top of page

Rare David Bowie & Dana Gillespie “Bowpromo” White Label 12" Vinyl Up for Auction

Jun 13
2 min read

Updated: Jul 11

A truly exceptional piece of early David Bowie history is currently featured in Heritage Auctions: a rare white label promotional 12" vinyl record featuring David Bowie and Dana Gillespie, housed in a plain white sleeve.


Artist: David Bowie & Dana Gillespie

Format: White Label Promo 12" Vinyl Record

Title: Bowpromo (rare early promotional release)

Sleeve: Plain white sleeve

Auction: Heritage Auctions (Lot in current/upcoming sale)

This white label promo dates back to Bowie’s early 1970s period and is highly sought after by collectors due to its rarity and connection to his pre-fame collaborations.


Dana Gillespie was a close associate of Bowie during his early career, and these kinds of promotional acetates/white labels are extremely scarce.

Items like this offer a fascinating glimpse into the pre-Ziggy Stardust era and Bowie’s rapid rise in the music industry

David Bowie, Dana Gillespie

BOWPROMO White Label 12" Vinyl Record with White Sleeve.


Vintage original 12" vinyl demo used to secure new record deals for David Bowie and Dana Gillespie.

Only 500 were pressed by Bowie and Gillespie's manager Tony Defries, with white labels and white sleeves.


Like the other 499 made, this disc has "BOWPROMO 1A - 1" and "BOWPROMO 1B - 1" stamped in the respective sides' runout grooves.


One side has seven songs from Bowie, (5) of which ended up on the original release of Hunky Dory ("Oh! You Pretty Things", "Eight Line Poem", "Kooks", "Queen Bitch", and "Quicksand")

(1) song was on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars ("It Ain't Easy") and (1) song was a bonus track on the 1990 reissue on Hunky Dory("Bombers").

The other side of this disc has (5) songs by Gillespie ("Mother Don't Be Frightened", "Andy Warhol", "Never Knew", "All Cut Up On You" and "Lavender Hill").


Both Bowie and Gillespie ended up on RCA Records.

There is handwriting on both labels denoting "David Bowie / Hunky Dory" (including "1" on one side), but most of the writing has been removed.




Comments


bottom of page