January 31, 2024 Playlist

Patrick Gleeson "Patrick Gleeson's Star Wars" (1977)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Dr. Patrick Gleeson "Patrick Gleeson's Star Wars"  1977 (USA)
There were three huge "cultural event" blockbuster films I recall from the end of the 1970s: Smokey & The Bandit (#2 at the box office in 1977), (1978), and Saturday Night FeverStar Wars (#1 at the box office in 1977; the film later rebranded as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope). Even it you hadn't seen these films, references to them were everywhere. Smokey was a sexy "red state" comedy with a Country Music soundtrack (sooo dumb but kind of fun) and of course everyone knows about the legendary Bee Gees disco hits from Fever (which is a 5-star classic film about blue collar urban youth, in case you haven't seen it). The third of those films needs no introduction, and anyway I want to focus on what the deal was in 1977 when the first film in that ever-expanding fungus-franchise came out. Internet-driven "fandoms" did not exist yet (there were a few Trekkies around, but everyone thought they were the biggest dorks in the world.) Franchising, merchandising, sequelizing, monetizing, and all that corporate jazz was not really a thing yet, but it was about to be in large part due to the explosion of Star Wars mania. Every conceivable thing about Star Wars appeared on store shelves and in TV commercials: I recall eating "C-3PO's" breakfast cereal and washing my hair with Darth Vader shampoo when I was a kid! So naturally, there would be "Star Wars music albums" to be sold. I think there must have been changes in how studios deal with music liscensing, because there were a ton of "not music from the actual movie" Star Wars "inspired" albums based on John Williams' classic score for the film (including the inevitable disco version). I own two "electronic" Star Wars albums - the one by Electric Moog Orchestra Music From Star Wars (also 1977) is very mid, but Dr. Patrick Gleeson's take on it is so original that he put his own name before the movie in the title of his album (and maybe also had to do that for legal reasons? None of the album artwork refers to intellectual properties of 20th Century Fox pictures in any way of course! That's why there's a giant skull shooting pinballs at moons on the front cover!) Gleeson's previous works include an electronic version of Holst's famous classical suite The Planets (which is not as good as Tomita's version of the same piece that came out the same year). But more importantly he was a founder of Different Fur Studios in San Francisco where he worked as the "synthesizer technician" on some of the grooviest Herbie Hancock albums of the 1970's and eventually joined Herb's touring band. In subsequent years, he co-produced a couple tracks on Devo's debut album (1978; Brian Eno and Conny Plank also worked on that one!) and the very cool My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (1981) was recorded at his studio!
(N) = New Release
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
Amon Düül IISurrounded By The StarsWolf City1972Germany
Jeffersion AirplaneHave You Seen The Saucers?non-album single (Early Flight compilation)1970USA
The ByrdsMr. SpacemanFifth Dimension1966USA
The Bonzo Dog BandI'm The Urban SpacemanTadpoles1969UK
William Shatner (with Ian Paice and Johnny Winter)Space Truckin' (Deep Purple)Seeking Major Tom2011Canada (Quebec)
PixiesSpace (I Believe In)Trompe Le Monde
("Fool The World" in French)		1991USA
Zolar XRocket RollTimeless (compilation)rec. 1980?, rel. 2004USA
 
 
Kim Gordon Bye ByeThe Collective (N - forthcoming album)
2024 (Matador)USA
Sleater-Kinney Needlessly WildLittle Rope (N)
2024 (Loma Vista)USA
Ano NEETNEVESNeko Neko To To (N)
("Cat Cat Vomit Vomit")		2023 (Toy's Factory)Japan
HANABIE.  ("Chilly Flowers") Otaku Lovely Densetsu
("Lovely Nerd Legend")		single (N)
2024 (Sony)Japan
Atarashii Gakko! ("New School!") Toryanse  (name of a children's song and dance)single (N)
2024 (88Rising)Japan
Nagi Nemoto Sore Wa Mo Koi Jan  ("It's Already Love")Due Stelle EP (N)
("Two Stars" in Italian)		2023 (Dear Stage)Japan
The Black Keys
(with Beck and Dan The Automator) 		Beautiful People (Stay High)Ohio Players (N - forthcoming album)
2024 (Nonesuch)USA
 
 
Dr. Patrick GleesonStar Wars (Luke's Theme) (John Williams)Patrick Gleeson's Star Wars
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1977USA
Dr. Patrick GleesonDeath Star (John Williams)Patrick Gleeson's Star Wars
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1977USA
Dr. Patrick GleesonBen Kenobi's Theme (John Williams)Patrick Gleeson's Star Wars
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1977USA
Isao Tomita"Star Wars" Main Title (John Williams)Kosmos1978Japan
Eumir DeodatoStar Trek (Alexander Courage)Very Together1976Brazil/USA
John KeatingStar Trek (Alexander Courage)Space Experience1972UK (Scotland)
   
 
Herbie Hancock (with Dr. Patrick Gleeson)Rain DanceSextant1973USA
KraftwerkSpacelabDie Mensch-Maschine
("The Man Machine")		1978Germany
Harmonia (with Mani Neumeier)Walky-TalkyDeluxe1975Germany
The Undisputed TruthUFO'sCosmic Truth1975USA
   
 
Pink FloydInterstellar OverdriveThe Piper At The Gates Of Dawn1967UK
VangelisBeaubourg Part IBeaubourg1978Greece
   
 
Sun RaSpace Is The PlaceSpace Is The Place1973USA
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