Maxime bassist-singer-producer Jacky Chalard is launching a vinyl comic book collection on his label.

Nothing to be done. Jacky Chalard may be 78 years old, but he remains an eternal kid with a love of "alternative cultures," in music, comics, and cinema. The man who has shared the stage with Chuck Berry, Vince Taylor, Polnareff, and Johnny Cash, whose 25cm collector's album bearing the Harley seal was released earlier this year (our January 15 editions), is back on his label Big Beat Records with a record that combines the 9th art and his "Tropez" neighbor, Mr. Eddy Mitchell.

Although the latter is not at his best these days after the cancellation of his tour which was to pass through Toulon this summer, Jacky is back as a cuckoo to talk about his new plump "baby" with its rather unusual content...

This time, the vinyl in question doesn't contain rockabilly howls or photos of musicians with bananas, but a masterful work of 1950s comics, The Yellow Mark. Or how to burn the speech bubbles of Edgar P. Jacobs' classic onto a vinyl record with a car chase atmosphere and other detective story sound effects.

"In the 1960s, a collection called The Heroes of Tintin's Journal was released on disc . These recordings had been forgotten. In the 1980s, I bought the masters that had been relegated to the archives. Nobody wanted them! I took advantage of this rich catalog to put together a "Comics on CD" collection in a neat digipack format," explains the Parisian, now a resident of the Maxime region.

Peter Pan Syndrome

Among the forty or so references published at the time, Alix, Asterix, Dan Cooper, Bob Morane, Chick Bill or Michel Vaillant. And now Jacky is diving back in with Blake and Mortimer!

"I could have released this on a USB key, but I, who defend the Peter Pan syndrome, namely never becoming an "adult", dreamed of introducing new generations to what we had when we were young! As a bonus, my friend Eddy Mitchell, also a big comic book fan, recorded an introduction for the Blake and Mortimer albums at the time. A gesture he made to me as a friend, just as he once helped me by taking Les Alligators, which I produced, as an opening act at the Olympia!", continues Jacky, who strives to release each of his productions in 25cm format.

This time, the "collector's pack" is a real treat, as it comes in a triple pack. A traditional black vinyl album, a picture disc, and even a CD!

"All three have an identical recording, so it's possible to frame the picture disc without having to constantly take it out of the frame, and for listening, you just have to choose between the two other media!", proclaims Jacky, who will do the same for the upcoming edition of The Mystery of the Great Pyramid (read elsewhere).

A new 100% Var release since Jacky Chalard is anchoring his label in Sainte-Maxime, which has seen the cream of the world's rockabilly scene.

"I created Big Beat Records in 1977 in Paris. This label is known worldwide but my life has been here since 2016, so I based everything in Sainte-Maxime this year to continue doing what I love! I wasn't going to vegetate here spending my days playing pétanque. I want to continue fulfilling all my childhood fantasies!"

So, this is how rock'n'roll history is written. "Memphis, the cradle of rock'n'roll, had Sun Records. Sainte-Maxime will have Big Beat Records!" laughs Jacky.

1. On sale at the Maison de la presse in Sainte-Maxime, Place Jean Mermoz or on the website shop.bigbeatrecords.fr