The SONY/RIAA Dilemma

EPE show Elvis as having 90 Albums that have achieved either Gold, Platinum, Multi-Platinum or Diamond with the Recording Industry Association Of America. Out of that 90 only 45 (half) are currently available on CD from Amazon.com (and presumably other retailers) that could possibly help Elvis further increase his Awards. Some of those not available on CD are available on MP3 and some from private sellers but very few.

The RIAA ruling is that if an original album is re-released with more than four additional tracks then it is given a new Catalog Number and sales cannot be added to the original. This is what has been happening to many of Elvis' original albums with the Legacy Releases and others. Further, two soundtracks or two different albums on one disc are again treated as a new release whose sales cannot be added to the originals. Whilst SONY are doing the fans and general public proud with these new releases by giving them better value for money they are also depriving Elvis from increasing his RIAA tally. From SONY's perspective such awards are not important as they do not increase record sales but from the fan's perspective many want Elvis to get his due.
Suffice it to say that the following albums (in their ORIGINAL format) are not now generally available on CD:

Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
King Creole
Elvis' Golden Records (Vol.1
Elvis Is Back
Something For Everybody
Blue Hawaii
Elvis' Gold Records (Vol.4)
From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis - From Memphis To Vegas - From Vegas To Memphis
Elvis' Christmas Album (1970 Package)
Elvis, That's The Way It Is
Elvis Country
Elvis: The Other Sides - 50 Gold Award Hits (Vol.2)
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas
Aloha From Hawaii
Elvis: A Legendary Performer (Vol.1)
Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis
Pure Gold
Elvis: A Legendary Performer (Vol.2)
Welcome To My World
Moody Blue
He Walks Beside Me
Elvis: A Legendary Performer (Vol.3)
Our Memories Of Elvis
This Is Elvis
Elvis Aron Presley
Memories Of Christmas
Elvis: The King Of Rock 'n' Roll - The Complete 50's Masters
Elvis: His Greatest Hits (Readers Digest Compilation)
Amazing Grace
Elvis: Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters
50 Years - 50 Hits
The Elvis Presley Story
Elvis Gospel Treasury
The Complete Sun Sessions
The Rock 'n' Roll Era
The Legend Lives On
Double Dynamite
Love Me Tender (1987 Compilation)
C'mon Everybody
Elvis In Hollywood
Elvis - Brookville Marketing (1973)
Mahalo From Elvis.

Some fans will say that the Awards do not really matter and that SONY's policy of giving value for money is paramount. Others will disagree and wish Elvis to get his due from the RIAA. It is strongly rumoured that the CD format will disappear within the next few years and give way to downloading. This may then provide the opportunity for all of Elvis' albums to be re-released in their original format, albeit digitally, as well as the new formats. In this way Elvis could increase his RIAA Award tally. Of course I feel that SONY, in such a scenario, should have a major digital launch of the Presley back catalog, which in my opinion is well overdue.

It would be interesting to hear fan's thoughts on this matter.

Brian

As die-hard fans, we want him to have his 'due' and recognition, but to the more general public I suppose value for money will motivate them more....unfortunately

Very interesting Brian. I would love to see Elvis get his due as well. You made some good points and thoughts.

Just a technicality really, not fair but within their rights. I don't own every single Elvis album and I don't intend to, but the ones I do buy I would obviously prefer they are added to the existing figures.

I have my doubts that digital downloads would drastically increase sales anyway, unless a song is used in a popular advert / movie which opens more doors. Overall, I do want him to continue getting recognition but I'm not going to hold my breath that the riaa do the right thing.

Question for Mr.Quinn or anyone else that would know.

Does Elvis currently have any albums that have sold enough to get a sales award or a sales upgrade but they haven't?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brian

Question for Mr.Quinn or anyone else that would know.

Does Elvis currently have any albums that have sold enough to get a sales award or a sales upgrade but they haven't?

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Brian,

The following albums have recently sold enough units to be awarded GOLD (500,000) by the RIAA.

1. Christmas Duets

2. An Afternoon In The Garden

In addition, 'The Essential Elvis' (Double Album) should achieve PLATINUM status in around two to three months time if current sales continue.

There may be others but only Ernst would know this.

Brian

Thank you Mr.Quinn.

Elvis's total sales are staggering-and technical points keep his total much lower than it is.
Just because legitimate sales which do not meet the technical points of the RIAA for recognition are not included in his sales total-that does not negate the numbers which have been sold.
The millions in sales which are not recognized are still legit sales.
There should be some way to get the RIAA to at least give his total sales with an asterisk of something which explains the reasoning they are not included in his official total.
It irks me.

The riaa and billboard have become meaningless. Not counting sales because a record. cd, etc... has not met a technical requirement is absurd. It has either sold a certain amount of copies or it has not. Modern day artists can not touch Elvis but organizations like riaa attempt to elevate these pretenders by diminishing past artists. This is happening in areas of sports, writing, film and so on. DIdn't billboard erase Elvis' number 1 records prior to 1961 last year. How do you do away with previously established accomplishments if they were legitimately earned? Why not just do away with all of his accomplishments? Recognition is bestowed by whatever standards an organization establishes. Time for a new governing body in the music world.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brian Quinn

Brian,

The following albums have recently sold enough units to be awarded GOLD (500,000) by the RIAA.

1. Christmas Duets

2. An Afternoon In The Garden

In addition, 'The Essential Elvis' (Double Album) should achieve PLATINUM status in around two to three months time if current sales continue.

There may be others but only Ernst would know this.

Brian

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They will probably update those sales with certification during the next Elvis Week in August.

They had the opportunity to do that last August but they didn't.

Elvis was given 5 new certifications last August.

All they did was officially present awards for albums that had already been certified.

They could have given gold awards to Christmas duets and An Afternoon in the garden and a platinum award to Essential Elvis last year but they didn't.

I remember several fans upset about that including Brian Quinn.

I wouldn't bet that the RIAA is in a hurry to certify them as they take their sweet time.

Unfortunately, Elvis' catelog has been butchered from RCA to RCA/BMG to Sony and every one in between.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brian

All they did was officially present awards for albums that had already been certified.

They could have given gold awards to Christmas duets and An Afternoon in the garden and a platinum award to Essential Elvis last year but they didn't.

I remember several fans upset about that including Brian Quinn.

I wouldn't bet that the RIAA is in a hurry to certify them as they take their sweet time.

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Actually, both the 'Christmas Duets' and 'An Afternoon In The Garden' albums only achieved enough sales for RIAA GOLD qualification as of w/e 22nd December, 2012. During this period 'Duets' had sold 501,801 units and 'Afternoon' 505,415 units. 'The Essential Elvis' (Double Album) had sold 975,052 units (counting double sales) as of w/e 26th January, 2013. It was selling 1,500 units (3,000 under RIAA rules) on a regular weekly basis and hence my prediction of going PLATINUM by around March, 2013.

Brian

That's not what you claimed six months ago.

The process is flawed IMO RIAA needs to consider a fairer way to address the issues of total sales-nomatter certification status...sales are sales.
Also the idea of single sales being included in a "total sales accounting" should be considered-or perhaps a "total unit sales total" would be fairer and more accurate.