she got one from The Boss.

I imagine Motown wasn't the only company doing this where they were awarded "double gold awards". Could've sworn Elvis and 'em got those type of awards back in the 1950s [[the RIAA debuted in 1958).