Létourneau, Pierre - ST

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Va Donc Savoir Pourquoi
	2	Tu N'es Plus de Mon Village
	3	La Loque
	4	Les Cigales
	5	Marie Lou
	6	Maurice Richard	02:23

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	La Dame du 5ieme Etage
	2	Alleluia
	3	Mes Amis S'en Vont
	4	D'Amsterdam a Calcutta
	5	J'aurais du Rester Chez-Nous
	6	Tu Te Fais Belle En Ton Miroir

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

There have been many songs that have been written about Canadian hockey players. Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, and Bobby Orr have been the inspiration for several musicians to craft songs about them. Other players like Bobby Clarke, Bryan Hextall, Dale Hawerchuk, Bobby Hull "The Golden Jet", Derek "The Turk" Sanderson, Richard "King Richard" Brodeur, Bill Barilko, Wendel Clarke, Eddie Shack, Gino Odjick, Joe Murphy, Guy Carbonneau, The French Connection, and The Broadstreet Bullies, even Gary Bettman also had one or two songs written about them.

Some Canadian hockey players have had brief musical recording stints: Jim "Shony" Schoenfeld, Guy "The Flower" Lafleur (although talking instructional hockey tips with disco in the background can hardly be classed as musical!), Johnny Bower, Jean "Gentleman Jean" Beliveau, Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, Ken Baumgartner, Darren McCarty (Grinder), and Bernard "Boom Boom" Geoffrion.

Some bands have named themselves after hockey players like The Hextalls, Les Dales Hawerchuk.

Maurice Richard didn't record any singles, unlike his line-mate Boom Boom Geoffrion, who recorded a single: Elle a Tout Pour Elle b/w C'est Pas Serieux on Encore BC-403 in 1962. He didn't record any albums either - unlike his brother, Henri "Pocket" who recorded two instructional albums: "Tous Mes Secrets de Hockey", produced by Ford-Mercury and "Henri Richard presente 1iere Periode (clinique de hockey)" (released in french and english on Polydor 2424 055 and Polydor 2424 054, respectively). Frank Mahovlich also released an instruction record for Ford Mercury in the late 1960's.

But there is no other hockey player in the history of our game who has inspired more Canadian musicians to record and sing than Maurice "Rocket" Richard, one of The Flying Frenchmen. He was the first to score 50 goals in 50 games; the first to score 500 goals in his career; he won the Stanley Cup 8 times. He is ranked by The Hockey News as the 5th best player in the history of the game. He inspired a generation of French Canadians. It must have been the same passion that caused The Richard Riot, after being suspended for the remainder of the season for a vicious stick shot to the head of Hal Laycoe. Many of these songs make direct reference to the incident.

Whatever the inspiration, the phenomenal Rocket Richard has inspired all of us with his passion. He has captured our imagination. Here are the singles, 78's, and albums that the Museum of Canadian Music has been able to acquire:
Mike Ford - Maurice Richard, Canada Needs You Volume 2, private 4T4546, 2008
Bobby Hill and his Canadian Country Boys - Saga of Maurice Richard // Canadiens Square Dance, on Sparton 136R, 1955
Éric Lapointe - Rocket (On est tous des Maurice Richard), Les Boys II Soundtrack, on Diffusion YFB DY2-4512, 1998
Oscar Thiffault - Le Rocket Richard b/w Cabane la sucre, Apex 17140, 1955; Le Rocket Richard (La cabane à sucre and 20 Grands Succès d'Hier)
Gerry Robichaud - Rocket Richard's Reel, Voyageur Recordings VRLP 310-S, 1973 (St. Paul, New Brunswick)
Pierre Létourneau - Maurice Richard b/w Tu n'es de Mon Village, La Compagnie S.124, 1970
Loco Locass-Le but, 2009
Jeanne d'Arc Charlebois et J Laurendeau et son Ensemble - Maurice Richard // Le Stationnement, Maple Leaf 5018 , 1955
Graham Townsend - Rocket Richard Reel, Fiddling Favourites, Banff RBS-1116, 196?
Gabriel Labbé - Reel Maurice Rocket Richard, L'harmonica, une passion, avec Dorothé Hogan et Michel Donato, Interdisc TRCD 9514, 1999
Denise Filiatrault - Rocket rock 'n' roll b/w Il vous faudrait une femme, Alouette CF-45-758 , 1957
Paul Piché- Essaye donc pas, À qui appartient l'beau temps?, Kébec-Disque KD 932, 1977
Marie-Chantal Toupin- Jirai Au Sommet Pour Toi, Maurice Richard soundtrack, Zone3 ZCD 1060, 2005

-Robert Williston

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