Christmas in the Stars
Encyclopedia
Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album is a record album
produced in 1980 by RSO Records
. It features recordings of Star Wars
-themed Christmas
songs and stories about a droid factory where the robots make toys year-round for "S. Claus
".
Much of the album is sung and narrated by British actor Anthony Daniels
, reprising his role as C-3PO
from the Star Wars
films. Sound designer Ben Burtt
also provided sound effects for R2-D2
and Chewbacca
.
(who had previously recorded Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk
), with the hope that this would be the first in a series of annual Star Wars Christmas albums. The majority of the album's original songs were written by Maury Yeston
, a Yale University
music professor who went on to become a Tony Award
-winning Broadway
musical composer.
The album is notable for featuring the first professional recording of Jon Bon Jovi
(credited as "John Bongiovi", his birth name), who sang lead vocals on the song "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas." His cousin Tony Bongiovi
co-produced the album and ran the recording studio at which it was recorded, where Jon was working sweeping floors at the time.
After the first printing of 150,000 copies, Meco was asked to allow George Lucas
' name to be credited beside his under "Concept by". Due to the success of the album, the studios were ready to do a second printing, which would give Lucas credit. But before the second record printing could be done, RSO Records
shut down due to an unrelated lawsuit.
. The Cassette version is now
quite hard to come by.
Also in 1980, RSO released a 45 of "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)" (credited to The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir and Chorale) b/w "R2-D2 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.
This album was one of the industry's first non-classical-or-jazz projects to be recorded and mixed digitally, and when "What Can You Get a Wookie for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)" reached #69 on the Billboard Hot 100
pop chart in 1980 it was only the third digitally recorded single in chart history.
It was released on CD again, with Ralph McQuarrie's cover art restored, on October 15, 1996, this time by Rhino records, during the popularity of the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
project.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
produced in 1980 by RSO Records
RSO Records
RSO Records was a record label, formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood in 1973. The "RSO" stands for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. The company's main headquarters were at 67 Brook Street, in London's Mayfair...
. It features recordings of Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
-themed Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
songs and stories about a droid factory where the robots make toys year-round for "S. Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
".
Much of the album is sung and narrated by British actor Anthony Daniels
Anthony Daniels
Anthony Daniels is an English actor. He is best known for his role as the droid C-3PO in the Star Wars series of films made between 1977 and 2005.-Early life:...
, reprising his role as C-3PO
C-3PO
C-3PO is a robot character from the Star Wars universe who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. He is also a major character in the television show Droids, and appears frequently in the series' "Expanded Universe" of novels, comic books, and video games...
from the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
films. Sound designer Ben Burtt
Ben Burtt
Benjamin "Ben" Burtt, Jr. is an American sound designer who has worked on various films including: the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series, Invasion of the Body Snatchers , E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , and WALL-E...
also provided sound effects for R2-D2
R2-D2
R2-D2 , is a character in the Star Wars universe. An astromech droid, R2-D2 is a major character throughout all six Star Wars films. Along with his droid companion C-3PO, he joins or supports Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various points in the saga...
and Chewbacca
Chewbacca
Chewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
.
Production
The album was produced by Meco MonardoMeco
Meco is an American record producer and musician, as well as the name of a band or production team based around him...
(who had previously recorded Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk
Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk
Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk is a disco album by Meco released in 1977. The album remakes various themes and songs from the Star Wars soundtrack into disco tunes. A single from the album entitled "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" was released, and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on...
), with the hope that this would be the first in a series of annual Star Wars Christmas albums. The majority of the album's original songs were written by Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston is an American composer, lyricist, educator and musicologist.He is known for writing the music and lyrics to Broadway musicals, including Nine in 1982, and Titanic in 1997, both of which won Tony Awards for best musical and best score. He also won a Drama Desk Award for Nine...
, a Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
music professor who went on to become a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical composer.
The album is notable for featuring the first professional recording of Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
(credited as "John Bongiovi", his birth name), who sang lead vocals on the song "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas." His cousin Tony Bongiovi
Tony Bongiovi
Tony Bongiovi is a record producer and recording engineer with expertise in Electrical & Acoustical Engineering. He helped to remodel an old building in Manhattan—once a power plant for Edison, and later a television studio—into the Power Station recording studio in 1977.Bongiovi was born in the...
co-produced the album and ran the recording studio at which it was recorded, where Jon was working sweeping floors at the time.
After the first printing of 150,000 copies, Meco was asked to allow George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
' name to be credited beside his under "Concept by". Due to the success of the album, the studios were ready to do a second printing, which would give Lucas credit. But before the second record printing could be done, RSO Records
RSO Records
RSO Records was a record label, formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood in 1973. The "RSO" stands for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. The company's main headquarters were at 67 Brook Street, in London's Mayfair...
shut down due to an unrelated lawsuit.
Track listing
- "Christmas in the Stars" – 3:17
- "Bells, Bells, Bells" – 3:15
- "The Odds Against Christmas" – 3:04
- "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)" – 3:24
- "R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas" – 3:16
- "Sleigh Ride" – 3:36
- "Merry, Merry Christmas" – 2:09
- "A Christmas Sighting ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)" – 3:43
- "The Meaning of Christmas" – 8:08
LP and Tape
The complete album was released by RSO records on LP and Cassette in November 1980, to cash in on the increasingly popular Star Wars saga. This original printing featured cover art by the Star Wars film's production artist, Ralph McQuarrieRalph McQuarrie
Ralph McQuarrie is a conceptual designer and illustrator who designed Star Wars , the original Battlestar Galactica , E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Cocoon, for which he won an Academy Award....
. The Cassette version is now
quite hard to come by.
Also in 1980, RSO released a 45 of "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)" (credited to The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir and Chorale) b/w "R2-D2 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.
This album was one of the industry's first non-classical-or-jazz projects to be recorded and mixed digitally, and when "What Can You Get a Wookie for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)" reached #69 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop chart in 1980 it was only the third digitally recorded single in chart history.
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 Ralph McQuarrie's cover art restored, on October 15, 1996, this time by Rhino records, during the popularity of the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is a multimedia project created by Lucasfilm Ltd. in 1996. The original idea was to create an interquel, a story set between the movies The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi , and to explore all commercial possibilities of a full motion picture release,...
project.