How would you rate the early Star Wars re-recordings?

[Jay 37,346]

Also I have learned thanks to picking up all those Philips CDs that JW himself released re-recordings of many Star Wars pieces in the 80s on his Philips albums

 

From Pops in Space (1980)

• Star Wars Main Theme
• Princess Leia's Theme
• The Asteroid Field
• Yoda's Theme
• The Imperial March

From Out of This World (1983)

• Parade of the Ewoks
• Luke & Leia
• Jabba The Hutt
• The Forest Battle

Those 9 pieces would all be collected together for the first time on Star Wars: The Best of Space Music in 1990, the same year Sony put out his newly recorded Star Wars compilation, which included these same 9 pieces plus 4 others.

 

https://www.discogs.com/John-Williams-4-And-The-Boston-Pops-Orchestra-Star-Wars-The-Best-Of-Space-Music/master/974206

 

Probably worthwhile of consideration amongst these other re-recordings, as they are different than what he did for his 1990 Sony album, and were released close to the Gerhardt, Mehta, and Kojian ones.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Thank you, Jay!

 

Btw, I just do what you frequently do yourself to other posters, so I assume you're not offended. 

 

Andit's afternoon here. 

 

Who is this Andit?

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

Also I have learned thanks to picking up all those Philips CDs that JW himself released re-recordings of many Star Wars pieces in the 80s on his Philips albums

 

From Pops in Space (1980)

• Star Wars Main Theme
• Princess Leia's Theme
• The Asteroid Field
• Yoda's Theme
• The Imperial March

From Out of This World (1983)

• Parade of the Ewoks
• Luke & Leia
• Jabba The Hutt
• The Forest Battle

Those 9 pieces would all be collected together for the first time on Star Wars: The Best of Space Music in 1990, the same year Sony put out his newly recorded Star Wars compilation, which included these same 9 pieces plus 4 others.

 

https://www.discogs.com/John-Williams-4-And-The-Boston-Pops-Orchestra-Star-Wars-The-Best-Of-Space-Music/master/974206

 

Probably worthwhile of consideration amongst these other re-recordings, as they are different than what he did for his 1990 Sony album, and were released close to the Gerhardt, Mehta, and Kojian ones.

 

Good question. I've been aware of these recordings for a long time. The compilation you mention that gathers all nine SW tracks was re-released in 1997, retitled Music From The Star Wars Saga, and seems to be still in print.

 

https://www.discogs.com/John-Williams-4-And-The-Boston-Pops-Orchestra-Music-From-The-Star-Wars-Saga/master/840033

 

The compilation actually adds five non-SW tracks; two from E.T., two from Superman, and the CE3K suite. The album comprises the entirety of Pops in Space and the JW-composed tracks of Out of this World, in addition to E.T.'s The Flying Theme from the album Aisle Seat.

 

Of course, there's also the more recent 2 CD set from 2015, which includes the non-JW tracks from Out of this World, and JW's recording of The Planets, but unfortunately omits the two Superman tracks from Pops in Space. 

 

As to your question, the reason I didn't include Star Wars: The Best of Space Music / Music From The Star Wars Saga, is that I decided to only include original albums. And Pops in Space and Out of This World were deemed too short in terms of SW content in order to be included. The boundary had to be put somewhere, but it could of course be argued that these tracks should have been included as part of the poll. In that case, I'd also have to consider including Kunzel's recordings and possibly some others, like Frank Barber's and Roy Budd's, both of which use the LSO.

[Jay 37,346]

They were also all collected on Space-Taculars in 1995

 

https://www.discogs.com/John-Williams-4Boston-Pops-Orchestra-Space-Taculars/release/6319526

 

That was the first time I heard them.  I got it from the BMG music club when I was a kid

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

Yeah, I know about that one, but I'd say the other compilation is better, as Space-Taculars features more tracks from the (IMO) quite mediocre Out of This World. What do you think of this latter album?

[Jay 37,346]

I dunno, Space-Taculars and Music From The Star Wars Saga are pretty similar to each other, each featuring the same 12 space-y JW tunes, one just adds Alien, Star Trek, and 2001 to those while the other adds Superman instead.

 

The poll is fine the way it is. since they are comparing albums that were released with all new recordings, while JW's own version on Philips were spread over 2 different albums and then only later released on one album as a compilation.

 

Theoretically you could add an additional poll option if you wanted to to cover his Philips/Pops recordings in some way, but there'd barely be a point.  So many people have already voted, and even if these had been there from the beginning, many wouldn't choose it.  It doesn't really set the world on fire.  They are just kind standard presentations of these cues.  His 1990 Sony album at least made some changes.

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

14 minutes ago, Jay said:

I dunno, Space-Taculars and Music From The Star Wars Saga are pretty similar to each other, each featuring the same 12 space-y JW tunes, one just adds Alien, Star Trek, and 2001 to those while the other adds Superman instead.

 

What do you think about Out of This World? I have taken the bother of purchasing it, but I do find several of the tracks to be disappointing, both interpretation- and performance-wise.

 

19 minutes ago, Jay said:

His 1990 Sony album at least made some changes.

 

Yes, but I vastly prefer his Philips recording of Jabba the Hutt's theme. The Sony one is nearly unlistenable because of the soloist!

[Jay 37,346]

14 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

What do you think about Out of This World? I have taken the bother of purchasing it, but I do find several of the tracks to be disappointing, both interpretation- and performance-wise.

 

Haven't listened to it yet!

 

All those Philips albums are available for under 3 bucks, no reason not to just get it

 

14 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Yes, but I vastly prefer his Philips recording of Jabba the Hutt's theme. The Sony one is nearly unlistenable because of the soloist!

 

I never liked the sound effects at the end of Cantina Band on that album

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

Sound effects don't belong on a soundtrack album!