Domenico Monardo (born November 29, 1939), known as Meco, is an American record producer and musician, as well as the name of his band or production team. Meco is best known for his 1977 space disco version of the Star Wars theme from his album Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk; both the single and album were certified platinum in the US.
According to Meco, “When disco was new, it was fresh and exciting because it was different. But pretty soon it became too cookie-cutter and wore itself out.” He left the music industry in 1985. After three years of “doing nothing but playing golf,” he started working as a commodity broker in Florida.
Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk is a disco album by Meco released in 1977. The album uses various musical themes from the Star Wars soundtrack arranged as instrumental disco music. A single from the album, “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band”, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 1, 1977, holding to that position for two weeks. The album and single were both certified Platinum, for sales of one million albums and two million singles, on June 8, 1978.
The complete contents of the album are also available on the 1997 Mercury compilation “The Best of Meco”.
Star Wars (15:49) “Title Theme” “Imperial Attack” “The Desert & the Robot Auction” “The Princess Appears” “The Land of the Sand People” “Princess Leia’s Theme” “Cantina Band” “The Last Battle” “The Throne Room & End Title”
Other Galactic Funk (12:31) “Other” (4:07) “Galactic” (5:02) “Funk” (3:21)
“Star Wars Theme – Cantina Band” (7″ edit) (3:32)
“Star Wars Theme – Cantina Band” (12″ disco mix) (7:34)
Drasan Thims (Sandra Smith), Harold Wheeler, Pat Rebillot: Keyboards Suzanne Ciani: Special Musical and Sound Effects (as created on a Buchla synthesizer) Tony Bongiovi: Studio tape effects, guitars Cliff Morris, David Spinozza, John Tropea, Lamer Murhab, Lance Quinn, Simm Tenaj: Guitars Neil Jason, Bob Walters, Will Lee: Bass Allan Schwartzberg, Dor McBrene, Jimmy Young: Drums Anthony Eversley, Dave Carey, John Purcell, Kendall Turner, Kirk Parson, Nor Thornaring, Meco, Rubens Bassini, Solomon Smith, Thomas Simons, Timothy Thompson, Vincent Lilly: Percussion Eddie Bert: Trombone Jon Faddis, Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff & Randy Brecker: Trumpets
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