Meco - WikiHQ

Domenico Monardo (November 29, 1939 – May 26, 2023), known as Meco, was 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.

Early life and education

Meco Monardo was born in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, United States, on November 29, 1939 to parents of Italian descent. Building model ships, science fiction and movies were some of his boyhood preoccupations. His father played the valve trombone in a small Italian band, and through him Meco got his first musical education.

Around 1973, Meco and Tony Bongiovi were part of a trio that formed the production company Disco Corporation of America. From 1974 to 1976, Meco worked as a record producer. The team of Meco, Bongiovi, Jay Ellis, and Harold Wheeler produced the 1974 Gloria Gaynor hit "Never Can Say Goodbye." Carol Douglas' "Doctor's Orders" was among the other productions of that period.

In a matter of just three weeks they arranged and recorded Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk. Although the album was nominated for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards in 1978, the award ultimately went to John Williams for the original soundtrack album.

The band Meco

For a period of four months there was even a show band assembled to perform to Meco's disco music in public venues. However, the band was not involved in the making of the music. This initiative was organized by Norby Walters, a booking agent for discos. The band members toured the U.S. and Canada as a high energy show band called Lemon Tree. Norby Walters booked and also managed the band before the Star Wars project. Band personnel was Carmine Giovinazzo, Stan Glogicheski, Tommy Rocco, Tony Abruzzo, and Tony "Butch" Gerace.

Other soundtracks become "Meco-ized"

In the fall of 1977, Meco's second album was released. It was another rearranged science-fiction movie soundtrack, Encounters of Every Kind, based on John Williams music of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, from which three singles were released: "Topsy," "Meco's Theme," and "Theme from 'Close Encounters.'"

Meco's third album came in early 1978, and this time it was the music from The Wizard of Oz, which got transformed into a disco album by the same name, as Meco described: "It is my best work, bar none." From this album came the hit single "Themes from The Wizard of Oz: 'Over the Rainbow'/'We're off to See the Wizard.'"

In the fall of 1978, Millennium merged with RCA. Since he had developed a deep-bonded working relationship with Neil Bogart and other staff at Casablanca Records (Millennium and Casablanca having cooperated closely), Meco decided to move to Casablanca. Casablanca released the fourth Meco album, Superman and Other Galactic Heroes, featuring two hit singles, "Superman Theme" and "Love Theme From Superman." This was yet another Meco makeover of an original John Williams score.

In 1979, the fifth album, Moondancer, was released, and with it the hit singles "Moondancer," "Grazing in the Grass," and "Devil's Delight." In 1980, Meco's sixth album, Music from Star Trek and Music from the Black Hole, was released, featuring the song "Theme from 'Star Trek.'" The movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) featured an original soundtrack composed by Jerry Goldsmith. Meco also created Meco Plays Music from The Empire Strikes Back, which was a 10" EP containing a mash-up of various themes from the John Williams score to The Empire Strikes Back for RSO Records.

The last album that Meco made for Casablanca, his seventh, which came out in 1981, was Impressions of An American Werewolf in London, based on the soundtrack from the 1981 feature film An American Werewolf in London. After this LP, Meco's tenure with Casablanca was over.

Meco also recorded for RSO Records (Empire Strikes Back and Christmas in the Stars) as well as Arista Records (Ewok Celebration, Pop Goes the Movies, Swingtime's Greatest Hits) and on Columbia with the single The Raiders March. His Hooked on Instrumentals was released on CD and Cassette on the K-Tel label in the US, and PolyGram Special Markets released a CD compilation of his greatest hits, The Best of Meco, in 1997.

Discography

Albums

Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk (Millennium, 1977)
Encounters of Every Kind (Millennium, 1977)
Meco Plays The Wizard of Oz (Millennium, 1978)
Superman And Other Galactic Heroes (Casablanca, 1978)
Moondancer (Casablanca, 1979)
Meco Plays Music from the Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album (RSO, 1980)
Music from Star Trek and Music from the Black Hole (Casablanca, 1980)
Across The Galaxy (RCA, 1980)
Impressions of An American Werewolf in London (Casablanca, 1981)
Pop Goes the Movies (Arista, 1982)
Swingtime's Greatest Hits (Arista, 1982)
Ewok Celebration (Arista 1983)
Hooked on Instrumentals (with Harold Wheeler) (1983)
The Best of Meco (Casablanca, 1997)
Dance Your Asteroids Off: The Complete Star Wars Collection (Mecoman Music, 2000)
Star Wars Party (2005) (This release is only sold on the Internet, a retail release with identical musical content was released as Music Inspired by "Star Wars")
Meco Presents Camouflage / Showdown (2010) (Two LPs reissued together on one CD, both originally released in 1977 on Honey Bee Records.)

Singles

Charted singles

{| class="wikitable" border="1"

! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year

! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Song title

! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Artist credit

! scope="col" colspan="7"| Peak chart positions

! style="width:40px;"| US

! style="width:40px;"| US AC

! style="width:40px;"| CAN

! style="width:40px;"| CAN AC

! style="width:40px;"| UK

| 1977

| "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band"

| align="center"| Meco

| align="center"| 1

| align="center"| 18

| align="center"| 6

| align="center"| 3

| align="center"| 1

| align="center"| 7

| rowspan="2"| 1978

| "Theme from Close Encounters"

| align="center"| Meco

| align="center"| 25

| align="center"| 30

| align="center"| 33

| align="center"| 76

| align="center"| 24

| align="center"| ―

| "Themes from The Wizard of Oz: Over the Rainbow/We're Off to See the Wizard"

| align="center"| Meco

| align="center"| 35

| align="center"| ―

| align="center"| 29

| align="center"| 11

| align="center"| ―

| rowspan="3"| 1980

| "Empire Strikes Back (Medley)"

| align="center"| Meco

| align="center"| 18

| align="center"| ―

| align="center"| 68

| align="center"| 23

| align="center"| ―

| "Love Theme from Shogun (Mariko's Theme)"

| align="center"| Meco

| align="center"| 70

| align="center"| ―

| "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)"

| align="center"| The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir & Chorale

| align="center"| 69

| align="center"| ―

| rowspan="2"| 1981

| "Summer of 81"

| align="center"| The Cantina Band

| align="center"| 81

| align="center"| ―

| "Blue Moon"

| align="center"| Meco

| align="center"| 106

| align="center"| ―

| rowspan="2"| 1982

| "Pop Goes the Movies Part I"

| align="center"| Meco

| align="center"| 35

| align="center"| 17

| align="center"| ―

| align="center"| 100

| align="center"| ―

| "Big Band Melody"

| align="center"| Meco

| align="center"| 101

| align="center"| 18

| align="center"| ―

| 1983

| "Ewok Celebration"

| align="center"| Meco

| align="center"| 60

| align="center"| ―

| colspan="10" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;" | "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Additional singles

"Topsy" / "Lady Marion" (1977)
"Crazy Rhythm" / "Hot in the Saddle" (Mexico promo release)
"Main Title Theme from Superman" / "Love Theme from Superman (Can You Read My Mind?)" (1979)
"Moondancer" (US 12-inch promo) (1979)
"Devil Delight" / "Grazing in te Grass" (1979)
"Theme from Star Trek" / "Clearmotion" (1980)
"Christmas in the Stars" / "Sleigh Ride" (1980)
"Moondance" / "Blue Moon" (1981)
"The Raiders March" (from the Motion Picture "Raiders of the Lost Ark") / "Cairo Nights" (1981)
"Anything Goes" / "Music Makers" (1984)

References

Bibliography

Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn presents Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Seventies and The Eighties. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc., 1991.

External links

Meco Discography
Meco Monardo interview with DiscoMusic.com
Meco fanpage