Meco Monardo

Meco Monardo, born on November 29, 1939, was an American musician and record producer. He is known for crafting multiple Star Wars musical works. These included Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk in 1977 and Christmas in the Stars in 1980, which he released under the Meco moniker. Meco's other Star Wars-related output featured the tracks "Ewok Celebration," "Lapti Nek," and "Themes from Star Wars," all found on the Ewok Celebration album, as well as the EP "Meco* – Plays Music From The Empire Strikes Back," and the compilation albums Dance Your Asteroids Off: The Complete Star Wars Collection, which came out in 2000, and Music Inspired By Star Wars.

The album art for Meco's successful album, Music Inspired by Star Wars and other Galactic Funk. Meco attended the premiere of Star Wars in 1977, and it's said that he watched it several more times during that first weekend. He became captivated by John Williams's musical score and sought permission to create a disco-style interpretation. The single "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" became a chart-topping success, reaching the number one spot. In this popular track, Meco and his production partner Tony Bongiovi meticulously recreated the sounds of R2-D2, starships, and laser fire to enhance the listener's immersive experience. Meco obtained the Star Wars score by contacting 20th Century Fox; the receptionist, unable to send the score directly, received flowers from Meco, after which he obtained the score in a matter of days.

Meco stepped away from music in 1985 following the release of "Ewok Celebration." He revisited Star Wars music in 2000 after The Phantom Menace was released, and he put out his last Star Wars music in 2005. Meco died on May 26, 2023, at the age of 83.