The title says it all, really. DJ Promo Maxi records were never intended for sale; they were merely promotional tools, sent out to DJs to advertise new albums from the Phonogram group of labels. Some were Various Artists EPs, others were singles. Several tracks, such as Harvey Mandel's 'Uno Ino' (DJ-003 B) appeared as proper singles on one or other of the main labels - the case of that track, on Janus (6146-024). Numbering was in the DJ-000s, and it reached at least DJ-016. For some reason later records by Vertigo artists in the series appeared on the Vertigo label, as can be seen in the discography below; DJ-015, by Mercury artists the Ohio Players, was on Mercury. DJ-005, a single split between Status Quo and Black Sabbath, is apparently very collectable and has been known to go for a three-figure sum. Another split Status Quo record, this time shared with Thin Lizzy, DJ-022, is said on the 45cat.com site to be a bootleg / fake which first appeared in 2007; for some reason that, too, has started to sell for large sums. Early DJ Promo Maxi records seem to have had stickered white labels (1); mid-period ones had paper labels with a picture of a naked lady on them (2), while later ones were injection-moulded (3). Some came in a 'company sleeve'. Manufacture was by Phonodisc. The discography below is missing DJ-009; if anyone can fill that gap I'd be pleased to hear from them.
Copyright 2010 Robert Lyons.