Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (soundtrack)

The first score to Star Wars was composed and conducted by John Williams and orchestrated by Herbert Spencer (who orchestrated all three films of the Original Trilogy). Recorded over eight sessions^[1] at Anvil Studios in Denham, England by Eric Tomlinson from March 5, 8–12, 15 and 16, 1977,^[source?] the score was performed by the 87-piece London Symphony Orchestra.^[2]

The film premiered on May 25, 1977 and by late summer a disco version of the Star Wars Theme by Meco became America's number one song. Williams received three Grammys in February 1978 and his third Academy Award (second for Best Original Score) in April.

A three-LP 40th anniversary box set was released on December 1, 2017.^[3] Remastered editions of the soundtracks for Episodes I-VI will be released on May 4, 2018.^[4]

Track listing for the first release on LPEdit

• First release on LP by 20th Century of the original soundtrack. John Williams selected 74 minutes of music out of the 88 minutes score.

Side OneEdit

1. Main Title – 5:20
2. Imperial Attack – 6:10
3. Princess Leia's Theme – 4:18
4. The Desert and the Robot Auction – 2:51

Side TwoEdit

1. Ben's Death and TIE Fighter Attack – 3:46
2. The Little People Work – 4:02
3. Rescue of the Princess – 4:46
4. Inner City – 4:12
5. Cantina Band – 2:44

Side ThreeEdit

1. The Land of the Sandpeople – 2:50
2. Mouse Robot and Blasting Off – 4:01
3. The Return Home – 2:46
4. The Walls Converge – 4:31
5. The Princess Appears – 4:04

Side FourEdit

1. The Last Battle – 12:05
2. The Throne Room and End Title – 5:28

Total Time: 74:58

Track listing for the first release on CDEdit

• First release on CD by Polydor.

1. Main Theme – 5:20
2. Imperial Attack – 6:10
3. Princess Leia's Theme – 4:18
4. The Desert and the Robot Auction – 2:51
5. Ben's Death and TIE Fighter Attack – 3:46
6. The Little People Work – 4:02
7. Rescue of the Princess – 4:46
8. Inner City – 4:12
9. Cantina Band – 2:44
10. The Land of the Sandpeople – 2:50
11. Mouse Robot and Blasting Off – 4:01
12. The Return Home – 2:46
13. The Walls Converge – 4:31
14. The Princess Appears – 4:04
15. The Last Battle – 12:05
16. The Throne Room and End Title – 5:28

Total Time: 74:58

Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack AnthologyEdit

Main article: Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology

In 1993, Twentieth Century Fox Film Scores released a four CD box set containing music from the original Star Wars Trilogy. This release marked the first time that the complete contents of the original double-LP releases of the scores from the first two movies became available on CD. Disc one in the set was devoted to Star Wars, with further tracks on disc four. For this set, John Williams selected 84 minutes of the 88 minute score.

Track listing for the complete scoreEdit

Available on RCA Victor (1997) and Sony Classical (2004) presenting the complete score in chronological order.

These two releases are essentially the same; one of the few differences is that the 1997 release included a booklet with detailed notes on the soundtrack, while the 2004 release did not.

Digitally remastered and re-edited from the original master tapes, this set is meant to be the definitive collection of the original Star Wars score.

Disc OneEdit

1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman, 1954) – 0:23
2. Main Title/Rebel Blockade Runner – 2:14
3. Imperial Attack – 6:43
4. The Dune Sea of Tatooine/Jawa Sandcrawler – 5:01
5. The Moisture Farm** – 2:25
6. The Hologram/Binary Sunset – 4:10
7. Landspeeder Search/Attack of the Sandpeople – 3:20 !(00:00-00:21)
8. Tales of a Jedi Knight/Learn About the Force* – 4:29
9. Burning Homestead – 2:50
10. Mos Eisley Spaceport – 2:16
11. Cantina Band – 2:47
12. Cantina Band #2* – 3:56
13. Archival Bonus Track: Binary Sunset* (Alternate) – 2:19

• contains the hidden track "Star Wars Main Title (Complete recording session version)" 11:56

Total Time: 57:35

*previously unreleased

**contains previously unreleased material

Disc TwoEdit

1. Princess Leia's Theme – 4:27
2. The Millennium Falcon/Imperial Cruiser Pursuit – 3:51
3. Destruction of Alderaan* – 1:32
4. The Death Star/The Stormtroopers* – 3:35
5. Wookiee Prisoner/Detention Block Ambush – 4:01
6. Shootout in the Cell Bay/Dianoga – 3:48
7. The Trash Compactor – 3:07
8. The Tractor Beam/Chasm Crossfire – 5:18
9. Ben Kenobi's Death/Tie Fighter Attack – 3:51
10. The Battle of Yavin – 9:07
    1. Launch from the Fourth Moon* – 1:12
    2. X-Wings Draw Fire – 5:38
    3. Use The Force – 2:17
11. The Throne Room/End Title – 5:38

Total Time: 48:16

• Although most likely a typographical mistake, the word "Battle" in track ten is spelled with only one "t" on both the CD inlet and back cover.

*previously unreleased

Recording InformationEdit

OrchestraEdit

Woodwind: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 2 bassoons

Brass: 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas

Percussion: Timpani, 3 percussion

Keyboards: Piano, Celeste

Strings: 2 harps, 14 first violins, 12 second violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos, 6 double basses

Cantina Band: 3 saxophones, 1 trumpet, 1 clarinet, Fender Rhodes piano, steel drum, Arp synthesizer, drum kit, and percussion

Cue List

• R1P2 Main Title
• R1P3 Imperial Attack - Pt. II [The War]
• R1P4-R2P1 Imperial Attack [The Escape Hatch]
• R1P5-R2P1 The Desert [Desert Song]
• R2P2 The Little People
• R2P3 The Little People
• R2P3 NEW The Little People
• R2P3 REV More Little People
• R2P5 REV More Little People
• R2P4 [R2P6] R-2
• R3P1 The Princess Appears
• R3P1 REV The Princes[s] Appears
• R3P1 REV Princess Leia's Theme [The Princess Appears]
• R3P2 NEW
• R3P2 Lost R2
• R3P2 REV Lost R-2
• R3P3 The Sand Speeder
• R3P3 REV The Sand Speeder
• R3P3 REV The Land of the Sand People [The Sand Speeder]
• R3P4-R4P1 REV Land of the Sand People Pt II [The Sandman Attacks]
• R3P4-R4P1 The Sand Man Attacks
• R3P4-R4P1 REV The Sand Man Attacks
• R4P2 Obi-Wan Kenobi
• R4P2 Land of the Sand People Pt III [Obi-Wan Kenobi]
• R4P2A The Force
• R4P3 The Princess Reappears
• R4P4 REV The Return Home [A Home Destroyed]
• R4P4 A Home Destroyed
• R4P4 REV A Home Destroyed
• R5P1 A Hive of Villany
• R5P6 The Inner City
• R5P6 REV The Inner City
• R6P1 Blasting Away
• R6P5 NEW The Destruction of Alderon
• R7P1 NEW Is It A Bird?
• R7P2 The Hatch Opens
• R7P2 The Mouse Robot
• R8P2 NEW More Rescue
• R8P2 REV New Introduction to The Rescue
• R8P2 The Rescue
• R8P3 The Water Snake
• R8P3 REV The Water Snake
• R8P4 The Walls Converge
• R9P1 Ben Creeps Around
• R9P2 The Swashbucklers
• R9P3-R10P1 Ben's Death
• R10P2 The Fighters Attack [Here They Come]
• R10P3-R11P1 Standing By [Stand By]
• R11P2 REV The Last Battle Pt II [Approaching the Target]
• R11P2 Approaching the Target
• R12P2X
• R12P2 The Throne Room and End Title [End Titles]
• The Princess Theme

Original Recording LogEdit

The score for Star Wars was recorded over the span of 8 days in the month of March 1977. The 1997 Special Edition soundtrack release by RCA Victor included a detailed look at the recording log for all the cues in the film.

Notes and referencesEdit

See alsoEdit

• Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace soundtrack
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones soundtrack
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith soundtrack
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back soundtrack
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi soundtrack
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens soundtrack
• Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology