Christmas in the Stars

Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album was an album originally produced in 1980 by the former RSO records. The album featured Star Wars-themed Christmas songs.

Production
The album was produced by Meco Monardo, the man who recorded the infamous disco version of A New Hope's main theme. Anthony Daniels voiced C-3PO and Ben Burtt provided the sounds for R2-D2 and Chewbacca. Christmas in the Stars was recorded in 1980, two years after the much maligned Star Wars Holiday Special aired. Though they share similar themes, they have no connections to one another whatsoever other than the fact that they were both marketed in conjunction with the holiday season (though the Holiday Special was tied to the American Thanksgiving holiday rather than Christmas.)

Track listing

 * 1) Christmas in the Stars
 * 2) Bells, Bells, Bells
 * 3) The Odds Against Christmas
 * 4) What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)?
 * 5) R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas
 * 6) Sleigh Ride
 * 7) Merry, Merry Christmas
 * 8) A Christmas Sighting ('Twas the Night Before...)
 * 9) The Meaning of Christmas

Release
Christmas in the Stars was released by RSO records on LP and cassette in November of 1980. Also in 1980, RSO released a 45 of "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas" (credited to The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir and Chorale) b/w "R2D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas" with a picture sleeve. In late 1983, a second 45 from the album was released by Polygram on the RSO label, "R2D2's Sleigh Ride" b/w "Christmas in the Stars," also with a picture sleeve. In November 1990, Polydor Records Japan released a 3 inch CD single featuring two tracks from the album.

The album made its CD debut in 1994 as an unheralded budget-label release by JFC/Polygram Special Markets (catalog # 314 520 216-2), with all artwork and references to Star Wars (except for those in the song titles) removed from the packaging. The only credit on the package was "Meco," and it featured a generic cover photo of space-themed Christmas boxes and decorations. It was released on CD again, with its original cover art restored, on October 15, 1996, this time by Rhino records, during the popularity of the Shadows of the Empire project.

Comments from the official site
On the official Star Wars site, the web curators actually make note of the disc's creation, rather than hide its existence as they did with The Star Wars Holiday Special. From the official site:
 * "What do you call a seasonal novelty album with an unusual concept that also features the first commercial recording of a hot rock star-to-be? Try Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album. How can you beat a lyric like 'Everyone will have a cookie, I bought extra for the Wookiee?'"

Trivia

 * Jon Bon Jovi made his first recording ever on this album (he's credited as John Bongiovi), singing lead vocals on "R2D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas." Jon did it as a favor to his cousin Tony Bongiovi, one of the producers of the album.
 * The majority of this album's original songs were written by Maury Yeston, a Yale University music professor who later wrote several successful Broadway musicals.
 * After the first printing, album creator, Meco was asked to allow George Lucas' name to be credited on the front cover. Due to the success of the album, the studios were ready to do a second printing, giving Lucas credit. Just before a second record printing was done, the company producing the record, RSO records, shut down due to an unrelated lawsuit. This cancelled a second printing on record.
 * Album creator Meco wrote a nine-page letter to George Lucas, asking if he could produce this type of album for the Star Wars saga.
 * This album was one of the industry's first non-classical-or-jazz projects to be recorded and mixed digitally.
 * "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)" reached #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in 1980, credited as "The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir and Choralle." It was the third digitally recorded single in chart history.
 * The song "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)" is possibly referenced in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, when Zaalbar says "«Wookiees do not brush their teeth, Mission! It... It just isn't done! What humiliation will you use on me next? A comb?»", in response to Mission's suggestion that he get groomed.
 * "Sleigh Ride" samples "Silent Night", the original "Sleigh Ride" and "Jingle Bells", while "A Christmas Sighting" is a Star Wars version of "The Night Before Christmas".

Notes and references

 * Star Wars Magazine UK 6
 * Star Wars Insider 28
 * Star Wars Insider 94