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''Star Wars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' is the
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
to the 1977 film ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', composed and conducted by
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
and performed by the
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
. Williams' score for ''Star Wars'' was recorded over eight sessions at Anvil Studios in Denham, England on March 5, 8–12, 15 and 16, 1977. The score was
orchestrated Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...
by Williams,
Herbert W. Spencer Herbert Winfield Spencer (April 7, 1905 – September 18, 1992) was a Chilean-born American film and television composer and orchestrator. Spencer gained industry fame when he teamed up with fellow 20th Century Fox orchestrator Earle Hagen ...
,
Alexander Courage Alexander Mair Courage Jr. (December 10, 1919May 15, 2008) familiarly known as "Sandy" Courage, was an American orchestrator, arranger, and composer of music, primarily for television and film. He is best known as the composer of the theme musi ...
, Angela Morley, Arthur Morton and Albert Woodbury. Spencer orchestrated the scores for '' The Empire Strikes Back'' and '' Return of the Jedi''. The score was recorded by engineer Eric Tomlinson and edited by Kenneth Wannberg, and the scoring sessions were produced by ''Star Wars'' director
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
and supervised by Lionel Newman, head of
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
's music department. The soundtrack album was released by
20th Century Records 20th Century Fox Records (also known as 20th Fox Records and 20th Century Records, or simply 20th Century Fox Film Scores and Fox Records) was a wholly owned subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. The history of the label covers three dis ...
as a
double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...
-
LP record The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of  rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...
in the United States in June 1977. The album's
main title The main title is the music, often later recorded on soundtrack albums, that is heard in a film while the opening credits are rolling. It does not refer to music playing from on-screen sources such as radios, as in the original opening credits seq ...
peaked at No. 10 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
, with a disco version of the film's theme by Meco becoming a
number one single ''#1 Single'' is a reality-based show that aired on E! Entertainment Television in the United States. The eight-segment program premiered on January 22, 2006 and ended its run on March 19, 2006. Synopsis In this reality-based series, all of w ...
hit in the United States in October 1977. The soundtrack album itself became the best-selling symphonic album of all time; it was certified Gold and Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
, and won numerous accolades including an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, a BAFTA Award, and
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
in the categories of best film score and soundtrack album. In 2004, it was preserved by the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
into the
National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservati ...
, calling it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2005, the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
named the original ''Star Wars'' soundtrack as the most memorable score of all time for an American film. The ''Star Wars'' soundtrack saw subsequent reissues since its initial release. In 2016, the album was re-released by Sony Classical Records on vinyl, CD, and digital formats alongside Williams' other ''Star Wars'' soundtracks. The vinyl release is pressed on 180g vinyl, and features the original 20th Century Records logo. Unlike all of Sony Classical's previous releases, however, the vinyl version is a remastered version of the original 1977 release, not the Special Edition. Walt Disney Records remastered and reissued the soundtrack on
vinyl LP The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of  rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...
on December 1, 2017, and on CD and digital formats on May 4, 2018.


Original 1977 release

The original 1977 release of the soundtrack, entitled ''Star Wars - Original Soundtrack'', included a poster of a painting by science fiction artist
John Berkey John Berkey (August 13, 1932 – April 29, 2008) was an American artist known for his space and science fiction themed works. Some of Berkey's best-known work includes much of the original poster art for the ''Star Wars'' trilogy, the poster for ...
, depicting the final battle over the Death Star from the film's end. The album was released as a double LP which was formatted for an autochanger record player; one disc had sides one and four with the other having sides two and three. This allowed a person to stack sides one and two on the player, then flip the stack over for sides three and four, allowing the listener to have over half an hour of uninterrupted music before they needed to flip the discs over.


Track listing

First release on LP by 20th Century Records. For the original soundtrack, Williams selected 75 minutes of music out of the 88 minute score. To provide musical variety, it did not follow the film's chronological order. This track listing is also shared by Sony Classical's LP release in 2016, and Walt Disney Records' LP and CD releases in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Total Time: 74:58


Personnel

* 1st Violins: Neville Taweel (Leader), Richard Studt (Principal), Irvine Arditti (Principal), Brian Thomas (Sub-Principal), Stanley Castle, Sydney Colter, Dennis Gaines, Robert Retallick, C. Reuben, Norman Freeman, Max Weber, Robin Brightman, Brian Gaulton * 2nd Violins: Warwick Hill (Principal), Neil Watson (Co-Principal), Samuel Artis, William Brown, Thomas Cook, Terry Morton, Jack Steadman, Donald Stewart, Thomas Swift, David Williams, R. Clark, Geoffrey Creese, D. Llewellyn, Harry Nathan * Violas: Alexander Taylor (Principal), Brian Clarke (Co-Principal), Peter Norriss (Sub-Principal), Patrick Hooley, Michael Mitchell, David Hume, William Sumpton, Patrick Vermont, William Krasnik, Eric Cuthbertson * Cellos: Douglas Cummings (Principal), Maurice Meulien (Co-Principal), Ray Adams (Sub-Principal), Jack Long, Ken Law, Douglas Powrie, Francis Saunders, Clive Gillinson, Tom Storer, K. Glossop * Double Basses: Bruce Mollinson (Principal), Arthur Griffiths (Sub-Principal), John Cooper, Gerald Newson, Pashanko Dimitroff, Goelson Neal * Flutes: Richard Taylor (Principal), Lowry Sanders, Francis Nolan * Oboes: Roger Lord (Principal), Anthony Camden (Principal) * Clarinets: Jack Brymer (Principal), Ronald Moore, Roy Jowitt * Bassoons: Robert Bourton (Principal), Peter Francis * Horns:
David Cripps David Cripps is a British active horn-player and conductor. He was principal horn in the London Symphony Orchestra during the years that they played Star Wars and Superman. He has also performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Hal ...
(Principal), John Rooke (Asst. Principal), Anthony Chidell, Graham Warren, James Quaife, James Brown, S. Reading, J. Butterworth, Terry Johns * Trumpets: Maurice Murphy (Principal), William Lang, Norman Archibald, R. Izen * Trombones: Dennis Wick (Principal), Eric Crees (Principal), Frank Mathison * Tuba: J. Fletcher (Principal), Steven Wick * Timpani: Kurt-Hans Goedicke (Principal) * Percussion: Michael Frye (Principal), Ray Northcott * Harp: Renata Sheffel-Stein (Principal), J. Marson * Piano/Celeste: Robert Noble (Principal), M. Round


Subsequent releases


Release history


1986 release

First release on CD by
Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
in 1986. It is identical in content and packaging to the LP release. Disc one #"
Main Title The main title is the music, often later recorded on soundtrack albums, that is heard in a film while the opening credits are rolling. It does not refer to music playing from on-screen sources such as radios, as in the original opening credits seq ...
" – 5:21 #"Imperial Attack" – 6:16 #"Princess Leia's Theme" – 4:22 #"The Desert and the Robot Auction" – 2:52 #"Ben's Death and TIE Fighter Attack" – 3:46 #"The Little People Work" – 4:01 #"Rescue of the Princess" – 4:46 #"Inner City" – 4:13 #"Cantina Band" – 2:45 Disc two #"The Land of the Sandpeople" – 2:49 #"Mouse Robot and Blasting Off" – 4:01 #"The Return Home" – 2:45 #"The Walls Converge" – 4:32 #"The Princess Appears" – 4:03 #"The Last Battle" – 12:06 #"The Throne Room and End Title" – 5:27


''Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology''

In 1993, 20th Century Fox Film Scores released a four-CD box set containing music from the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy. This release marked the first time that the complete contents of the original double-LP releases of the scores from the first two films became available on CD. Disc one in the set was devoted to ''Star Wars'', with further tracks on disc four. Since every cue is recorded several times, usually with varying orchestral differences, the final decisions on what takes of cues are used and/or how they are edited to create the tracks was decided by the music editor Kenneth Wannberg. In the time between the original LP release and the Anthology's release, this breakdown was lost. Because of this, many takes of cues used on the Anthology are not the same. This is most obvious on the cue "The Throne Room". Also, the tracks were re-arranged to better follow their chronological order in the film. The alternate version of the Star Wars Main Title can be heard in the end credits for Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, and is included in the film's soundtrack.


1997 and 2004 Special Edition reissues

The 1997 release includes the complete film score, including expanded and unreleased tracks.


2017 and 2018 Disney reissues

Walt Disney Records reissued the original 1977 soundtrack album in digital formats and streaming services on January 1, 2017, and on LP record on December 1, 2017, to coincide with the film's fortieth anniversary that same year. The LP reissue featured a
remaster Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used. Mastering A ...
ed soundtrack, hand-etched hologram art, and a 48-page book containing production photographs, liner notes, and essays on John Williams and the music of ''Star Wars.'' Disney released a newly remastered edition of the original 1977 album program on CD, digital download, and streaming services on May 4, 2018. This remaster was newly assembled by Shawn Murphy and
Skywalker Sound Skywalker Sound is the sound effects, sound editing, sound design, sound mixing and music recording division of Lucasfilm. Founded in 1975, the company's main facilities are located at George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch in Lucas Valley, near Nicasio, ...
from the highest-quality master tapes available, rather than sourced from the existing 1977 album masters. On these reissues, the final track ("The Throne Room and End Title") is presented at the correct speed and pitch, having been sped up slightly on the original LP, CD, and 2016 Sony releases.


Accolades

*
Academy Award for Best Original Score The Academy Award for Best Original Score is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by t ...
(1977) * Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (1977) * BAFTA Award for Best Film Music (1978) * Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (1978) * Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (1978) – for ''Main Title'' * Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (1978) *
Saturn Award for Best Music The Saturn Award for Best Music is one of the annual awards given by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The Saturn Awards, which are the oldest film-specialized awards to reward science fiction, fantasy, and horror achieve ...
(1977) – tied with '' Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' *AFI's Greatest American movie score of all time (2005)


Charts


Certifications


Original recording log

The score for ''Star Wars'' was recorded over the span of eight days in the month of March 1977. The 1997 Special Edition soundtrack release by RCA Victor included a detailed look at the recording log for all the cues in the film.


See also

*''
The Story of Star Wars ''The Story of Star Wars'' is a 1977 record album presenting an abridged version of the events depicted in the film ''Star Wars'', using dialogue and sound effects from the original film. The recording was produced by George Lucas and Alan Living ...
'' * Music of ''Star Wars''


References

{{Authority control Star Wars film soundtracks John Williams soundtracks
Soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
1977 soundtrack albums 1970s film soundtrack albums Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients United States National Recording Registry recordings London Symphony Orchestra soundtracks RCA Victor soundtracks Sony Classical Records soundtracks 20th Century Fox Records soundtracks Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Walt Disney Records soundtracks RSO Records soundtracks United States National Recording Registry albums