Regular copy/Promo copy

Is there a difference all the time between the promo/dj copies of some records and the regular ones? Some of the records I have are promo ones and I was wondering if I was missing something and if I should go find the regular one?

Within the last few years…I’ve heard a few promotional copies that have some background voice that periodically comes up and thanks you for listening to the promotional copy and says some shit about liking it and buying it or something but they are on new hip hop cds and lps.

that Murs - 3:16 The 9th Edition i have on both LP and CD is a promo and i can't even listen to it because that is so annoying.

Nothing wrong with older records that are promotional copies though.

Cool thanks. yeah i'm talking about older stuff. I was just wondering if there were missing tracks or something. That's all I care about. I want all the songs lol

What they used to do is give it to stores and radio stations and they poked holes, clipped the corner, or put a bright orange sticker that said PROMOTIONAL COPY on em…purely cosmetic but nothing different.

Promo copies and radio station play copies
were usually the first copies of the album to be pressed.
I have heard that these first copies have slightly better sound than say the 500,000th copy of the retail lp - something to do with degradation of the presses or stamps over time...
Record collectors will sometimes pay more for a promo copy of something, due to this and the rarity factor...

Sometimes promos and the retail versions are the same exact thing, and when this is the case there is nothing special about the promo. A good example of this is people ripping themselves off paying $100.00 so they can get the Nas - Life's A B**ch promo on eBay and the retail version is the same EXACT thing. The only difference is the actual record is stamped "Demonstration Not For Sale". No difference in the sound or cover.

On the other hand, promos can be the only way to get a record when the real version is not released on the LP/CD, like Nas - Hate Me Now. The promo was the original version and the beat sounds different.

Also, there maybe a case of the promo/retail having different versions that the other doesn't have. Mobb Deep - Survival Of The Fittest promo has the original version/clean version/instrumental/acapella. The retail version had the original version/remix/remix instrumental.

I got a promo of one of the KPM strutt records, well double LP, very dope breaks on it, see it priced way over the top some places £140 / $280 and up on various sites etc.. i paid about £10 or so for mine (bout $20)

main differences:

1) some promos may be a lot more hard to find than the retail press, thus causing the price to go up on e-bay.

2) some promos may have more depth between the grooves.... just 1, 2, or no more than 3 songs per side. I gotta a Beatnuts promo (white label is what they call promos btw) with just the main version one side and then the instrumental and acapella on the other.
I love records that have only 1 or 2 songs per side better to scratch, sounds better, easier to find the song in a club, etc.

3) the order of the songs may be different, but usually there's not any bonus songs or remixes on a promo.

Anything on older ones? Like... not rap/hip hop? Like Soul, Jazz, Rock, etc. 60s and 70s.

spectre wrote:Anything on older ones? Like... not rap/hip hop? Like Soul, Jazz, Rock, etc. 60s and 70s.

I only got a couple 60s and 70s promo records just by pure luck, don't know much about that era of promo records.

if you have any or find any...when you buy them check the lp against the cd version on cduniverse.com and see if there's any differences...i know there shouldn't be many because it's usually just the full album...they didn't change that till much later.

most of the differences you will find on cd versions of remastered LPs, were songs that were not added to the LP back in the 60's or 70's

spectre wrote:Anything on older ones? Like... not rap/hip hop? Like Soul, Jazz, Rock, etc. 60s and 70s.

Yeah man the one i mentioned is a library record. kpm got dope library records.. this ones contains a track that been sampled for nas, and one i think madlib used.. and some other dope sh!t

Go here and listen to some sound clips of the kpm records....

http://www.recordkingz.com/shop/catalog ... pm&x=0&y=0

spectre wrote:Anything on older ones? Like... not rap/hip hop? Like Soul, Jazz, Rock, etc. 60s and 70s.

the promos are the first pressed, like somebody said earlier.

they almost ALWAYS sound better than the regular retail joints.

i love it when i come up on those thingies

Are 60-70's era Promos indicated by cut-outs (drill-holes, cut corners, saw lines) or are they Promos strictly if they're stamped or stickered as such?

That's what I'm not clear on. I realize the cut-outs are def. for overstock and such but thought I had heard it could be a promo as well.

the general rule of thumb for promos is the white label in the middle of the record with promo copy printed or stamped somewhere on the label.

if you talk to a DJ say "how many white labels you got?" if he/she says "what?" then he ain't no real vinyl DJ.