It is one of the best albums of Quebec song. Music lovers have been asking for a vinyl version for several years. Do you love me by Richard Desjardins, which was only released on CD when it was released in 1990, was finally released on an LP with great fanfare this winter. However, many collectors are bitterly disappointed with the result.
Some had already been put off by the price: $50, a substantial amount when we know that most vinyls by Quebec artists retail for around thirty dollars. Many of Richard Desjardins’ admirers still decided to treat themselves by treating themselves last February to the new 33 rpm record, seeing it as a rare and valuable item. With delivery costs, the bill sometimes came to almost $80.
The price could be justified, according to some, because the record company, 117 Records, had taken care to make it known that it was a limited edition. Six months later, several collectors finally realize that it is not such a limited edition: record stores are preparing to receive several copies of this LP in the coming days. Nothing to alleviate their grumbling: the sound quality is not optimal.
“In collectors’ jargon, a limited edition means that there is something special, which will be limited to a few copies: new photos, a new cover, colored vinyl… But there is none of that. The only thing that is limited in this vinyl is the sound. It sounds horribly bad! It does not do justice to this great album at all,” summarizes Martin Piché, a vinyl collector from the North Shore.
Second pressing
Mr. Piché is not the only one who is angry. On social networks, several music lovers have expressed their disappointment in recent weeks.
Richard Desjardins’ manager, Suzie Hamel, says she has taken note of the many comments, but she is careful to point out that the vinyl reissue of Do you love me was entirely managed by 117 Records. This record company, based in Abitibi, reiterated Thursday that it had carried out the “necessary checks with manufacturers and engineers to ensure the quality of the product” before putting the vinyl on sale.
The 117 Records label is a division of Disques 7ième Ciel, mainly specialized in hip-hop, with artists such as FouKi and Koriass. Under an agreement with Richard Desjardins, it is this label that handles the marketing of his albums.
The record company is currently carrying out a second vinyl pressing of Do you love me. The sound that will come from these new copies will possibly be better than what could be heard on the vinyls purchased in February. But 117 Records assures that this second pressing has nothing to do with the criticisms surrounding the sound quality of the first copies sold. “It was always planned to make a limited edition of 2000 copies, which we made in two pressings,” they specified in an email addressed to Duty.
$350 for a vinyl
In any case, we can say that 117 Records smelled a good deal by launching Do you love me in microgroove. In recent years, vinyl has experienced an unexpected resurgence in popularity. Prices have exploded, so much so that some music lovers are returning to the good old compact discs, which can be found for $1 or $2 at some flea markets.
“ Do you love me? is certainly part of the top 10 Quebec albums that were the most requested on vinyl. In fact, Richard Desjardins and Plume Latraverse [qui n’a jamais fait de réimpressions de ses vieux vinyles sortis dans les années 70] are the artists in Quebec most sought after by collectors,” explains Patrick Chartier, director of the Aux 33 tours record store.
Proof of the euphoria for vinyl (and for Richard Desjardins): a customer of this store in Plateau-Mont-Royal paid $350 at the beginning of the month for a second-hand vinyl of the album The Last HumansRichard Desjardins’ first solo record released in 1988, which is very rare in physical copy.