BYG Actuel was a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

 specializing in free jazz

Free jazz

Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...

. The label also released a small number of non-jazz recordings by artists such as Musica Elettronica Viva

Musica Elettronica Viva

Musica Elettronica Viva is a live acoustic/electronic improvisational group formed in Rome, Italy, in 1966. Over the years, its members have included Alvin Curran, Richard Teitelbaum, Frederic Rzewski, Allan Bryant, Carol Plantamura, Ivan Vandor, Steve Lacy, and Jon Phetteplace.They were early...

, Freedom

Freedom (band)

Freedom was a psychedelic rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, formed initially by members of Procol Harum.Ray Royer and Bobby Harrison, who had performed on the hit Procol Harum single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", were kicked out of the Harum by vocalist Gary Brooker, and replaced by...

 and Gong

Gong (band)

Gong is a Franco-British progressive/psychedelic rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. Their music has also been described as space rock. Other notable band members include Allan Holdsworth, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Gilli Smyth, Steve Hillage, Francis Moze, Mike Howlett...

.

History

BYG Records was founded in March 1967 by Jean Georgakarakos, Jean-Luc Young and Fernand Boruso. The name of the label was formed from the initial letters of the founders' surnames. Karakos had previously established himself as a record distributor and importer, while Young worked for Barclay Records and Boruso for Saravah, the record label formed by filmmaker Claude Lelouch.

The label invited American free jazz musicians to Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 to record in the summer of 1969, a time when they were receiving little support or attention in the United States. Many of these musicians were already overseas at the time, having appeared at the Pan-African Music Festival in Algiers

Algiers

' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...

 in July 1969. (Jazz photographer Jacques Bisceglia was largely responsible for connecting the label and musicians, and the "B" in BYG is often wrongly held to refer to Bisceglia.) The resulting albums are an important repository of free jazz recordings from the period.

BYG Actuel was also responsible for organising the Actuel festival, which took place in late October 1969 in the small Belgian town of Amougies. The festival was initially intended to take place in or near Paris, but was banned by the French authorities. It featured many leading exponents of free jazz and progressive rock, e.g. Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, Captain Beefheart, Soft Machine, Ten Years After, Yes and The Nice. The festival was a popular success, with around 20,000 visitors over the space of five nights, but it was a financial failure. In July 1970, Georgakarakos organised the Popanalia festival at Biot on the French Riviera, but this was also financially unsuccessful. By 1972, financial problems had plagued BYG to the point where it virtually went underground. Georgakarakos and Young later formed their own record labels, Celluloid

Celluloid Records

Celluloid Records, a French/American record label, founded by Jean Georgakarakos operated from 1976 to 1989 in New York, and produced a series of eclectic and ground-breaking releases, particularly in the early to late 1980s, largely under the auspices of de facto in-house producer Bill...

 (Georgakarakos) and Charly

Charly Records

Charly Records is a British record label which specialises in reissued material.-History:Among the labels whose original releases are reissued by Charly are Vee-Jay, Sun, Immediate, BYG, Tomato, and Fania. Charly Records was founded in France in 1974 by Jean-Luc Young, who had been a promoter of...

 (Young). In 2002 a compilation album featuring the best of the label, JazzActuel: a collection of avant garde/free jazz/psychedelia from the BYG/Actuel catalogue of 1969–1971, was released by Charly (as a 3CD set) and Get Back Records of Italy (as a 6LP set). The collection was curated by Thurston Moore

Thurston Moore

Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...

 of Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...

 and journalist Byron Coley

Byron Coley

Byron Coley is an American music critic who wrote prominently for Forced Exposure magazine in the 1980s, starting with their fifth issue until the magazine ceased publication in 1993. Prior to Forced Exposure, he wrote for NY Rocker, Boston Rock, and Take It! magazine. Coley is one of the first...

.

Discography

Catalogue number	Artist	Album
529301	Cherry, Don Don Cherry (jazz) Donald Eugene Cherry was an innovative African-American jazz cornetist whose career began with a long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. He went on to live in many parts of the world and work with a wide variety of musicians.-Biography:Cherry was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and...	Mu - First Part
529302	Art Ensemble of Chicago Art Ensemble of Chicago The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz ensemble that grew out of Chicago's AACM in the late 1960s. The group continues to tour and record through 2006, despite the deaths of two of the founding members....	A Jackson in Your House A Jackson in Your House A Jackson in Your House is a 1969 album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago recorded for the French BYG Actuel label. It features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell and Malachi Favors Maghostut...
529303	Murray, Sunny Sunny Murray James Marcellus Arthur "Sunny" Murray is one of the pioneers of the free jazz style of drumming.-Biography:...	Hommage To Africa
529304	Shepp, Archie Archie Shepp Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...	Yasmina, a Black Woman Yasmina, a Black Woman Yasmina, a Black Woman is a jazz album by Archie Shepp, recorded in 1969 in Paris for BYG Actuel records. It features musicians from the Art Ensemble of Chicago...
529305	Gong Gong (band) Gong is a Franco-British progressive/psychedelic rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. Their music has also been described as space rock. Other notable band members include Allan Holdsworth, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Gilli Smyth, Steve Hillage, Francis Moze, Mike Howlett...	Magick Brother Magick Brother Magick Brother is the 1970 debut album from Gong, featuring Gilli Smyth and Daevid Allen. It has been rereleased on CD. It has also been listed as Magick Brother, Mystic Sister.- Track listing :Side one...
529306	Jones, Arthur Arthur Jones (musician) Arthur Jones was an American Free Jazz alto saxophonist known for his highly energetic but warm tones.Jones first played for several years in a Rock and Roll band...	Africanasia
529307	Puig, Michel	Stigmates
529308	Greene, Burton Burton Greene Burton Greene is a free jazz pianist born in Chicago, Illinois, though most known for his work in New York City. He has explored a variety of genres, including avant-garde jazz and the Klezmer medium.-Biography:...	Aquariana
529309	Lyons, Jimmy Jimmy Lyons Jimmy Lyons was an alto saxophone player. He is best known for his long tenure in the Cecil Taylor Unit.-Biography:...	Other Afternoons
529310	Jack, Alan	Bluesy Mind [never issued]
529311	Shepp, Archie	Poem for Malcolm Poem for Malcolm Poem for Malcolm is a jazz album by Archie Shepp. Recorded only two days after Yasmina, a Black Woman, it again features musicians from the Art Ensemble of Chicago. This time, the tone is resolutely set to avant garde and free jazz, with a political edge in the all but explicit tribute to Malcolm X...
529312	Silva, Alan Alan Silva Alan Silva is an American free jazz double bassist and keyboard player.-Biography:...	Luna Surface
529313	Bley, Paul Paul Bley Paul Bley, CM is a pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing.-Biography:...	Ramblin'
529314	Acting Trio	Acting Trio
529315	Braxton, Anthony Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton is an American composer, saxophonist, clarinettist, flautist, pianist, and philosopher. Braxton has released well over 100 albums since the 1960s...	B-Xo/N-0-1-4-7a Anthony Braxton (album) Anthony Braxton is an album by Anthony Braxton released in 1969 on the BYG Actuel label. It features performances by Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Leo Smith and Steve McCall. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow states "The music performed.....
529316	Cyrille, Andrew Andrew Cyrille Andrew Charles Cyrille is an avant-garde jazz drummer.Cyrille was born in Brooklyn, New York into a family with a mother from Haiti. He began studying science at St...	What About?
529317	Kuhn, Joachim Joachim Kühn -Biography:Kühn was a musical prodigy and made his debut as a concert pianist, having studied classical piano and composition with Arthur Schmidt-Elsey. Influenced by his elder brother, clarinetist Rolf Kühn, he simultaneously got interested in jazz. In 1961 he became a professional jazz musician....	Sounds Of Feelings
529318	Shepp, Archie	Blasé Blasé Blasé is an album by jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp recorded in Europe in 1969 for the BYG Actuel label.-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Shepp, except where noted.# "My Angel" – 10:08# "Blasé" – 10:25...
529319	Coursil, Jacques	Way Ahead
529320	Burrell, Dave	Echo Echo (Dave Burrell album) Echo is a studio album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. It was recorded on August 13, 1969 and first released as an LP album by BYG Actuel...
529321	Moncur III, Grachan Grachan Moncur III Grachan Moncur III is an American jazz trombonist who has mostly played free jazz, as well as being a prolific composer. He is the son of jazz bassist Grachan Moncur II and the nephew of jazz saxophonist Al Cooper.-Biography:...	New Africa
529322	Terroade, Kenneth	Love Rejoice
529323	Thornton, Clifford Clifford Thornton Clifford Thornton was an American free jazz trumpeter and trombonist. Born in Philadelphia in 1939, he studied with trumpeter Donald Byrd in the mid-1950s and worked with various players such as tuba player Ray Draper. After a stint in the army, Thornton moved to New York City...	Ketchaoua
529324	Ame Son Ame Son Ame Son was a progressive rock band from France. They are notable for being featured on the Nurse With Wound list. Members of Ame Son also were in the band Red Noise and Komintern....	Catalyse
529325	Freedom Freedom (band) Freedom was a psychedelic rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, formed initially by members of Procol Harum.Ray Royer and Bobby Harrison, who had performed on the hit Procol Harum single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", were kicked out of the Harum by vocalist Gary Brooker, and replaced by...	Freedom At Last
529326	Musica Elettronica Viva Musica Elettronica Viva Musica Elettronica Viva is a live acoustic/electronic improvisational group formed in Rome, Italy, in 1966. Over the years, its members have included Alvin Curran, Richard Teitelbaum, Frederic Rzewski, Allan Bryant, Carol Plantamura, Ivan Vandor, Steve Lacy, and Jon Phetteplace.They were early...	Sound Pool, The
529327	Marietan, Pierre Pierre Mariétan Pierre Mariétan is a Swiss composer.-Biography:Mariétan studied first at the Geneva Conservatory in 1955–60 with Marescotti, and later with, amongst others, Pierre Boulez, Bernd Alois Zimmermann, Gottfried Michael Koenig, Henri Pousseur, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, and his earliest works are...  & Terry Riley Terry Riley Terrence Mitchell Riley, is an American composer intrinsically associated with the minimalist school of Western classical music and was a pioneer of the movement...	Germ-Keyboard Study 2
529328	Art Ensemble of Chicago	Message to Our Folks Message to Our Folks Message to Our Folks is a 1969 album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago recorded in Paris for the French BYG Actuel label. It features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell and Malachi Favors Maghostut.-Track listing:...
529329	Art Ensemble of Chicago	Reese and the Smooth Ones Reese and the Smooth Ones Reese and the Smooth Ones is a 1969 album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago recorded in Paris for the French BYG Actuel label. It features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell and Malachi Favors Maghostut.-Reception:...
529330	Burrell, Dave	La Vie de Bohème La Vie de Bohème (album) La Vie de Bohème is a studio album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. The album is Burrell's take on the operatic adaptation of La Vie de Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, titled La bohème...
529331	Cherry, Don	Mu - Second Part
529332	Murray, Sunny	(Never Give A Sucker) An Even Break
529333	Moncur, Grachan	Aco Dei De Madrugada
529334	Redman, Dewey Dewey Redman Dewey Redman was an American jazz saxophonist, known for performing free jazz as a bandleader, and with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett....	Tarik Tarik (album) Tarik is an album by American jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman featuring performances recorded in 1969 for the French BYG Actuel label.-Reception:...
529335	Musica Elettronica Viva	Leave The City
529336	Wright, Frank Frank Wright (jazz musician) Frank Wright was a free jazz musician known for his frantic style of tenor saxophone.Wright was born in Grenada, Mississippi. He was originally a bass player, working with B. B. King and Bobby "Blue" Bland among others....	One For John
529337	Sharrock, Sonny Sonny Sharrock Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock was an American jazz guitarist. He was once married to singer Linda Sharrock, with whom he sometimes recorded and performed....	Monkey-Pockie-Boo
529338	Shepp, Archie	And The Full Moon Ensemble Live In Antibes Vol. 1 Archie Shepp and the Full Moon Ensemble Archie Shepp and the Full Moon Ensemble is a live album by Archie Shepp recorded at the Juan les Pins Jazz Festival in Antibes, France, on July 18, 1970. It was originally released on the BYG Actuel label in two volumes and re-released as a double CD in 2002...
529339	Shepp, Archie	And The Full Moon Ensemble Live In Antibes Vol. 2 Archie Shepp and the Full Moon Ensemble Archie Shepp and the Full Moon Ensemble is a live album by Archie Shepp recorded at the Juan les Pins Jazz Festival in Antibes, France, on July 18, 1970. It was originally released on the BYG Actuel label in two volumes and re-released as a double CD in 2002...
529340	Sun Ra	Solar-Myth Approach, The Vol. 2
529341	Sun Ra	Solar-Myth Approach, The Vol. 1
529342-4	Silva, Alan	Seasons
529345	Allen, Daevid Daevid Allen Daevid Allen , sometimes credited as Divided Alien, an Australian poet, guitarist, singer, composer and performance artist is co-founder of psychedelic rock groups Soft Machine and Gong .-Biography:In 1960, inspired by the Beat Generation writers he had discovered...	Banana Moon Banana Moon Banana Moon is a 1971 studio album by Daevid Allen. The album is sometimes referred to as Bananamoon and it was also reissued as a Gong album....
529346	Kuhn, Joachim	Paris Is Wonderful
529347	Braxton, Anthony	This Time
529348	Murray, Sunny	Sunshine
529349	Coursil, Jacques	Black Suite
529350	Jones, Arthur	Scorpio
529351	Shepp, Archie	Live at the Pan-African Festival Live at the Pan-African Festival Live at the Pan-African Festival is a live recording of Archie Shepp's performance in Algiers on July 29–30, 1969, when his free jazz band was complemented by a section of traditional North-African musicians.-Track listing:All songs arranged by Shepp....
529352	Lacy, Steve	Moon Moon (Steve Lacy album) Moon is the ninth album by soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy and was recorded in Rome in 1969 and originally released on the BYG Actuel label. It features five compositions by Lacy performed by Lacy, Italo Toni, Claudo Volonte, Irene Aebi, Marcello Melis and Jaques Thollot.-Track listing:# "Hit" -...
529353	Gong Gong (band) Gong is a Franco-British progressive/psychedelic rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. Their music has also been described as space rock. Other notable band members include Allan Holdsworth, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Gilli Smyth, Steve Hillage, Francis Moze, Mike Howlett...	Camembert Electrique Camembert Electrique Camembert Electrique is an album by Gong, recorded and originally released in 1971. The album was recorded at Château d'Hérouville near Paris, France, produced by Pierre Lattes and engineered by Gilles Salle...

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