The Return of the Jedi

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...

score was recorded at the Abbey Road studios in January and February 1983. Again, John Williams conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and served as producer. Orchestrator Herbert W. Spencer

Herbert W. Spencer

Herbert Winfield Spencer was a film and television composer and orchestrator.Spencer gained industry fame when he teamed up with fellow 20th Century Fox orchestrator Earle Hagen in 1953 to create the Spencer-Hagen Orchestra...

, engineer Eric Tomlinson, music editor Kenneth Wannberg, and record supervisor Lionel Newman

Lionel Newman

Lionel Newman was an American conductor, pianist, and film and television composer. He was the brother of Alfred Newman and Emil Newman, uncle of Randy Newman, David Newman and Thomas Newman, and grandfather of Joey Newman....

 again reprised their respective duties. The score won another Oscar nomination for Williams. Return of the Jedi, which is the longest score of the Original Trilogy, was only released on a single LP instead of a double set like the Star Wars

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (soundtrack)

John 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 performed by the London Symphony Orchestra with Williams himself conducting...

and The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (soundtrack)

The score from The Empire Strikes Back, composed by John Williams, was recorded in 18 sessions at Anvil Studios over three days in December 1979 and a further six days in January 1980 with Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra...

soundtracks before it.

Track listing for the first release on LP

• First release on LP by RSO
  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...
  
  .

Side 1

1. Main Title (The Story Continues) – 5:09
2. Into the Trap – 2:36
3. Luke and Leia – 4:44
4. Parade of the Ewoks – 3:25
5. Han Solo Returns (At the Court of Jabba the Hutt) – 4:10
6. Lapti Nek (Jabba's Palace Band) – 2:49

Side 2

1. The Forest Battle – 4:01
2. Rebel Briefing – 2:22
3. The Emperor – 2:41
4. The Return of the Jedi – 5:02
5. Ewok Celebration
   Ewok Celebration
   Ewok Celebration is a musical theme recurring in the ending of the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi. It was composed by John Williams while his son Joseph Williams wrote the lyrics...
   
    and Finale – 8:00

Total Time: 44:59

Track listing for the first release on CD

• First release on CD by Polydor.

1. Main Title (The Story Continues) – 5:09
2. Into the Trap – 2:36
3. Luke and Leia – 4:43
4. Parade of the Ewoks – 3:24
5. Han Solo Returns (At the Court of Jabba the Hutt) – 4:07
6. Lapti Nek – 2:48
7. The Forest Battle – 4:01
8. Rebel Briefing – 2:19
9. The Emperor – 2:40
10. The Return of the Jedi – 5:00
11. Ewok Celebration and Finale – 7:57

Total Time: 45:40

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 movies became available on CD. Disc three in the set was devoted to Return of the Jedi, with further tracks on disc four.

1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare with CinemaScope Extension - 0:23
2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star - 5:22
3. Han Solo Returns (At the Court of Jabba the Hutt) - 4:09
4. Fight in the Dungeon - 3:41
5. The Return of the Jedi - 5:02
6. The Emperor Arrives - 2:07
7. The Death of Yoda - 6:05
8. Parade of the Ewoks - 3:27
9. Luke and Leia - 4:47
10. The Emperor Confronts Luke - 3:29
11. Into the Trap - 2:39
12. First Ewok Battle/Fight With the Fighters - 7:24
13. The Forest Battle - 4:04
14. The Final Duel/Into the Death Star - 3:40
15. The Emperor's Death - 2:44
16. Darth Vader's Death - 2:33
17. Through the Flames - 1:39
18. Leia Breaks the News/Funeral Pyre for a Jedi - 2:22
19. Ewok Celebration/Finale - 7:58

Bonus Tracks (disc four of the same set)

3. Heroic Ewok/The Fleet Goes Into Hyperspace
7. The Ewok Battle
11. Lapti Nek
13. Faking the Code
14. Brother and Sister
16. Leia is Wounded/Luke and Vader Duel
19. The Return of the Jedi (Alternate)
20. Leia Breaks the News (Alternate)/Funeral Pyre for a Jedi (Film Version)
21. Ewok Celebration (Film Version) /End Credits (Film Version)
    • The second part of track 21, "End Credits (Film Version)," is from The Empire Strikes Back
      Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (soundtrack)
      The score from The Empire Strikes Back, composed by John Williams, was recorded in 18 sessions at Anvil Studios over three days in December 1979 and a further six days in January 1980 with Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra...
      
      .

Track listing for the Special Edition Release

• The expanded edition on RCA (1997) and Sony Classical (2004) contained the 1997 remix of the score. (It was falsely advertised with the legend "Now available on RCA (1997) and Sony Classical (2004) presenting the complete score"). 2CD.

Disc one

1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman, 1954) – 0:22
2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star/Tatooine Rendezvous – 9:17
   • contains the hidden track "Death Star in Disarray" (source music counterpart to "Darth Vader's Death") at – 5:04– 5:38
3. The Droids are Captured – 1:21
4. Bounty for a Wookiee – 2:50
5. Han Solo Returns – 4:01
6. Luke Confronts Jabba/Den of the Rancor/Sarlacc Sentence – 8:51
7. The Pit of Carkoon/Sail Barge Assault – 6:02
8. The Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/Obi-Wan's Revelation – 10:58
9. Alliance Assembly – 2:13
10. Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor – 4:09
11. Speeder Bike Chase/Land of the Ewoks – 9:38
12. The Levitation/Threepio's Bedtime Story – 2:46
13. Source Music: Jabba's Baroque Recital – 3:09
14. Jedi Rocks – 2:42
15. Archival Bonus Track: Sail Barge Assault (Alternate) – 5:04

Total Time: 73:14

Disc two

1. Parade of the Ewoks – 3:28
2. Luke and Leia – 4:46
3. Brother and Sister/Father and Son/The Fleet Enters Hyperspace/Heroic Ewok – 10:40
4. The Emperor's Throne Room – 3:26
5. The Battle of Endor – 11:50
   1. Into the Trap – 2:30
   2. Forest Ambush – 2:00
   3. Scout Walker Scramble – 2:04
   4. The Prime Weapon Fires – 5:16
6. The Lightsaber/The Ewok Battle – 4:31
7. The Battle of Endor II – 10:03
   1. Leia is Wounded – 1:02
   2. The Duel Begins – 1:51
   3. Overtaking the Bunker – 1:00
   4. The Dark Side Beckons – 3:33
   5. The Emperor’s Death – 2:37
8. The Battle of Endor III – 6:04
   1. Superstructure Chase – 1:53
   2. Darth Vader's Death – 2:34
   3. The Main Reactor – 1:36
9. Leia's News/Light of the Force – 3:24
10. Victory Celebration/End Title – 8:34
11. Source Music: Ewok Feast/Part of the Tribe – 4:02
12. Archival Bonus Track: The Forest Battle (Concert Suite) – 4:05

Total Time: 74:47

Currently Lost/Unreleased Cues

Currently, several source cues and other material is unavailable. Many of these master tapes could not be located in time for the Special Edition release of the score and are presumed lost.

These tracks include:

1. Jabba the Hutt's Concert Suite - All but the final portion of this original recording, incorrectly edited onto the end of the cue "Han Solo Returns" on the Anthology, remains unreleased. (This same portion is heard on the Return of the Jedi DVD menu as well).
2. Film Version of Lapti Nek (Original Source) - Several versions of this source cue written by John Williams
   John Williams
   John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
   
    son, Joseph Williams are available. Currently available are the album version on the Anthology and an extended album version and an instrumental track released on an LP single. However, the film version has yet to be released.
3. English Version of Lapti Nek (Sung by Joseph Williams) - This cue can be heard partially in "From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga", but remains unreleased.
4. Max Rebo Band Song (Sail Barge Dance) --Source Cue - This piece, performed by the resident musicians in Jabba's court (The Max Rebo Band) has never been released. It is heard after Chewbacca is taken away and also on Jabba's sail barge (hence its title). This cue can also be heard almost totally complete in "From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga", but remains unreleased.
5. Unknown Source Cue - this cue is not used in the film but is credited to Joseph Williams. Nothing more is known.
6. Alternate Film Takes - Several cues such as "Superstructure Chase" are presented on the SE using incorrect and often flubbed takes.
7. Battle For Endor Insert - This insert can be heard in the film when Chewbacca and the Ewoks use the AT-ST to blow up another AT-ST and is similar to a section from the "The Forest Battle Concert Suite" but has never been released.
8. Ewok Celebration Film Version - Two versions of this cue have been released, however, neither preserves the actual original recording used in the film.

Cues Not On the Special Edition

Although released as the complete score, there are several cues not on the Special Edition that have been released on previous releases.

1. Lapti Nek (Album) - This is released on the Anthology Set and is replaced on the SE with Jedi Rocks.
2. Leia's News (Alternate) - This is released on the Anthology set. The Film version however is heard on the SE.
3. Ewok Celebration (Ewok Source) - This is released on the Anthology set but is replaced on the SE with the new Celebration music written for the SE.
4. Ewok Celebration (Choir Source) - This is released on the Anthology set and is an alternate vocal mix (using only the choir, not the Ewok voices).

Problems with the Special Edition Release

Since the release of Return of the Jedi, many have commented on its dead sound . The original CD release along with the original LPs come from the same master tapes and so their sound should be the same (although many say the LPs sound better which could be explained by the ability to tweak the sound on the player).

The Anthology as well comes from many of the same masters.

The Special Edition, however, is commented as having come from the original masters.

In all cases, the higher frequencies are cut off. The strings sound un-naturally muted, and in many cases are barely audible.

See also

• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
  Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
  Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
  
  
• Star Wars music
  Star Wars music
  The music of Star Wars consists of the scores written for all six Star Wars films by composer John Williams from 1977 to 1983 for the Original Trilogy, and 1999 to 2005 for the Prequel Trilogy. It includes the Star Wars: The Clone Wars music written by Kevin Kiner...
  
  
• Filmtracks.com