Star Wars Christmas Album

Yesterday the release date for Star Wars: Episode VII was revealed to be December the 18th, 2015. Setting a release date for a film which hasn’t been written yet may seem foolhardy but this is Star Wars, so there was a palpable excitement felt across the internet, as if millions of rumours cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

The festive release date not only places Star Wars outside of the incredibly crowded 2015 Blockbuster season but returns Star Wars to seasonal spot which has previously given rise to some of the series’ most interesting off-shoots. The infamous Holiday Special (disowned by Lucas, but embraced – and then recoiled from – by the internet) was one such enterprise, as was this little gem: the Star Wars inspired Christmas Album Christmas in the Stars.

Recorded and released in late 1980 the album features Star Wars barnacle Anthony Daniels reprising his role as C-3PO and has Ben Burtt providing all the requisite FX. The songs are a mixture of familiar songs adapted to include some Star Wars icons and the like. Others are just plain weird.

An enterprising YouTuber by the name of Rick Atterby has even edited a music video of sorts for one of the songs, which goes by the entirely uninspired name of A Very, Merry Star Wars Christmas, and you can see that below.

Here’s another choice pick from the album, with another improbably name (and smelling deeply resonant of the Holiday Special), What do you get a Wookiee for Christmas (when he already owns a comb?). Seriously.

And here’s the curious diamante in the rough, the first professional recording of one Jon Bon Jovi, as he takes on lead vocals for the seasonal classic, R2D2, We wish you a Merry Christmas. Go on, you’re interested….

All of the other tracks from this album can be found on this post at the great Star Wars Trilogy blog, which has dozens of other rare Star Wars pieces and is definitely worth a visit or two.

So in the twenty-five month between now and the release of Episode VII you can stick this lot on your electronic music playing device and learn all the words because you know, you just know, they’ll be a twenty-fifth year anniversary re-release for this album…