Christmas in the Stars
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Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album was an album produced originally in 1980 by the former RSO records. The album featured Star Wars themed Christmas songs, with members of the original cast of the first released Star Wars film, [[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|A New Hope]].
Production
The album was produced by Meco Monardo. Monardo was the man who recorded the infamous disco version of A New Hope, with Anthony Daniels voicing C-3PO and Ben Burtt providing the sounds for R2-D2 and Chewbacca. Christmas in the Stars was recorded in 1980, two years after the much maligned Star Wars Holiday Special aired. Though they share the same themes, they have no connection other than the fact that they were both marketed in conjunction with the holiday season.Track listing
- Christmas in the Stars
- Bells, Bells, Bells
- The Odds Against Christmas
- What Can You Get A Wookiee For Christmas (When He Already Owns A Comb)?
- R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas
- Sleigh Ride
- Merry, Merry Christmas
- A Christmas Sighting ('Twas The Night Before...)
- The Meaning Of Christmas
Release
LP and tape
The complete album was released by RSO records on LP and cassette in November of 1980, to cash in on the increasingly popular Star Wars saga.Also in 1980, RSO released a 45 of "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas" (credited to The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir and Chorale) b/w "R2D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas" with a picture sleeve. In late 1983, a second 45 from the album was released by Polygram on the RSO label, "R2D2's Sleigh Ride" b/w "Christmas in the Stars", also with a picture sleeve.
CD
The album made its CD debut in 1994 as an unheralded budget-label release by JFC/Polygram Special Markets (catalog # 314 520 216-2), with all artwork and references to Star Wars (except for those in the song titles) removed from the packaging. The only credit on the package was "Meco," and it featured a generic cover photo of spacey looking christmas boxes and decorations.It was released on CD again, with its original cover art restored, on October 15, 1996, this time by Rhino records, during the popularity of the [[Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire|Shadows of the Empire]] project.
Comments from the official site
On the official Star Wars site, the web curators actually make note of the disc's creation, rather than hiding its existence as they did on a related project, The Star Wars Holiday Special. From the official site:- "What do you call a seasonal novelty album with an unusual concept that also features the first commercial recording of a hot rock star-to-be? Try Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album. How can you beat a lyric like "Everyone will have a cookie, I bought extra for the Wookiee?"
Trivia
- Jon Bon Jovi made his first recording ever on this album (he’s credited as John Bongiovi), singing lead vocals on "R2D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas." Jon did it as a favor to his uncle Tony Bongiovi, one of the producers of the album.
- The majority of this album's original songs were written by Maury Yeston, a Yale University music professor who later wrote several successful Broadway musicals.
- After the first printing, album creator, Meco was asked to allow George Lucas' name to be credited on the front cover. Due to the success of the album, the studios were ready to do a second printing, giving Lucas credit. Just before a second record printing was done, the company producing the record, RSO records, shut down due to an unrelated lawsuit. This cancelled a second printing on record.
- Album creator, Meco wrote a nine-page letter to George Lucas, asking if he could produce this type of album for the Star Wars saga.
- This album was one of the industry's first non-classical-or-jazz projects to be recorded and mixed digitally.
- "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)" reached #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in 1980, credited as "The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir and Choralle." It was the third digitally recorded single in chart history.
External links
- [Link to interview with album creator, Meco, and his thoughts on the album.]
- [Amazon.com's original page for the 1996 release.]
- [StarWars.com's remarks on the album]
- [Link to download and listen to each song from the album.]
- [Link to download "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas" song from the album.]
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