I think all sales at Motown were Hush Hush. I don't think Berry wanted people going through his books. Motown did not belong to RIAA which certifies records gold or platinum. The process begins with an independent sales audit by their accounting firm . I see pictures of The Supremes holding gold records during their prime but they are fake. Berry probably had them made [[or spray painted :rolleyes:) for them.
The Supremes received their first legitimate RIAA certified record in the 1980's [[The Anthology LP). Some of their singles were also certified in that period, STOP, SOMEDAY etc.
Today, the accountants calculate what product has been shipped for sale, net after returns, versus product used for promotional purposes.
But years ago, they would certify a record gold just by what was shipped. I'll never forget years ago when Johnny Carson was presented a gold record for on THE TONIGHT SHOW just days after the album was released. Casablanca shipped out enough of the product to have it certified gold immediately. They also sent out loads and loads of promotional LPs to just about everyone in the industry. The record was a complete flop and within months all the product - including the free promotional copies - was returned to the label. The joke in the industry was that the record was shipped gold and returned platinum. :)
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