Disco-Flavored “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” Hits #1

October 1, 2023 13

“Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” is a song recorded by Meco, taken from the album Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 1, 1977, holding on to the spot for two weeks and peaked at no. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, remaining in the charts for nine weeks. The single was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, having sold a million units.

It’s a 15-minute song made up of Star Wars music set to a disco beat. There’s even an R2-D2 bleeping solo.

Meco - Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk: Star Wars

Meco Monardo, a session trombonist and music producer, is one of the first in line to see Star Wars on opening day in 1977 and is blown away – not just by the intergalactic tale of good vs. evil or the visionary special effects that bring it to life, but by the triumphant main title theme performed by John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra. Through the course of ten more viewings, he brainstorms a disco treatment that will combine the score’s various character themes with other quirky elements from the film, like wookiee noises and R2-D2’s chirpy bleeps.

The “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” single (“Cantina Band” referring to the house band’s zippy number at the Mos Eisley Cantina) is a #1 hit. The album is nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, but loses to Williams for the Star Wars Soundtrack.

Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band