“May the Fourth Be With You!”
I didn’t have to put too much thought into today’s movie. Today is National Star Wars Day, after all.
According to National Day Calendar:
“Thousands of Star Wars enthusiasts celebrate this day each year with parties and celebrations around the nation. If you are a fan, then National Star Wars Day allows you to dress like your favorite character, say your favorite lines from the series and catch a movie or read a book.“
Star Wars fans didn’t first introduce the often-quoted phrase on May 4th. It was 1979, and Britain elected the first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. On May 4th, the day she took office, the Conservative Party placed an advertisement in The London Evening News, which read, “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.”
The soundtrack for Star Wars was composed by the great John Williams. It was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The Main Title was released as a single and rose to #10 on the Hot 100 chart. Rather than feature the main title theme, I decided to go with another song from the original soundtrack.
I remember seeing Star Wars in the theater the first time. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen and Darth Vader scared the heck out of me. The one scene that stuck out the most for 7 year old me and my 5 year old brother was when Luke and Obi-Wan go into the Cantina looking for Han Solo. As they walk in, the Cantina Band, made up of some crazy looking aliens, are jamming to what the soundtrack refers to as “Cantina Band.” It did have a name. According to Wookiepedia, it is called “Mad About You.”
Fun Fact: The band’s name in the script is “Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes”
In 1977, Meco recorded a disco version of the main title, and the cantina song. Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band clocked in at about 7 minutes long and went to #1 on the Hot 100 chart. I never liked that particular record, so instead, I’ll feature John Williams soundtrack version.
Raise a glass and celebrate Star Wars Day with a few friends….
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 