Dutch premiere. The music documentary “Charly 50” tells the story of Charly Records, an independent record label founded in 1974 by French music entrepreneur Jean Luc Young. The label, which operates from London, has gained worldwide fame by breathing new life into (sometimes) forgotten and hard-to-find recordings. By iconic artists such as Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, The Yardbirds, The Small Faces and 13th Floor Elevators. Insiders tell the stories behind this timeless music and the importance of a good reissue.
Founder Jean Luc Young and his friend Jean Georgakarakos realized a dream in the late 1960s by gathering American free jazz musicians such as Don Cherry, Archie Shepp and Sun Ra in Paris, as well as avant-garde bands such as Gong and Ame Son, and representing them through their record company BYG Records.
Following the unrest of the French student protests and the bleak aftermath of the May 1968 revolution, Young and Georgakarakos decided to move to London. There, their Charly Records became a company focused on releasing rare American music, aimed at a niche of fervent music lovers. It even beat the big record companies to the punch by acquiring the famous Sun Records label and releasing reissues of artists such as Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison. Today, Charly Records is the source of timeless soul, blues and rock music.
A documentary by Dutch film producer Jan-Douwe Kroeske (Double2), featuring: Jean Luc Young, Kenney Jones (The Small Faces), P.P. Arnold, Ronnie Leatherman (13th Floor Elevators), Jock McDonald (Bollock Brothers), Marc Blanc (Ame Son), John Singleton (Sun Records), and Levanna McLean.