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David Bowie & Dana Gillespie (August , 1971) BOWPROMO White Label 12" Promo Vinyl (Limited Edition of 500 Copies)

  • Writer: glamslam72
    glamslam72
  • Aug 1, 1971
  • 2 min read

Extremely rare 1971 David Bowie & Dana Gillespie “BOWPROMO” white label 12" promotional vinyl (one of only 500 copies pressed) featuring early versions of key Hunky Dory tracks, created by manager Tony DeFries to secure major record deals for both artists.

RELEASE / PUBLICATION DETAILS Artist: David Bowie & Dana Gillespie Title: BOWPROMO (White Label Promo) Date: August 1971

Label: MainMan (promotional)

Format / Type: 12" White Label Vinyl Promo

Country: United Kingdom Catalogue: BOWPROMO 1A / 1B






TRACK LIST

Side A (David Bowie tracks)

  • Oh! You Pretty Things

  • Eight Line Poem

  • Kooks

  • Queen Bitch

  • Quicksand

  • It Ain’t Easy

  • Bombers

Side B (Dana Gillespie tracks)

  • Mother Don’t Be Frightened

  • Andy Warhol

  • Never Knew

  • All Cut Up On You

  • Lavender Hill

THE STORY In August 1971 at Trident Studios in London, Tony DeFries commissioned a limited run of 500 white label 12" promo records. The disc was designed as a sales tool to interest major labels in David Bowie and Dana Gillespie. Side A showcases seven Bowie songs, the majority of which formed the backbone of the forthcoming Hunky Dory album. Both artists successfully signed with RCA Records shortly afterward. The runout grooves are stamped “BOWPROMO 1A - 1” and “BOWPROMO 1B - 1”.

CONTEXT & NOTES This promo captures Bowie at a crucial transitional moment — post-Mercury Records and on the verge of his glam rock breakthrough with Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust. Many tracks on this disc are early mixes or versions. Only 500 copies were produced, making original surviving examples exceptionally rare collector items. The featured copy includes a Heritage Auctions COA, white sleeve (VG 5.5), and disc in EX 7 condition with some previous handwriting.

PERSONNEL 

David Bowie – vocals, guitar, piano

Dana Gillespie – vocals (Side B)

Mick Ronson – guitar

Trevor Bolder – bass

Mick Woodmansey – drums

Additional musicians from the Hunky Dory sessions

PRODUCTION 

Produced by: Ken Scott & David Bowie (Trident Studios sessions) Engineered by: Ken Scott

PACKAGING / ARTWORK HIGHLIGHTS

  • Plain white sleeve with handwritten notations “David Bowie / Hunky Dory”

  • Blank white labels

  • Stamped runout grooves identifying the promo

  • No commercial artwork (purely functional demo pressing)

WHAT THE SLEEVE SHOWS 

A minimalist white paper sleeve with handwritten text identifying the artist and album on both sides. The labels are completely blank except for the runout etchings. The disc itself is a standard black vinyl with white labels, typical of 1970s industry demo pressings.

RELATED MATERIAL 

See tags at foot of page.

SOURCES 

Heritage Auctions listing, Discogs, MainMan / Tony DeFries history, Bowie archives

All album artwork, photographs, labels, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.








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