STAR WARS AND OTHER GALACTIC FUNK - Meco

YEAR: 1977

LABEL: Millenium

TRACK LISTING: Star Wars, Other, Galactic, Funk

BONUS TRACKS: (on cd reissue) Star Wars Theme-Cantina Band (7" Edit), Star Wars Theme-Cantina Band (12" Disco Mix)

IMPRESSIONS: From the sublime to the ridiculous. We must remember that STAR WARS was not the only phenomenon new in 1977; there was also the rise of disco. And what could be goofier than putting John Williams' Oscar-winning score to a disco remix? Presumably, the huge success of Walter Murphy's "A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN" a year or two earlier must've been in the minds of Meco and the record label because they done did it and sold a ton of records. Being an 11 year old STAR WARS fanatic myself, I naturally bought everything I saw concerning STAR WARS and this album was no exception. Truly awful in a wonderful way! Several years back, it was finally released on cd and now there is ALWAYS something to listen to! Wedding theme, anyone??? Meco would try to capture lightning in a bottle more than once by discofying other scores such as CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND to diminishing results. In 1980, Meco would revisit STAR WARS in a non-disco way by putting out the equally legendary bad album "CHRISTMAS WITH THE STARS: THE STAR WARS CHRISTMAS ALBUM" featuring such yuletide classics as "What Do You Get A Wookie For Christmas (When He Already Owns A Comb)?".

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Star Wars

FACT SHEET: STAR WARS AND OTHER GALACTIC FUNK is Meco's first album. Meco was born Domenico Monardo and became a musician and record producer; he arranged the horn section on Tommy James' "Crystal Blue Persuasion" and performed the notable trombone solo on Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out". Meco also produced Gloria Gaynor's "Never Can Say Goodbye" and Carol Douglas' "Doctor's Orders". After seeing "STAR WARS" several times opening weekend, he convinced Casablanca Records subsidiary Millenium Records to let him put out a disco-version of John Williams' extremely popular music for the film. Both the album and the radio single were certified platinum.