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Reel-to-Reel front cover
cover design by Theodor Lloyd Glazer
photo of album cover by Styrous®
Forty-seven years ago today, on May 25, 1977, the blockbuster film, Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope, was released and Sci-Fi films would never be the same again.
I vividly remember standing in line with thousands of other Sci-Fi fanatics to see this new marvel, not really knowing what was in store for me (link below). It seems it was only yesterday that I watched the opening of the film crawl which was a throw back to the old 1930's Flash Gordon series (link below) as the film began and I heard the dramatic music of John Williams explode then slowly dwindle out and the huge Empire warship slowly emerge from the top of the screen; I can still feel the goose bumps that popped out on my arms.
I was completely sucked in and have written extensively about the film, it's participants and, certainly not least, it's marketing items (link below) for the last few decades.
Reel-to-Reel front cover detail
cover design by Theodor Lloyd Glazer
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®
Star_Wars ~ Episode IV – A New Hope was the first film released in the Star Wars film series and the fourth chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga".
The cast includes Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, and James Earl Jones.
Reel-to-Reel back cover detail
cover design by Theodor Lloyd Glazer
photo of album back cover detail by Styrous®
I think the score for the film, by John Williams, is one of the greatest film scores ever written, surpassed only by Bernard Herman for The Day the Earth Stood Still. Actually, I think Star_Wars is the greatest score Williams EVER wrote; he never surpassed it.
Other collaborations with Spielberg include Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the Indiana Jones franchise (1981–2023), Jurassic Park (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Catch Me If You Can (2002), War Horse (2011), Lincoln (2012), and The Fabelmans (2022). His work as a film composer includes Valley of the Dolls (1967), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Cowboys (1972), The Long Goodbye (1973), and The Towering Inferno (1974). He received five Academy Awards for Best Original Score for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), Schindler's List (1993), Superman (1978) and the first three Harry Potter films (2001–2004).
With Henry Mancini, he recorded the scores of Peter Gunn (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Days of Wine and Roses (1962), and Charade (1963), and played the piano part of the guitar-piano ostinato in Mancini's Peter Gunn title theme.
The music from Star_Wars has been covered dozens of times. The film came out at the height of the disco era so, of course, there is a disco version by Meco (Domenico Monardo) (link below) and the latest iteration I know of is a hard rock cover by Galactic Empire with a really fun video for the song on YouTube (link below).
Tracklist:
Side 1:
Side 1:
A1 - Main Title
A2 - Imperial Attack
A3 - Princess Leia's Theme
A4 - The Desert And The Robot Auction
A5 - Ben's Death And The Tie Fighter Attack
A6 - The Little People Work
A7 - Rescue Of The Princess
A8 - Inner City
A9 - Cantina Band
A2 - Imperial Attack
A3 - Princess Leia's Theme
A4 - The Desert And The Robot Auction
A5 - Ben's Death And The Tie Fighter Attack
A6 - The Little People Work
A7 - Rescue Of The Princess
A8 - Inner City
A9 - Cantina Band
Side 2:
B1 - The Land Of The Sandpeople
B2 - Mouse Robot And Blasting Off
B3 - The Return Home
B4 - The Walls Converge
B5 - The Princess Appears
B6 - The Last Battle
B7 - The Throne Room And End Title
Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Soundstream, Inc.
Mastered At – Soundstream, Inc.
Mastered At – Sheffield Lab Matrix
Credits:
Composed By, Conductor – John Williams (4)
Design [Cover Design, Illustration] – Theodor Lloyd Glazer
Orchestra – Boston Pops Orchestra
Photography By – William Shisler
Producer – George Korngold
Notes:
℗ 1977 20th Century Records
CRC denotes Columbia House club edition
"For The United Kingdom, licenses for the use of recordings for public performances may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd., Ganton House, 14-22 Ganton Street, London.
Label: 20th Century Records – 1R2 6693
Format: Reel-To-Reel, 3 ¾ ips, ¼", 4-Track Stereo, 7" Cine Reel, Album, Club Edition
Country: US
Released: 1977
Genre: Classical, Stage & Screen
Style: Modern Classical, Contemporary, Soundtrack
Viewfinder links:
