In addition to glowing at ice rinks, Guy Lafleur also released, in 1979, Lafleur !, a disco album where he gave advice on how to play hockey better. With the demise of this Quebec legend and his funeral, this vinyl record has become more popular, becoming a collector’s item over time.
Since Guy Lafleur’s death, two weeks ago, several record stores have seen renewed interest in Lafleur!. A few customers told me about it and asked me if I had itexplanation by Jean-Charles Pradères, who operates a store for buying and selling Le recall records in Montreal.
There is interest to return. The death of Guy Lafleur increases the value of the disc, especially if it is in good condition and includes the booklet and poster.
Find a copy of Lafleur! in the store Recall is not possible. In recent years, it has been a very popular culture phenomenon that has attracted a lot of attention.explanation by Félix B. Desfossés, journalist who specializes in music, but also host and DJ.
” To collectors, it is an intimate and sought after record. “
5 copies of Lafleur! for MC Gilles
Host MC Gilles, who describes himself as a pick up rather than as a collector, own at least five copies of Lafleur! while he usually keeps only one copy per disc. It’s a must, underline this Guy Lafleur fan. Whenever I find it at a garage sale, I buy it.
Sébastien Desrosiers is a Quebec music historian and he himself is an excellent record collector – he owns over 10,000, including a copy of Lafleur!. According to him, a disc Lafleur!, which is not uncommon, costs between 20 and 50 dollars (collectors and collectors generally do not take discs for thousands of dollars as one would think). However, the death of Guy Lafleur has increased its value, according to Jean-Charles Pradères, who now assesses its price at between 50 and 100 dollars.
Lasts 34 minutes, Lafleur! consists of five titles: “Vas-y”, Can skate, defeat, Nothing can stop me, To throw at Score. In disco music, Guy Lafleur gives his advice to be a better hockey player. We’re not far from the slam, says MC Gilles. Female voices provide the backing vocals on this album, which comes out in two versions: one in French and one in English.
Too psychotronicadded Félix B. Desfossés.
In 1979, Lafleur! benefited from a launch at a nightclub in Montreal, in the presence of the player, as reported by this CBC report, which specifies that five titles were recorded in five days.
A record made by big names at the disco
At the time, a young Guy Lafleur fan had the idea for this record. Nothing is more famous than Lafleur and disco so why not do the two togethersaid Sebastien Desrosiers.
The production of Lafleur! requires a massive budget of $ 100,000, or approximately $ 380,000 today.
” The producers believed in it. They took the cream of disco musicians in Quebec. “
There are many big names in the production team, added Félix B. Desfossés. In the 1970s, Montreal was the second disco music capital of the world.
So we saw songwriter and producer Gino Soccio, a forgotten genius from the disco erahe said, and composer Peter Alves, a big name in disco that contributed to the successes of Toulouse and Boule Noireaccording to Sébastien Desrosiers.
Behind the female voices hide Heather Gauthier and Laurie Niedzielski-Zimmerman, two members of the Toulouse group, but also Ranee Lee, an African-American jazz singer who has lived in Montreal for a long time.
Our music specialists have different opinions on the quality of the music of this album. There is a beautiful groove and beautiful harmonies. Lafleur! remains a good disco albumsaid Sébastien Desrosiers.
The fact that big names participated in this album does not mean that it gave the best result, nuance Félix B. Desfossés. It’s not up to great disco albums.
MC Gilles abounds in both directions. On the technical side, the production is impeccable. Is it interesting in music? Not so much, it’s generic, formatted disco music.
Another question: Lafleur! did it fulfill its mission to help people improve their game? Here, too, the answers vary. Sébastien Desrosiers remembers that many of his friends had a disc and listened to it to learn how to play hockey better.
You can meet Guy Lafleur, he explains. It inspired young people to thrive in hockey.
Sports journalist Marc Durand, director of the documentary Guy Lafleur : the lonerwas a teenager in 1979. I had no acquaintance around me who told me: I listened to this album and now I’m a better hockey player.
Henri Richard and Gilbert Delorme as well
Beyond the musical and pedagogical relevance of Lafleur!The interest of this vinyl record largely depends on the testimony it offers of a period marked by a certain madness.
Guy Lafleur is a star, he has won the Stanley Cup four times, Félix B. Desfossés said. In Montreal, always party, there are discotheques everywhere.
The album also serves as a reminder that, in the 1970s, records weren’t just about entertaining the public’s hearing with music. In the absence of the Internet, they were also recorded to deliver information.
In my collection, I have notes for learning to groom a dog or play tennis.said MC Gilles.
Moreover, Blond Demon isn’t the only hockey player to break a record. In the 1960s, Henri Richard launched All my hockey secrets. Twenty years later, it’s Gilbert Delorme’s turn to start In shape with Gilbert Delormefeaturing fitness exercises set to upbeat music.
But, Guy Lafleur’s is separate. He is more than otherssaid Jean-Charles Pradères.
Source: Radio-Canada
