If you are collecting Japanese-pressed vinyl records, and if you are lucky enough, you may stumble upon Japanese promotional records or promo records in short. These are pressings manufactured mainly for promotion before the commercial copies were released. As promo copies were distributed to radio stations, not for sale or in stores, the circulation numbers are few and probably have a superior audio quality compared to records sold in retail. Distributing promotional copies is a way for the music labels to gather feedback about the music pieces played on promotional copies and could determine whether they would proceed with the commercial production and the quantity.
As promo copies had to be pressed several months before the release of commercial copies, the track listing or cover design might differ from the final version. These are some of the reasons promo records are appealing to record collectors. There are also cases where only promo copies had been pressed and no commercial copies were put on the market. Therefore, generally speaking, promotional records are more valuable and expensive than regular records today due to their rarity.
Why Are Japan-Pressed Promo Records More Desirable?
Japan earned a reputation as one of the better countries to manufacture quality vinyl records from the 1960s thanks to their pursuit for technical excellence in product manufacturing. They also researched and developed better vinyl materials that claimed to improve durability and reduce groove noise. In addition, International albums pressed in Japan have fewer runs, resulting in less worn stampers and hence better quality.
Given promotional record copies were pressed even before the commercial runs, you can expect them to sound closest to the original lacquer from the cutting room.
How To Find Promo Copies
White colored labels are the most common indicator for promotional records. The white label was designed to differentiate from retail records and eventually became the informal standard for many record companies. Therefore, finding a white-coloured label is one big clue that the record is a promo copy.
Some labels also make it easier with clear indication that this is a promotional copy, for instance, printing “Promotional Copy – Not For Sale”. For Japanese pressed vinyl, there is another indication for a promo copy: the Japanese letters “非売品” or “見本盤” will appear on the label, meaning “NOT FOR SALE” or “PROMO”. The label even contains information on the date of release.
Occasionally, there are promo copies with colored labels as well. The text “見本盤” will either be printed or rubber stamped. The latter is probably marked to giveaway the first press runs instead of doing a separate press.
All of my promo-copy records I own are in white labels.
Promo Sticker On The Cover
There are other indications that the records are promotional copies through the promo stickers on album covers. Look for the Japanese “PROMO” or “SAMPLE” stickers on the cover. See examples below.
Promo Compilations
Japanese record companies could also release compilation LP and send to radio stations for promotional purposes, and obviously these compilation albums were not sold in record stores. In the below example, Warner Pioneer Corporation is a licensed distributor in Japan and they compiled a promotional album PS-213 in August 1982.
Conclusion
Promotional records are definitely rare and valuable. It can be very rewarding to come across them during your crate digging, especially if the seller does not mark-up the price without realising the value. Japanese records tend to get away because sellers might not notice the characters, but thanks to this article, now you know.
This article was inspired by a blog post by Face Records Japan. Additional reference: link