Promo Vinyl Records ~ What are they? And How Can You Identify Them | Talking About Records

[@Homebrew58]

I worked in radio as an on-air DJ for over 40 years. When a new album or single arrived at the station our music director stamped them with the date that they arrived. I never paid much attention to that until I retired recently and was allowed to go through the old archives to take a few pieces of vinyl home with me. While I was entering those records into Discogs I found that in every instance those date stamps were within 1 to 5 days of the release date. So yes, it is safe to say those records were among the very first off the presses.

[@NTXVinyl]

That's amazing to hear! Thanks for validating, and appreciate you watching

[@danny1959]

I worked in the books and records department of a large department store in the late '70s and early'80s. Distributors and record companies did the cutout on the jacket in order to guard against returns of unsold stock for full-price refunds. Also, unscrupulous record labels used to dump a lot of promo copies on the market in order to make money without paying artists royalties. These would have stickers covering the promo language on the jacket and the label.

[@NTXVinyl]

Thanks for the insight!

[@MjBarron-rn2vz]

Yes, I have Stamos and number labels with numbers on them

[@myleftthumb2294]

I have a mono Days of Future Passed album that has PROMO stamped on the back, but not on the label, which makes sense because back in 1967, there probably weren't many radio stations broadcasting in stereo, let alone many people with FM stereo radios in their cars. The irony here is that the Moody Blues were down in the dumps and they needed this high fidelity stereo album with full orchestration to rescue them from their financial troubles. So imagine the surprise when folks who had only heard this in mono on the radio went out and bought it and put it on their hi-fi.

[@vinylterry]

The white track list sticker is called a timing strip. Those usually went to radio stations to help DJs know song lengths. Fun video. Love adding promo copies. Recently got a Born to Run with a timing strip. Also have a few Springsteen 12” singles that have promo jackets where the covers were printed in black and white.

[@NTXVinyl]

I knew that sticker had a legit name, just couldn't think of it. I think they are cool to see

[@dimebagdave77]

Great video about a very cool and somewhat overlooked subject👍🔥

[@NTXVinyl]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@johnmoreno96]

I remember finding white label promos in the 70’s they were easy to find in the used bins. I have a few like: Alice Cooper’s “Schools Out” WLP with folding desk cover, report card/song list and panties..Neil Young’s “Time Fades Away”..The Cars first lp..Elvis Costello’s “My Aim is True”…Jimi Hendrix “War Heroes” and others. Great video Thanks..☮️✌️☮️

[@Chudchanning]

I got a Too $ hort promo press of get in where where fit in. Also have a sisters of mercy promo and probably a few others.

[@vinyl-hell]

Very informative!

[@Jamko1970]

The white label promo is king!! I love them and have a few hundred of them. Another excellent video!!

[@NTXVinyl]

Wow, awesome!

[@ChristopherLee77]

🤷🏼‍♀️I always wondered how people got promos. I have gotten many at flea markets but wondered where they got them if they weren't sold in stores.

[@nathanielenochs1843]

I have been browsing through discogs and I have noticed that there's some promo copies out there that just Singles with some of them even having the record label's name being printed on the front of the cover instead of the Single's artwork

[@1FastKawboy]

I have some that are a Pressure Stamped promo covers. Kind of cool, but that process tends to distort the cover to some degree. I have seen no damage to the LPs I have.....

[@chrisbarry1014]

Great info! Thank you!

[@NTXVinyl]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jimbee3452]

DJs always sold promos . I scupped them up on the cheap . They look so cool, who needs to ever play them .

[@CaptCook999]

You forgot to mention that some promotional releases had different versions of songs. Some were longer versions or made for Air Play. Some promos had different timing indicators on the label for DJ's. But most of all, for promo 45's, it could be the only release of the song as no stock copies were made.

[@NTXVinyl]

Good call!

[@Kilian600]

@@NTXVinyl and don't forget about those promo releases with different covers or different artwork. Some promos, especially 7" Promos, which feature songs from the album, which are only available as a promo release on 7".

[@richardearthranger1060]

From what I understood the promos did not have that protection film that the regular copies used to have to protect the record from scratches.

[@NTXVinyl]

Hmmm, never heard of such a thing

[@pgh45rpms]

In regard to promo 45rpms, many have the A and B sides like the stock copies. But in the 70's many promo copies pressed only the A side, with one side mono and other side stereo.

[@NTXVinyl]

Those are fun to find for sure!

[@DarrellS54]

I used to have several promotional copies of various albums. Got them pretty cheap due to them being used. I do remember Capitol albums usually had the promotional copy markings stamped in the cover.

[@jhardy0786]

I was looking through my old albums that I don’t listen too or were my parents and I found a John Denver promo album just two days ago

[@NTXVinyl]

Very cool!

[@DiegoGomez-nu9ft]

Very often too, promo 45s and 12" singles for radio play come in a label generic cover instead of the full artwork sleeve used on regular copies.

[@NTXVinyl]

Indeed!

[@briankellogg2751]

Some of the timing strips for double albums literally take up half the album cover. I have a Genesis Seconds Out and a Double Live Gonzo where the sticker covers half the jacket. Another cool promo item is one where the promo copy has track breaks in longer songs. Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes is a good example. The double album has one song per side, however the wlp version has each track broken up into smaller, more "radio friendly" segments. G.I., I'm loving the content here - Cheers!

[@NTXVinyl]

Thanks Brian!

[@thetownspeople6486]

I got a gold stamp on a record, but I didn’t even try to get the promo. It’s an album most people don’t even know is around. The band is called Whitford St. Holmes a band formed by Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford and Ted Nugent’s rhythm guitarist and vocalist Derek St. Holmes. I even got to see them in concert opening for Blue Oyster Cult and Foghat. Pretty good record if your into Aerosmith and Ted Nugent.

[@NTXVinyl]

Nice! Will have to check that out

[@davidsaunders5959]

I have a few white label promo gold stamp promo records.

[@mrhoffame]

DUDE!!! The Clash, Metallica, Marvin Gaye? AMAZING WL Promos there!!!!

[@NTXVinyl]

Thanks! Love all those

[@garyjdixon1536]

Damn I love Marvin Gaye's music ,Smokey Robinson ,and do not forget the Commodores on the Motown label ! Sad to say I do not own one of their vinyls

[@PurpleHounding]

Well explained, I recommend this video.

[@NTXVinyl]

Thanks!

[@neilforbes416]

14:30 Sleeves with corners cut or pieces cut out, they're *NOT* promo records. They are unsold stock that end up in clearance bins at marked-down prices or are sent back to the record company to be "pulped".

[@NTXVinyl]

Yes indeed! I alway hear different opinions on that - but I believe you are correct after many people have confirmed it. Thanks!

[@neilforbes416]

@@NTXVinyl I've got a few LPs from the USA that have either or both, the corner cut or the bit taken out lower down on the sleeve. they're mainly old Motown issues. Not promo(white label) but regular public-issue pressings.

[@myleftthumb2294]

But I am pretty sure that the ones with clean holes punched in them ARE promos.

[@leebryantutah]

My dad gave me his record collection, and in it was a "FOR PROMO ONLY" copy of the Rolling Stones' second U.S. LP.

[@NTXVinyl]

killer!

[@GeraldLange1968]

My yardbirds all my love has a small white sticker on the side one label. Looks vintage from the period.

[@NTXVinyl]

Very cool. What a band!

[@automatedelectronics6062]

For a major artists there can be, there can be over 1,ooo first pressing promo records. It's up to the producer and promoter how many promo copies will be made. If it's a big hit, there will be a lot more store stock copies than promos, so the promos can be rare.

[@NTXVinyl]

Good to know! Makes perfect sense

[@Kilian600]

@@NTXVinyl and in the case of Tori Amos's first release 'Y Kant Tori Read', the original Atlantic release sold very poorly, so the label took them back, stamped them as promo releases, and sold them for a discount price. But in this case, a regular release is much more rarer, than the promo release of it.

[@jasonhoffer9017]

Another great video! I would love to see a video of you going through your Dead vinyl - I bet it's impressive?

[@NTXVinyl]

Great idea! On the list

[@neilforbes416]

The "Track List" appears on the back of the sleeve or inside the gatefold anyway, sticking it on the front *RUINS* the sleeve and makes the record *worthless!* (13:30)

[@NTXVinyl]

Worthless to who? I know plenty of people (myself included) that like the timing strip stickers because they are unique

[@Gevo2112]

This was very informative. Thanks.

[@NTXVinyl]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bdel1977]

I have a red promo stereo vinyl LP, Barbra Streisand Color Me Barbra. I paid $25 for it from Amoeba Music, the San Francisco location in 2016.

[@dgross2009]

As the record reviewer for my high school paper in '70 and '71 the promo albums I received, mostly from Capitol Records, had covers that were hole punched. The records themselves were nothing special with no identifiers. I still have most of those records. I have a Dylan "Slow Train Coming" promo, don't know where I got it, which has a white label promo and cover stamped "FOR PROMOTION ONLY-Ownership Reserved by CBS- Sale is Unlawful". Don't think any of my other promos are that menacing

[@wandagreer9144]

I too have some with a hole punch.

[@mileshigh1321]

I have a number of Promo albums and 45's. Probably the rarest one I have is a Canadian 1955 Elvis white label prevue 45 rpm with Mystery Train on it!

[@NTXVinyl]

That's cool!

[@garyjdixon1536]

The red Vinyl Elvis Christmas album is very rare and valuable as I have green copy and maybe worth 40 bucks compared to 10 to 20 thousand for a red copy in EXCND

[@nielsvanweert2789]

Love from Holland 💜💜💜

[@NTXVinyl]

Wow awesome!

[@Fantastic-yv7gs]

The Gold stamped was cheaper because if was an official copy 'just' with a stamp. What they stamped was free copies for DJs, records shops, radio etc and on those promo copies you pay less royalty for the artist or none at all. Because they were used to market the artist. US Cut outs were often export copies sold at a lower rate to the european market.

[@NTXVinyl]

Good to know! Thanks for the insight

[@wandagreer9144]

Does the condition of the promo matter? Thanks for the vid, really cool info.

[@NTXVinyl]

Absolutely. Condition matters no matter what

[@wandagreer9144]

Were promo 45's ever done on styrene as opposed to vinyl?

[@NTXVinyl]

Have no idea

[@oscar542241]

I have a R.E.M reckoning promo, steely dan katy lied and aja promo.

[@NTXVinyl]

Very cool!

[@robertwoodward9231]

I have a Fleetwood Mac Vintage Years double lp. It has a stamp on back saying not for sale, promotional for review. Does it make any difference if it is stamped onto it?

[@NTXVinyl]

Some people see a stamped promo as slightly more collectible. In the end it's the exact same album though

[@ReasonablySane]

I have 75 to 100 promo albums in my collection. It's a long story as to why I have so many but I've checked the prices out on discogs and promos don't seem to be worth any more than anything else. However I have to confess some of these sound absolutely fantastic. My favorite of all my promos is a group called Ella mental, a South African band.

[@flipmode916]

I noticed that as well. I read few forums on promos, and it seems most collectors didn't like promos because it made the albums "defective" because of stamps, stickers, or cut-outs. Personally, I prefer them and it's a steal for me as I get them usually for lower value than the standard copy.

[@jaycoleman8062]

Those are things that make them cool and collectible, imo...

[@EddyTeetree]

Hi again Off topic but just gone thru the floods here in Australia and wondering if you know is it possible to save water logged record jackets? Some fell apart but a lot look viable. I’ve been cutting off the outer sleeve protectors and lying them flat between paper towels but I’d rather not waste anymore time on them if they cannot be saved. Thanks 🌞

[@Rjensen2]

Even if they might be "saved", they're going to smell awful.

[@georgeprice4212]

I thought the first press was the Test Pressing, to judge how the metal parts were manufactured (did they have any defects). Then, then next 100-200 were Promotional. (Around 1983-1984, all the CBS labels started using standard color labels but still marking them as Demonstration Not For Sale.) Warner Brothers (now Warner) Records stopped marking their Album labels as Promotional Copy, but still marking the cover as such, around 1976-1977. They did mark the 12 inch Promotional singles as such, though, but - as with the Albums and 45’s starting in 1976 - used standard design labels. Capitol seemingly only used White labels for albums for Programming Albums in the 60’s moreso than the 70’s and their 45’s from the start of the label’s existence. It really depended upon the label.

[@NTXVinyl]

Test Pressings are a totally different pressing all together - most of the time. There are very few test pressings on most albums, whereas there could have easily been hundreds of promo copies in order to service many radio stations. Promos are usually the first ones coming off the main pressing, just at the front of the line.

[@CaptCook999]

I found several test pressings on 45's that had different titles, different B sides, different artists than the released version. I have a test pressing LP that has 2 versions of the song on one side and 2 different versions on the other side that were for dance mixes. Some are very saught after because of things like that.

[@automatedelectronics6062]

Of promo records, 45's can be more interesting and collectable. Often they are exclusive unique versions. Some may be the on compilationly stereo versions, as they never made it to an album(atleast until a greatest hits compilation comes out years later). About the only other way to get the stereo versions was on the K-Tel albums, sometimes. Often those promo 45's are different mixes. The U.S. Columbia group made it easy. Most often there would be a "J" stamped at the front of the matrix numbers. Sometimes these "J" masters were used on the re-issued 45's. Often there was something different about the "J" promo copies. They could have been conpressed for airplay and they could have been run through an autolevel process.

[@MintyCoffee]

I have a Japanese Promotional White Label of Queen II. Only 2 others claim to have it on Discogs. is this rare?

[@NTXVinyl]

Certainly rare I’d assume. Discogs lists one but zero sales history. I’m sure for the right Queen collector it would be a nice addition www.discogs.com/release/15348908-Queen-Queen-II

[@spotsill]

I’m the 78rpm era it is even more interesting because they made the dj promo copies out of vinyl so the sound quality is definitely better.

[@NTXVinyl]

interesting!

[@neilforbes416]

8:30 The *His Master's Voice* Dog & Gramophone trademark should *NEVER* have been seen on RCA labels. The trademark belongs(still) to EMI in Britain and EMI has *ABSOLUTELY NO AFFILIATION WHATSOEVER* with RCA. If any company in Canada, or the insignificant American market should carry the trademark, it's Capitol Industries, EMI's "Infant Toddler" subsidiary.

[@drwisdom1]

I have a lot of records (30 linear feet) I bought when I was young, until it ended in 1989. They are all still like new because I keep them in good inner and outer sleeves. Once in a while I would also shop at a used record store to get records which were no longer available as new or had special original covers like gatefolds. That is where "promo" copies could be found. But I have very few promos because I would shun them and only buy them as a last resort. Since all my covers are in great condition, I didn't like that the promo covers were ruined with a big sticker showing the DJ song information. But the reason I rarely bought promos was they were overplayed by the radio stations that dumped them, so they might look Ok but they mostly had poor sound. The ones that were decent were probably taken home by the DJs. So the used record store promos were the worn out dregs. But today the rarity appears to have changed things.

[@NTXVinyl]

Wow, nice! Appreciate the perspective!

[@hobojon44]

78 rpm blue grass

[@MjBarron-rn2vz]

I have 45's that say disc jockey copy do not sell, they are not white labels and I have 45"s with numbers on the black vinyl. Picked them up at a thrift store. I also have white labels

[@lucillechilds9767]

Hello I'm new to your channel and that Metallica Ride the lightning promo copy is very rare so why would you have it in one of those cheap paper sleeves? Actually, they all were why???

[@NTXVinyl]

In the process of upgrading sleeves on my entire collection. Just haven’t gotten to some of these yet. Takes quite a while with several thousand lps. Thanks for watching!

[@mwalker2496]

Japanese Promo copies sound great. Normally the first 50 pressings.

[@NTXVinyl]

I'd love to hear one!

[@garyjdixon1536]

Well I was told by a guy with last name of Gold telling me my Prince Erotic City records Black Album was a bootleg vinyl and only his sales were verified with one authentic release sold for 41000.00 dollars and mine was worth less than 41 bucks and worthless is the word he used I also have an original promo 'Let's Work ' and have also been told it's worthless ! Prince music has absolutely exploded and rounding up as many early releases I can gather up as I'm going to put him at the #1 all around musician of all time ! Let's not forget he was nominated for the Congressional Gold Medal Of Honor ! There isn't another musician on the planet who holds this very distinct honor ! The Official Prince Store is on FIRE as it very well should be ! By the way I have the very first release of the Beatles on Vee Jay records in absolute mint condition for sale as I am not a Beatles fan with the exception of George Harrison ! Elvis Presley hated John Lennon and disliked McCartney as well ! Maybe the comment of the Beatles being more popular than Jesus Christ with one stupid ass distasteful comment by Lennon sealed the deal with Elvis being the greatest Gospel singer ever and Lennon not valuing his existence ! Elvis stated he is not a KING and there is only one and a huge presence of mind for my beliefs as well ! The movie about Elvis premiers June 22nd and a MUST SEE !

[@NTXVinyl]

Gotcha. Am looking fwd to that movie!