Jabba the Hutt's musical theme is played on a tuba.

(meta data) TITLE: Filmtracks: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (John Williams)

Composed, Conducted, and Co-Produced by:

1993, 1997, and 2004 Albums Produced by:

RCA Re-Recording Produced and Conducted by:

RCA Victor (Gerhardt)(1989)20th Century Fox (Anthology)(November 9th, 1993)RCA Victor (Special Edition)(January 14th, 1997)RCA Victor (S.E. Re-Pressing)(August 26th, 1997)Sony Classical (Individual and Set)(September 21st, 2004)Sony Classical (Corellian Edition)(October 2nd, 2007)Sony Classical (30th Ann. Edition)(November 6th, 2007)

All of the CD albums were regular commercial releases at

Both the original 1986 album and 1989 RCA Gerhardt album

historically have been available used for about $5 to $7.

The 1993 Fox Anthology was believed at the time to be the most

collectible soundtrack CD set in existence, and has retained its

original street value because of its relative scarcity and

The 1997 RCA Special Edition albums came in two forms, the black booklet

format available early that year and the slimline format in August,

1997 to coincide with the VHS release of the revised films

albums (with poster art on the covers) have fallen completely out of

print, and while new copies of the 'black book' formatted RCA albums of

early 1997 are also difficult to find, they have remained readily available

for sub-retail price on the used market.

The 2004 Sony Classical products are bargain priced, though you receive

no additional packaging benefits from buying the trilogy as a set outside

The 2007 Sony Classical albums contain no additional new contents or remastering.

The "Corellian Edition" compilation, which was leaked as a promotional teaser

in some 2005 pressings of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, is sold alone as

a regular commercial release (with two different cover art variants) and is included

as CD7 in the concurrently offered "30th Anniverary Collector's Edition."

featuring original LP packaging, was electronically numbered up to 10,000 copies and

Its value soon plunged, in part due to production problems

that caused the wrong combination of CDs to be included in the set.

temporarily pulled the product due to complaints.

Nominated for an Academy Award and a Grammy Award.

•The Empire Strikes Back•The Phantom Menace•Attack of the Clones•Revenge of the Sith•E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial•Raiders of the Lost Ark

Availability | Awards | Viewer Ratings |

Buy it... on the 1997 "Special Edition" albums over all others

because they feature the best combination of outstanding packaging and a

nearly complete presentation of John Williams' slightly diminished but

Avoid it... on the 1985 to 1993 albums because of poorer, archival

sound quality and incomplete presentations, as well as the 2004 and 2007

re-pressings that are identical to the 1997 albums in contents but

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: (John Williams) The

tagline "The Saga Continues" meant only one thing in the early 1980's:

hysteria over George Lucas' franchise of Star Wars films.

1983's Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, the phenomenon had

saturated the mainstream with a seemingly unlimited quantity of toys and

poster, featuring the production title of "Revenge of the Jedi" and

intriguingly swapping the colors of lightsabers in its depiction of the

famous duel from The Empire Strikes Back, became a wildly hot one

While some of the problems that Lucas faced

with the production of The Empire Strikes Back had been

alleviated by his departure from industry unions as a method of

maintaining more control over his movies, Return of the Jedi

suffered as a result, its costs driven up because of that independence.

More than half of its $32 million budget was consumed by the special effects

work of Industrial Light & Magic, the screen wizards' time booked to

capacity to meet the ever-increasing demands of the saga's plotline.

Although relatively few new worlds were developed for Return of the

Jedi, the immense scope of the battle sequences in its latter half

(aided by the invention of THX sound technology) drove the spectacle to

Much disagreement during the script's finalization about

the fate of several major characters eventually succumbed to Lucas' wish

for a purely happy ending to the trilogy.

the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire in Return of the Jedi

follows the resolution of the events of The Empire Strikes Back,

a second Death Star again requiring the rebels to attack.

with the evil Emperor on the battle station, Luke Skywalker risks his

own destruction by willingly engaging with Darth Vader and Emperor to

bring the former back from the "dark side" of the Force.

subsequent re-releases of the film, Lucas stirred controversy by

tinkering repeatedly with Return of the Jedi, eventually adding

scenes and characters from the prequel trilogy to neatly wrap up the

film marginally passed The Empire Strikes Back in gross profits

but failed to garner the same astonishing, record-setting success in

audiences' and critics' books as its predecessors.

universally considered the weakest of the three original Star

Wars films, despite being very entertaining and necessarily

For most enthusiasts of the Star Wars universe, the

series never got better than The Empire Strikes Back, and the

same argument could be made about John Williams' music for the

By the time Return of the Jedi opened in theatres in

1983, seven out of the top ten grossing films of all time featured a

Williams score, and his conducting work with the Boston Pops had

increased his mainstream visibility even further.

world once again with The Empire Strikes Back, Williams had

written the classics Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T. The

-Terrestrial in successive years, the latter earning the

significant challenge by producing a score for the first Star

Wars sequel that eclipsed the original classic; if the standard of

excellence for Return of the Jedi were to have been raised any

higher, then Williams would have had no choice but to conjure the

greatest score ever written for Hollywood.

that Williams accomplished this feat, but at the very least, the maestro

maintained a level of outstanding quality for Return of the Jedi

that many listeners still consider superior to any of the prequel scores

London Symphony Orchestra and the same crew, Williams pumped out a score

even longer than The Empire Strikes Back, with more material

eventually released on album than the total length of the film.

lingering note of dissatisfaction about Return of the Jedi has

always involved its restricted sound quality, which, despite

improvements industry wide by the 1980's, has always suffered from a

dull soundscape that defied those technological advances (this flaw is

especially noticeable in the cue "Into the Trap"). Nevertheless, if you

allow yourself to become enveloped in the score's four new themes, the

interpolation of the previous themes, and the usual excellent standard

, then the merits of the score's ideas will easily

counter such quibbles for most listeners.

logistical nightmare of attempting to weave more than ten major themes

together into one score, the immense length of the recording is not much

Some might argue, though, that Return of the Jedi

is a more cluttered and less focused overall product than the others in

The score has the disadvantage of lacking a

singular thematic identity that was able to become the kind of

powerhouse to rival the title theme and "Imperial March," a reality made

Among the new thematic ideas are Jabba the Hutt's

surprisingly jovial tuba piece (playing along the politically incorrect

lines of belching tubas representing fatness), an equally cute and

percussively creative theme for the Ewoks, an identity for Luke and

Leia's changing familial understanding, and finally a demonic

Ewok and Luke & Leia themes were the ones that you'd hear most often in

Also arranged for easy public consumption were the "Sail Barge

Assault" and "Forest Battle" cues (as well the occasional Jabba the Hutt

Williams' emphasis on the two aforementioned themes is

clearly defined more specifically by their appearance in the end credits

Williams' earlier quality, neither addition was as attractive to the

Leia is similar in pleasant atmosphere and instrumentation to the

Princess and Han Solo themes from the previous films, weaving in pieces

of those ideas in auxiliary performances but understandably never

surprisingly the least palatable idea in the score, becoming downright

irritating for some listeners with its frenetic energy and perkiness.

Attached to it are the native-like source drum cues associated with the

little Wookie stand-ins, and these appropriately primitive contributions

resemble little of Williams' other motifs for the trilogy.

interesting aspect of all these themes is that the other two lesser

ideas eventually proved to have the far better shelf life, both the

themes for the Emperor and Jabba the Hutt jumping immediately to the

prequel trilogy (and the former theme quite extensively).

best choice Williams made in regards to Return of the Jedi was

the extensive development afforded to the major identities from the

The "Imperial March" still commands a significant presence,

expressed in massive statements involving the two Death Star arrival

scenes and reinventing itself in a whimper during Darth Vader's demise.

The infamous march for the Empire once again steals the show, most

obviously in the ambitious full statement during the Emperor's special

effects-driven landing upon the Death Star.

conflict within Vader's character allowed Williams the opportunity to

experiment with softer, less bombastic representations of the theme that

would remain confined to Return of the Jedi and in hints during

Its final powerful statement in this trilogy is a

remarkable fragment during the height of "Into the Trap.

"Also resurrected in Return of the Jedi from the

previous scores are the ideas for "Han Solo and the Princess" (in their

long-awaited reunion at Jabba's palace and the revelation at the

conclusion of the battle of Endor), Princess Leia's theme from the

original film (dramatically as she is wounded), and Yoda's tender and

thoughtful melody (for his revelatory death scene).

the theme for the Force makes two extremely prominent appearances (among

others) in the film, first at the moment of contemplation about the

"dark side" when Luke defeats Vader in the final duel and secondly with

grand and somber beauty during the funeral pyre for Vader at the end

(nicely bringing the theme back full circle to the burning of Luke's

overarching demeanor of the music in Return of the Jedi and

individual moments of interest merit some attention as well.

intangible detraction from Williams' work here is the lack of the

weighty drama that was heard in The Empire Strikes Back

previous score's desperation, built into its constant rhythmic movement,

does not transfer to the third score, probably because the situation in

Return of the Jedi is less dire in a romantic sense.

general characteristic of the score is its capacity for chaos above and

Williams was forced to jump around significantly

within cues during the film's last 30 minutes because of the juxtaposed

battle sequences happening simultaneously in the story.

was used extensively again by Lucas in The Phantom Menace, and in

both cases the constant shifts caused the music to sound artificially

cut in places (which it really was in some places), harming the

narrative flow so vital in the first two scores of the franchise.

final observation about Return of the Jedi is both a positive and

negative, and it involves the fact that the score has significantly more

"singular" cues, whether it involves background source music, outright

Unlike the contained "Cantina Band" scene in the

first film, Return of the Jedi applies source-like songs or

primordial music in Jabba's palace and in the forest with the Ewoks.

both cases, this material conflicts with the orchestral music

"Lapti Nek" and its subsequent replacement song for the

Special Edition are both curious but insufferable, and the Ewok feast

source music serves only to slow the pace of the score in and apart from

In fact, the film's badly dragging Ewok feast and storytelling

sections owe some of their dull appeal to the basic thumping of

It is perhaps no coincidence that the two major

non-orchestral cues in Return of the Jedi were both replaced for

the Special Edition release of the film in 1997.

material actually got worse, the groovy celebration music is now less

specific to the Ewoks than the original so that it could generally cover

scenes of rowdy crowds on Bespin, Tatooine, and Coruscant.

celebration music fits well with the similarly conceived cue at the end

method of providing party music, but the sound quality is far too rich

here for the end credits suite that follows.

between them makes for an uncomfortable ending for the revised film as

On the upside, though, are a number of singular cues of

The ensemble bravado of the major action scenes in

A New Hope is revisited in "Sail Barge Assault," "The Fleet

Enters Hyperspace," and "The Main Reactor," each of those cues worthy of

continued appreciation on the complete album presentations

hidden nugget in Return of the Jedi is Williams' "death motif,"

heard with somber nobility in "The Death of Yoda" but developed with far

more interesting consequences in "The Dark Side Beckons."

cue, the theme is chillingly expressed by the deep adult chorus from the

Emperor's theme during the reigniting of the final duel sequence between

One has to wonder why Williams didn't utilize this theme

for Anakin's last duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith

to finish off the trilogies with similar thematic bookends, especially

given how incredibly powerful its impact is on that one scene in

Another questionable decision by Williams

along those same lines is the lack of some sort of reprise of the

"Throne Room" identity for the Rebel Alliance when it proves victorious;

in fact, it could have informed the conclusion of "The Main Reactor"

just as well as the brassy expressions of glee and relief as the last

rebel ships exit the exploding Death Star.

Jedi is an outstanding score on its own despite the flaws that any

collector of the franchise's music will find in it.

to write one major overarching melodic identity for the film and his

continued fragmentation as he attempted to address so many ideas on a

limited canvas was a recipe for disappointment.

linger as well, the strings often deemphasized to the point of

ineffectiveness in the mix of certain cues.

expectations, Williams did about as well as one could hope, and there

are enough brilliantly addressed sequences (especially in the reprises

of established themes) to warrant the highest rating for this final

Extremely tough competition in 1983 made it no surprise

when the score for Return of the Jedi failed to capitalize on its

Its diminished stature carried over to its original

information about the history of the soundtrack for Return of the

Jedi on album applies once again, but with a continuing twist in the

By 1983, the future of LPs was in doubt and the technology

was first breaking into commercial markets.

viability of an LP release questionable at best, the original album was

restrained to only a single record in length

the Jedi is longer than the other two scores in the classic trilogy,

this presentation caused an immediate and crushing shortage of music

Return of the Jedi on album, with the eventual stream of CD

offerings proving that every time you think you've purchased the

definitive and final version of this score (and the others from

the classic trilogy), you can wait a few years and be treated to yet

music from the classic Star Wars scores is taken for granted

today, the first fifteen years were quite lean for fans of the composer

In fact, it would take a full twenty years before the

entire finished products (with nearly every available cue released)

finally reached fans in time for the Special Editions in theatres.

of the information that follows in regards to each of the various

releases of the music is relevant to not only this score, but the others

in the classic trilogy as well, so you'll read very similar accounts in

releases on LP records and their early CDs, the editions of the scores

on subsequent discs have always been released as a trilogy, despite your

ability to usually buy them separately upon each update of all three.

carbon copy of the Return of the Jedi LP was translated onto the

score's debut CD in 1986 at the same time as A New Hope (whereas

The Empire Strikes Back had already been available on an

inexplicably shortened CD for over a year).

sound quality that prevailed on that LP is also a painful hindrance on

the Polydor CD, making it an extremely frustrating 45-minute listening

experience even aside from the wealth of music missing from the product.

As they had done with both Star Wars and The Empire Strikes

Back, aficionados of the series once again searched for comfort in

the only other recording of music from the series: Charles Gerhardt and

The only substantial alternative source of music from

this score (and the others in the saga before 1993) was the Gerhardt

re-recording of 46 minutes of the score with the NPO.

Gerhardt and the NPO had recorded famous film scores from mostly the

Golden Age of Hollywood, but as a few of their final collaborations,

they recorded the three classic Star Wars scores near the times

In fact, Return of the Jedi turned out to be

very final entry in this magnificent series.

New Hope and Return of the Jedi were both released in 1989 by

RCA, with superb sound quality and an usually excellent standard of

performance that Williams himself had claimed to be honored by

brass section did make some noticeable mistakes in this performance,

although it's compensated for by a rousing instrumental version of the

the only digital source for some cues absent from the official 1986

release, including Williams' extended concert arrangement of Jabba the

Hutt's theme (with strikingly whimsical strings) and the presentation of

"Fight in the Dungeon" as an extra bonus.

tracks, only one fifth of the total music from Return of the Jedi

ultimate Star Wars trilogy Anthology released by 20th Century Fox

in 1993 was considered a godsend by fans.

103 minutes of music from the film, including several vital cues from

the middle section of the story that had been completely neglected by

While the addition of material from Return of the

Jedi was significant, it was not as earth-shatteringly important as

the Anthology had been for The Empire Strikes Back.

the Anthology (produced by some of the biggest names in film score

production) featured additional music that was certainly welcomed with

There were, however, problems with the presentation

despite the best intentions of those producers

placed as much music as possible from each film on an individual CD for

each of the three scores but then pressed additional unreleased cues on

memorable "Leia is Wounded/Luke and Vader Duel" and lengthy "Brother and

Sister/Father and Son/The Fleet Enters Hyperspace" you had to seek the

fourth CD to enjoy them separately in the era prior to the digitization

Add on a large, custom-sized package (roughly DVD set

size by today's standards) and hard-to-read individual CD covers within,

and you had some ill-received protests from some fans.

Regardless of its issues, the Anthology set of 1993 is

looked upon with fondness by many Star Wars fans today simply

because it filled a major void in collections at the time.

later, however, the Anthology was rendered largely outdated by the

massive, highly advertised RCA "Special Edition" releases of 1997.

January of that year, George Lucas had announced the production of

The Phantom Menace and revealed newly enhanced versions of the

original three films for a 20th anniversary theatrical release.

album, enthusiasts were treated to double-CD releases of each Star

Wars score in film order with alternative cues and extensive

attention to detail in the mixing and arrangement of the contents.

Including several source and alternate cues, a whopping total of 148

minutes of music from Return of the Jedi on its Special Edition

the previous two scores, there still remains 15 to 20 minutes of music

from Return of the Jedi that is not heard on even the most

Most of that music, however, is not vital (or

was previously released elsewhere), and a list of that material can be

both the 1993 and 1997 releases, with the glittery CDs of the latter

and offered in slimline alternatives that feature the Special Edition

poster art, but these fell out of print about five years later.

the Sony Classical label, which had been releasing the prequel scores,

acquired the rights to the classic trilogy's music and decided to

-press the 1997 releases with new artwork.

Sony's Direct Stream Digital remastering, and while this technique does

provide some minimal extra clarity on high-end stereo systems, casual

listeners will notice no significant differences from the 1997 albums.

Thus, if you own the Special Edition albums and don't require slightly

improved sound, there is no reason to seek the 2004 ones.

2004 re-pressings are badly lacking in packaging compared to previous

releases, with absolutely none of the fantastic notes and pictorials

shameless 2007 releases (the "Corellian Edition" compilation and "30th

Anniverary Collector's Edition"), both of which redundant, unnecessary, and

Overall, owning Return of the Jedi is perhaps

not as necessary in a very casual soundtrack collection when contrasted

against its siblings in the classic trilogy

film music enthusiast, it is a must-have score, and with its outstanding

packaging and mostly complete presentation of the music, the 1997

Special Edition album (the original full version bound in black

booklets) continues to be the best Return of the Jedi product

Music as Heard on the 1986 Polydor Album: *

Music as Heard on the 1989 RCA Gerhardt Album: ****

Music as Heard on the 1993 Fox Anthology: ****

Music as Heard on the 1997 RCA Special Edition: *****

Music as Heard on the 2004 Sony Classical Album: ****

Music as Heard on the 2007 Sony Classical Albums: **

For John Williams reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.78

Older Editions of the score have BETTER sound quality, not WORSE.

Expand >>Faleel - September 11, 2012, at 4:37 p.m.

3 comments (2703 views)Newest: July 7, 2015, at 9:14 p.m. by Mr. Big

Using tubas to represent fatness Expand >>Lawrence Yang - October 6, 2011, at 7:50 a.m.

2 comments (2926 views)Newest: April 8, 2012, at 2:50 p.m. by cs^tbl

Unknown track Expand >>sam - May 6, 2007, at 3:26 p.m.

3 comments (5777 views)Newest: October 12, 2008, at 6:53 p.m. by avcastner

Although not as good as other SW scores,still worthy to listen Expand >>Sheridan - August 20, 2006, at 4:56 a.m.

3 comments (4907 views)Newest: July 18, 2006, at 7:48 a.m. by Don

The Emperor's Theme Expand >>Abel - March 25, 2006, at 1:30 p.m.

2 comments (5279 views)Newest: October 12, 2008, at 7:05 p.m. by avcastner

CD3, 2. Approaching the Death Star (0:30)

CD4, 3. The Fleet Goes into Hyperspace (0:32)

1986 Polydor Album Tracks ▼Total Time: 45:37

• 1. Main Title (The Main Story Continues) (5:09)

• 5. Han Salo Returns (at the Court of Jabba the Hutt) (4:07)

• 6. Lapti Nek (by Jabba's Palace Band) (2:48)

• 11. Ewok Celebration and Finale (7:57)

1989 RCA Gerhardt Album Tracks ▼Total Time: 46:25

• 1. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star (3:27)

• 8. Into the Trap/Fight in the Dungeon (4:20)

1993 Fox Anthology Album Tracks ▼Total Time: 103:11

• 1. Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare with CinemaScope Extension*** (0:22)

• 2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star (5:18)

• 3. Han Solo Returns (at the Court of Jabba the Hutt) (4:06)

• 10. The Emperor Confronts Luke** (3:26)

• 12. First Ewok Battle/Fight with the Fighters** (7:18)

• 14. Final Duel/Into the Death Star** (3:37)

• 18. Leia Breaks the News/Funeral Pyre for a Jedi (2:19)

CD4: (74:59, 28:26 from Return of the Jedi)

• 2. Star Wars: Main Title (Alternate)** (2:16)

• 3. Return of the Jedi: Heroic Ewok/The Fleet Goes into Hyperspace** (3:05)

• 4. Star Wars: A Hive of Villainy** (2:12)

• 5. Star Wars: Destruction of Alderaan** (1:31)

• 6. The Empire Strikes Back: Drawing the Battle Lines/Leia's Instructions** (

• 7. Return of the Jedi: The Ewok Battle** (2:48)

• 8. The Empire Strikes Back: Attack Position** (3:04)

• 9. The Empire Strikes Back: Crash Landing** (3:35)

• 11. Return of the Jedi: Lapti Nek (2:48)

• 12. Star Wars: Cantina Band #2** (3:44)

• 13. Return of the Jedi: Faking the Code** (4:10)

• 14. Return of the Jedi: Brother and Sister** (3:08)

• 16. Return of the Jedi: Leia is Wounded/Luke and Vader Duel** (2:57)

• 17. The Empire Strikes Back: Carbon Freeze/Luke Pursues the Captives/Departure of Boba Fett* (11:08)

• 18. The Empire Strikes Back: Losing a Hand** (5:20)

• 19. Return of the Jedi: The Return of the Jedi (Alternate)** (5:03)

• 20. Return of the Jedi: Leia Breaks the news (Alternate)/Funeral Pyre for a Jedi (Film Version)* (2:27)

• 21. Return of the Jedi: Ewok Celebration (Film Version)/The Empire Strikes Back: End Credits (Film Version)* (6:22)

* Contains previously unreleased material

1997 RCA Special Edition Tracks ▼Total Time: 148:01

• 1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman, 1954) (0:22)

• 2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star/Tatooine Rendezvous* (9:21)

• 6. Luke Confronts Jabba*/Den of the Rancor/Sarlacc Sentence* (8:51)

• 7. The Pit of Carkoon*/Sail Barge Assault (6:02)

• 8. The Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/Obi-Wan's Revelation* (10:58)

• 10. Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor (4:09)

• 11. Speeder Bike Chase*/Land of the Ewoks* (9:38)

• 12. The Levitation*/Threepio's Bedtime Story* (2:46)

• 15. Sail Barge Assault (Alternate) (5:04)

• 3. Brother and Sister/Father and Son*/The Fleet Enters Hyperspace**/Heroic Ewok (10:40)

(Into the Trap/Forest Ambush*/Scout Walker Scramble/Prime Weapon Fires)

• 6. The Lightsaber*#/The Ewok Battle (4:31)

(Leia is Wounded/The Duel Begins/Overtaking the Bunker*/The Dark Side Beckons/The Emperor's Death)

(Superstructure Chase*/Darth Vader's Death/The Main Reactor)

• 9. Leia's News/Light of the Force*** (3:24)

• 10. Victory Celebration*$/End Title (8:34)

• 11. Ewok Feast*/Part of the Tribe* (4:02)

• 12. The Forest Battle (concert suite) (4:05)

*** Alternate recording for "Light of the Force"

# Contains partial film version of "The Emperor Arrives"

$ Composed and Recorded by Williams in 1996 for the Special Edition

@ Composed and Arranged by Jerry Hey in 1996 to replace "Lapti Nek"

2004 Sony Classical Album Tracks ▼Total Time: 148:01

• 1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman, 1954) (0:22)

• 2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star/Tatooine Rendezvous (9:21)

• 6. Luke Confronts Jabba/Den of the Rancor/Sarlacc Sentence (8:51)

• 7. The Pit of Carkoon/Sail Barge Assault (6:02)

• 8. The Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/

• 10. Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor (4:09)

• 11. Speeder Bike Chase/Land of the Ewoks (9:38)

• 12. The Levitation/Threepio's Bedtime Story (2:46)

• 15. Sail Barge Assault (Alternate) (5:04)

• 3. Brother and Sister/Father and Son/The Fleet Enters Hyperspace/Heroic Ewok (10:40)

(Into the Trap/Forest Ambush/Scout Walker Scramble/Prime Weapon Fires)

• 6. The Lightsaber/The Ewok Battle (4:31)

(Leia is Wounded/The Duel Begins/Overtaking the Bunker/The Dark Side Beckons/The Emperor's Death)

(Superstructure Chase/Darth Vader's Death/The Main Reactor)

• 9. Leia's News/Light of the Force (3:24)

• 10. Victory Celebration/End Title (8:34)

• 11. Ewok Feast/Part of the Tribe (4:02)

• 12. The Forest Battle (concert suite) (4:05)

2007 Sony Corellian Edition Tracks ▼Total Time: 54:57

• 1. The Phantom Menace: Star Wars Main Title and The Arrival at Naboo (2:56)

• 2. The Phantom Menace: The Flag Parade (2:12)

• 3. The Phantom Menace: Qui-Gon's Noble End (3:48)

• 4. Attack of the Clones: Jango's Escape (3:49)

• 5. Attack of the Clones: Yoda and the Younglings (3:57)

• 6. Revenge of the Sith: General Grievous (4:07)

• 7. Revenge of the Sith: Anakin's Dark Deeds (4:05)

• 9. A New Hope: Ben Kenobi's Death/TIE Fighter Attack (3:55)

• 10. The Empire Strikes Back: Yoda and the Force (4:06)

• 11. The Empire Strikes Back: The Clash of Lightsabers (4:10)

• 12. Return of the Jedi: Sail Barge Assault (5:05)

• 13. Return of the Jedi: End Title (6:04)

2007 Sony 30th Ann. Edition Tracks ▼Total Time: 148:00

• 1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman, 1954) (0:22)

• 2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star/Tatooine Rendezvous (9:21)

• 6. Luke Confronts Jabba/Den of the Rancor/Sarlacc Sentence (8:51)

• 7. The Pit of Carkoon/Sail Barge Assault (6:02)

• 8. The Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/

• 10. Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor (4:09)

• 11. Speeder Bike Chase/Land of the Ewoks (9:38)

• 12. The Levitation/Threepio's Bedtime Story (2:46)

• 15. Sail Barge Assault (Alternate) (5:04)

(Into the Trap/Forest Ambush/Scout Walker Scramble/Prime Weapon Fires)

• 6. The Lightsaber/The Ewok Battle (4:31)

(Superstructure Chase/Darth Vader's Death/The Main Reactor)

• 9. Leia's News/Light of the Force (3:24)

• 10. Victory Celebration/End Title (8:34)

• 11. Ewok Feast/Part of the Tribe (4:02)

• 12. The Forest Battle (Concert Suite) (4:05)

CD7: (54:57, 11:09 from Return of the Jedi)

• 2. The Phantom Menace: The Flag Parade (2:12)

• 3. The Phantom Menace: Qui-Gon's Noble End (3:48)

• 4. Attack of the Clones: Jango's Escape (3:49)

• 5. Attack of the Clones: Yoda and the Younglings (3:57)

• 6. Revenge of the Sith: General Grievous (4:07)

• 7. Revenge of the Sith: Anakin's Dark Deeds (4:05)

• 9. A New Hope: Ben Kenobi's Death/TIE Fighter Attack (3:55)

• 10. The Empire Strikes Back: Yoda and the Force (4:06)

• 11. The Empire Strikes Back: The Clash of Lightsabers (4:10)

• 12. Return of the Jedi: Sail Barge Assault (5:05)

• 13. Return of the Jedi: End Title (6:04)

(total time only reflects unique material from Return of the Jedi)

The 1986 Polydor and 1989 RCA Gerhardt albums contain no

information about the film, score, or recording.

has extensive notes and pictorials in an oversized booklet with

information written by John Williams, Nicholas Meyer, and Lukas Kendall.

The 1997 RCA Special Edition albums with the black book format include

extensive notation from album arranger Michael Matessino regarding the

Wars in this 1997 album also includes information about each take.

The 1997 RCA Special Edition slimline format lacks the same level of

detail. The 2004 Sony Classical products (available both as a set and

individually) include a fold-out poster, but sadly no extra information

"Corellian Edition" is minimal, though the label's "30th Anniversary

Collector's Edition" includes the original LP packaging for each score

and a bonus CD-ROM with additional material.

notes about the scores are once again missing from the 2007 products.

Music from Return of the Jedi not contained on 1997, 2004, or 2007 albums:

• Lapti Nek (English Version, "Fancy Man") (2:46)

• Ewok Celebration (Film Version)* (1:56)

• Ewok Celebration (Album Version)* (1:56)

• Jabba the Hutt (Concert Arrangement)** (

• Max Rebo Band Instrumental Music*** (3:00)

• Unused Source Music (Not in Film)*** (1:30)

* Cue is included on the 1993 Anthology set

** About (1:20) of this recording was tracked into "Han Solo Returns" on the 1986 album and 1993 Anthology.

*** These selections were not included because they could not be found.

error, some copies of the 1997 RCA release may have two "Disc 1"s and

If you are purchasing one of the remaining new copies of

them now, be sure to check your set immediately to make sure you

The same problem reportedly existed with

some copies of the 2007 "30th Anniversary Collector's Edition."

Concept and creation.:Production and design.

Tony Cox, who also played an Ewok, would assist as well. The eyes and facial expressions were operated by radio control.
 Lucas voiced displeasure in the puppet's appearance and immobility, complaining that the puppet had to be moved around the set to film different scenes. In the DVD commentary to the Special Edition of "Return of the Jedi", Lucas notes that if the technology had been available in 1983, Jabba the Hutt would have been a CGI character similar to the one that appears in the Special Edition scene of "A New Hope".
 Jabba the Hutt only speaks Huttese on film, but his lines are subtitled in English. His voice and Huttese-language dialogue were performed by voice actor Larry Ward, whose work is not listed in the end credits. A heavy, booming quality was given to Ward's voice by pitching it an octave lower than normal and processing it through a subharmonic generator. A soundtrack of wet, slimy sound effects was recorded to accompany the movement of the puppet's limbs and mouth.


The musical theme is composed by John Williams.

(meta data) TITLE: Filmtracks: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (John Williams)

Composed, Conducted, and Co-Produced by:

1993, 1997, and 2004 Albums Produced by:

RCA Re-Recording Produced and Conducted by:

RCA Victor (Gerhardt)(1989)20th Century Fox (Anthology)(November 9th, 1993)RCA Victor (Special Edition)(January 14th, 1997)RCA Victor (S.E. Re-Pressing)(August 26th, 1997)Sony Classical (Individual and Set)(September 21st, 2004)Sony Classical (Corellian Edition)(October 2nd, 2007)Sony Classical (30th Ann. Edition)(November 6th, 2007)

All of the CD albums were regular commercial releases at

Both the original 1986 album and 1989 RCA Gerhardt album

historically have been available used for about $5 to $7.

The 1993 Fox Anthology was believed at the time to be the most

collectible soundtrack CD set in existence, and has retained its

original street value because of its relative scarcity and

The 1997 RCA Special Edition albums came in two forms, the black booklet

format available early that year and the slimline format in August,

1997 to coincide with the VHS release of the revised films

albums (with poster art on the covers) have fallen completely out of

print, and while new copies of the 'black book' formatted RCA albums of

early 1997 are also difficult to find, they have remained readily available

for sub-retail price on the used market.

The 2004 Sony Classical products are bargain priced, though you receive

no additional packaging benefits from buying the trilogy as a set outside

The 2007 Sony Classical albums contain no additional new contents or remastering.

The "Corellian Edition" compilation, which was leaked as a promotional teaser

in some 2005 pressings of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, is sold alone as

a regular commercial release (with two different cover art variants) and is included

as CD7 in the concurrently offered "30th Anniverary Collector's Edition."

featuring original LP packaging, was electronically numbered up to 10,000 copies and

Its value soon plunged, in part due to production problems

that caused the wrong combination of CDs to be included in the set.

temporarily pulled the product due to complaints.

Nominated for an Academy Award and a Grammy Award.

•The Empire Strikes Back•The Phantom Menace•Attack of the Clones•Revenge of the Sith•E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial•Raiders of the Lost Ark

Availability | Awards | Viewer Ratings |

Buy it... on the 1997 "Special Edition" albums over all others

because they feature the best combination of outstanding packaging and a

nearly complete presentation of John Williams' slightly diminished but

Avoid it... on the 1985 to 1993 albums because of poorer, archival

sound quality and incomplete presentations, as well as the 2004 and 2007

re-pressings that are identical to the 1997 albums in contents but

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: (John Williams) The

tagline "The Saga Continues" meant only one thing in the early 1980's:

hysteria over George Lucas' franchise of Star Wars films.

1983's Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, the phenomenon had

saturated the mainstream with a seemingly unlimited quantity of toys and

poster, featuring the production title of "Revenge of the Jedi" and

intriguingly swapping the colors of lightsabers in its depiction of the

famous duel from The Empire Strikes Back, became a wildly hot one

While some of the problems that Lucas faced

with the production of The Empire Strikes Back had been

alleviated by his departure from industry unions as a method of

maintaining more control over his movies, Return of the Jedi

suffered as a result, its costs driven up because of that independence.

More than half of its $32 million budget was consumed by the special effects

work of Industrial Light & Magic, the screen wizards' time booked to

capacity to meet the ever-increasing demands of the saga's plotline.

Although relatively few new worlds were developed for Return of the

Jedi, the immense scope of the battle sequences in its latter half

(aided by the invention of THX sound technology) drove the spectacle to

Much disagreement during the script's finalization about

the fate of several major characters eventually succumbed to Lucas' wish

for a purely happy ending to the trilogy.

the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire in Return of the Jedi

follows the resolution of the events of The Empire Strikes Back,

a second Death Star again requiring the rebels to attack.

with the evil Emperor on the battle station, Luke Skywalker risks his

own destruction by willingly engaging with Darth Vader and Emperor to

bring the former back from the "dark side" of the Force.

subsequent re-releases of the film, Lucas stirred controversy by

tinkering repeatedly with Return of the Jedi, eventually adding

scenes and characters from the prequel trilogy to neatly wrap up the

film marginally passed The Empire Strikes Back in gross profits

but failed to garner the same astonishing, record-setting success in

audiences' and critics' books as its predecessors.

universally considered the weakest of the three original Star

Wars films, despite being very entertaining and necessarily

For most enthusiasts of the Star Wars universe, the

series never got better than The Empire Strikes Back, and the

same argument could be made about John Williams' music for the

By the time Return of the Jedi opened in theatres in

1983, seven out of the top ten grossing films of all time featured a

Williams score, and his conducting work with the Boston Pops had

increased his mainstream visibility even further.

world once again with The Empire Strikes Back, Williams had

written the classics Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T. The

-Terrestrial in successive years, the latter earning the

significant challenge by producing a score for the first Star

Wars sequel that eclipsed the original classic; if the standard of

excellence for Return of the Jedi were to have been raised any

higher, then Williams would have had no choice but to conjure the

greatest score ever written for Hollywood.

that Williams accomplished this feat, but at the very least, the maestro

maintained a level of outstanding quality for Return of the Jedi

that many listeners still consider superior to any of the prequel scores

London Symphony Orchestra and the same crew, Williams pumped out a score

even longer than The Empire Strikes Back, with more material

eventually released on album than the total length of the film.

lingering note of dissatisfaction about Return of the Jedi has

always involved its restricted sound quality, which, despite

improvements industry wide by the 1980's, has always suffered from a

dull soundscape that defied those technological advances (this flaw is

especially noticeable in the cue "Into the Trap"). Nevertheless, if you

allow yourself to become enveloped in the score's four new themes, the

interpolation of the previous themes, and the usual excellent standard

, then the merits of the score's ideas will easily

counter such quibbles for most listeners.

logistical nightmare of attempting to weave more than ten major themes

together into one score, the immense length of the recording is not much

Some might argue, though, that Return of the Jedi

is a more cluttered and less focused overall product than the others in

The score has the disadvantage of lacking a

singular thematic identity that was able to become the kind of

powerhouse to rival the title theme and "Imperial March," a reality made

Among the new thematic ideas are Jabba the Hutt's

surprisingly jovial tuba piece (playing along the politically incorrect

lines of belching tubas representing fatness), an equally cute and

percussively creative theme for the Ewoks, an identity for Luke and

Leia's changing familial understanding, and finally a demonic

Ewok and Luke & Leia themes were the ones that you'd hear most often in

Also arranged for easy public consumption were the "Sail Barge

Assault" and "Forest Battle" cues (as well the occasional Jabba the Hutt

Williams' emphasis on the two aforementioned themes is

clearly defined more specifically by their appearance in the end credits

Williams' earlier quality, neither addition was as attractive to the

Leia is similar in pleasant atmosphere and instrumentation to the

Princess and Han Solo themes from the previous films, weaving in pieces

of those ideas in auxiliary performances but understandably never

surprisingly the least palatable idea in the score, becoming downright

irritating for some listeners with its frenetic energy and perkiness.

Attached to it are the native-like source drum cues associated with the

little Wookie stand-ins, and these appropriately primitive contributions

resemble little of Williams' other motifs for the trilogy.

interesting aspect of all these themes is that the other two lesser

ideas eventually proved to have the far better shelf life, both the

themes for the Emperor and Jabba the Hutt jumping immediately to the

prequel trilogy (and the former theme quite extensively).

best choice Williams made in regards to Return of the Jedi was

the extensive development afforded to the major identities from the

The "Imperial March" still commands a significant presence,

expressed in massive statements involving the two Death Star arrival

scenes and reinventing itself in a whimper during Darth Vader's demise.

The infamous march for the Empire once again steals the show, most

obviously in the ambitious full statement during the Emperor's special

effects-driven landing upon the Death Star.

conflict within Vader's character allowed Williams the opportunity to

experiment with softer, less bombastic representations of the theme that

would remain confined to Return of the Jedi and in hints during

Its final powerful statement in this trilogy is a

remarkable fragment during the height of "Into the Trap.

"Also resurrected in Return of the Jedi from the

previous scores are the ideas for "Han Solo and the Princess" (in their

long-awaited reunion at Jabba's palace and the revelation at the

conclusion of the battle of Endor), Princess Leia's theme from the

original film (dramatically as she is wounded), and Yoda's tender and

thoughtful melody (for his revelatory death scene).

the theme for the Force makes two extremely prominent appearances (among

others) in the film, first at the moment of contemplation about the

"dark side" when Luke defeats Vader in the final duel and secondly with

grand and somber beauty during the funeral pyre for Vader at the end

(nicely bringing the theme back full circle to the burning of Luke's

overarching demeanor of the music in Return of the Jedi and

individual moments of interest merit some attention as well.

intangible detraction from Williams' work here is the lack of the

weighty drama that was heard in The Empire Strikes Back

previous score's desperation, built into its constant rhythmic movement,

does not transfer to the third score, probably because the situation in

Return of the Jedi is less dire in a romantic sense.

general characteristic of the score is its capacity for chaos above and

Williams was forced to jump around significantly

within cues during the film's last 30 minutes because of the juxtaposed

battle sequences happening simultaneously in the story.

was used extensively again by Lucas in The Phantom Menace, and in

both cases the constant shifts caused the music to sound artificially

cut in places (which it really was in some places), harming the

narrative flow so vital in the first two scores of the franchise.

final observation about Return of the Jedi is both a positive and

negative, and it involves the fact that the score has significantly more

"singular" cues, whether it involves background source music, outright

Unlike the contained "Cantina Band" scene in the

first film, Return of the Jedi applies source-like songs or

primordial music in Jabba's palace and in the forest with the Ewoks.

both cases, this material conflicts with the orchestral music

"Lapti Nek" and its subsequent replacement song for the

Special Edition are both curious but insufferable, and the Ewok feast

source music serves only to slow the pace of the score in and apart from

In fact, the film's badly dragging Ewok feast and storytelling

sections owe some of their dull appeal to the basic thumping of

It is perhaps no coincidence that the two major

non-orchestral cues in Return of the Jedi were both replaced for

the Special Edition release of the film in 1997.

material actually got worse, the groovy celebration music is now less

specific to the Ewoks than the original so that it could generally cover

scenes of rowdy crowds on Bespin, Tatooine, and Coruscant.

celebration music fits well with the similarly conceived cue at the end

method of providing party music, but the sound quality is far too rich

here for the end credits suite that follows.

between them makes for an uncomfortable ending for the revised film as

On the upside, though, are a number of singular cues of

The ensemble bravado of the major action scenes in

A New Hope is revisited in "Sail Barge Assault," "The Fleet

Enters Hyperspace," and "The Main Reactor," each of those cues worthy of

continued appreciation on the complete album presentations

hidden nugget in Return of the Jedi is Williams' "death motif,"

heard with somber nobility in "The Death of Yoda" but developed with far

more interesting consequences in "The Dark Side Beckons."

cue, the theme is chillingly expressed by the deep adult chorus from the

Emperor's theme during the reigniting of the final duel sequence between

One has to wonder why Williams didn't utilize this theme

for Anakin's last duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith

to finish off the trilogies with similar thematic bookends, especially

given how incredibly powerful its impact is on that one scene in

Another questionable decision by Williams

along those same lines is the lack of some sort of reprise of the

"Throne Room" identity for the Rebel Alliance when it proves victorious;

in fact, it could have informed the conclusion of "The Main Reactor"

just as well as the brassy expressions of glee and relief as the last

rebel ships exit the exploding Death Star.

Jedi is an outstanding score on its own despite the flaws that any

collector of the franchise's music will find in it.

to write one major overarching melodic identity for the film and his

continued fragmentation as he attempted to address so many ideas on a

limited canvas was a recipe for disappointment.

linger as well, the strings often deemphasized to the point of

ineffectiveness in the mix of certain cues.

expectations, Williams did about as well as one could hope, and there

are enough brilliantly addressed sequences (especially in the reprises

of established themes) to warrant the highest rating for this final

Extremely tough competition in 1983 made it no surprise

when the score for Return of the Jedi failed to capitalize on its

Its diminished stature carried over to its original

information about the history of the soundtrack for Return of the

Jedi on album applies once again, but with a continuing twist in the

By 1983, the future of LPs was in doubt and the technology

was first breaking into commercial markets.

viability of an LP release questionable at best, the original album was

restrained to only a single record in length

the Jedi is longer than the other two scores in the classic trilogy,

this presentation caused an immediate and crushing shortage of music

Return of the Jedi on album, with the eventual stream of CD

offerings proving that every time you think you've purchased the

definitive and final version of this score (and the others from

the classic trilogy), you can wait a few years and be treated to yet

music from the classic Star Wars scores is taken for granted

today, the first fifteen years were quite lean for fans of the composer

In fact, it would take a full twenty years before the

entire finished products (with nearly every available cue released)

finally reached fans in time for the Special Editions in theatres.

of the information that follows in regards to each of the various

releases of the music is relevant to not only this score, but the others

in the classic trilogy as well, so you'll read very similar accounts in

releases on LP records and their early CDs, the editions of the scores

on subsequent discs have always been released as a trilogy, despite your

ability to usually buy them separately upon each update of all three.

carbon copy of the Return of the Jedi LP was translated onto the

score's debut CD in 1986 at the same time as A New Hope (whereas

The Empire Strikes Back had already been available on an

inexplicably shortened CD for over a year).

sound quality that prevailed on that LP is also a painful hindrance on

the Polydor CD, making it an extremely frustrating 45-minute listening

experience even aside from the wealth of music missing from the product.

As they had done with both Star Wars and The Empire Strikes

Back, aficionados of the series once again searched for comfort in

the only other recording of music from the series: Charles Gerhardt and

The only substantial alternative source of music from

this score (and the others in the saga before 1993) was the Gerhardt

re-recording of 46 minutes of the score with the NPO.

Gerhardt and the NPO had recorded famous film scores from mostly the

Golden Age of Hollywood, but as a few of their final collaborations,

they recorded the three classic Star Wars scores near the times

In fact, Return of the Jedi turned out to be

very final entry in this magnificent series.

New Hope and Return of the Jedi were both released in 1989 by

RCA, with superb sound quality and an usually excellent standard of

performance that Williams himself had claimed to be honored by

brass section did make some noticeable mistakes in this performance,

although it's compensated for by a rousing instrumental version of the

the only digital source for some cues absent from the official 1986

release, including Williams' extended concert arrangement of Jabba the

Hutt's theme (with strikingly whimsical strings) and the presentation of

"Fight in the Dungeon" as an extra bonus.

tracks, only one fifth of the total music from Return of the Jedi

ultimate Star Wars trilogy Anthology released by 20th Century Fox

in 1993 was considered a godsend by fans.

103 minutes of music from the film, including several vital cues from

the middle section of the story that had been completely neglected by

While the addition of material from Return of the

Jedi was significant, it was not as earth-shatteringly important as

the Anthology had been for The Empire Strikes Back.

the Anthology (produced by some of the biggest names in film score

production) featured additional music that was certainly welcomed with

There were, however, problems with the presentation

despite the best intentions of those producers

placed as much music as possible from each film on an individual CD for

each of the three scores but then pressed additional unreleased cues on

memorable "Leia is Wounded/Luke and Vader Duel" and lengthy "Brother and

Sister/Father and Son/The Fleet Enters Hyperspace" you had to seek the

fourth CD to enjoy them separately in the era prior to the digitization

Add on a large, custom-sized package (roughly DVD set

size by today's standards) and hard-to-read individual CD covers within,

and you had some ill-received protests from some fans.

Regardless of its issues, the Anthology set of 1993 is

looked upon with fondness by many Star Wars fans today simply

because it filled a major void in collections at the time.

later, however, the Anthology was rendered largely outdated by the

massive, highly advertised RCA "Special Edition" releases of 1997.

January of that year, George Lucas had announced the production of

The Phantom Menace and revealed newly enhanced versions of the

original three films for a 20th anniversary theatrical release.

album, enthusiasts were treated to double-CD releases of each Star

Wars score in film order with alternative cues and extensive

attention to detail in the mixing and arrangement of the contents.

Including several source and alternate cues, a whopping total of 148

minutes of music from Return of the Jedi on its Special Edition

the previous two scores, there still remains 15 to 20 minutes of music

from Return of the Jedi that is not heard on even the most

Most of that music, however, is not vital (or

was previously released elsewhere), and a list of that material can be

both the 1993 and 1997 releases, with the glittery CDs of the latter

and offered in slimline alternatives that feature the Special Edition

poster art, but these fell out of print about five years later.

the Sony Classical label, which had been releasing the prequel scores,

acquired the rights to the classic trilogy's music and decided to

-press the 1997 releases with new artwork.

Sony's Direct Stream Digital remastering, and while this technique does

provide some minimal extra clarity on high-end stereo systems, casual

listeners will notice no significant differences from the 1997 albums.

Thus, if you own the Special Edition albums and don't require slightly

improved sound, there is no reason to seek the 2004 ones.

2004 re-pressings are badly lacking in packaging compared to previous

releases, with absolutely none of the fantastic notes and pictorials

shameless 2007 releases (the "Corellian Edition" compilation and "30th

Anniverary Collector's Edition"), both of which redundant, unnecessary, and

Overall, owning Return of the Jedi is perhaps

not as necessary in a very casual soundtrack collection when contrasted

against its siblings in the classic trilogy

film music enthusiast, it is a must-have score, and with its outstanding

packaging and mostly complete presentation of the music, the 1997

Special Edition album (the original full version bound in black

booklets) continues to be the best Return of the Jedi product

Music as Heard on the 1986 Polydor Album: *

Music as Heard on the 1989 RCA Gerhardt Album: ****

Music as Heard on the 1993 Fox Anthology: ****

Music as Heard on the 1997 RCA Special Edition: *****

Music as Heard on the 2004 Sony Classical Album: ****

Music as Heard on the 2007 Sony Classical Albums: **

For John Williams reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.78

Older Editions of the score have BETTER sound quality, not WORSE.

Expand >>Faleel - September 11, 2012, at 4:37 p.m.

3 comments (2703 views)Newest: July 7, 2015, at 9:14 p.m. by Mr. Big

Using tubas to represent fatness Expand >>Lawrence Yang - October 6, 2011, at 7:50 a.m.

2 comments (2926 views)Newest: April 8, 2012, at 2:50 p.m. by cs^tbl

Unknown track Expand >>sam - May 6, 2007, at 3:26 p.m.

3 comments (5777 views)Newest: October 12, 2008, at 6:53 p.m. by avcastner

Although not as good as other SW scores,still worthy to listen Expand >>Sheridan - August 20, 2006, at 4:56 a.m.

3 comments (4907 views)Newest: July 18, 2006, at 7:48 a.m. by Don

The Emperor's Theme Expand >>Abel - March 25, 2006, at 1:30 p.m.

2 comments (5279 views)Newest: October 12, 2008, at 7:05 p.m. by avcastner

CD3, 2. Approaching the Death Star (0:30)

CD4, 3. The Fleet Goes into Hyperspace (0:32)

1986 Polydor Album Tracks ▼Total Time: 45:37

• 1. Main Title (The Main Story Continues) (5:09)

• 5. Han Salo Returns (at the Court of Jabba the Hutt) (4:07)

• 6. Lapti Nek (by Jabba's Palace Band) (2:48)

• 11. Ewok Celebration and Finale (7:57)

1989 RCA Gerhardt Album Tracks ▼Total Time: 46:25

• 1. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star (3:27)

• 8. Into the Trap/Fight in the Dungeon (4:20)

1993 Fox Anthology Album Tracks ▼Total Time: 103:11

• 1. Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare with CinemaScope Extension*** (0:22)

• 2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star (5:18)

• 3. Han Solo Returns (at the Court of Jabba the Hutt) (4:06)

• 10. The Emperor Confronts Luke** (3:26)

• 12. First Ewok Battle/Fight with the Fighters** (7:18)

• 14. Final Duel/Into the Death Star** (3:37)

• 18. Leia Breaks the News/Funeral Pyre for a Jedi (2:19)

CD4: (74:59, 28:26 from Return of the Jedi)

• 2. Star Wars: Main Title (Alternate)** (2:16)

• 3. Return of the Jedi: Heroic Ewok/The Fleet Goes into Hyperspace** (3:05)

• 4. Star Wars: A Hive of Villainy** (2:12)

• 5. Star Wars: Destruction of Alderaan** (1:31)

• 6. The Empire Strikes Back: Drawing the Battle Lines/Leia's Instructions** (

• 7. Return of the Jedi: The Ewok Battle** (2:48)

• 8. The Empire Strikes Back: Attack Position** (3:04)

• 9. The Empire Strikes Back: Crash Landing** (3:35)

• 11. Return of the Jedi: Lapti Nek (2:48)

• 12. Star Wars: Cantina Band #2** (3:44)

• 13. Return of the Jedi: Faking the Code** (4:10)

• 14. Return of the Jedi: Brother and Sister** (3:08)

• 16. Return of the Jedi: Leia is Wounded/Luke and Vader Duel** (2:57)

• 17. The Empire Strikes Back: Carbon Freeze/Luke Pursues the Captives/Departure of Boba Fett* (11:08)

• 18. The Empire Strikes Back: Losing a Hand** (5:20)

• 19. Return of the Jedi: The Return of the Jedi (Alternate)** (5:03)

• 20. Return of the Jedi: Leia Breaks the news (Alternate)/Funeral Pyre for a Jedi (Film Version)* (2:27)

• 21. Return of the Jedi: Ewok Celebration (Film Version)/The Empire Strikes Back: End Credits (Film Version)* (6:22)

* Contains previously unreleased material

1997 RCA Special Edition Tracks ▼Total Time: 148:01

• 1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman, 1954) (0:22)

• 2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star/Tatooine Rendezvous* (9:21)

• 6. Luke Confronts Jabba*/Den of the Rancor/Sarlacc Sentence* (8:51)

• 7. The Pit of Carkoon*/Sail Barge Assault (6:02)

• 8. The Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/Obi-Wan's Revelation* (10:58)

• 10. Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor (4:09)

• 11. Speeder Bike Chase*/Land of the Ewoks* (9:38)

• 12. The Levitation*/Threepio's Bedtime Story* (2:46)

• 15. Sail Barge Assault (Alternate) (5:04)

• 3. Brother and Sister/Father and Son*/The Fleet Enters Hyperspace**/Heroic Ewok (10:40)

(Into the Trap/Forest Ambush*/Scout Walker Scramble/Prime Weapon Fires)

• 6. The Lightsaber*#/The Ewok Battle (4:31)

(Leia is Wounded/The Duel Begins/Overtaking the Bunker*/The Dark Side Beckons/The Emperor's Death)

(Superstructure Chase*/Darth Vader's Death/The Main Reactor)

• 9. Leia's News/Light of the Force*** (3:24)

• 10. Victory Celebration*$/End Title (8:34)

• 11. Ewok Feast*/Part of the Tribe* (4:02)

• 12. The Forest Battle (concert suite) (4:05)

*** Alternate recording for "Light of the Force"

# Contains partial film version of "The Emperor Arrives"

$ Composed and Recorded by Williams in 1996 for the Special Edition

@ Composed and Arranged by Jerry Hey in 1996 to replace "Lapti Nek"

2004 Sony Classical Album Tracks ▼Total Time: 148:01

• 1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman, 1954) (0:22)

• 2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star/Tatooine Rendezvous (9:21)

• 6. Luke Confronts Jabba/Den of the Rancor/Sarlacc Sentence (8:51)

• 7. The Pit of Carkoon/Sail Barge Assault (6:02)

• 8. The Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/

• 10. Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor (4:09)

• 11. Speeder Bike Chase/Land of the Ewoks (9:38)

• 12. The Levitation/Threepio's Bedtime Story (2:46)

• 15. Sail Barge Assault (Alternate) (5:04)

• 3. Brother and Sister/Father and Son/The Fleet Enters Hyperspace/Heroic Ewok (10:40)

(Into the Trap/Forest Ambush/Scout Walker Scramble/Prime Weapon Fires)

• 6. The Lightsaber/The Ewok Battle (4:31)

(Leia is Wounded/The Duel Begins/Overtaking the Bunker/The Dark Side Beckons/The Emperor's Death)

(Superstructure Chase/Darth Vader's Death/The Main Reactor)

• 9. Leia's News/Light of the Force (3:24)

• 10. Victory Celebration/End Title (8:34)

• 11. Ewok Feast/Part of the Tribe (4:02)

• 12. The Forest Battle (concert suite) (4:05)

2007 Sony Corellian Edition Tracks ▼Total Time: 54:57

• 1. The Phantom Menace: Star Wars Main Title and The Arrival at Naboo (2:56)

• 2. The Phantom Menace: The Flag Parade (2:12)

• 3. The Phantom Menace: Qui-Gon's Noble End (3:48)

• 4. Attack of the Clones: Jango's Escape (3:49)

• 5. Attack of the Clones: Yoda and the Younglings (3:57)

• 6. Revenge of the Sith: General Grievous (4:07)

• 7. Revenge of the Sith: Anakin's Dark Deeds (4:05)

• 9. A New Hope: Ben Kenobi's Death/TIE Fighter Attack (3:55)

• 10. The Empire Strikes Back: Yoda and the Force (4:06)

• 11. The Empire Strikes Back: The Clash of Lightsabers (4:10)

• 12. Return of the Jedi: Sail Barge Assault (5:05)

• 13. Return of the Jedi: End Title (6:04)

2007 Sony 30th Ann. Edition Tracks ▼Total Time: 148:00

• 1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman, 1954) (0:22)

• 2. Main Title/Approaching the Death Star/Tatooine Rendezvous (9:21)

• 6. Luke Confronts Jabba/Den of the Rancor/Sarlacc Sentence (8:51)

• 7. The Pit of Carkoon/Sail Barge Assault (6:02)

• 8. The Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/

• 10. Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor (4:09)

• 11. Speeder Bike Chase/Land of the Ewoks (9:38)

• 12. The Levitation/Threepio's Bedtime Story (2:46)

• 15. Sail Barge Assault (Alternate) (5:04)

(Into the Trap/Forest Ambush/Scout Walker Scramble/Prime Weapon Fires)

• 6. The Lightsaber/The Ewok Battle (4:31)

(Superstructure Chase/Darth Vader's Death/The Main Reactor)

• 9. Leia's News/Light of the Force (3:24)

• 10. Victory Celebration/End Title (8:34)

• 11. Ewok Feast/Part of the Tribe (4:02)

• 12. The Forest Battle (Concert Suite) (4:05)

CD7: (54:57, 11:09 from Return of the Jedi)

• 2. The Phantom Menace: The Flag Parade (2:12)

• 3. The Phantom Menace: Qui-Gon's Noble End (3:48)

• 4. Attack of the Clones: Jango's Escape (3:49)

• 5. Attack of the Clones: Yoda and the Younglings (3:57)

• 6. Revenge of the Sith: General Grievous (4:07)

• 7. Revenge of the Sith: Anakin's Dark Deeds (4:05)

• 9. A New Hope: Ben Kenobi's Death/TIE Fighter Attack (3:55)

• 10. The Empire Strikes Back: Yoda and the Force (4:06)

• 11. The Empire Strikes Back: The Clash of Lightsabers (4:10)

• 12. Return of the Jedi: Sail Barge Assault (5:05)

• 13. Return of the Jedi: End Title (6:04)

(total time only reflects unique material from Return of the Jedi)

The 1986 Polydor and 1989 RCA Gerhardt albums contain no

information about the film, score, or recording.

has extensive notes and pictorials in an oversized booklet with

information written by John Williams, Nicholas Meyer, and Lukas Kendall.

The 1997 RCA Special Edition albums with the black book format include

extensive notation from album arranger Michael Matessino regarding the

Wars in this 1997 album also includes information about each take.

The 1997 RCA Special Edition slimline format lacks the same level of

detail. The 2004 Sony Classical products (available both as a set and

individually) include a fold-out poster, but sadly no extra information

"Corellian Edition" is minimal, though the label's "30th Anniversary

Collector's Edition" includes the original LP packaging for each score

and a bonus CD-ROM with additional material.

notes about the scores are once again missing from the 2007 products.

Music from Return of the Jedi not contained on 1997, 2004, or 2007 albums:

• Lapti Nek (English Version, "Fancy Man") (2:46)

• Ewok Celebration (Film Version)* (1:56)

• Ewok Celebration (Album Version)* (1:56)

• Jabba the Hutt (Concert Arrangement)** (

• Max Rebo Band Instrumental Music*** (3:00)

• Unused Source Music (Not in Film)*** (1:30)

* Cue is included on the 1993 Anthology set

** About (1:20) of this recording was tracked into "Han Solo Returns" on the 1986 album and 1993 Anthology.

*** These selections were not included because they could not be found.

error, some copies of the 1997 RCA release may have two "Disc 1"s and

If you are purchasing one of the remaining new copies of

them now, be sure to check your set immediately to make sure you

The same problem reportedly existed with

some copies of the 2007 "30th Anniversary Collector's Edition."

Tony Cox, who also played an Ewok, would assist as well. The eyes and facial expressions were operated by radio control.
 Lucas voiced displeasure in the puppet's appearance and immobility, complaining that the puppet had to be moved around the set to film different scenes. In the DVD commentary to the Special Edition of "Return of the Jedi", Lucas notes that if the technology had been available in 1983, Jabba the Hutt would have been a CGI character similar to the one that appears in the Special Edition scene of "A New Hope".
 Jabba the Hutt only speaks Huttese on film, but his lines are subtitled in English. His voice and Huttese-language dialogue were performed by voice actor Larry Ward, whose work is not listed in the end credits. A heavy, booming quality was given to Ward's voice by pitching it an octave lower than normal and processing it through a subharmonic generator. A soundtrack of wet, slimy sound effects was recorded to accompany the movement of the puppet's limbs and mouth. Jabba the Hutt's musical theme is played on a tuba.