Sonore was a small French-Canadian label based in Montréal that had a brief run from 1967 to 1968, issuing a catalogue that ran sequentially from S-8001 through S-8016 (with no documented release at S-8013). In less than two years, with fewer than 35 songs and a combined runtime of just over an hour, it managed to capture much of the variety in Québec’s youth scene: fuzz-pop from Les Sélects, yé-yé from Les Pieds Fous, straightforward rock and pop from Les Héritiers and Les Rythmos, the lighter touch of Les Gamines, and even a dose of psychedelia from Le Message.
Among collectors, several 45s in the garage-psych vein are especially prized, including those by Les Tallmud, Le Pouvoir des Fleurs, Les Dabsters, Les Gamines (one of the province’s rare all-female garage groups), and Les Loups Blancs (Je sais que tu mens b/w Sylvianne). These discs stand out as the most elusive and sought-after titles in Sonore’s short but memorable run. The Corvettes single also remains scarce and difficult to properly catalogue, while the reason for the missing S-8013 is still unknown.
-Robert Williston
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