Legendary Canadian ice hockey player Guy Lafleur passed away today at age 70, and along with his achievements in the sport — among them, five Stanley Cups and three NHL scoring titles — his cultural impact is also felt in a way few other players can claim: having his own disco album.
When it comes to hockey-themed records, which are largely either spoken word or laughably novel in nature, 1979's Lafleur! skates in a class of its own. A clear bit of trend-chasing from Lafleur — the Montreal Canadiens star who by this point was the face of team's late-'70s dynasty — resulted in an oddly alluring cultural crossover that the modern game could only dream of replicating.
Lafleur!, which saw release in both English and French language editions, is at once a discothèque dominator and a hockey how-to, with the winger breaking down important game fundamentals over some incredibly slick grooves.
For instance, on a song like "Scoring" ("Marquer un but" on the French edition), Lafleur lets listeners in on his secrets to lighting the lamp when it comes to stick placement, puck carrying and one's own on-ice position, as some incredibly inspirational backing vocalists urge, "Yes you can do it, you know you can do it. Baby, all you gotta do is try."
Produced by Peter Alves and Jack Lenz — the latter of whom co-wrote the Toronto Blue Jays' seventh-inning anthem "OK Blue Jays" — Lafleur! also taught aspiring stars about "Skating," "Checking," the "Face Off" and "Power-Play." The record also came packaged with a booklet with photos of Lafleur in action, corresponding to each of his recorded lessons, and a colour poster of him looking ready to give in to his Saturday Night Fever.
Archival CBC footage shows that the arrival of Lafleur! was even marked with a release party at a Montreal nightclub, featuring a reporter who can't fully hide his disdain for the music. When asked about disco, Lafleur responds, "I like it very much, but I want to say something... I'm not a very good dancer. On the ice, maybe I am a good one, but not outside."
The NHL stars of today are much less concerned with record-making. It's more likely that you'll find them singing at practice (if not at the bar post-game), or teaming with music's biggest for horrendous merch collabs. Their musical ambition is done no favours by a league that remains inept at marketing its top-level talent, leaving celebrity spectators — or, worse yet, who they believe to be culturally relevant — to lead.
On the French edition of Lafleur!, the song titled "Power-Play" is given the much more inspiring title "Y'a Rien Pour M'arrêter," or "Nothing Can Stop Me." It's clear that Lafleur carried that determination within himself — whether on the rink or on record.
Hear the French language version of Lafleur! in its entirety below.
When it comes to hockey-themed records, which are largely either spoken word or laughably novel in nature, 1979's Lafleur! skates in a class of its own. A clear bit of trend-chasing from Lafleur — the Montreal Canadiens star who by this point was the face of team's late-'70s dynasty — resulted in an oddly alluring cultural crossover that the modern game could only dream of replicating.
Lafleur!, which saw release in both English and French language editions, is at once a discothèque dominator and a hockey how-to, with the winger breaking down important game fundamentals over some incredibly slick grooves.
For instance, on a song like "Scoring" ("Marquer un but" on the French edition), Lafleur lets listeners in on his secrets to lighting the lamp when it comes to stick placement, puck carrying and one's own on-ice position, as some incredibly inspirational backing vocalists urge, "Yes you can do it, you know you can do it. Baby, all you gotta do is try."
Produced by Peter Alves and Jack Lenz — the latter of whom co-wrote the Toronto Blue Jays' seventh-inning anthem "OK Blue Jays" — Lafleur! also taught aspiring stars about "Skating," "Checking," the "Face Off" and "Power-Play." The record also came packaged with a booklet with photos of Lafleur in action, corresponding to each of his recorded lessons, and a colour poster of him looking ready to give in to his Saturday Night Fever.
Archival CBC footage shows that the arrival of Lafleur! was even marked with a release party at a Montreal nightclub, featuring a reporter who can't fully hide his disdain for the music. When asked about disco, Lafleur responds, "I like it very much, but I want to say something... I'm not a very good dancer. On the ice, maybe I am a good one, but not outside."
The NHL stars of today are much less concerned with record-making. It's more likely that you'll find them singing at practice (if not at the bar post-game), or teaming with music's biggest for horrendous merch collabs. Their musical ambition is done no favours by a league that remains inept at marketing its top-level talent, leaving celebrity spectators — or, worse yet, who they believe to be culturally relevant — to lead.
On the French edition of Lafleur!, the song titled "Power-Play" is given the much more inspiring title "Y'a Rien Pour M'arrêter," or "Nothing Can Stop Me." It's clear that Lafleur carried that determination within himself — whether on the rink or on record.
Hear the French language version of Lafleur! in its entirety below.