The gold and platinum records were at the very back of the catalog. Sometimes auction catalogs on the web are so long that I stop before I get to the end. I decided to stick this one out and I’m glad I did.
The listings were for 19 gold and platinum records produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International Records, creators of the Philly Sound, rivals to Berry Gordy’s Motown and purveyors of some of the most enduring hit music of the 1970s.
The records had been presented to a woman named Jean Scott, who I learned from Google was an A&R coordinator at the company starting back in the 1970s. The A&R (artist & repertoire) staff finds and nurtures new talent.
I could find out little about Scott herself, but she is credited on the albums of some of the top artists produced by the company, including Jean Carne, Teddy Pendergrass and Lou Rawls.
The gold records at auction included singers who were staples at Philadelphia International, and others that Gamble and Huff either produced or wrote songs that the singers recorded. The Jacksons. Lou Rawls. Teddy Pendergrass. McFadden & Whitehead. The Jones Girls.
Here’s the wording on one of the Jacksons’ gold records:
Certified RIAA Gold Record: The Jacksons, “The Jacksons”, Presented to Jean Scott to commemorate the sale of more than 500,000 copies of the Epic Philadelphia International Records “The Jacksons”. Size: 21″ x 17″, 53 x 43 cm (frame).
“The Jacksons” album was released in 1976 by Epic Records and Philadelphia International. It was the group’s first album after everyone except Jermaine left Motown and signed with CBS. It was their first gold album even though their records had sold in the millions at Motown.
Motown, however, did not seek certification by the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA) until 1976. The RIAA, founded in 1958, is the trade organization for record companies. Among other things, it certifies U.S. sales of recorded music and offers awards for them. To be eligible for certification, singles and albums must achieve sales of 500,000 or more for gold, 1 million for platinum, 2 million for multi-platinum and 10 million for diamond.
The RIAA certified its first gold record in 1958: Perry Como’s single “Catch a Falling Star.” The soundtrack for the film version of “Oklahoma” became the first gold album. The first non-RIAA gold record went to Glenn Miller and his “Chattanooga Choo-Choo,” which was awarded by his RCA record label in 1942. It sold 1.2 million copies.
Johnny Taylor’s “Disco Lady” was the first RIAA-certified platinum record, and “The Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)” was the first platinum album. That album along with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” both received 29 multi-platinum awards, according to the RIAA website.
Record companies see these records as a means to boost sales, while some people give them out as thank-yous to those who have helped them, according to a 1991 Entertainment Weekly article. The article added that they were colored plastic and not replicas of the actual records so you couldn’t play them. Another site mentioned in 2010 that they were vinyl records dipped in metallic paint.
Since its founding in 1971, Philadelphia International has been awarded from 50 to 175 certified gold and platinum records, depending on whom you read. Some of their records and other memorabilia were destroyed in a fire in 2010.
Gamble and Huff – both songwriters and producers (along with Thom Bell) – patented their Philly Sound with a stable of performers such as the O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (with Teddy Pendergrass), Billy Paul, Lou Rawls, MFSB and the Three Degrees. They also and recorded and produced many others, as seen in the gold records in the auction.
Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones” was one of their biggest hits, along with the O’Jays “Love Train.” The Three Degrees’ song “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” became the theme for the TV dance show Soul Train. When Pendergrass went solo in 1976, he stayed with the record company and together they produced four platinum and two gold albums in four years.
At the auction, the catalog estimated the gold and platinum records between $200 and $500, and most sold for about $100. Here’s a sampling of the records and what they sold for:
Gold single record: The Jacksons’ “Enjoy Yourself,” more than 1 million records sold (released 1976). $475.
Gold record: The Jacksons’ “The Jacksons,” more than 500,000 sold (released 1976). $275.
Gold record: Lou Rawls’ “When You Hear Lou, You’ve Heard It All,” more than 500,000 sold (released 1977). $125.
Gold single record: Teddy Pendergrass’ “Close The Door,” more than 1 million sold (released 1978). $125.
Gold single record: Lou Rawls’ “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,” more than 1 million sold (released 1976). $200.
Platinum single record: McFadden & Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” more than 2 million sold (released 1979), $125.
Platinum record: Teddy Pendergrass’ “Teddy,” more than 1 million sold (released 1979). $100.
