Darkness promo insert

As far as I can tell the original LP and all the following CD's  both Promo and regular releases  were all numbered 35318. I have a vinyl promo with a white label numbered the same.

It’s a neat little keepsake and a charming find. Actually, it is the order solicitation page from Columbia’s U.S. monthly dealer catalog.  It was shipped out to small and large retailers alike. It’s perforated to be put in a binder if one chose to keep a page on file.  Some labels shipped them as single sheets in a mailer, and others as tear out sheets in a light glued spine form.   A retailer would use it as an order or reorder reference, it having the catalog numbers for each format (LP, cassette, 8-track) as well as the pricing codes and point of purchase sales prop info being sent to help promote the release.  I don’t recall the actual advance time frame, weather it was 4 weeks or 6 weeks in advance of the release date, but it gave retailers the official heads up and go sign to start ordering.  

It is not a pricy item, but it IS COLLECTABLE paper, up there with press kits and other official commercial graphics.  Most of these sheets were tossed, so finding one from the late 70s is especially sweet.  I have a fair amount of them from the 90’s, when a local mom & pop saved all their paperwork for me.   They can be two tone, color, glossy, mat, single sheet, double truck, depending on the label’s choice of hype and budget.   It was not an insert to be shipped with a release.  Likely whomever originally received the promo also had the order sheet and tucked it inside. (I always had fun yardsale hunting when I would buy a CD and the owner had tucked inside a back stage pass or ticket stub.).   Put it in plastic and then put that in a binder so it doesn’t get creased or bent.   If you notice, on the tracking it lists DON’T LOOK BACK which was pulled the very last minute.   That’s an extra bonus of concrete physical proof, not here-say, that it WAS intended to be on the album all along.

Of course, if you just decide to toss it cause it’s taking up the space in your house where you were planning on placing your baby grand piano, I’ll be happy to relieve you of the burden. 😃😃😃😃😃

Q2

Thanks for the info! Never knew this

That's very cool. Thanks for sharing.  Interesting how different the week in SoCal turned out. 3 nights at the Shrine + Santa Barbara County Bowl vs Forum + Roxy + radio and billboard graffiti...